Professional Portfolio

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2013:

300 hours total commitment.

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs) is obligatory.

150 points of study in the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) or Master of Teaching (Secondary).

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The subject focuses on supporting effective personal professional development in the initial stages of teaching. With assistance from a designated faculty mentor, graduate teachers collate and present evidence of practice against the standards for teaching. Graduate teachers are supported through a range of on campus and online workshops in topics related to knowledge, practice and professional engagement in teaching. Emphasis is given to areas that have been identified through research as threshold areas of learning for beginning teachers, including pedagogical skills for teaching, classroom management and aspects of pedagogical content knowledge relevant to specialist areas for teaching. Assigned mentors provide online support and advice in response to these issues and to the interests and needs of the graduate teachers.

On completion of this subject graduate teachers will be able to:

• Demonstrate a deep understanding of their practice in relation to the standards for teaching
• Collate and present evidence to demonstrate their professional practice
• Articulate key issues and concepts that have influenced their initial phase of teaching
• Articulate an evolving philosophical stance
• Apply strategic processes to support their on-going professional development
• Approach teaching with increased confidence
• Reflect critically on their own transition to teaching and identify areas for future professional growth.

There will be 2 assessment tasks:

• A personal philosophy of teaching (4000 word essay) due mid-year, 40%
• A professional portfolio demonstrating ongoing reflective practice and classroom inquiry with a specific focus (8000 words) due end of year, 60%

There will be two hurdle requirements:

• Satisfactory completion of 6 reflective responses to discussion forum (blog) topics, due throughout the year
• Evidence of satisfactory completion of statutory registration process (Victorian Institute of Teaching) due end of year

Churchill et al. (2011) Teaching: Making a Difference. Milton, Wiley

Moss, J. 2004 (Ed). Invitations and Inspirations: Pathways to successful teaching. Carlton South: Curriculum Corporation

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject graduate teachers will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify relationships between theory, research and teaching
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn using research processes;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence and the standards for teaching;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation to engage in reflective and critical discussion of research in education and teaching;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base that is applied to their teaching