Standard 1: Know students and how they learn Curriculum to determine their next educational focus; and

My teaching practices have been constructed around my knowledge of students to determine not only their abilities,
understanding of research concerning the physical, social but also their interests in order to make their learning goals
and intellectual development of secondary students who relevant. My knowledge of a range of strategies to teach
need opportunities to move around the classroom (Diamond, English effectively to students with different abilities and
2000; Hillman, Erickson, & Kramer, 2008; Kolb & Whishaw, interests enables me to differentiate content, process and
1998), to interact and learn collaboratively with peers (Hall product in order to set an appropriate level of challenge for
1989, Lipsey & Wilson 1993, Walberg 1999, Bowen 2000, each individual student (Tomlinson 1999). I use online
Haas 2005), and to be challenged with tasks that require resources such as Google Hangouts, Kahoot and
abstract thought (Pendergast, Flanagan, Land, Bahr, Mentimeter.com to engage students (Ainley & Enger 2007),
Mitchell, Weir, Noblett, Cain, Misich, Carrington, Smith group discussions to encourage all students to participate
2005). I also understand that secondary students bring a share ideas (Hamada & Ebrary 2013), Creative Body-based
vast number of differences to the classroom including the Learning to accommodate students who need to move
individual rate at which they develop (readiness), as well as frequently and those who have speech or language disorders
their interests, capabilities, linguistic and cultural (Patchell & Hand 1993), graphic organisers for those with
backgrounds and social classes (Tomlinson 1999). receptive language and working memory issues (Robinson &
According to Vygotsky (1978), learning occurs within a Kiewra 1995), and explicitly teach language and
learner’s Zone of Proximal Development; that is, when a metacognitive strategies for students who need extra support
learning task is either too easy or difficult, learning will not in those areas. I engage in practitioner inquiry to evaluate my
occur. Research also indicates a strong connection between practices and engage with parents via phone calls, emails
engagement and learning (Finn & Zimmer 2012). This makes and DayMap.
differentiation of content, process and product highly Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe
important (Tomlinson 1999). Further, the Disability learning environments
Discrimination Act (1992) and the Disability Standards for
The South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL)
Education (2005) require students with disability to be able to
framework (South Australian Department of Education and
access the curriculum on the same basis as other students.
Children’s Services 2010) identifies creating safe spaces for
This makes strategies like negotiating curriculum, universal
learning as an important strategy for teaching. I use my
design, and learning sequences with multiple entrance and
knowledge of growth mindset (Dweck 2006) to provide
exit points vital.
students with learning environments which are not only
Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it physically safe, but also emotionally and psychologically
As a secondary English/English as an Additional Language safe. Through differentiation, I provide my students with an
or Dialect teacher, my knowledge of the Australian appropriate level of challenge, and through a gradual release
Curriculum and SACE requirements, the Literacy Continuum of responsibility I ensure my students have time to master
(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority new content and skills before they are required to
[ACARA] n.d.), the Language and Literacy Levels (SA DfE), demonstrate that knowledge. I use multiple sign systems
the 4 Resources Model (Luke & Freebody 1990; Harris, when providing instructions in order to support students of all
McKenzie, Fitzsimmons and Turbill 2003; Serafini 2012) and language and literacy levels (Whitin 2005), and explicitly
Systemic Functional Grammar (Halliday 1994) inform all of teach metacognitive strategies to support students of all
my teaching. My learning and teaching sequences draw on abilities (VIC DET). I ensure that I know my students well so
the Teaching-learning Cycle (Derewianka & Jones 2016) and that I can monitor those with complex social and behaviour
its explicit instruction of genre, gradual release of needs to ensure that I am able to intervene and help them to
responsibility (Fisher & Frey 2008), and inclusion of the deescalate and self-regulate before a critical incident occurs
Deconstruct Reconstruct element of the 8 Ways pedagogy (Colvin 2004). I have been accredited by Mental Health First
(Yunkaporta 2009). My preferred teaching strategies are Aid Australia and St John’s Ambulance to provide physical
evidence-based and include low stakes writing (Lemov, and mental first aid as required. I know and comply with
Driggs & Woolway 2016), substantive conversation (Arnott school-based and Department for Education policies
2015), teacher and student read-alouds (Lemov, Driggs & regarding behaviour management, ICT use and student
Woolway 2016), Creative Body-based Learning (CBL) safety. 
