Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching & learning

3.1-Establish challenging learning goals

Set explicit, challenging and achievable learning goals for all students.

As would be the case in all classrooms, the students in my class have a large range of skills and abilities. I aim to ensure that the activities and goals I set for my students are not just achievable but are also challenging.

The first thing I do when planning (as most would) is visit the Australian Curriculum website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Year1) for the year level I am teaching to make sure that I am not only covering the different areas and requirements of the curriculum but to make sure that my planning is appropriate for the year level. By looking back at Foundation or ahead to Year 2 I can see where my students have come from and where I can begin to extend their learning as needed. I also use the work samples provided on the curriculum website to help me plan and assess. The following is a link to the above satisfactory work sample for Year 1 science. I used this when planning my science unit and refer back to it when assessing students work.

http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/worksamples/Year_1_Science_Portfolio_Above.pdf

Due to the different abilities of my students I often differentiate lessons to suit different groups of students. One example of this is the weekly spelling words I give to the class. Students are split into group A and group B for spelling with group B receiving are more challenging group of words than group A. Both groups' words are chosen based on a spelling 'rule' the class will learn and practice for the week and often have some words that are the same (especially two sight words). Below is an example of the two groups' spelling words from a week when students were learning about the 'magic e' rule to make 'a' the long vowel sound. Having done two groups for spelling this term I am able to use results from the weekly spelling test to take the differentiation further and plan to have three groups starting in Term 2.

3.2-Plan, structure and sequence learning programs

Plan and implement well-structured learning and teaching programs or lesson sequences that engage students and promote learning

For each curriculum area, I create a term plan. I have shown an example of my term plan for Spelling in standard two. Below, I have included a term plan for Maths. In my planning I start by taking out the curriculum content descriptors that I will be covering over the term. Using the imaths program. I then create a detailed plan for what I will teach in each Maths lesson over the term. I allow for catch-up and revision in my planning in case I decide we need to spend longer on a particular topic or skill.

3.3-Use teaching strategies

Select and use relevant teaching strategies to develop knowledge, skills, problem solving and critical and creative thinking.

One of the most useful strategies I use in my teaching is explicit instruction. I find it important to be explicit, not only as I work with young children that are often doing things for the first time, but also as the students in my class have a range of abilities and skills. Like all classrooms, I also have students with different needs such as a student on an NEP for speech and language delays and a students who is ESL.

Below are some photos from a science lesson where students watched a short Youtube clip (links to 3.4, 4.5) about the external features of an ant and had time to look at books and pictures of ants. The aim was for students to then be able to recall the external features (head, thorax, abdomen, mandibles, etc.) and draw and label their own picture of an ant. This was an activity that was going to be repeated with other 'minibeasts' so I wanted to make sure students had the skills to be able to do this again on their own. I showed the students how I wanted them to present the labeled drawing on their page through a step by step demonstration. Students were able to join in and ask questions during the demonstration before going on with their own work. All students were able to complete the activity thanks to this explicit instruction and I am confident that they could do a similar activity again more independently.

3.4-Select and use resources

Select and/or create and use a range of resources, including ICT, to engage students in their learning.

Some of the most useful resources I have for students to access are the 'displays' that I put on the walls of the classroom. I try to choose resources to display that students are actually able to use and refer to as needed. In my site we teach students to read and write using Jolly Phonics. I have the Jolly Phonics wall frieze on display so that students can look up and refer to this is they forget what letters they need to use to read or write a sound. I also have a Jolly Phonics sound chart on their table that they can access as needed. When we have learnt a new counting strategy in maths I have put a poster on the wall that reminds students of the strategy. I often ask students how they found the answer and often get the reply 'I looked a the maths strategies and found out I could use counting on/rainbow facts/ doubles/etc'.

I also make the tools we have in the classroom such as rulers, glue, scissors, textas, whiteboards, as accessible as I can so students are free to use them in their learning. This means that students are able to access these resources independently and stay engaged in their task.

