MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

NAME: Millie Doolan

STUDENT NUMBER: S00116951
UNIT: EDFD260
ASSIGNMENT: 1 REFLECTION-
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS
3rd year
MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

Domain: Professional knowledge

Standard one: know students and how they learn (Australian

Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 2014)

During my time at placement I tried to tailor my lessons to each childs

zone of proximal development. I did this by having an understanding of

where each students knowledge was. I then created open ended tasks

that enabled the students to be working on the same task as their peers,

at an academic level that would be challenging for them, but not so

challenging that they were unable to complete the task (Fleer, Edwards,

Hammer, Kennedy, Ridgway, Robbins & Surman 2006).

The classroom I was in was quite diverse regarding the way in which each

student learnt best. Gardner believes that there are eight intelligences

and these affect the way in which people learn (Sweet, 1998). I tried to

make my lessons diverse in the way they were taught so students were

learning in a way that was comfortable to them. When it came to the

auditory learners I would have conversations with the class and discuss

what I wanted them to do and the ideas that they had. I would accompany

this with writing on the whiteboard to demonstrate and keep as a

reminder for the visual learners. I would also sometimes give out a

handout with the instructions on it. Many of my lessons, where possible,

helped the kinaesthetic learners by having them, for example, cut out

kinder squares to make a tessellating pattern. I would vary the lessons by

having some involve working in groups and others having the students
MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

work individually or allowing them to choose. This meant that both the

interpersonal and intrapersonal learners were being catered for.

I found during my rounds that an invaluable tool to teach effectively was

to collaborate with the staff. I collaborated with my associate teacher to

ensure that the lessons were going to meet each students individual way

of learning. As teachers when planning lessons it is important to keep in

mind that all students are diverse and no student learns in the same way

(Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R & Le Cornu, R. 2011). By taking this into

consideration we are able to give the children the chance to achieve their

best. One of the first things I did when I arrived in the classroom was to

ask my associate teacher about the students, how they learn and if there

was anything important I should know about any of them. To be an

effective teacher and create a supportive environment one needs to know

the students they are teaching .

Something that I did during floor time of my lessons was have a focus

group. After sitting down with the class, modelling and explaining what

they are to do I give them the option of either going back to their table

and doing the assigned work, or for those who are less confident and need

a bit more support to stay on the floor and get a little bit of extra help. I

would sit with this group and explain the task in more depth until they felt

they were confident enough to go back and do their work. This also

addresses standard four. It is important when teaching students that they

are learning in an environment where they feel safe and supported

(Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer 2007) By giving them the
MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

option of staying on the floor they get that sense that they are being

supported and feel comfortable enough to ask for help if they need it.

Domain: Professional practice

Standard four: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning

environments (Australian Institute for Teaching and School

Leadership 2014)

In the class I was placed in there was a student who was on the autism

spectrum. As this was something that I had not experienced before I

collaborated with my associate teacher on how best to teach him and give

him the support he needed. This particular student did not cope well if he

thought that what he was being taught was different to what the other

students in the class were doing. A student with autisms day at school

can effect their home life drastically so it is important that there is a

relationship between the teacher and parents to enable home life and

school life to work together (Seligman & Darling 2007).After meetings with

his parents it was decided that he would do the same work as the rest of

his peers and would not be given a different easier task. By creating such

open ended tasks this particular student was able to do the work at a

standard he would be able to accomplish and at the same time be doing

the same task, just a varying degree of difficulty, as his peers. This

enabled him to be happy and feel safe, secure and supported within the

grade.
MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

In some situations I find behaviour management hard. Positive classroom

management results in developing and maintaining effective learning

environments which is vital for a classroom (Skiba, Ormiston, Martinez, &

Cummings, 2016). For every classroom clear rules and expectations need

to be put in place. It is important that not only do the students know the

rules but that they also understand what the consequences will be if they

break those rules. This is something that during my placement I did not do

as well as I would have liked. I made clear what the rules were however in

one situation I did not follow through with the consequence as I was

unsure what it should be and my associate teacher had to step in. It is

important that the teacher is consistent and follows through with

consequences when they need to. In future I will make sure that in my

classroom not only are the rules clear and understood by everyone but

that the consequences are also clear and I as their teacher follow through

with the action.

MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

REFERENCES:

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, s. (2007). Programming and
planning in early childhood settings (4th Ed.) Melbourne: Cenegage Learning Australia

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). Australian Professional

Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-

professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list?c=graduate

Fleer, M. Edwards, S., Hammer, M., Kennedy. A., Ridgway, A., Robbins & Surman, L.

(2006). Early childhood learning communities: Sociocultural research in practice.

Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Education Australia.

MILLIE DOOLAN EDFD260: ASSIGNMENT ONE S00116951

Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R. & Le Cornu, R. (2011). Teaching: Challenges and

dilemma (4th ed). South Melbourne, Victoria: Carnage learning

Seligman, M., & Darling, R. B. (2007). Ordinary families, special children: A systems

approach to childhood disability. New York: Guilford.

Skiba, R., Ormiston, H., Martinez, S., & Cummings, J. (2016). Teaching the Social

Curriculum: Classroom Management as Behavioral Instruction. Theory Into Practice,

55(2), 120-128. doi:10.1080/00405841.2016.1148990

Sweet, S. (1998). A lesson learned about multiple intelligences. Education Leadership,

56(3), 50. Retrieved from: http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/ps/i.do?

&id=GALE|A56981120&v=2.1&u=acuni&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1