Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

7.1-Meet professional ethics and responsibilities

Meet codes of ethics and conduct established by regulatory authorities, systems and schools.

I have undertaken a range of courses and read through materials to ensure that I meet codes of ethics and conduct required when teaching for DECD. I know where to access the 'DECD code of ethics' if I need to check any information and this can be access by visiting <http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/hrstaff/pages/default/CodeOfEthics/?reFlag=1>

Some courses I have completed important courses such as 'Responding to Abuse and Neglect' to understand my role and responsibility as a mandated reporter and have completed a Disability Standards Course so I understand how and why I need to be inclusive of all people with disability.

7.2-Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements

Understand the implications of and comply with relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.

There are many of these requirements that I comply with during my work. An example of one is completing a roll sheet each day to record which students are and are not at school. This is important as it keeps track of how many students are at school in case of emergency but also as a record of days missed.

An important policy that I ensure I am familiar with is my school's bush fire policy. My current site is built next to a large conservation area. This is a fantastic and natural setting but can have implications during fire season.

7.3-Engage with the parents/carers

Establish and maintain respectful collaborative relationships with parents/ carers regarding their children’s learning and well being.

Building a relationship with parents can sometimes be hard but I feel that having a strong relationship and good communication with parents is crucial to a child's learning. As demonstrated in standard 3.7, I try to engage parents in their children's education as much as I can. I use communication books and a class blog to send information out to parents and communicate with parents that may not be able to come into the school to talk with me. I also ask parents to come into the class if they can to help with reading and various activities.

Each day after school I talk with parents, sometimes about something their child did really well with that day, sometimes to talk about a problem we might have had. I often even talk with parents to see how they're going or to find out if they have an concerns. I feel like I have built good relationships with my students' parents and that parents are happy to come talk to me if they would like to.

Early in 2013, the Principal at my school asked to talk to me. When I went to see him he presented my with an email (see below) that he had just received from a parent whose first child was in my class. This parent had emailed the principal to tell him how pleased she was with how I had built a relationship, not only with her daughter but with her and her husband as well. Receiving this email made me realise that parents were appreciating the effort I had been going to in building these relationships and engaging them in their child's education.

This year (2014), I was given a contract for the first two terms of the year covering a maternity leave position. The second email below is from another parent to the Principal regarding the relationship I have built with them and their child.

7.4-Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

Participate in professional and community networks and forums to broaden knowledge and improve practice.

Engaging with teaching networks outside the site I work in provides me with the opportunity to gain more understanding, view points and ideas for teaching. I have attending meetings with my current site's partnership schools in the Southern Valley Precinct. Another group I have been involved has R-2 Hub Meetings that involve a range of teachers from Southern schools.

I have also used social media sites such as facebook to network with teacher in SA and around the world. These groups include a page for teacher's at my own site to communicate ideas, a DECD Early Career Teachers page and a Teaching and learning in South Australia page. I often visit these pages to see ideas from other teachers, talk about teaching and share my ideas and viewpoints.