Element one: Teachers know their subject content and how to teach that content to students.

I have…

I have, during practicum, planned and implemented lessons and units of work across various Key Learning Areas and in many content strands. By researching the key concepts and ideas within the subject (appendix 1) I have developed lesson sequences (appendix 2) that aim to scaffold students through the appropriate intellectual and developmental stages. I have used syllabus and other curriculum guidelines to ensure that I meet the ‘intellectual quality’ requirements of the Quality Teaching Framework. I have worked to ensure student ideas are established and problematised in order to encourage a deeper understanding of the content being taught.

During lessons on capacity (appendix 2), the prior knowledge of students was established through the use of open-ended questions and experimentation with concrete resources. Using familiar and commonplace materials, students were engaged actively and socially by experimenting with ideas and constructing knowledge. A social-constructivist approach was taken in that students worked in pairs or groups, estimating and designing tests to solve problems. The appropriate metalanguage was introduced as students moved toward a deeper understanding of key ideas. Students were encouraged to record their findings using drawings, written statements and finally, through structured worksheets (appendix 3). Each lesson built on prior knowledge, and the culmination of session involved students relating their new knowledge to examples outside of the classroom setting.

I need…

I need to develop my proficiency in information and communication technologies. While I have basic operational skills in computers and various programs, I will need to expand upon this in order to promote the use of ICT’s within the class or school environment. I will need to include the use of ICT’s when planning and implementing lessons, both on prac and during university mentoring programs.

I believe…

That quality and effective lessons stem from deep content knowledge paired with an understanding of the needs of students. Productive pedagogy that works to enhance intellectual quality can be directly aligned to the Quality Teaching Framework. I hope, through experience and professional development, that I can teach effectively across all Key Learning Areas. I believe that teaching is a profession and I hope to live up to this title by having a deep and ever-developing knowledge of all subjects and the ways in which students engage with them.