Teaching Portfolio
Alison MacGillivray
Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
4.1 Support student participation
Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
-
Students that have sensory processing issues quite often find it difficult to sit quietly and participate with ‘normal’ classroom activities such as sitting on the floor with their classmates. Throughout my pre-service placements I have seen many different strategies to assist these students with classroom engagement, however the most successful strategy I have found was to provide a small selection of ‘fidget toys’ that can be accessed when needed. The fidget toys allowed the students to aimlessly manipulate something in their hands while participating with the rest of the class without being distracted. [evidence 4.1_1]
-
Class reading tasks provide students with the opportunity to work collaboratively and support each other. Every week a new Big Book was introduced to the class and throughout the week it would be read to the students, with the students and then by the students. This activity allowed students to become familiar with the story and gain confidence in their reading. When the class read the story collaboratively, it allowed the less confident students to be guided by the rest of the class without feeling excluded. [evidence 4.1_2]
4.2 Manage classroom activities
Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
-
Having the most exciting and educational activities is worth nothing if the lesson can’t be successfully implemented. Classroom management was something I worked on continuously through my pre-service experience, and is something I will continue to improve. Every class of students presents different challenges and dynamics just as every learning activity does. The ability to be clear and concise is essential for both the management and safety of the classroom. Evidence 4.2_1 demonstrates students sitting in paired reading positions for their morning routine of ‘reading to someone’.
-
One of my favourite math’s lessons throughout my pre-service placement was teaching my students about capacity. It was an extremely tactile lesson for students, which involved lots of moving about and talking, and one that certainly required great organization and explicit instructions. Safety was of the upmost importance and giving clear directions ensured that all students were engaged and in a safe learning environment. Evidence 4.2_2 shows the comments from my mentor teacher after completing this lesson.
click to view original documents.
-
If you react with emotion, you will get an emotional response. When I heard this statement it resonated with me immediately. My mentor teacher often suggested that I respond to challenging student behaviour in a calm, matter of fact way; if students were going to make choices that they knew were wrong, they also chose to accept the known consequence. By removing the emotional response from the teacher, it is much clearer for the student to understand that while the behaviour they have displayed is not acceptable, it will not cause any further disruption to the class. Evidence 4.3_1 demonstrates a behaviour management strategy of students having a multi-faced card that acts as a warning of poor choices. These cards are treated with a very matter of fact manner and work exceptionally well as a visual cue for younger students.
-
I have found that positive reinforcement is often very successful in assisting students in making the right choices for their behaviour. When students can see that positive choices are rewarded with praise and acknowledgement, more often than not they strive to improve their behaviour. Even the smallest amount of encouragement can build a students’ self-confidence and help alleviate challenging behaviour. Evidence 4.3_2 demonstrates a class reward system that works simultaneously with evidence 4.3_1. Students are rewarded for positive choices by moving a bee forward. At the end of the day the number of moves is transferred, in the form of stamps, to a positive reinforcement chart in which students are responsible for maintaining. It was extremely encouraging to see students acknowledging and taking ownership of their choices.
4.4 Maintain student safety
Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
-
Educating students on mindfulness can assist them in maintaining focus and increasing their self-awareness. One of the aims as stated in the Health and Physical Education learning area of The Australian Curriculum (2015), is for students to “develop and use personal, behavioural, social and cognitive skills and strategies to promote a sense of personal identity and wellbeing...” Throughout my pre-service placement, mindfulness was often incorporated into the curriculum to promote and support student wellbeing. The following evidence [4.4_1] is a YouTube clip from Cosmic Kids Zen Den, which was often used to assist students with mindfulness.
-
Maintaining a safe environment for students during recess and lunch can be an overwhelming prospect for a pre-service teacher, and I found this to be especially true when I was teaching in a reception class that had two students with epilepsy. Young students with identical legionnaire style hats have a tendency to look very similar and are often difficult to identify and to overcome this, students that required immediate identification for medical purposes, had red satin trim fixed to the edge of their hats. While this small adjustment to their uniform was irrelevant in regards to their peers, its was of immense importance to staff who could identify and act accordingly in the case of any emergency. [evidence 4.4_2]
press play to view YouTube clip.
click to view original documents.
-
Throughout my pre-service placements the use of school ICT was essential for my teaching. With every school I was placed at, I was given an ICT policy that covered the acceptable actions and uses for their network services and hardware and was also given my own log in details that gave me access to the schools computers and printers. While following the individual school guidelines for the use of ICT, it is also imperative for teachers to follow the ICT guidelines associated with either the Department for Education and Child Development (DECD), The Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA) or Catholic Education South Australia (CESA). Evidence 4.5_1 links to the DECD ICT security policy.
-
During my pre-service placement it has been essential for me to photograph the learning environments I have been in and often the students I have been working with. While I have often tried to photograph only the backs or hands of students, it has proven very difficult to capture the evidence required. Following the information from the AISSA Student Photographs and Privacy policy, and working with my host schools own policies, I sent permission slips home to all parents asking for consent for their child being photographed for use in my Portfolio and also allowing me to use samples of their work for the same purpose. Evidence 4.5_2 shows the parent consent form.
click to view DECD ICT security policy.
click to view original documents.
AITSL Standards
Professional Practice
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour.
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
