Building your professional identity

How this journal works

The learner reflection journal has been designed for you to document your learning as you work through
the modules. This documentation, along with related artefacts you collect along the way, is rich evidence
that you can include in your portfolio as you demonstrate your transition from ‘graduate’ to ‘proficient’ in
the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Annotations
Annotations will help you effectively capture your developing professional knowledge, practice and
engagement. They will demonstrate how your evidence aligns to the teacher standards as well as identify
impact on student learning. You should also collect evidence beyond the tasks in this resource through your
everyday work, as an ongoing process to build a professional portfolio.
 
The CARES annotation model is one way you can write about the artefacts of evidence you collect. You can
use CARES to capture the story of an ‘evidence set’.
 Context – background information about the evidence and how it fits into the ‘big picture’ of your
teaching and learning goals
 Action – what you did, why and how and when
 Results – the results, what happened, outcomes of your actions and learning achievements
 Evaluation – your reflection on the actions and results and how these have been used to inform
your practice and professional growth
 Standards – the relevant focus areas of the teacher standards that you have evidenced
Attend the Early Career Teachers – Setting up for Success workshop to provide you with detailed
information to support you to capture your developing practice. At this workshop you will be supported to
learn about how you can write annotations which align your evidence to the teacher standards.

www.education.sa.gov.au
www.plink.sa.edu.au
Early Career Teacher Development program

► Building your professional identity through making

an impression

Learner reflection journal – Thoughts about making an impression

Watch the video with a range of teachers and leaders, from early years through to secondary, sharing
their thoughts and approaches in relation to  making an impression as a beginning teacher.

As you watch the video, take note of the advice and key points to consider in making an impression as
you build your professional identity. 

If you haven't downloaded your journal yet, do so from the Objectives and documenting your learning
topic. 

As a result of your exploration of these resources 

 Reflections on your understanding of how you comply with the legislative

documents and meet codes of ethics in your current context.

How does this connect with the teacher standards?

Note: these are suggestions of the focus areas of the teacher standards that could
be aligned to evidence from this task.  
 The descriptors for each are from the ‘proficient’ career stage.

 Standard 7 - Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and
the community

Focus area: 7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
Focus area descriptor: Meet codes of ethics and conduct established by

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regulatory authorities, systems and schools.

Focus area: 7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational
requirements Focus area descriptor: Understand the implications of and comply
with relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional
requirements, policies and processes.

Learner reflection journal – Thoughts about making an impression

Watch the video with a range of teachers and leaders, from early years through to
secondary, sharing their thoughts and approaches in relation to making an impression
as a beginning teacher.

 As you watch the video, take note of the advice and key points to consider in
making an impression as you build your professional identity. 

My notes: 02/09/2019
Professionalism is looking the part and always being professional
Duty of care for students in your class and your school
Not going to the bathroom while teaching
Learning the school and how they do things
Know the policies and ask if you are not sure/ colleagues/leaders
The various contexts in which you will make an impression as a teacher
Ways to manage how you make an impression to those inside and outside the
preschool or school community.

How does this connect with the SA TfEL Framework?

Please note these are suggestions of the elements that could be aligned with.

Domain 1 - Learning for effective teaching

Element 1.4 Engage with the community

Domain 2 – Create safe conditions for rigorous learning

Element 2.1 Develop democratic relationships
Element 2.2 Build a community of learners

How does this connect with the  EYLF and NQS?

Please note these are suggestions of the elements that could be met.

Early Years Learning Framework

Principles - Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships

Partnerships – High expectations and equity

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National Quality Standard

Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

Standard 6.1    Supportive relationships with families

Element 6.1.2 The expertise, culture, values and beliefs of families are respected
and families share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing.

Element 6.1.3 Current information is available to families about the service and
relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family
wellbeing.

Quality Area 7: Leadership and service management

Element 7.2.1 There is an effective self-assessment and quality improvement
process in place
Element 7.2.3 Educators, co-ordinators and staff members’ performance is regularly
evaluated and individual plans are in place to support learning and development.

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Building relationships within your school community

Learner reflection journal – Making an impression on your students

The illustrations of practice below provide examples of ways to develop productive relationships
and make a positive impression on your students. 

1. Choose one video to watch below and take notes of the key points and ideas in your learner
reflection journal.

Learner reflection journal – Making an impression on your students

The illustrations of practice below provide examples of ways to develop productive

relationships and make a positive impression on your students. 

