28 April 2017

School of Education, Flinders University

Partnerships Professional Learning Program

Mentoring pre-service and early career teachers

We would like to acknowledge this land that we meet on today is the traditional lands of the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

Flinders University

Vision

Making a difference

Mission

Changing lives and changing the world

Values

Student-centred, integrity, courage, innovation and excellence

Program

9.00 am Welcome, housekeeping and overview of the day

What’s changing in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and how is Flinders responding? Jackie Thomson & Dr Jess Jovanovic

9.30-10.30

Effective Mentoring Bev Collis

10.30-11.00am

Morning tea

11-12.30pm Navigating and evidencing the APSTs for pre-service teachers and their mentors

Leila Kasprzak

12.30-1pm Lunch

1-3pm

Supporting and working in collaboration with Flinders’ pre-service education students Q & A, resources, evaluation, raffle

Jackie & Jess

The successful learning relationship is based on trust, confidentiality and, crucially, challenge and questioning. Vygotsky

Effective partnerships between universities and schools that support successful professional experience programs for pre-service teachers rely on positive

communication systems, mutual understandings and a focus on learning and collaboration between all stakeholders. This involves:

Meaningful and respectful relationships between university academics, school leaders,

teachers and staff (Le Cornu, 2010)

An understanding of the policies, roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders pertinent for

situational contexts (Orland-Barak & Hasin, 2010)

Effective communication between all stakeholders

(Le Cornu, 2010, 2012)

Shared experiences between all stakeholders with a focus on learning within a community of practice

(Lave & Wenger, 1991)

In school coordinators and volunteer mentor/supervisor teachers committed to pre-service teachers, the teaching profession and professional development

(Clarke et al, 2012; Yip 2003).

A view of collaborative practice that views the pre-service teacher as a colleague-in-training (Jaipal, 2009)

ITE Accreditation Requirements: Professional Experience

• Partnership Agreements

• Teaching Performance

Assessment (TPA)

Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA)

Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA)

Four interconnected stages:

1. Planning

• Knowing the importance of, and procedures for diagnosing the knowledge, interests and relevant learning history of students.

• Planning curriculum for diverse students taking into account what they know and bring to the classroom.

2. Implementation

• Adjusting teaching in responsive ways to evidence student learning and engagement.

3. Assessment and feedback (Evidence of Impact)

• Formative and summative assessment to provide evidence of attainment and inform future plans.

4. Reflection and dialogue linked to future teaching episodes

• Considering what worked well or not and why.

What is effective mentoring? How can mentoring support wellbeing?

Providing feedback and having difficult conversations

Presenter: Bev Collis Coordinator, Seaview High School

Observation, assessment and gathering evidence against the Australian Professional Standards for

Teachers

Presenter: Leila Kasprzak

Deputy Principal, Mt Compass Area School

Supporting and working in collaboration with Flinders’ pre-service education students

Presenters: Jackie Thomson and Dr Jess Jovanovic

Curriculum Design

Deciding on, detailing for, and discussing with the pre-service teacher, an explicit curriculum for the placement which reflects the aims of the university course/subject) and the Australian Standards

domains of learning targeted during the placement

Teaching Providing opportunities for learning, guided and independent practice of new skills, processes and

applications of knowledge Modelling good teaching and classroom management practices, answering questions

Helping with planning and evaluating lessons, learning activities, and classroom management practices

Professional Support Supporting the transition from on-campus and on-line learning to workplace learning by engaging in

dialogue about what pre-service teachers are learning, and providing opportunities for varied learning experiences

Providing necessary context-relevant class program, student learning information and school policy information and resources

Providing effective, clear feedback against measurable criteria. Sim,C., Freiberg,J.,White, S., Allard, A., Le Cornu, R. & Carter, B. (2012). Using Professional Standards:Assessing work integrated learning in initial teacher education [online resource]. Melbourne, Australian Teaching and Learning Council. Available from: http://www.teacherevidence.net

Key dimensions of the mentor teacher role include:

Table Talk

What are the challenges in mentoring pre-service teachers?

What strategies do you use to support pre-service teachers’ success?

How do you set up effective lesson observation?

How do you support PSTs to reflect on and gather evidence of their impact on student learning using the Flinders Developmental Guide

leading to the Graduate Standard?

http://www.aitsl.edu.au/professional-growth/support/classroom-observation-strategies/videos-of-practice

E-portfolio example

Which Professional Standard/s does the lesson allow the preservice teacher to demonstrate? Where am I going? How am I going? and Where to next?

Curriculum planning How was the lesson linked to knowledge and skills previously learnt and to the curriculum?

What evidence was there of the ability to respond to students’ different learning needs? How were key concepts identified and emphasised?

