SC1 Demonstrated understanding of initiatives in student learning

including the Standards, the Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12

and Assessment and Reporting Advice and the capacity to implement
curriculum programs consistent with their intent.

As an educator I aim to address and meet the expectations of the Victorian

Essential Learning Standards and Principles of Learning and Teaching, by
promoting learning excellence through my curriculum. In addition, I will
cater for differentiation amongst the classroom by encompassing efficient
and effecting teaching strategies.
The Principles of Learning and Teaching (POLT) outline that students will
learn best when:

The teacher understands and gets on well with the students in our
class
Building a rapport with students is a vital component to my teaching
philosophy. I always made an effort to get to know the students on a
personal level to develop very positive student teacher relationships.
I generally prompt discussion within the class regarding interests,
hobbies, weekend activities etc. Above all I respect every student as
an individual and accept all ideas and skills they bring to class. For
me, treating students with respect and building a fantastic rapport
with them, ultimately makes your profession one that you enjoy
doing.

The teacher and students listen to and respect what everyone says
An environment free of criticism and bullying, with a main focus on
respect are key principles in building a perfect learning environment
for students. A classroom where students are encouraged to explore
higher order questions, thinking and application even when the risk
of failure is present without fear of being ridiculed or not supported
by their peers. I like to tell my students that a lot of the time, there is
no wrong answer and that everyones opinion is important.

The learning environment promotes independence and self-motivation.

Students in my I.T classes always had a choice regarding their
classwork. I focused on teaching to interests while using the E5 Model
and a humanistic approach. The students felt that they really had a
say and could express themselves in their work.

We use technology in interesting and engaging ways

Technology is already primarily used in my I.T classes but I cant
stress enough the fact at how Visual elements such as YouTube really
engage the students to their understanding. All of my assignments
and classwork involved visual elements. Through the schools
computer database, I created folders that had both YouTube links to
tutorials on how the exercise could be completed/advanced
techniques and PDF files that show step-by-step pictures on
completing the work. Students made it clear that they didnt like
textbooks but through experience I know that the current generation
are quickly becoming visual learners.
Students in my P.E classes were always encouraged to look at videos
on YouTube regarding sports they have been studying in order to
grasp movement, rules, specific sport terminology and overall
understanding.

The teacher sometimes changes what we do when it is clear we dont

understand or need more time or help to learn.
In my classes I always try to explain things in a way where every
student understands. I always like to be very clear and provide some
examples and not be particularly over formal, students said the way I
explained things were clear and engaging. If they didnt understand,
then I was more than happy to explain again in a different way. I like
to pose questions to the students that enable further thinking and
understanding.

The teacher gives me feedback and comments that help improve my

learning.
As a pre-service teacher I know that feedback would become vital to
improve my learning and development as a teacher. I was lucky
enough to have the schools Assistant Principal as my mentor who
offered me detailed feedback upon the completion of every lesson.
When it came to providing the students with feedback I made a
conscious effort to give all my students both written and verbal
feedback to helm them know what they needed to improve on but
also praise them on what they are doing well. As a life-long learner, it
is important for me to constantly seek feedback from students and
staff for further development for myself as an educator and for
students to see me role modelling this type of practise so they can
also do the same.

I firmly believe that learning is a lifelong process. Therefore it is important

to encourage students to think outside the square and constantly push
themselves by setting high expectations of themselves and also take
responsibility in their own learning. As an educator it is my job and is a
pleasure to see the very best come out of students, to see them excel and
become successful and knowledgeable in whatever they wish to do. This
hunger for students constant development and success is why I deserve
the job as a teacher at your school because I will offer students an
unrivalled learning experience.