1. Choose one video to watch below and take notes of the key points and ideas in
your learner reflection journal.

My notes:

Be involved
Try and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students
Ratio 1:4 individual attention to best support reading
Whole school involvement
Reinforcing what you are teaching
Play based and inquiry learning – plan think about interests and strengths
Follow on what the students take from their learning

Building professional relationships with colleagues

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Building professional relationships with colleagues is an important focus when

beginning in a new role in a site.

Each site will have a different staffing structure and may include:

 principal or preschool director

 deputy and assistant principals
 year level leaders
 sub school leaders
 curriculum, faculty and program leaders
 school librarians
 student wellbeing leaders
 teachers
 school services staff
 ancillary or support staff
 specialist staff including visiting service providers (eg speech
pathologist, behaviour coach, special educators, educational
psychologist).

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Development tasks are designed to help you collect evidence for your portfolio.
Completing the tasks provides an opportunity to connect to your own context, capturing your growth as
you reflect on your practice.

Development task 1
This task provides you with the opportunity to identify and value the roles of your colleagues within the
site.

Development task 2
Developing positive relationships with parents/carers and the wider community is important.

This will support your ability to work with them more closely to develop better outcomes for the children
and young people you teach.

In this task you will identify some possible ways to build relationships and involve parents/carers and the
wider community in your teaching and learning programs.

Development Task 1
Part 1

1. Consider and discuss the roles of different colleagues at your site with
your mentor. If you are not in a site, discuss the roles of colleagues in
your mentor’s site or a site you visit regularly.

My response:

Lauren Knight – Wellbeing coordinator – to support staff and students with their
wellbeing and to oversee and look at things that can be implemented to help the
school community specifically related to the wellbeing of everyone in the school
community

Alison Acella – Literacy Mentor– to support staff in delivering an evidence based

approach to literacy to support student success. This is a structured synthetic
phonics approach. Which includes ongoing assessment.

Vicky Bitzios – Deputy Principal (acting principal) - to oversee everything that

happens with in the school. To support staff and families and to work with staff in
order to achieve the most as a whole school.

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2. Identify 3 colleagues, each in a different role to your own, at a site

where you work.
Explain how you may work with these colleagues in relation to the
responsibilities of these roles. For example, you may work with the
student wellbeing leader to discuss and plan the support for an individual
student.

Lauren Knight – I would work with Lauren to support students in my class, specifically
students who need additional support with behaviour and or family circumstances. I
would in future and have already liaised with Lauren in regards to my students,
seeking advice and support with how to tackle different situations.

Alison Acella – I would and do seek support from Alison when I have a question or
need clarification. Alison best supports me with knowledge on how to deliver phonics
to best suit the needs of my students. I can approach Alison whenever I am seeking
advice or need clarification.

Vicky Bitzios – I would work with Vicky during meetings to work on whole school
change. For example our site is moving from PM to decodable readers, this is a
process that has taken many meetings with Vicky and the other reception and year 1
teachers to reach a compromise. Vicky has worked alongside us to come to this
compromise.

3. Reflect in your journal and with your mentor on how you could strengthen
the relationships you are building with your colleagues.

- Develop my people skills, being able to talk to and approach other professionals
at my site.
- Make time to build relationships, get to know my colleagues and their
expectations and needs. Ask them how their day is going and listen actively.
- Develop my own emotional intelligence so that I can see when others need
support and what that might look like.
- Appreciate others and what they do for me and others. Compliment them when
you notice something done well and give verbal feedback
- Be positive, a positive attitude can be contagious. Positivity is more inviting and
it’s nicer to be around

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- Manage and know my boundaries, know others and learn them.

- Avoid gossip, talk to the person who has upset me and don’t ‘Vent’ to another
colleague as it could get back to them and then it is far worse than approaching
the situation.
- Listen actively when others are talking to me, respond and engage in
conversation.

Part 2

1. Choose 1 or 2 of the scenarios about working with colleagues from the resource
page. Respond to the questions from each in your learner reflection journal and
discuss with your mentor.

Scenario 2
– I.F example child

A number of your students are eligible for classroom support. Each of these students has a One
Child One Plan (OCOP), which identifies their learning needs and current goals. SSO support is
provided to the class for a total of 5 hours each week. A number of SSOs have worked closely with
the students in your class.  

They have important knowledge of the students’ ability, behaviour patterns and strategies that help
the students to learn.

Consider how you can draw on the skills and knowledge of the SSOs to support you and these
students?

