Standard 6: Engage in professional learning
Focus area: 6.2 - Engage in professional learning and improve practice
Reflection
As Macdonald Grieve (2010) stresses, a sign of an effective teacher is someone who makes a life-long commitment to learning. This links to Standard 6.2.1, of which I achieved a grade of ‘demonstrated’. It is important that teachers dedicate time and effort to professional development, something which allows teachers to update, revise and refresh their professional knowledge for the benefit of their students (Sharma & Pandher, 2018). I was fortunate enough to attend a Teacher’s Professional Learning (TPL) session during my practicum. The focus of the TPL I attended was the school’s approach to teaching phonics. The TPL was interactive and included various activities that can be implemented into the classroom to address student
|
|
needs and support their meeting of the literacy progressions. Furthermore, along with the Stage 1 team, the school’s Instructional Leaders reviewed the goals set in the previous TPL session in regards to students’ achievement of the literacy progressions. While teachers should set high expectations for their students, this TPL reinforced the fact that it is also important to ensure your goals are also realistic and attainable, something which can be linked to knowing your students and their needs (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2019).
In addition to professional learning, another way I strived to improve my teaching practice each day was through feedback. My final report states that I actively sought feedback from my mentor teachers and took it on in a positive manner. Through this, my goal was to incorporate at least one of my mentor teachers’ suggestions from the previous day into each lesson. This demonstrated my commitment to improving my teaching practice, something which saw me consistently grow and improve over the course of my practicum.
In addition to professional learning, another way I strived to improve my teaching practice each day was through feedback. My final report states that I actively sought feedback from my mentor teachers and took it on in a positive manner. Through this, my goal was to incorporate at least one of my mentor teachers’ suggestions from the previous day into each lesson. This demonstrated my commitment to improving my teaching practice, something which saw me consistently grow and improve over the course of my practicum.
References
Macdonald Grieve, A. (2010). Exploring the characteristics of 'teachers for excellence': Teachers' own perceptions. European Journal of Teacher Education, 33(3), 265-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2010.492854
Sharma, P., & Pandher, J. (2018). Teachers’ professional development through teachers’ professional activities. The Journal of Workplace Learning, 30(8), 613-625.
Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2019). Educational psychology (5th ed.). Pearson Australia.
Macdonald Grieve, A. (2010). Exploring the characteristics of 'teachers for excellence': Teachers' own perceptions. European Journal of Teacher Education, 33(3), 265-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2010.492854
Sharma, P., & Pandher, J. (2018). Teachers’ professional development through teachers’ professional activities. The Journal of Workplace Learning, 30(8), 613-625.
Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2019). Educational psychology (5th ed.). Pearson Australia.