SC2 Demonstrated high level classroom teaching skills and the capacity
to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning

I make it my business to provide responsive practises to cater for all

student diversities, and encompass all individual learning styles. I
understand that all students are unique and learn in diverse ways and it is
the responsibility of a good teacher to be adaptive and show initiative in
encompassing this in an effective classroom. I strongly believe that a good
teacher can give students a strong capacity and desire to learn.
Setting students challenging but achievable tasks is a good balance in the
classroom and great for their development. My skills as a teacher have
been enhanced through opportunities to observe and absorb many
different teaching styles and strategies that I bring with me into the
classroom. As a teacher, you must have an ongoing willingness to learn. I
am very eager to learn, not only from my colleagues, but also from my
tutors, friends, family and students.
I have proven that I can effectively work with my colleagues; I have also
shown a willingness to attend meetings for unit development. I like to
share resources with my colleagues in regards to planning for a unit and
further developing curriculum within the unit. I put great emphasis on
sharing ideas, collaborating with my colleagues, and continually providing
said resources to improve our teaching and learning.
It is important to address all learning styles and provide effective and
responsive teaching in a learning classroom. As a graduate teacher in your
school, I will strive to further develop my skills and understandings in
catering for differentiation in the classroom. I am also comfortable and
very willing to receive feedback from my fellow colleagues regarding my
practises and strategies to help me further develop my teaching.

SC3 Demonstrated ability to monitor and assess student learning data

and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning

Effective informal and formal assessments are essential for a

comprehensive education as it allows for the constant learning of a
student to be improved. The uses of both formative and summative forms
of assessment are crucial in monitoring students progress and ensuring
different learning styles are catered for within assessment. This allows for
an informed teaching practice and continual growth of teaching skills. The
ability to design and implement a range of assessment modes is an
important teaching skill. I believe assessment can be used effectively to
help each student improve, grow and succeed in his or her academic life.
Good assessment requires a variety of measures, a single assessment tool
will not tell us what we need to know about each student and how they
can improve. Therefore, my assessment practices reflect assessment for
learning, assessment of learning and assessment as learning. The variety
of assessment methods I implement is constantly varying in accordance to
the information I need. Good assessment requires clarity of purpose,
goals, standards and criteria and assessment criteria need to be
understandable and explicit so students know what is expected of them
from each assessment they encounter. I also believe that the assessment
tool should be properly suited to the task being assessed. The data I gain
from these assessment methods would enable me to credibly report to
parents on how far their child has progressed during the year, where they
are compared to relevant standards and what the student, the parent and
the teacher can do to improve the students learning. Assessment of
student learning is an essential element of quality and effective education,
especially when catering for diverse learning strategies.
My experiences have enabled me to apply my understanding of
assessment. I achieved this by:

Aiding students to use their Schoology account for the I.T class
where they can see their work and progress
Creating class outcomes that are put on the board every class that
the students should complete by the end of class
Managing the results of assessment through the use of Information
Technology (Schoology)
Quizzing students at the start of class to identify prior knowledge

Observation of Mentor of implementation of formal and informal

assessment
Implementing reflection time for students to brainstorm what they
have learnt and what else they can use it for
Creating rubrics as a form of assessment
Abiding by the schools International Baccalaureate program when
creating assignments and rubrics
Having different types of assessment: self-assessment, peer,
teacher and various combinations

As a graduate in your school I will strive to apply my experiences with

assessment and learning and ensure a variety if ongoing assessment
practises are implemented with in my classroom. Both formal and informal
assessment documentation/items will be maintained and data will be
utilised in accordance to the VELS and AUSVELS. With the support of my
colleagues and fellow staff, I believe I can refine my assessment methods
to effectively assess for quality learning.
SC4 Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills
and high level interpersonal skills including a capacity to develop
constructive relationships with students, parents and staf

To be a good educator it is important to have effective communication

skills. As an educator, our entire practise is dependant of effective
communication. Communication is key in conversing and learning from
other staff and discussing issues with parents. Communication is
imperative in building positive working relationships with the entirety if a
school community; staff, students and parents alike.
I believe my communication and written skills, although already highly
accomplished, has been excelled as a result of my university student and
my professional placement experiences. I have completed my Bachelor of
Applied Sciences at Victoria University and am currently completing my
post-graduate diploma in Education and I am to finish my Masters in
teaching. During my studies I have been required to submit diverse
essays, and complete many oral presentations.
I believe positive relationships are the foundation for all professional
relationships. Positive relationships are essential to have between
teachers, students, parents and fellow colleagues to assist in creating
successful learning communities within the classroom. Im naturally a
social person and instantly people are comfortable with speaking to me
and I believe that being comfortable with whatever information you are
sharing is key, I also always endeavour to build and maintain positive
relationships in all aspects of my life. I have built positive student
relationship using the following strategies:

