Professional Practice & Seminar Sec 2a

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject focuses on the Teacher Candidates’ awareness of the characteristics of knowledge, practice and professional engagement for professional accountability in teaching. The placement is focused on assessment for tracking student learning more closely to inform teaching. Teacher Candidates take responsibility for independent teaching and demonstrate their capacity to implement sustained sequences of lessons with consideration for the learning needs of individual students. Teaching Fellows at the school and Clinical Specialists from the University advise and monitor Teacher Candidates in collaboration with Supervising Teachers during the period of sustained and independent teaching. The Professional Practice Seminars will focus on student learning needs, assessment, the context of the school and relationships with parents and the broader community. Discussions and evaluations in seminars will focus on the Teacher Candidates’ work and their professional achievements in teaching. Teacher Candidates will assess their development in teaching and present evidence of their learning in a reflective analysis based on the VIT Standards for Graduate Teachers.

On completion of this subject Teacher Candidates should be able to:

• Demonstrate their capacity to use a range of strategies to establish a positive and inclusive learning environment;
• Establish a safe and productive learning environment with clear expectations for student behaviour;
• Use a range of strategies to assess and monitor student learning needs and use this to inform teaching, to report on student learning and provide feedback to students;
• Independently access and manage a range of learning and teaching resources including technologies to support their specialist area in teaching;
• Describe their professional practice using the VIT Standards for Graduate Teachers;
• Plan and implement strategies to support their professional growth.

There are 2 assessment tasks:

• Teaching Performance (65%)
• Practicum Exhibition: half-hour presentation of how teacher candidates have developed their teaching ability in a specified area (35%) conducted end of semester.

Teacher candidates must pass both components.

There are 2 hurdle requirements:

• Attendance on all days of placement
• Attendance at all Practicum Seminar sessions.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their professional development in teaching
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base that is evident in their teaching.