Writing Professional Experience Reports:

Guidelines and Ideas for SBTEs

The advice below is to assist teachers write reports for their preservice teachers. However, these
guidelines are not prescriptive and we encourage teachers to draw on their own professional
decision making when preparing these reports.
There are two types of reports used in James Cook University Professional Experience programs:
1.

Attendance and Completion forms:

These tick and flick reports are used in the early stages of programs

Attendance and Completion forms are found in the Professional Experience Handbook.

SBTEs are asked to confirm that the preservice teacher completed the required tasks (e.g.
attended required number of days, taught four lessons) as listed on the report sheet.

There is space for optional comments. Given that the preservice teacher is in the early
stages of development, comments should focus on:
providing encouragement for the preservice teacher to continue their
development;
identifying areas that need further development. It is particularly important that
preservice teachers, while still in the early stages of their career, are made
aware of areas that may require long term attention, such as: standard of
literacy; voice modulation; and teacher presence; and
signalling to Professional Experience Unit staff where the preservice teacher
needs to be provided with extra support.

Particular attention should be paid to the developing professionalism of the preservice

teacher. From the first day at school, we expect preservice teachers to be appropriately
dressed, to be punctual and reliable, to treat all participants in the school community
respectfully, and to respect issues of confidentiality. The report comments can provide a
powerful wake-up call for preservice teachers still coming to terms with the requirements of
a professional degree.

Attendance and Completion sheets should be finalised before the preservice teacher
completes the professional experience block. It is the responsibility of the preservice
teacher to submit the Attendance and Completion form to the Professional Experience Unit
by the due date.

2.

Criteria-based reports:
These are used later in programs:
BEd:
Grad Dip Ed :

ED2488, ED3488, ED4488, ED4489

ED5218, ED5488, Phases 2 and 3

Preservice teachers must be deemed competent on every criterion to be deemed

competent overall.

While preservice teachers arent graded, comments on these reports are used by
employing agents to make judgements about preservice teachers.

Report forms can be downloaded from

http://cms.jcu.edu.au/education/profex/schools/reports/index.htm

Reports should be completed in time for the preservice teacher to sign the report before
leaving the school. Preservice teachers should not be surprised by the report.

Reports should be given to the Professional Experience Coordinator to be certified with the
school stamp prior to posting to the School of Education.

While only the final report focuses on summative assessment, employing authorities, including
Education Queensland, ask preservice teachers to submit copies of all reports with their
application for employment. Thus, school-based teacher educators should be aware that these
reports are public documents.

Writing Criteria-based Reports

Non-culminating Interim Reports
BEd:
ED2488, ED3488, ED4488
Grad Dip:
ED 5218, ED5488 (Phase 2)
These reports should:
Provide evidence to JCU and pre-service teacher that the preservice teacher is ready to
proceed to the challenges of the next phase of professional experience challenge or NOT
particularly the challenge of continuous teaching for three weeks;

Outline how preservice teacher has demonstrated competence (or NOT) in each area of
report as the case may be;

Highlight strengths and areas of concerns as a guide for preparation for final professional
experience;

Clearly indicate to Professional Experience Unit and preservice teacher where there are
needs for a systematic, structured plan of action to enable them to meet criteria.

Final Professional Experience Exit Reference Report

BEd:
ED4489
Grad Dip:
ED5488 (Phase 3)
These reports should:
Provide clear indication to employers of beginning teacher competence

Provide evidence to JCU for registration purposes that the preservice teacher is ready to
begin to teach and has completed all requirements including days attended

Outline how the preservice teacher has demonstrated competence in each area of report

Highlight strengths and weaknesses observed for future professional growth as a

beginning teacher

Preparing to write the report

Step 1
Ensure all activities are completed
Clarifying expectations activity
Learner profile
Learner feedback (final)
Plans- lesson/ unit
Philosophy for teaching and learning
Observation activities
Reflections on teaching
Evidence of student learning

Step 2
Compile evidence, especially in situations where the preservice teacher is in danger of being
deemed not competent, written observation and feedback notes provide useful, explicit evidence
for writing the final report.

Your own observations as the SBTE

Any other observations of pre-service teacher by colleagues/ JCU lecturers etc
The work of the pre-service teacher - plans/ student assessment/ prepared
resources, etc
Reflections of the pre-service teacher
Specific evidence required for learner focussed criteria includes:
Completed learner profile
Treated information about learners in an ethical manner
Demonstrated enthusiasm for learners- communication skills, time, interest
Researched and discussed appropriately special needs students
Responded to learner need - planning, communication, learning environment
Responded to learner feedback
Specific evidence required for curriculum, planning and management criteria includes:
Unit plans should be the focus in final professional experience
Clearly link to syllabus
Provide for a range of experiences
Demonstrate a commitment to engaging learners
Have clear assessment components
Demonstrate repertoire of teaching skills
Include evaluation of learning
Lesson plans
Clearly link to unit outcomes
Will depend on detail in unit plan
Sufficient detail to support student learning and teacher implementation
Have clear scaffold
Plan for management (developed by final year)
Assess learning (critical in final year)
Support individual needs and are responsive to learner feedback
Delivery of lessons
Engagement of students in activities
Student time on task
Identification of and responsiveness to student difficulties
Consistency in managing behaviour
Proficiency in delivering appropriate content
Responsiveness to student questions and comments
Resources engaging, organised and accessible as needed
Assessment of student work
Provided timely and appropriate verbal and written feedback to students on their
progress
Provided SBTE with clear information about student achievement of nominated
outcomes
Specific evidence required for developing professionalism criteria includes:
Seeks and responds to feedback from students and SBTEs
Takes advantage of professional development opportunities provided (formal and
informal)
Undertakes self-evaluation at end of lessons
Participates professionally in a range of school activities

