Pre-service teachers

The purpose of placement is to give you experience in schools and classrooms. To get the most out of your placement, I suggest:

• You are in contact with your placement school in the week or two leading up to placement.

• You meet with the Placement Coordinator and/or your mentor the week before placement starts.

• You are clear with your mentor about the requirements for placement (what work do you need to complete for units?) before you begin.

• You wear smart casual dress to placement.

• You ask questions and seek advice.

• You get involved with the life of the school (excursions, camps, volunteering)

• You are punctual to school and do not leave until your mentor does, or you have agreed that you are prepared.

• You attend meetings.

• You submit lesson plans to your mentor at least 24 hours before teaching but preferably 48 hours.

Before you begin placement, to help me get to know you and your needs, you will complete a pre-placement form. Some of the information from this form will be sent as an info page to your mentor.

In the first week of placement you will have an onsite check-in with me, the Site Director. This is usually 15 minutes. Check-ins are a chance for you to:

• Get to know me (and I you).

• Clarify the requirements of placement.

• Set goals for the placement.

• Discuss any concerns you have.

• Discuss any support you feel you need.

• Show me around your classroom and potentially introduce me to your mentor.

At the end of each week you will complete a check-in. This is to help me stay up-to-date with what is happening on placement and to support you with any gaps in your experience that need to be addressed. 

These are facilitated by me, and include a small group of preservice teachers. They can also include:

• The preservice teacher’s mentor

• Academic mentors from Deakin University 

• A member of the leadership team within the school

Assessment Circles are a round-table discussion with other preservice teachers to have a professional discussion about your experience, your developing understanding of education and practice and the goals you set at the beginning of placement. 

The discussions are grounded in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Additionally, the Ringwood Alliance in 2023, are trialling the use of Learning Walks as stimulus for the Assessment Circles. These are where a member of staff in a school walks with us and there is an examination of the teaching and learning that is occurring across the school.

This becomes an opportunity for you to consider different learning spaces from the one you have been in for placement. And, if you are coming from a different school, you also get to consider different learning contexts.

Both Learning Walks and round-table professional discussions are expected of teachers within the profession. Therefore, Assessment Circles are an excellent opportunity for you to develop your skill in talking with other teachers.

If outside of the check-ins and assessment circle/learning walk you would like to have a chat with me you can either send me an email or book a 15-minute meeting slot below. You can go to the booking portal to complete this. Please indicate in your booking if you would like this to be onsite or a phone call. 

• If it is a phone call, please leave your preferred number. 

• If the meeting is onsite, please meet me at the main office of your school. 

• If you think you will need more than 15-minutes, please send me an email with your preferred time and date, after checking that I am available.