(Garrett, Dawson, Meiners & Wrench 2018), and group work Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report on
and discussions (Marzano 2007). I encourage assessment student learning
as learning (Earl 2014) by encouraging students to reflect on
In order to be effective, it is important for teachers to know
and evaluate themselves as learners through the use of
where students are in relation to their learning goals (Hattie
writer’s statements and peer feedback. I use both formal and
2012). As such, I incorporate informal assessment for
informal strategies to assessing for learning and my
learning into my daily teaching and provide students with
summative assessments and allow students to demonstrate
frequent effective and targeted feedback, which tells
relevant learning via multiple modes to ensure that no
students what their next steps are in relation to their learning
student is disadvantaged (Birch & Gardiner, 2005; Sankey &
(Hattie 2012). I also use more formal assessment methods
St Hill, 2009; Sprague & Dahl 2010), and that all students are
when appropriate and keep accurate, reliable and defensible
critical readers and reflective text creators across a full range
records for the purposes of analysis and reporting.
of modes and mediums. 
Moderation practices such as double-marking and the use of
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching specified marking criteria enable me to keep my
and learning assessments consistent and ensure that the data I collect on
In order for teaching to be effective, teachers must know my students’ performance can be used to inquire on their
where students are, where they are going and of what they learning needs and the efficacy of my practice.
are capable (Hattie 2008). I use diagnostic assessment to
determine where students are in their learning; knowledge of
the Literacy Continuum (ACARA n.d.) and the Australian
Standard 6: Engage in professional learning Fisher, D & Frey, N 2008, Better Learning Through
To be as effective as possible, teachers must be life-long Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release
learners. Using the Australian Professional Standards for of Responsibility, Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Teachers and feedback from colleagues and leaders, we Development, Alexandria.
must continuously evaluate our teaching in relation to the Garrett, R, Dawson, K, Meiners, J, & Wrench, A 2018,
priorities of our context and our students’ needs. I intend to ‘Creative and Body-based Learning: Redesigning
use Quality Teaching Rounds (Gore 2018), which have been Pedagogies in Mathematics’, Journal for Learning through
shown to be an effective model for identifying areas for the Arts, vol. 14, no. 1, viewed 2 April,
professional development through teacher observation, and <http://dx.doi.org/10.21977/D914136982>.
action research to evaluate the efficacy of my practice. I use
the Department for Education’s Plink and peer-reviewed Haas, M 2005, ‘Teaching methods for secondary algebra: A
literature available from professional associations such as meta-analysis of findings’, NASSP Bulletin, vol. 89, no. 642,
the South Australian English Teacher’s Association (SAETA) pp. 24–46.
and the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) Hall, LE 1989, ‘The effects of cooperative learning on
for evidence-based professional learning. achievement: A meta-analysis’, Dissertation Abstracts
Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, International, vol. 50, no. 343A.
parents/carers and the community Halliday, MAK 1994, Introduction to Functional Grammar,
Teachers must engage professionally with a variety of 2nd ed, Edward Arnold, London.
stakeholders whilst complying with a range of legislative,
departmental, administrative and organisation policies and Harris, B, McKenzie, P, Fitzsimmons, B & Turbill, J 2003,
processes. I have completed training in the Code of Ethics Writing in the primary school years, Social Science Press,
for the South Australian Public Sector, Work Health and Sydney.
Safety and Reporting Abuse and Neglect and understand my Hattie, J 2008, Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800
responsibilities in terms of information sharing and my duty meta-analyses relating to achievement, Routledge,
of care as a teacher. Abingdon.
Hillman, CH, Erickson, KI & Kramer, AF 2008, ‘Be smart,
exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition’,
References
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 58-65.
Altrichter, H, Posch, P, & Somekh, B 1993, Teachers
Kolb, B & Whishaw, IQ 1998, ‘Brain plasticity and behaviour’,
investigate their work: An introduction to the methods of
Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 49, pp. 43-64.
action research, Routledge, London.