Specific evidence of developing professionalism as related to literacy and language skills:

Uses KLA appropriate language
Adjusts spoken and written language use to different learners/ peers/ community
(here the inappropriate use of slang or non-Standard forms may be problematic)
Demonstrates command of genres used by students, and can explain literacy and
language development of students
Uses wide range of texts and takes into consideration multi-literacies
Provides appropriate feedback to students on spoken and written language use
We (and the Queensland College of Teachers) expect graduating teachers to display high levels
of literacy. However, in the third year of the BEd and in the first half of the Grad Dip program, the
focus should be action taken by the preservice teachers in order to develop appropriate literacy
and language skills.
Step 3
Write the report
Be explicit and honest
Follow your instincts as a professional, then use the collected evidence to provide
examples to support your judgements
Try asking your preservice teacher to write a report themselves, then discuss,
compare and pool responses
Discuss and compare reports with other SBTEs and your Professional Experience
Coordinator
Remember that the report is a public document
Focus on preservice teacher strengths but also identify areas that need further
development. The professional experience unit uses your reports to develop a
program of workshops in which the areas identified in reports can be further
developed with preservice teachers.
Use the comments to summarise the preservice teachers professional experience
performance, highlighting most notable strengths and areas of concerns. It is also
appropriate to include a comment of encouragement or support in the report.
If you are concerned about writing the report and want some feedback before
finalising the report, just contact the Professional Experience Unit. Staff are only too
happy to assist, especially if you have had a difficult student.

Sample comments
Diagnoses, values and responds to different individual learning needs, taking into account
factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, learning preferences.
Working to a high standard
George developed a comprehensive learner
profile for the class taking into consideration all
of the relevant factors that could influence
student performance such as language, social
or attitudinal characteristics. He used these,
together with appropriate curriculum
documents to formulate an effective learning
program for this practicum. George made every
effort to meet the needs of all students
including those with identified learning and
behavioural difficulties, e.g., George included
illustrations and photos in prepared material to
support our ESL learner

Working to a satisfactory standard

Ann developed a learner profile taking into
consideration most relevant factors, especially
learning difficulties and behavioural issues.
She used these effectively to guide the
allocation of students to work in mixed ability
groups. Ann is beginning to pay more attention
to the social interests of students and using
these interests to develop engaging and
relevant learning activities.

Understands, evaluates and critically applies curriculum and teaching policies relevant to
the professional setting
Working to a high standard
Working to a satisfactory standard
Jan demonstrated a sound knowledge of both
Don effectively followed both junior and senior
school work programs and departmental
work programs and syllabus outcomes to
curriculum documents. She successfully
develop his teaching units. Over the practicum,
worked to .integrate appropriate productive
he became more successful in incorporating
pedagogies and a constructivist approach to
productive pedagogies in his planning. Units
learning, in keeping with her own philosophy,
incorporated a range of strategies although
into her planning. Unit plans included
greater attention to the needs of individual
strategies and adjustments to cater for
students in initial planning would have ensured
individual student needs. Jan constantly
students with challenging learning behaviours
evaluates her own planning and teaching to
were catered for from the beginning of the unit.
provide the best learning experiences for all
students.

Critically reflects on and plans for continuous improvement in teaching.

Working to a high standard
Working to a satisfactory standard
Kerry has been viewed and has viewed
Lesley has consistently sought feedback about
different teacher styles and planning. He shows her teaching and works in incorporate this
enthusiasm for improving his teaching and
feedback into her teaching. She has been
writes insightful self evaluations. He sought
consistent in maintaining a journal of self
feedback on his teaching strategies and
evaluation. Lesley needs to actively seek out
classroom management from both students
and experiment with new ideas and take risks
and supervising teachers and adapted
to maximise her professional development.
strategies in line with advice given. He
investigated new ideas and incorporated them
into his teaching.

Overall comments interim reports

During her professional experience, Margo has developed a positive learning environment within
the preschool. She successfully planned a two week unit which took into account the work of
teaching assistants and parent helpers. She utilized a range of teaching techniques appropriate
for this age group.
For the next phase, I suggest Margo plans more strategies for checking for understanding and
recording student progress.
We look forward to having Margo back in our preschool.
Overall comments final reports
Maxs strong background in this area means that he brings a solid knowledge base to his
teaching. His strength in critical reflections and self evaluation means that he will continue to grow
as a teacher. His willingness to experiment with different strategies (an to reflect on their
effectiveness) will allow him to continue to develop his repertoire of teaching/ learning stategies
and classroom management practices.
Max displays genuine concern for students and is always respectful in his interactions with them.
He shows good understanding of the professional responsibilities and contributes to all aspects of
school life.

Jo has an exceptional teaching presence which was demonstrated in her interactions with the
students. She has excellent communication skills and the children respond well to her at all times.
She shows a keen interest in learning about the diverse range of students in this school.
Jo has developed outstanding behaviour management skills through experience. The children
knew what was expected of them at all times. Her lessons were well sequenced, drawing on the
prior learning to give children a sound basis for new knowledge. She used information gained
through the assessment of childrens work to plan future learning.
Overall, Jo has successfully demonstrated her readiness to begin teaching.

Tim has demonstrated himself to be a competent professional who has the skills, abilities and
understanding necessary to an effective educator. His ability to assess and respond to diverse
student needs is reflected in his teaching practice. Tims reflective nature enabled him to evaluate
the success of each learning episode and make required changes to his practice. His interactions
with students are always professional and friendly.
Tim needs to continue to develop his personal style of behaviour management. His ability to
reflect on his practice will assist him in this.