In your reflections with your mentor and in your learner reflection journal, respond to the following:

1. How would you develop an agreed plan with the classroom SSO to support the
specific students in your classroom?

 Provide background information about the students and their social and
learning needs.
 Develop a structure for the session/timetable.
 Withdrawing the students or working with them for in class support work.\
 Determine the goal for the student/students

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2. What structures exist in your site to support you in this? Some sites have an
agreement template, others work informally with the SSO, you will need to
discuss this with your mentor and develop a plan to work with the SSO.

 Through unit meetings – match with other classes/build relationships

 Utilising the current literacy intervention structure

Development Task 2

1. Watch the video ‘Making an impression - a site leaders’ perspective’ below. The
site leader provides advice about making an impression to those in your school
community. Note the key ideas in your learner reflection journal.
2. Watch 1 of the illustrations of practice from the resources page and identify
processes and other aspects to consider when working with the wider
community within your context.

Discuss the following questions with your mentor and note ideas in your learner
reflection journal.

 How could you plan for appropriate and relevant opportunities for
parents/carers to be involved in their children’s learning in your setting?

 What site and Departmental policies would you need to follow to have
parents/carers involved in students’ learning?

 How could you demonstrate that parent/carer involvement in student learning

has had a positive impact?

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Development tasks are designed to help you collect evidence for your portfolio.
Completing the tasks provides an opportunity to connect to your own context, capturing your growth as
you reflect on your practice.

Development task 3
In this task you will identify strategies to show that you know and understand what quality teaching
looks like. You will have the opportunity to identify the kind of teacher you would like to be.

Discuss your responses to the following questions with your mentor, identify the areas of the TfEL or the
EYLF that you are addressing in the activity and record your findings in your learner reflection journal.

1. Your professional identity

1. Explore the TfEL Domain 1 or the EYLF Principle 3 and 5 and identify how this connects
with your professional identity.
2. Identify your ‘areas of need’ in TfEL Domain 1 or the EYLF Principle 3 and 5.
3. How can you develop these areas of need? Discuss this with your mentor.

2. Model yourself as a life-long learner

1. Discuss with your mentor how you are demonstrating that you are reflecting on your
practice and are gathering evidence of your work aligned with the teacher standards (eg
observing your peers, professional learning (including undertaking the reflections and
tasks in this and other modules).
2. What professional development goals are you working towards?

3. Teachers modelling their learning

Watch one of the videos - 'Professional learning' or 'Reflections on teaching and learning' (below) and
take notes about how the teacher is modelling herself as a learner. Record your findings in your learner
reflection journal.

Explore the TfEL Domain 1 or the EYLF Principle 3 and 5 and identify how this connects with your
professional identity.

Domain 1 connects with my professional identity through my love of learning. Knowing what I know and
what I need to learn is a big part of effective teaching. It allows me to see where I am going and what I need
to further develop. – This connects to developing awareness of myself as a learner and a leader.

I can see clear links to my eagerness to know more and understand different teaching ideologies. I take a
full 360 approach to learning and teaching. I seek feedback and discuss ideas with my colleagues often. I
seek out new information and discuss how this could be effective in the classroom.

My professional Identity is all of these things and more. My professional identity is how I engage with my
learning and the learning of others. It is knowing the policies and procedures and the expectations of staff.

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It is knowing how you will come across in reflective and critical discussions about teaching and knowing
that your opinion and ideas are not always right but do always need to be shared to contribute to a holistic
view across all staff.

What professional development goals are you working towards?

I am currently working towards developing my knowledge around reading and writing and how they are
linked together. I have been researching different strategies and trying new methods in the classroom. I
have discussed this with my mentor who has provided me with articles and websites to assist my research.
My goal is to support each student in my class to write a complete and proper sentence independently

Teachers modelling their learning

- Questioning and working with students

- Working with staff
- Modelling (smell the air)
- Reflecting on her own expectations and experiences.

What evidence could I use?

As a result of your learner reflection journals and ECT development tasks, you could use the
following evidence for your professional portfolio:

 notes in learner reflection journal

 minutes of meetings with parents
 a self-reflection of your meeting with parents
 annotated planning notes for a parent/carer meeting
 plans for working with community members in your classroom and beyond
 emails and notes from phone calls/meetings organising community involvement
 minutes of meetings with the SSO working with students in your class
 formal agreements that you have made with the SSO working in your classroom
 a self-reflection on your understanding of how to access assistance for students in your class
 forms and meeting minutes that you have attended to gain assistance for specific students in
your class.
 How does this connect with the teacher standards?
Note: these are suggestions of the focus areas of the teacher standards that could be aligned
to evidence from this task.  
The descriptors for each are from the ‘proficient’ career stage.

