PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1 REPORT

30th June 15th August 2014

Pre-service Teacher

Benjamin Howard

Student ID: 2106713

School

Riverside Area School

Mentor Teacher

George Harris, Michael Johnson, Sarah Bloggs

Year Level: P.E, 6

School Co-ordinator Shaun Halliday

University Liaison

Lachlan Cook

Number of days completed

School Context
School Sector, size and
composition of campus. (R12, Area, Primary).
Particular features or
characteristics.

Professional Relationships
Professional &Collegial
Learning
Teachers actively engage in
personal and collegial
learning within the
professional community
Learner Respect
Teachers foster trusting and
respectful relationships with
all learners

Coordinator
Anna Noble

20 + 5 observation days

Please add a brief context statement about your school

Riverside Area School is situated in the southern suburbs of
Adelaide and is the largest single campus R-7 school in South
Australia. From the beginning of 2014, the school has a zone in
place to support the management of enrolments, with 910
students enrolled in 34 classes at present. The school is Category
6, with 20% students on school card, 1.5% ATSI, 11% from nonEnglish speaking backgrounds (including India, Pakistan, Russia
and China), 4.5% with a verified learning disability and 24% with
one or more parents born overseas. The school is innovative in
the use of technologies for learning in the 21st century and
environmental sustainability is a key part of the teaching and
learning programs. The Play is the Way program has formed the
basis of the schools approach to behaviour and social
development since 2010.
Summary Statements: Classroom Teacher/Mentor
Comments
During Bens practicum, he attended weekly staff meetings
consisting of team meetings, whole staff meetings and
professional development. Ben actively participated in meetings,
offering his viewpoints and opinions when discussing various
issues regarding both our school and education as a profession.
Ben was consistently visible in the staff room and regularly
engaged in discussions with staff members within the school.
Bens relaxed and friendly demeanour allowed him to develop
positive and supportive relationships with students of all ages
throughout the school. His willingness to be actively involved right
from the start of his practicum created the platform on which he
was able to foster these relationships. Ben routinely chatted with
students, both in and out of lessons, which helped him build
rapport with the students.

Parent/caregiver &
Community Partnerships
Teachers work effectively with
parents/caregivers and the
wider community
Professional Knowledge
Learning Processes
Teachers know about learning
processes and how to teach
and implement

Learning Content
Teachers know the content
they teach

Learner Context
Teachers know about learner
contexts and diversity
Professional Practice
Planning & Teaching
Teachers plan and implement
teaching strategies for
successful learning
experiences

Feedback & Reporting

Teachers assess and report
learning outcomes

Learning Environment
Teachers create a safe,
challenging and supportive
learning environment

Ben was able to participate in a SAPSASA basketball competition

day. He helped manage our teams and also took on the role as
scorer for the day. This opportunity allowed Ben to interact with
teachers from other schools, parents and members of the local
community. Ben was also a referee for a SAPSASA soccer match
where he demonstrated his professionalism when working with the
broader education community.
Comments
Ben is still at the beginning stages of understanding the learning
process. He showed improvements within the practicum, however,
he will benefit from further experience, especially in the planning
process. Ben was at times very quick to agree when listening to
feedback on his teaching. Greater improvement and success will
undoubtedly result if he takes information on board and engages
in more critical self-reflection.
Bens practicum consisted of a mixture of P.E and Year 6
classroom teaching. In P.E, Ben seemed confident teaching the
content of our European handball unit. He started to learn to apply
age appropriate games and skills. In the classroom, Ben at times
didnt completely understand the learning content, which interfered
with the success of his lessons, particularly in Mathematics. A
stronger emphasis on planning and preparation will help Ben
progress as a more effective educator.
There was a number of conversations with Ben that addressed
how students learn and the diverse range of abilities students
possess in a class. Towards the later stages of the practicum, Ben
started to show signs of implementing strategies to accommodate
all learners.
Comments
Planning is the area that Ben appeared to be most challenged by.
Often the success of lessons would be hindered as Ben had either
not effectively planned, or he found it difficult to adapt the lesson
when momentum was lost. Ben has all the attributes to make a
successful teacher, but we would advise for the final practicum
that he puts greater emphasis on this vital stage of the education
process. Lesson plans need to be provided well ahead of time to
allow for critical discussion with mentors/colleagues to maximise
the potential for successful delivery. Ben did show some
improvement after a mid-prac meeting addressing his approach to
planning, but further development in organisation, documentation
and reflection is required.
Bens lesson plans always addressed learning outcomes and
contained links to the Australian Curriculum. Throughout his
lessons, Ben was able to conduct formative assessment
measuring student progress and providing feedback during the
instructional process. Ben marked assessment tasks providing
comments on the quality of the work. In P.E, Ben began providing
one on one feedback to students practising specific skills.
Ben entered this R-7 practicum a little wary, as it was not
completely centred on his specialised middle school background.
However, he was able to create a safe learning environment
where children felt comfortable and willing to share ideas and
opinions. He was also able to support students of all year levels
and became much more comfortable as the practicum progressed.

