JACINTA

KYRATZOULIS-FOULDS
Professional Knowledge
It is imperative to understand the physical, social and
intellectual development of students. I use a varied range of
pedagogies to understand and support student learning. I
incorporate student-centred learning in my classes to
facilitate independent problem solving and active learning.
Active learning is demonstrated in my classes by students
participating in activities and assessment that analyse,
synthesis and evaluate program content. I took this approach
with a Year 10 English class of mixed ability. We were
transitioning from studying Tomorrow When the War Began
to Science Fiction. Students were given a task to transform
the blurb of Tomorrow When the War Began to Science
Fiction, using the information we had learnt in class. This task
allowed students to evaluate what they had learnt about
Tomorrow When the War Began and apply their knowledge
on science fiction by analysing and synthesising. Students
submitted successful assignments which highlighted a good
degree of content knowledge. When teaching history my
practice is based on inquiry-based learning. This practice
allows students to increase their intellectual development as
well as fostering a deep content understanding through a
hands on research approach. I implemented this in a Year 9
History Class with successful feedback from both students
and mentor teacher.
Part of my teaching philosophy is to create an inclusive
environment for all students including those with diverse
linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
When planning I strive to achieve an inclusive curriculum
using scaffolding and differentiation to meet individual
student needs. It is important to use differentiation in task
design and curriculum planning so all students can achieve
success. When teaching students from an EAL/D background
it would be useful to use translation technologies, including
FluentU, so they are able to fully engage and access
curriculum material. It is important to be aware of and take
account of students diverse backgrounds. When planning a
unit of work for a Year 10 Gifted and Talented class I changed
the core text from Parvana, which is set in Afghanistan and
the protagonists experiences in a refugee camp, to an
Australian novel The Divine Wind. I made this change
because there were a few students in the class, and the
wider school community, who have lived in refugee camps.
The effect of this text change was that all students could
engage in class without having to relive their own trauma. It
is of the utmost importance that students feel physically and
emotionally safe, secure and comfortable in class.
I have a deep and thorough understanding of Information
Communication Technology (ICT) and how to implement ICT
within the classroom. ICT is a great communicative tool.
During my first practicum I used OneNote in each of my
classes as a communication and collaboration tool. We had
an online class notebook where I would upload links, clips,
assignments, class information, PowerPoint slides and any
other class document for each student to access. Students
each had their own notebook where they would save their
work, which only I had access. I also set up and used an
online collaborative space where all students could access. I
would monitor the collaborative space but students would
add their individual ideas on topics but also collaborate in
teams. This tool allowed all students to access a multimodal
curriculum which engaged students of all abilities.

Professional Practice

During both of my practicums I have planned for and

implemented effective teaching and learning practices.
Aligning my unit plans and assessment for my Year 9 and
Year 10 History classes to the Australian Curriculum allowed
students to grow their historical skills, knowledge base and
communication skills.
I believe in an inclusive classroom environment where strong
parent/teacher/student communication is evident. To
accomplish this I would create a private educational blog,
such as Weebly, where I can publish student achievement,
updates and class information including homework and
assessment tasks. This fosters open and positive
communication between parent/teacher/student.
My philosophy towards classroom management is to
implement preventative strategies within the classroom.
Kounins 5 step approach to behaviour management worked
well during my practicums. I focused on creating engaging
and challenging lessons. I would also explicitly state the aims
and goals of each lesson. It is also important that all students
be able to achieve the goals of the lesson for each student to
feel successful. Providing genuine and positive feedback to
students is essential in facilitating on task behaviour.
Negotiation of the class rules works well across all year levels
and allows students to take responsibility of their own
actions. These preventative strategies are small but effective
in positively engaging students.
Providing positive, encouraging and constructive feedback is
crucial for students to develop their skills. I give students
written feedback on both summative and formative work. I
also like to debrief with individual students on how they can
develop and strengthen their skills. After each task, I
benchmark all grades against the SACE or Australian
Curriculum exemplars to maintain consistency. Whilst on
practicum I reported student achievement data to my
mentor teacher in a series of reports in both excel and word
which reported on how students are achieving the
curriculum standards. This is used to prepare reports,
including end of term semester.
ICT is an effective tool to use in the classroom, which allows
teachers to engage students in a variety of mediums. It is
important for all students to know and understand how to
use ICT effectively and safely. During both of my practicums
each student had an ICT device in the classroom. I take an
active approach to teaching and was constantly walking
around the room making sure everybody was using ICT
correctly. It is imperative that the classroom is a safe place.

Professional Engagement

I have successfully contributed and attended professional

development events. Whilst on practicum I engaged in a
professional development day, which allowed me to
participate and share ideas with staff from different faculties.
During both of my practicums I attended collaborative staff
meetings, which allowed me to engage in meaningful
discussions with teaching colleagues. Both of these meetings
allowed me to receive knowledge and information that
improved my teaching practice.
Currently, I work for a Not For Profit teaching organistations
and volunteer for two other teaching organisations. These
roles allow me to engage with the wider educational
community in a meaningful and constructive way.