Standard 1 - Know students and how they learn

Focus area:1.2 Understand how students learn
Focus area descriptor: Structure teaching programs using research and collegial advice about
how students learn.
Focus area:1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across
the full range of abilities.
Focus area descriptor: Develop teaching activities that incorporate differentiated strategies

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to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Focus area:1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
Focus area descriptor: Design and implement teaching activities that support the
participation and learning of students with disability and address relevant policy and
legislative requirements.

Standard 3 - Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
Focus area:3.7 Engage parents/ carers in the educative process
Focus area descriptor: Plan for appropriate and contextually relevant opportunities for
parents/ carers to be involved in their children’s learning.

Standard 4 -   Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
Focus area:4.1 Support student participation
Focus area descriptor: Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage
and support all students in classroom activities.
Focus area:4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
Focus area descriptor: Incorporate strategies to promote the safe, responsible and ethical use
of ICT in learning and teaching.

Standard 6 - Engage in professional learning
Focus area:6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs
Focus area descriptor: Use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and advice
from colleagues to identify and plan professional learning needs.
Focus area:in professional learning and improve practice
Focus area descriptor: Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice, targeted to
professional needs and school and/or system priorities.
Focus area:6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Focus area descriptor: Contribute to collegial discussions and apply constructive feedback
from colleagues to improve professional knowledge and practice.
 How does this connect with the SA TfEL Framework?
 Please note these are suggestions of the elements that could be aligned with.

Domain 1 - Learning for effective teaching

Element 1.3 participate in professional learning communities and networks
Element 1.4 engage with the community

Domain 2 - Create safe conditions for rigorous learning

Element 2.2 build a community of learners
Element 2.3 negotiate learning

Domain 4 - Personalise and connect learning

Element 4.3 apply and assess learning in authentic contexts

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Understanding how to protect your digital footprint

Learner reflection journal – Considering your online identity as a teacher

1. In your learner reflection journal, make notes of the key points and advice from the teacher
mentor about your use of social media and other online communication.
2. Download a copy of 'Protective practices for staff in their interactions with children and
young people'.

Discuss the following questions with your mentor and record your responses in your learner
reflection journal. 

 What does the Protective Practices document say about the department's expectations of
you when posting images of yourself and students?
 What is acceptable practice when members of the school/preschool community ask to join
your social media sites or email you? (This includes students and parents/carers)

Use the links to the intranet site below to open PDFs

Protective practices for staff (intranet)

Responsible staff and student use of social media (intranet)

What does the Protective Practices document say about the department's expectations of you when
posting images of yourself and students?

- Photographing, audio recording or filming children or young people via any medium when not
authorised by the site leader to do so and without required parental consent is an example of
violation

What is acceptable practice when members of the school/preschool community ask to join your social
media sites or email you? (This includes students and parents/carers)

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- Email, social media, internet postings that is unrelated to the staff member’s role
- Allowing children and young people access to a staff member’s personal internet locations (eg
social networking sites)
- Uploading or publishing still/moving images or audio recordings of children and young people to
any location, without parental and site leader’s consent
- Correspondence of a personal nature via social media, internet postings
- Creating/using private online chat rooms
- Filming/recording for the use of behaviour training/modification

Violations

There are many legitimate social media spaces that can be used effectively as part of teaching and learning
programs to facilitate children and young people’s learning. These digital forums need to be completely
separate from staff personal virtual spaces and staff should consider the following questions before using
them:

• how can I use these social media tools appropriately?

• what are the risks?

• what will be the benefits?

• what protocols or permission need to be considered?

• are these approved tools?

• have parents been informed?

Evidence

As a result of your learner reflection journals and ECT development tasks, you could use the
following evidence for your professional portfolio:

 notes from your learner reflection journal

 annotated examples of how you use social media to share resources
 self-reflection on your understanding of the Departments social media policies.
 How does this connect with the teacher standards?
 Note: these are suggestions of the focus areas of the teacher standards that could be aligned
to evidence from this task.
  
The descriptors for each are from the ‘proficient’ career stage.

Standard 6 - Engage in professional learning

Focus area: 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice

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Focus area descriptor: Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice, targeted to

professional needs and school and/or system priorities.

Focus area: 6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice

Focus area descriptor: Contribute to collegial discussions and apply constructive feedback
from colleagues to improve professional knowledge and practice.

Standard 7 - Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
Focus area: 7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
Focus area descriptor: Meet codes of ethics and conduct established by regulatory
authorities, systems and schools.

Focus area: 7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements

Focus area descriptor: Understand the implications of and comply with relevant legislative,
administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.

