Professionalism is something that teachers should enact within not

only their own classroom with their students, but within the school
with fellow colleagues and the members of the wider community. A
set of standards was created by the Australian Institute for Teaching
and School Leadership (AITSL, 2011), these standards were
designed not only guide teachers in their development, but to
provide a framework which states the professional practice,
engagement and knowledge that educators should be engaging with
and striving to achieve (Wallace, O, personal communication, July
28, 2015). Professionalism within the classroom should mean that
the educator acknowledges and respects that each of their students
are individuals, and provides them all with equal opportunities to
learn and succeed.
Whilst out on my placement in a primary classroom, it was
immediately evident that within just one class, there were many
different needs and requirements. Within the grade four class there
was a student who had a severe learning disability, which had the
potential to impact on his ability to engage with the lessons and
learning opportunities. When observing lessons and implementing
those of my own, it was crucial that the different needs of the
students, including those with disabilities were constantly
considered. My associate teacher always included appropriate
additions and adjustments to the lessons to ensure that the lesson
and learning was accessible to this student. This practice strongly
demonstrates the professional standard Know Students and how
they learn (AITSL, 2011) as she ensured that she took the time to
develop strategies with the student that would allow them to best
engage and develop. Whilst observing the process of planning and
implementing lessons, it was evident that as an educator, you have
the responsibility of not only having the knowledge and skills that
will allow you to effectively teach the lesson, but that you are

organised and have the appropriate resources that will enhance all
student learning.
One thing that I really learnt and experienced whilst on my
placement was that a major part of being an effective and
professional educator is building relationships with not only the
students, but also with their caregivers and parents. Within the
duration my placement I was lucky enough to observe many
interactions between my associate teacher and the parents of the
students, including things such as parent-teacher interviews. This
experience taught me the importance of developing strong and
effective relationships between yourself and the parents and
caregivers of your students, as through this relationship you are
able to provide an effective and cohesive education. Standards
three Plan for an implement effective teaching and learning (AITSL,
2011) also advocates for engaging parents and caregivers in
process of education their child, and using a range of strategies to
do so. Referring back to the student in the class who had a learning
disability, my associate teacher and the parents of the student were
in constant contact and had scheduled monthly meetings. Within
these meetings it was not only a chance for my associate teacher to
provide the parents with feedback as to how their child was going,
or ways in which she thinks they can best help to further his
development, but it was also a chance for the parents to share their
insights and suggestions. Bowes, Grace and Hodge (2012) support
this idea of parent contribution and collaboration between educators
and parents, as the parents can also offer insights into the child, and
strategies that they believe may work well.
Professional learning and growth is something that all educators
should always be striving for and open to, in order to better the
education that they are able to provide to their students. Standard
six Engage in professional learning (AITSL, 2011) encourages

educators to engage with a range of resources including

collaborating with colleagues and other professionals, resources
within the community, and through reflecting and evaluating their
practice. Throughout the process in which I was planning and
implementing lessons of my own, my associate teacher and I always
worked closely together to ensure that we were providing an
effective and cohesive education for the students. Within this my
associate teacher was always interested in the different suggestions
and ideas that I had, and was always encouraging me to share the
knowledge and skills that I have obtained throughout my studies.
Rytivaara and Kershner (2012) expressed that through this type of
supportive collaboration, educators are to not only able to build
upon their knowledge and skills, but are also able to build
confidence which encourages them to engage in positive risk-taking.
This was something that I definitely experienced and was evident as
I progressed through my placement, as I was more willing to plan
and implement lessons they were more intricate and challenging,
knowing that I had the support of my associate teacher.
Self-evaluation and reflection was something that I personally
engaged with a lot throughout my placement, in order to learn, grow
and develop as a teacher. Moon (1999) explains how through this
process of critical thinking and reflection, you are able to continually
learn from experiences enabling you to improve future practices.
After teaching each lesson I would ensure that I reflected on it,
noting down the things that worked really well, as well as those in
which I could focus on to improve. Through this process of
reevaluation allowed me to improve my ability to provide effective
and engaging learning opportunities for the students. Reflection
enabled me to not only improve the quality of my lessons, but also
my class management skills, as I was able to work out the most
effective ways in which to engage with and work with the class.

References:
AITSL. (2010). Australian professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from
Bowes, J., Grace, R., & Hodge, K. (2012). Children, families and communities:
contexts and consequences. South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University
Press.
Moon, J. (1999). Reflection in learning & professional development. London: Kogan
Page.
Rytivaara, A.,& Kershner, R. (2012). Co-teaching as a context for teachers
professional learning and joint knowledge construction. Teaching And
Teacher Education, 28(7), 999-1008.