Lemov, D, Driggs, C & Woolway, E 2016, Reading
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy
(ACARA) n.d., Learning Continuum of English, Australian
Instruction, Jossey Bass, San Francisco.
Curriculum, viewed 6 April 2020,
<https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10- Lipsey, M & Wilson, D 1994, ‘The Efficacy of Psychological,
curriculum/general-capabilities/literacy/learning-continuum/? Educational, and Behavioral Treatment: Confirmation from
element=Comprehending+texts+through+listening Meta-Analysis’, The American psychologist, vol. 48, pp.
%2C+reading+and+viewing&level=Level+3>. 1181-209.
Ainley, J & Enger, L 2007, ‘Student use of, and engagement Freebody, P & Luke, A 1990, ‘Literacies programs: Debates
with, information technology, Australian Council for and demands in cultural context’, Prospect: Australian
Educational Research’, viewed 4 April 2020, Journal of E.S.L., vol. 5, pp. 7-16.
<https://research.acer.edu.au/digital_learning/11>.
Marzano, RJ 2007, The Art and Science of Teaching: A
Arnott, N 2014, ‘Substantive conversations - the importance Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction, ASCD,
of oracy in the classroom’, Practically Primary, vol. 19, pp. Alexandria.
13-15.
Patchell, F & Hand, L 1993, ‘An invisible disability: Language
Bowen, CW 2000, ‘A quantitative review of cooperative disorders in high school students and the implications for
learning effects on high school and college chemistry classroom teachers’, Independent Education, vol. December
achievement’, Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 77, no. 1, 1993, pp. 31-36.
pp. 116–119.
Pendergast, D, Flanagan, R, Land, R, Bahr, M, Mitchell, J,
Derewianka, B & Jones, P 2016, Teaching Language in Weir, K, Noblett, G, Cain, M, Misich, T, Carrington, V &
Context, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Smith, J 2005, ‘Developing lifelong learners in the middle
Melbourne. years of schooling’, Department of Education and the Arts,
Brisbane.
Dweck, CS 2006, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,
New York: Random House Publishing Group. Robinson, D & Kiewra, K 1995), ‘Visual Argument: Graphic
Organizers Are Superior to Outlines in Improving Learning
Earl, LM 2014, Assessment as Learning: Using Classroom
From Text’, Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 87, pp.
Assessment to Maximize Student Learning, 2nd edn, Hawker
455-467.
Brownlow Education, Cheltenham.
Sankey, M & St Hill, R 2008, ‘The ethics of designing for
Finn, JD & Zimmer, KS 2012, ‘Student Engagement: What Is
multimodality: Empowering nontraditional learners’, Ethical
It? Why Does It Matter?’, in S Christenson, A Reschly & C
Practices and Implications in Distance Learning, pp. 126-
Wylie (eds), Handbook of Research on Student
154.
Engagement, Springer, Boston, pp. 97-131.
Serafini, F 2012, ‘Expanding the four resources model:
reading visual and multi-modal texts’, Pedagogies: An
International Journal, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 150-164.
South Australian Department of Education and Children’s
Services 2010, ‘Teaching for Effective Learning framework’,
South Australia Department for Education, viewed 1 April
2020, < https://www.education.sa.gov.au/teaching/teaching-
effective-learning/teaching-effective-learning-framework>.
Tomlinson, CA 1999, The differentiated classroom:
responding to the needs of all learners, Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria.
Victorian Department of Education and Training n.d.,
Professional Practice: Using Metacognitive Strategies to
Support Student Self-regulation and Empowerment, VIC
DET, viewed 3 April 2020, <
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingre
sources/practice/improve/Pages/ppn14.aspx>.
Vygotsky, L S 1978, Mind in society: The development of
higher psychological processes, Harvard University Press,
Cambridge.
Walberg, HI 1999, ‘Productive teaching’, in HC Waxman and
HJ Walberg (eds.), New directions for teaching practice and
research, McCutchan Publications, Berkeley, pp. 75-104.
Whitin, P. 2005, ‘The interplay of text, talk, and visual
representation in expanding literary interpretation’, Research
in the Teaching of English, vol. 39, pp. 365-397.
Yunkaporta, T 2009, Aboriginal pedagogies at the cultural
interface, PhD thesis, James Cook University, Townsville.