How was the content organised into an effective teaching and learning sequence? How were ICTs used to expand and enhance learning opportunities for students?

Was the pacing of the lesson appropriate? Were higher order questions used in the lesson?

Was adequate wait time used for question responses? Was there evidence of probing responses to questions?

Was there opportunity for review of their learning and reflection on the lesson by the students?

Classroom management What evidence was there of the establishment and reinforcement of principles, expectations and routines?

Were rules consistently applied to all students/situations? How were transitions managed in the class?

Was the preservice teacher intellectually and emotionally present/available? Was the physical space used to maximise learning?

Assessment

How was student progress monitored throughout the lesson? How was feedback provided to the students?

Was feedback appropriate and aligned with the lesson’s learning intentions?

Communication and engagement How effective was the verbal communication (such as grammar, use of words and phrases)? Were explanations clear ?

How effective was the paralinguistic communication (tone, inflection, volume, speed of speech)? How were non-verbal cues (such as eye contact, gestures, looking confident) used during the lesson?

What strategies were used to motivate, build rapport and engage students?

Professional experience partnerships

Traditional Models Partnerships Model

Are primarily concerned with the learning needs of the pre-service educator.

A shared concern for the learning and wellbeing of children and students in centres and schools is at the heart of the experience.

Are additional to the daily work of educators in centres and classrooms.

Contribute to the work of educators in centres and classrooms.

Are performance-based events.

Are learning experiences for all participants in the partnership.

Apprentice the pre-service teacher to the experienced teacher with the intention of reproducing what already exists.

Requires the pre-service educator to work in partnership with others in a process of inquiry about how best to facilitate children’s learning in centres and schools.

Engage pre-service teachers in tasks designed to satisfy the requirements of a university course.

Engage pre-service educators in real tasks that are directly related to the learning and well-being of children and students.

The mentor teacher contributes and the pre-service teacher benefits

Each contributes and each benefits

Inquiry learning in teacher education • A key feature in humanities and social sciences

Australian Curriculum, and core principle of International Baccalaureate programs

(International Baccalaureate Organization, 2017; Preston, Harvie & Wallace 2015)

• Inquiry learning:

• Enhances learning outcomes & development higher order thinking skills

• Strengthens teaching-research nexus • Is both a process for seeking knowledge/understanding AND

a method of teaching (Spronken-Smith & Walker, 2010, pp. 723-24; Wang et al., 2009)

• It’s ‘open architectures’ improves engagement,

creates ‘socially-responsive’ real-life learning, and busts top-down education cultures for transformative change for all involved

(Nuttall, 2016, p. 154)

Benefits to mentors • Access to contemporary research and evidence-

based practices

• Artefacts from inquiry/mentoring act as evidence for professional learning

• Opportunity to deepen and extend your practice with time/space to explore ‘if only’ teaching priorities

• Mutual benefit for your learners and your site (e.g. for meeting ongoing reporting requirements)

Case Study 1: Mitcham Primary

• Teaching & Learning Priority in 2017

– From SIP: “Effective Teaching and Learning Programmes reflect Learner Dispositions and the school values of Respect, Responsibility & Resilience”

– PSTs to work on trying to build a culture of sharing, involvement and belonging in school community

• Inquiry focus: How can I show that I belong in the

Mitcham school community?

• Outcomes: Work is 8-weeks in to develop a school

community website ‘Belonging at Mitcham’

Case Study 2: Conyngham Street

• Teaching & Learning Priority in 2016

– Assessing and designing 0-3 spaces for risk play

• Inquiry focus: How do under 3s engage

in risk in their outdoor learning

environment?

• Outcome: Documentation between 2nd &

3rd years on placement shared as an

ongoing action research study on-site

Establishing an inquiry focus

• What would you like to achieve in 2017?

– A priority in your QIP/NSIP?

– Work on implementing AEDC or NAPLAN results?

– A new or ongoing project or special program?

– A child/student or group of children/students that you’d like to know more about?

• How could a pre-service teacher, in partnership with the University, help you to achieve this?

• What outcomes would you like to see from this work? How could this work in your context?

Resources

http://www.toolkit.aitsl.edu.au/category/coaching-mentoring

http://learningcentre.aitsl.edu.au/pst/course/view.php?id=2&section=7

http://evidenceforlearning.org.au/

http://qct.edu.au/pdf/Evidence_Guide_for_Supervising_Teachers_QCT_2015.pdf

http://teacherevidence.net/

Inquiry examples: https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-

84890828328&origin=inward&txGid=8049FB9F78EDA6A6BA4D1C24FDC1120A.wsnAw8kcdt7IPYLO0V48gA%3a1

Q & A Raffle

Evaluation

https://www.flinders.edu.au/

Future teachers need support