3rd Year Undergraduate or 1st Year MTeach

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REPORT 2016

Student ID
Pre-service Teacher Alice Nield
2143425

School Balaklava High School

Name: Learning Area: Year Level
Mentor Teacher(s)
Merridy Manuel Science 8 & 10

Name: Learning Area: Year Level

Luke Mensforth Mathematics 8

School Co-ordinator Kerry Williams

Liaison Coordinator
University
Brenton Lamshed Zoe Christopher

Teaching Days 5 introductory days + 20 day block: 25 days

CONTEXT Please add brief context statements about the school and class:
School sector; size and composition of campus (R-12, Area, Primary); particular
features or unique characteristics; index of disadvantage.
School

Balaklava High School provides a comprehensive curriculum. Students are able to choose
from more traditional academic pathways and from a broad range of vocational pathways
including the school's more specialised areas of engineering, primary industries, building
and construction, and hospitality. The school's values of positive relationships, respect,
integrity, dedication and excellence underpin the school's operation. Further, the school's
curriculum reflects our motto, 'Excel today to challenge the future'. Balaklava High School
is a caring country school that aims to equip students to excel. We are large enough to
have broad curriculum choice and varied extracurricular activities, and yet are small
enough to have a real sense of community.

Class (including children with special needs)

Students in all classes have a range of abilities and learning types. Several students in the
Year 8 classes have negotiated curriculums and assessment. Students come from a
variety of towns in the predominately agricultural region surrounding Balaklava. The Year
10 class has some challenging students with behavioural issues.
ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS
Please place an X at the point along each continuum that best represents the development of the pre-service teacher
towards each of the standards at this time.

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Standard 1 Know students and how they learn

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

Standard 2 Know the content and how to teach it

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

Standard 5 Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT

Standard 6 Engage in professional learning

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

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

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate
SUMMARY STATEMENTS (You may choose to comment on both personal and professional characteristics)
School Coordinator/Principal
Alice Nield conducted herself in an exemplary manner whilst at Balaklava High School. She
demonstrated her ability to communicate and develop relationships with staff and students. She had
very good knowledge of content, particularly in Science. She was highly organised and able to work
within the expectations of the school. Through her practicum experience she developed and was
exposed to a range of teaching pedagogies.
Name: Kerry Williams Date: 6/09/2016

University Liaison
Following observations of Alices teaching and discussions with her and her mentors I am confident
that she is well on the way to developing the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to become a
proficient teacher.
I was impressed with her organisation and work ethic, her genuine regard for each student and for
her willingness to receive and act on feedback.
I wish her well in her next placement as she continues to refine her teaching skills.

Name: Brenton Lamshed Date: 7/9/2016

SUMMARY STATEMENT(S) (May be used as a referee statement)
Mentor Merridy Manuel
Learning Area:
RE: Alice Nield
Science

Professional Knowledge
Alices content knowledge is sound and well supported by her confidence with technology.
She navigated the DAYMAP system used at the school and taught myself and other teachers
a trick or two (eg Kahoot). Alice was willing to ask questions if unsure. She made use of the
Middle School Pride Point system to engage learners.

Her familiarity with science content enabled her to focus on finding appropriate activities
rather than studying up on content. She used a variety of tools to enable students to engage
in the subject matter.

Professional Practice
Alice is developing her own style of teaching. Her organisation and punctuality was
exemplary. She was always well prepared and ready when students arrived. Alice learnt
students names quickly and used this to her advantage. She clearly stated her expectations
for each lesson in terms of learning and behaviour.
Alice demonstrated flexibility when things didnt go according to plan, due to circumstances
outside of her control (internet not working, change of classroom). Alice developed a good
rapport with students and was able to deal with disruptive behaviour. Feedback from
students: Ms Nields approach was reassuring and calming; she was approachable with a
sense of humour; used different ways to teach; taught in a way I could understand; she wasnt
a scary person and made it fun to learn Chem which I struggle with; down to earth and talked
to us in a way I understood; encouraging and asked good questions; made it fun; we got to
play Kahoot; whomever gets this teacher is the luckiest ever.
Another of Alices strengths was her willingness to listen to feedback and act on it. Both Luke
and I could see improvements in Alices delivery and management of the class by the end of
her placement. She is also able to self-reflect.
Alice gave herself the best chance of success by careful preparation. She visited the school
the term before starting her placement and gathered resources to enable planning before she
arrived. It was obvious she had spent much time thinking through lessons and preparing
activities prior to starting.
Alice used a variety of delivery methods, chalk and talk, one on one conversations and
group work. Her movement around the room was excellent and she was able to include all
students in class discussions. Alice is able to project her voice when needed. She is
developing her variation in tone to gain attention. Her verbal feedback was encouraging and
constructive. Alice set tasks and assessed students against Australian Curriculum standards.
Professional Engagement

Alice was friendly and interested in all she met at Balaklava High. She attended staff and
faculty meetings and showed a willingness to make the most of any opportunity that arose to
extend her learning. This included using her non-contact lessons to observe other classes
such as Year 10 Ag (sheep dissection), Year 11/12 Biology, Year 11/12 Physics, another
Year 8 maths class, Year 11 General Maths,11 Maths Studies and Year 12 Maths Studies.
Thus, she has seen many different teaching techniques and gathered many ideas and
strategies. There were not many opportunities for parental involvement, so this is an area
Alice may be able to work on at her next placement. Alice also shared her ideas and
knowledge and introduced new activities to our curriculum.