Regularly attended Interschool sports and getting to know the

students individually outside of the school grounds while on sports
trips
Spending time getting to know students and staff members,
becoming aware of their personalities, culture and experiences they
bring to the classroom and school

Respecting students as individuals, with interests, capabilities and

backgrounds
Always helping out with school activities
Always being apart of Extra Curricular activities
Contribute to team planning
Being enthusiastic and always approachable
Being supportive and making time for colleagues, students and
parents
Leading by example. I am dedicated to being the teacher all
students look up to and can relate to

I worked closely with my mentor to develop units of work and built a

strong relationship, and honestly to that relationship I owe a lot. The
knowledge I have gained from him has been monumental to my
development as a learner and educator and that wouldnt be possible
without the communication skills to develop these relationships.
I also was lucky enough to given the responsibility of attending the parent
teacher interviews and having my own timetable where the students and
their parents could meet with me for my assessment and feedback of their
childrens progress. I was one of few graduates lucky enough to
experience this and I found it to be a boost to my teaching and has
already given me first hand experience in offering informal, formal
assessment and overall feedback to parents. Throughout the interviews I
built positive relationships with parents and my personality allowed us to
talk endlessly about their child and to offer feedback and support in terms
of future progress. Even though Im a graduate, I feel as if parents and
students easily notice my personality and approachability and that really
helps when developing relationships, which I had done, so over the Parent
teacher interviews, and for that I am grateful.
If employed at your school, I will continue to use my communication skills
to develop effective working relationships. I would like the opportunity to
communicate with parents once a week through the students diary as I
have done so at my placement. I believe my communication skills can
bring your school together and really make the learning experience a more
enjoyable one. A happy student and a happy family will make for a happy
and successful school.

SC5 Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to a

broad range of school activities and a commitment to ongoing
professional learning to enable further development of skills, expertise
and teaching capacity.

As an educator, it is important to be active and involved in all aspects of

school life. As a student, extracurricular activities are great for maximum
involvement, development and enjoyment. I personally, in my own days as
a student, loved being part of extracurricular activities such as Sport,
Camp and excursions. It strengthened my overall experience as a student
and facilitated important aspects of personal growth, not just that but it
brought me closer to my teachers and fellow peers. This enjoyment has
lasted long after school has finished as I am currently coaching an under
13s Soccer team in my Local community and am a technical director for
the junior teams. My teaching philosophy which I carry with me into my
classrooms is the same I instill on my junior teams, its the personal
growth and togetherness within their team and community which I want to
always highlight to them.
As part of my I.T disciplinary area, I held sessions at lunchtime for
students that were
either behind on their work or needed extra individual help that is, most of
the time, hard to offer in a class full of 20+ students. The main focus
during the term for students was Photoshop and its elements, for most
students new to the program it provided a substantial learning curve,
through my lunchtime workshops the students felt progressively more
comfortable throughout class and their classwork and submissions have
shown tremendous progress.
As for my P.E aspect, I held trainings every lunch-time (when I didnt hold
I.T workshops) for various sports. Depending on what Interschool sport

was coming up, I would hold training sessions every lunch-time for that
particular sport to develop the students and have them ready for
interschool sports. While attending the trainings, the students noticed an
enormous difference in their motor skills and overall fitness.
I will be involved in whatever extracurricular activities your school has to
offer, as for me learning is a life long journey and I want to offer only the
very best to your school and students. I am very active and heavily
believe in Professional Development, I attend various workshops that give
me the tools to greater broaden my knowledge; I believe this is key in
being the best educator possible.