Week by week suggested guideline for EPE101 Professional Experience: Preparation for Practicum

Professional experience in schools helps to develop the professional knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for beginning teachers. The professional experience promotes learning about professional contexts, about educational settings and practices, about schools and other learning settings and most importantly about teaching and learning strategies that foster students’ growth and development.

The following schedule is a guide to provide ideas and elaborate on the unit content and in-school learning tasks. The schedule can be varied or added to according to the needs/situations of the school, the context and pre-service teacher.

TIMELINE / PRE-SERVICE TEACHER / MENTOR TEACHER
Before the Professional Experience /
  • Nominate online
  • Complete your criminal history check and forward to placement school and CDU Professional Experience Office
  • Once placement is confirmed, contact your mentor teacher to establish a relationship and provide the details they will need (a visit is preferable)
  • Clarify details regarding placement and initial expectations of placement (where possible)
  • Prepare yourself for the commitment of a teaching day: Typically,you should be at the school 20 minutes before the students start and at least one hour after students/childrenleave.
/
  • Organise a timetable of days of attendance for the pre-service teacher
  • Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the professional experience handbook and with the assessment forms

Week 1
(Days 1 – 5) /
  • Begin reflective journal and discuss entries with mentor teacher
  • Introduce yourself to the children and other staff
Pre-service teachers should be involved this week with:
  • Marking attendance, yard duties
  • Observations and individual summaries of children (refer to the Early Childhood section under the Student Resources tab on the InSchool website)
  • Organising/settling children
  • Assisting and coordinating transitions
  • Attending staff/room meetings
  • Preparing draft lesson plans for next week and having discussions with mentors in regards to the lesson planning.
/
  • Introduce pre-service teacher to the director/principal and other staff where appropriate
  • Check with the pre-service teacher about the specific requirements of the professional experience and how they can be accommodated
  • Provide access and time to discuss your observations and program as well as how you plan your program and undertake observations
  • Discuss the reflective journal with pre- service teacher. Give feedback on how you will respond to planning and teaching
  • Assist pre-service teacher identify focus children
  • Give the pre-service teacher opportunities to complete and discuss observations
  • Check draft lesson plans and provide feedback and suggestions
  • Allow the pre-service teacher opportunities to manage lesson transitions and working with small groups

Week2 / Pre-service teacher’sinvolvement this week is as for week one plus the following:
  • Teach 2 lessons (minimum)
  • Reflect on lessons with mentor
  • Undertake further planning and teaching for groups/individuals
/
  • Provide pre-service teacher with progressive feedback.
  • Pre-service teacher and mentor teacher discuss:
  • the language of the profession
  • emergent teacher identity, personal philosophies, developing and shaping philosophies/beliefs, finding common ground in teacher philosophies/beliefs
  • development of positive attitudes and perceptions – room culture, physical and aesthetic environment of room, room routine and layout
  • teacher and child interaction techniques – fostering relationships with children, communication strategies, discussion of teaching strategies, verbal and non-verbal cues for gaining children’s attention positively
  • Observation techniques
  • duty of care
  • learning objectives, outcomes, indicators
  • EYLF and/or Australian Curriculum

Weeks3 & 4 / Pre-service teacher’sinvolvement this week is as for week one and two plus the following:
  • Plan & teach a minimum of 2 lessons (minimum) over the two weeks
  • Reflect on lessons with mentors
/ Give the pre-service teacher opportunities to complete and discuss observations and planning
  • Assist pre-service teacher’s reflection through oral and written feedback on lesson plans and teaching
  • Allow the pre-service teacher opportunities to manage lesson transitions and working with small groups
  • Discuss the reflective journal with pre-service teacher.

Final Day of Placement /
  • Discuss with your mentor teacher and complete placement assessment forms, and discuss progress.
  • Take a copy of these forms for your records to keep as part of your teaching portfolio. Show evidence where these competencies are being addressed
  • Send original copies of completed Assessment forms and Time sheet to:
  • Work as a co-professional in the classroom supporting students in small groups and individually
  • Continue reflective journal entries
/
  • Mentor teacher to complete Form B & C. Revisit and review progress made by pre- service teachers and complete 2nd instance of Form A. Use the reflective journal as a tool to facilitate discussion with the pre- service teacher
  • Discuss progress made by pre-service teacher

After the placement /
  • Ensure that you have completed the required in-school days. Missed days including Public Holidays must be made up. If not, negotiate with your mentor teacher about suitable times to complete this requirement
  • Submit all paperwork to the Professional Experience Office
/
  • Complete all relevant paperwork and return to the Professional Experience Office

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