3.5-Use effective classroom communication

Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student understanding, participation, engagement and achievement.

This is a picture of my smaller whiteboard in my classroom. This faces the students and can be seen around the room. I include this as an example of non-verbal communication I use in my classroom. Not only does it include information such as the week, day and date but also has subject labels that we use to create our daily timetable. These labels include picture clues as a way to support visual learners and students with lower reading abilities. This timetable display allows students to see what we are doing throughout the day and keep track of what they are up to. The board also includes the names of the 'stars of the week' so that students (and parents) can easily see who they are. You can also see that in this photo there is a list of 'Wet weather Activities' listed on the board. This list was a result from a brainstorming session on a rainy day so that students could easily find out what they could do if they had to stay in at recess and lunch. I plan to put these onto a poster and include picture clues so the students can refer back to the list throughout the year.

Another example of an effective piece of communication is using common and consistent language in the classroom. At the beginning of the year, I talk to my class about 'The 5 Ls'. These are the five things that students need to do during listening time on the floor; Legs crossed, hands in Laps, Lips closed, eyes Looking and ears Listening. After doing this, I can easily remind students of the expectations I have for floor behavior by simply saying 'Are you doing the 5 Ls?'.

3.6-Evaluate and improve teaching programs

Evaluate personal teaching and learning programs using evidence, including feedback from students and student assessment data, to inform planning.

One way I am able to evaluate my teaching is simply by listening to what my students say during and after an activity. Young children are quick to say what they are thinking. 'This is boring' tells me I need to find a way to make something more fun and engaging, 'That was fun' tells me i'm on track. Last year I heard one of the boys in my Reception classes saying, 'School is boring, I just like the trains'. Following this I was able to adapt my program to suit his interest and engage him. An example is that for a writing activity, I printed out a picture of a train and sat with the boy to brainstorm some 'train' words. He wrote each word in one of the carriages before writing several sentences (more than he'd ever written before) about trains.

I also use the data I collect from student assessments to help my evaluate my programs. I talk further on this in standard 5 but have included an example of some student data below. Twice a year, teachers use the Language and Literacy scales to assess samples of student writing. Using the scales I can determine what areas of writing I need to focus on so that students can improve. Not only does looking at the rubric allow me to see where students strengths and weaknesses are, I will be able to use the scales to evaluate my teaching program when we repeat the assessment by seeing if students have improved and achieved in the areas that I identify need more work.

3.7-Engage parents/ carers in the educative process

Plan for appropriate and contextually relevant opportunities for parents/ carers to be involved in their children’s learning.

It is incredibly important for parents and carers to be involved in their child's learning. Parents are children's biggest and most important role models and can ensure a continuance of learning from school to home. Through out my experience, I have found that children with parents that are involved in their learning, whether at school or at home, seem to achieve and even exceed expectations or outcomes. An example with the Foundation age children I work with is simply parents listening to their children read each night. The children who read to their parents each night have improved their reading skills at a much faster rate than children who do not read at home with parents as often. Through the relationships I have built with parents I have been able to share children's learning and give tips and information to parents about what I am doing at school and how they can continue this at home. A large part of my communication with parents is through conversation before and after school each day. During these informal conversations I can share children's learning with parents, celebrate success and discuss any behaviour issues. I feel I have engaged parents in their child's learning very well in this way and I even found that when it came time for more formal 'parent/teacher interviews', there was not much information I hadn't already shared with parents and they didn't have many questions. I felt that this was a positive reflection on my communication with parents.

I have also involved parents and families in their child's learning by inviting families in to the class for special events. One example of this was when I invited mother's (and aunts, grandma's, etc) in for a special Mother's Day concert. This was a simple event where children sang a song to their guests and shared their work books.

I also feel it is important to find a simple and reliable way to communicate with families between home and school. I have found two main ways of doing this. The first is using a 'communication book', an A4 exercise book that goes home each night that I can glue letters/notices into so they don't get lost in the bottom of bags. It also allows parents and I to write notes to each other if we can't speak in person.

links to 4.5