Ben can work towards creating a more differentiated learning

environment that will challenge all students.

PRE-SERVICE TEACHER COMMENT

Throughout the course of this practicum, I was challenged in the role of an educator. At the
commencement of the practicum, I was nervous entering a primary school as I was not confident
with supporting the learning needs of primary school students. As the practicum progressed, I was
able to adapt to the environment to develop positive and supportive relationships with students of
all ages throughout the school. One area that needs attention is how well I plan lessons. For future
success in the final practicum, I will need to take information on board and engage in more critical
self-reflection.
Date: 21/08/2014
Summary Statement: School Coordinator/Principal
Ben combined classroom (Year 6) and specialist PE teaching during his practicum experience at
Woodcroft, a challenge that he tackled with enthusiasm and positivity. Extensive feedback from
Bens mentor teachers and Leadership highlighted the need for him to complete a greater level of
considered and collaborative planning, constructive advice that he readily accepted and acted
upon to a limited extent. Ben is to be commended for involving himself in a range of school
activities, including inter-school sport and staff professional development sessions. I would
encourage Ben to keep seeking feedback from experienced educators and critically reflect on his
own skills, knowledge and experience. We wish Ben all the best with his future endeavors and trust
that he has benefited from his time with us.
Date:18/08/2014
Summary Statement: University Liaison
Ben has just completed a successful teaching practicum at Woodcroft Primary School. Over the
last four weeks Ben has begun to work more effectively to develop his skills and understandings in
the three domains of teaching .. Professional Knowledge, Practice and Engagement.
I have consulted with Bens mentors and School Coordinator and I am confident that this Report
does provide evidence of Ben's achievements and progress.
Ben has gained some very valuable practical teaching experience. I also believe he has made
significant progress and is developing his understandings around what it is like to be an effective
teacher.
From my discussions with Ben it is clear that he has already made a commitment to teaching. He
wants to be a teacher and wants to do the very best he can. Ben has been provided with lots of
positive advice from his various mentors and he has begun to act on the advice given. He is now
willing to take risks and learn how to do things more effectively.
He is developing his understandings of how to plan, implement and follow up after specific
activities. Ben struggled with planning earlier on, but he has worked on this task and is showing
positive signs of understanding the process. He has demonstrated knowledge and understanding
of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the learning needs of all students.
Ben has developed sound relationships with the students in the class. He has participated in the general life
of the school. I wish him all the best for his future teaching career.

Date: August 21st 2014

OVERALL ASSESSMENT
To be agreed by the Mentor Teacher and the University Liaison
In our opinion, Benjamin Howards performance on this Professional Experience has been:
Satisfactory

and he is ready to undertake the final Professional Experience next year.

Verified by University Coordinator

Date
Please keep an electronic copy of this report and forward it to the University Liaison who will
ensure that the completed report is emailed to the Professional Experience Office.
Due Date: Monday 18th August 2014