Focus area: 7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
Focus area descriptor: Participate in professional and community networks and forums to
broaden knowledge and improve practice.
How does this connect with the SA TfEL Framework?
Please note these are suggestions of the elements that could be aligned with.

Domain 1 - Learning for effective teaching

Element 1.3 participate in professional learning communities and networks
Element 1.4 engage with the community
Element 1.5 discuss educational purpose and policy

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Understanding the process of induction

Learner reflection journal – Understanding high quality induction

Watch the animations below and take notes in your learner reflection journal about how you can
manage your own induction into the teaching profession.

- ECT more active

- Better managing peronal demands
- Full of potential – yet to aquire confidence
- Wellbeing
- Learn/practise and Inform teaching
- High quality induction can have a large impact
- Improve job satisfaction
- Reduces likelihood of leaving profession
- Wellbeing!!!
- Strong learning culture and strong learning relationships.
- Mentoring with a focus on practise
- Just 1 fase in the journey of learning
-

Development tasks are designed to help you collect evidence for your portfolio.
Completing the tasks provides an opportunity to connect to your own context, capturing your growth as
you reflect on your practice.

Development task 1 – The Guide

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This task will enable you to become familiar with a key resource of the ECT Development program, The
Guide - Information for early career teachers to support professional growth.

The Guide is an important resource for you to refer to as you begin your career. It will assist you to
understand the interrelated areas of induction discussed in the animations.

This task will direct you to the sections of The Guide that focus primarily on what's involved in induction
and how you can self-manage your own induction with the support of colleagues in your professional
network.

In this task, you will need to access The Guide and respond to the following questions in your learner
reflection journal.
1. Spend some time becoming familiar with the layout of The Guide, including the summary of The
ECT Development program on page 6 and 7, which you would have seen featured in the
‘Beginning your career’ animation.
2. You will see there are 5 key areas of focus in the program. This task will focus on section 3:
‘Establish your career by participating in induction processes’. Go to this section of The Guide.
As you read this section, take notes of the information about induction considering:
1. what you already are familiar with
2. new information and ‘take away’ learning that you will action and/or discuss with a
mentor.
3. Use the advice and information about induction in this section of The Guide and write down a
plan for how you will begin (or continue) managing your induction into a site. This could include
short term and longer term planning notes.
Share your plan with your mentor and discuss how you will action your plan with the support of your
professional network.

How will I begin/ continue to manage my induction at my site?

- Work with my mentor Alison Acella to better understand literacy

- Observe other teachers at my site who have done the Math PLC

- Reflect daily on my lessons and overall day.

- Collaborate with the other year 1 teachers where possible

- Reflect on how my teaching caters for all learners/ with support from my mentor.

- Use the ECT Facebook page (currently doing)

- Use the Tfel Teacher’s companion

- Continue to familiarise myself with the professional standards and reflect back on them.

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- Assign some time in your week that is just for you to reflect on your needs and plan what’s
next.

- Develop your professional portfolio using the teacher standards as a guide.

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Verification of learning from mentor

Name of early career teacher: Amber Kennedy
Name of mentor: Alison Acella

Mentor to verify learning of the ECT mentee in the Productive relationships: Getting started online learning
resource, including:

 knowledge of the mentee’s engagement in the ECT development tasks including collection and
annotation of evidence (listed below)

 ongoing reflection discussions have taken place with the mentor or relevant colleagues
throughout the learning

No. Task Completed Shared with mentor

1 Understanding the process of Yes Yes
induction
2 Managing the impression you Yes Yes
make within your school
community.
3 Managing the impression you Yes Yes
make within your school
community.
4 Managing the impression you Yes Yes
make within your school
community.

Comments from mentor:

Mentor signature:

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► Perspectives on practice: Building your

ECT to self-monitor and record hours of professional learning undertaken to complete the module below:

This is to certify that

Amber

Successfully completed:
Perspectives on practice:
Building your professional identity

Self – assign hours of professional learning below:

Online learning 10
ECT development tasks 10
Learner reflections 8
Total hours 28

This resource presented information and tasks related to:

 develop your capacity to build your professional identity in the preschool or school
and wider community
 develop your knowledge and understanding of your responsibilities for the induction
processes in the department
 develop your knowledge and understanding of the relevant departmental policies and
guidelines for interactions with children, students, colleagues and parents/carers
 develop your understanding of future career pathways in the Department for
Education.

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Mentor’s name and signature: Date:

Teaching and learning programs

Reflection and feedback

Classroom converstaions

Collaboration and communication

Professional Leaning

Student assessment and learning

- positive impact
-

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Date:

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