Fundamentally, Alice cares. She is keen to see students learn and excel and has the makings
of a capable teacher. Well done.

Written by: Merridy Manuel Date: 1/9/16

Mentor Luke Mensforth

Learning Area:
RE: Alice Nield
Mathematics

Professional Knowledge

During her placement Alices teaching practice evolved to meet the needs of students within
the class. She used different teaching methods to excite and engage her students and the
result was a group significantly invested in their own learning. Alice identified students who
needed extra support in class and was able to work with them to strengthen their
understanding of key concepts. In her final placement I encourage her to also focus on
extending students who have high abilities.

Alice learnt that she can use questioning as a way to enhance learning in the classroom. Her
questioning techniques improved consistently over her time at Balaklava and she is now
working on the capacity to ask successive questions that draw a full range of solutions from
the students, rather than unnecessarily providing some solutions herself.

Alice made good use of her observation days prior to the commencement of her teaching.
She increased her knowledge and awareness of the curriculum that she would be teaching
and the context of the students. Alice has an outstanding level of mathematical knowledge
and so was able to make some logical decisions about the organisation and sequencing of
her teaching program. It was good to see her utilise Information Technology in the classroom
to support student learning.

Professional Practice

Alice used her observation time and a pre-placement visit efficiently to establish a direct
pathway and direction for her class to take. She was well-organised, delivering lesson plans
for each of her lessons as well as broader plans that encompassed the general learning
across a period of time. Alice capably identified appropriate objectives to be achieved in each
lesson and is building her capacity to efficiently converse those objectives, and the criteria for
success within a lesson, to her students. Alice planned for and used a combination of tasks
that developed concrete, visual and abstract problem-solving capacity.

Alice quickly learned how to use the schools online learner management system, Daymap,
during her observation week and therefore promptly completed administrative requirements
in all of her classes. She absorbed feedback and worked hard to get to a point where she
effectively displayed multiple strategies to manage minor interruptions within class. Alice
leaves this placement with a kit of practiced strategies to manage class behaviour as well as
some identified practices that she can continue to experiment with as her capacity as a
teacher evolves. Further development will need to take place with regards to managing major
interruptions to learning.

During this teaching placement Alice planned for and delivered a significant component of the
Measurement topic that adhered to the Australian Curriculum. Alice began to assess the
students formatively, and can focus on further developing that area, as well as summatively
through tasks that she developed. Alice provided verbal feedback to students frequently
throughout lessons and written feedback on all work that was collected. Final assessment
items were moderated with other teachers to ensure the marking criteria was consistent and
Alice demonstrated her learning from this process on the second time that she marked
student work.

Looking forward, Alice can continue to develop the capacity to interpret and use student data
collected from assessment pieces to focus coursework on areas that require consolidation or
further learning.

Professional Engagement

Alice reflected on the lessons that she taught and made sure that she always processed the
feedback provided to her. She effectively used a workbook of notes as an ongoing tool for
professional learning and many of her lessons incorporated practices that had been part of
previous discussions. Alice was aware of some factors that had not lead to successful
outcomes and sought help for ideas about how she could remedy her teaching to improve
outcomes.

It was pleasing to see Alice spend some time observing other teachers in Mathematics
classes and she should continue to expose herself to a wide range of observational practices
to continue to support her growth as a teacher. Alice participated in multiple professional
development opportunities at Balaklava HS where she asked valuable questions and worked
with colleagues to grow her own knowledge and ideas for practice.

As she moves forwards and becomes more comfortable as a teacher, the next step for Alice
is to communicate with and involve parents in the learning process.

Written by: Luke Mensforth Date: 30/08/2016

 SUMMARY ASSESSMENT (To be agreed by the School Coordinator and the University Liaison)

In our opinion ALICE NIELD

(Please click on appropriate box below)

has, on balance, attained the level of emerging against the Flinders standards for pre-service
teachers and is ready to progress to the final professional experience.

has not attained the overall level of emerging against the Flinders standards for pre-service
teachers and is not ready to undertake the final professional experience.

NOTES FOR COMPLETING THIS REPORT

The pre-service teacher may wish to submit this report with an application for employment. Please avoid the use of
acronyms as student reports are often viewed by interstate and international employers who are not always familiar
with South Australian nomenclature.

Please keep an electronic copy of this report and submit the report to the University Liaison.
Please DO NOT give a copy of this to the student as the report needs to be certified by the University

If this is not possible then please email it directly to: clare.salt@flinders.edu.au