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School of Education Professional Practice 3SELF REFLECTION FORM
Student Teacher DetailsStudent Teacher Name:Kerryn Suzanne Waters
Student Teacher ID:17452191
Student Teacher Phone Number:0439 286 387 or 0413 459 937
Student Teacher Email Address:[email protected]@student.westernsydney.edu.au
Placement Name: Thomas Reddall High School
Placement Phone Number:4625 4404
Placement Address:Cnr Woodhouse Drive & Jaggers PlaceAmbarvale 2560
Placement Email Address:[email protected] [email protected]
Contact Person: Bernadette Perusco
I purposefully enrolled in PP3 before the other practicums as I was determined to take advantage of
gaining extra observational time regarding classroom management. It is the aspect of teaching which, at
present, concerns me the most. I hoped to lose some anxiety over being around adolescent students, as
well as practicing teachers who are more confident within the classroom. In the morning, I assisted in
running a literacy program, which involved helping a select group of year eight students with reading and
comprehension. In the afternoon, I provided in-class support for a particular student. I found that these
tasks I undertook allowed me to, at least partially, achieve my goals.
An important aspect of this practicum was the research I undertook both before and during my
placement. The Thomas Reddall High School website presented it as a comprehensive 7-12 school with a
growing population (currently 670 students), of which 30% are Language Background Other Than English
(LBOTE) and 5% are Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) (Thomas Reddall High School, 2017). Interaction
with staff and students indicated a further demographic of students from impoverished backgrounds,
‘broken homes’ and foster care. Prior knowledge regarding the neoliberal approach to education told me
that many of these students would be severely disadvantaged when it came to meeting outcomes.
Research on student literacy enlightened me on the gap in educational attainment between students
hailing from high SES and low SES backgrounds, with those whose parents from the lowest status
education and occupation groups being six to seven times more likely to fail in reaching the minimum
reading standards compared to those from the highest status groups (Hempenstall, 2016). Additionally,
EAL/D students, according to ACARA (2017) often faced the triple challenge of needing “to concurrently
learn English, learn through (or in) English, and learn about English”, all the while trying to achieve the
same standards as non EAL/D students. Thus, pitted against other students and schools who do have the
capital (literacy) enabling them to reach standards, these students would likely be seen as the problem
rather than the education system itself, which pursues a non-equitable approach to education in not
properly catering to the individual learning needs of students (Smith, 2014).
During this practicum, I was able to meet several teaching standards. Firstly, I have demonstrated my
knowledge of teaching strategies responsive to learning strengths and needs of students from diverse
linguistic, cultural, religious and socio economic backgrounds (1.3.1). The main teaching strategy I utilised
and felt benefitted all the students I worked with is explicit instruction in the form modelling/ scaffolding.
For all the students I mentored in the literacy program, I modelled for them the inclusion of grammar
when reading. I would read aloud, making sure to pause at commas and full stops, as well as make my
voice reflect a character or narrator exclaiming something or asking a question. I also demonstrated the
phonetical sounds combinations of letters make to help them sound out words. Regarding the students I
provided in-class support to, I would often model the working out of mathematical equations. In visual
arts, I broke down larger textbook questions into individual ones, making them less intimidating and thus
more likely to be answered by students.
Secondly, I have organised content into an effective learning and teaching sequence (2.2.1). A typical
sequence during the literacy program involved students beginning their session by reading the text. At the
end of a significant part of the story, I would ask students to tell me, for instance, what had just happened
to a particular character, how it made them feel, and what they thought might happen next and so on.
When necessary, I would incorporate strategies such pause, prompt, praise as well as getting to them to
look up in and record difficult words from a dictionary. With student M, I organised for her, at her request,
spelling tests and activities involving her using difficult words in a sentence.
Thirdly, I have set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and
characteristics (3.1.1). Student L had extremely poor reading skills. Each session we focussed on her being
able to recognise word families, sounding words out by using phonics and phenomes, until she could self-
moderate rather than needing my prompting. Student M’s goal was to read expressively rather than in
monotone, learning to use understand punctuation as she read aloud. Significantly, M went a step further
and decided she needed help with her spelling, which I complied with by giving her spelling tests using
difficult words from her novel. In achieving these goals, my students hopefully improved not only their
reading and comprehension skills, but also learnt to ask for help, accept it when offered and experience
the joys of reading.
Fourthly, I have sought and applied constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve
teaching practices (6.3.1). In the case of student L, I found her withdrawn, reluctant to read on top of
displaying poor reading and comprehension. In relaying this to my supervisor, she admitted that the
students at this school typically displayed this type of behaviour around strangers, and that it was best try
and build a rapport with L to induce her into cooperating. In taking her advice, L (an EAL/D student) slowly
opened up to me about her barriers of speaking predominately Serbian at home whilst having to
communicate and learn through English at school. She soon became more comfortable in allowing me to
assist her with her reading and comprehension. Student M would often skip over large sections of text and
I wasn’t sure if this was due to her wanting to finish the book quickly, laziness or dyslexic symptoms. My
supervisor suggested I supply M with a ruler to place beneath each line in order to stay on track in case it
was actually dyslexia.
Significantly, I learnt just how critical certain factors are when it comes to successfully teaching and
learning in a disadvantaged educational setting. I am thankful for having beared witness to the levels of
rapport different staff had built with students. I learnt that students appeared more engaged when
teachers spoke calmly and willingly joked around, rather than constantly play the disciplinarian. Also, I
realised just how important a resource the learning support staff are with their wealth of knowledge on
individual student’s learning needs and how to meet them. Collaboration is a must if successful teaching
and learning is to take place in a disadvantaged school. Thirdly, I learnt the effectiveness of explicit
instruction. In having the opportunity to exercise this myself with certain students, I was able to witness
their understanding of, rather than continued struggle with, certain tasks. Surprisingly, I actually found
myself developing a sense of responsibility towards those students who I spent most of my 60 hours with.
Confronted by the struggle many endured with literacy, I am leaning towards learning support as an
additional teaching role.
I encourage other pre-service teachers and members of the community to volunteer their time to
the staff and students at their local schools. I say this not only given the appreciation demonstrated by
staff and students, but also the negative impact poor literacy has on certain communities including access
to education, employment, medical care and so on. In doing this practicum, I have learnt that educating
children is a community effort rather than the sole responsibility of the classroom teacher. I would also
implore that pre-service teachers be given more opportunity to learn how to teach literacy skills while at
university.
References
AITSL. (2012). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/apst-resources/australian_professional_standard_f
or_teachers_final.pdf
Australian Curriculum. (2017). Student Diversity. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/studentdiversity/who-are-eal-d-students
Hempenstall, K. (2016), Read about it: scientific evidence for effective teaching of reading. The
Centre for Independent Studies. National Library of Australia.
