ETP120: Teaching and Learning 2 Week by week suggested guideline Professional experience in schools helps to develop the professional knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for beginning teachers. The professional experience promotes learning about professional contexts, about educational settings and practices, about schools and other learning settings and most importantly about teaching and learning strategies that foster students’ growth and development. The following schedule is a guide to provide ideas and elaborate on the unit content and in-school learning tasks. The schedule can be varied according to the needs/situations of the school, the context and pre-service teacher. TIMELINE PRE-SERVICE TEACHER MENTOR TEACHER Before the Professional Experience • Make sure your criminal history has been completed. • Make contact with your Mentor teacher to establish a relationship and provide the details they will need (a is preferable) • If possible clarify details regarding placement and initial expectations of placement. • Prepare yourself for the commitment of a school day: 20 minutes before the students start school in the morning and at least one hour after school finishes for students, possibly more, depending upon the activities that the school has organised for staff. • Organise a timetable of days of attendance for the pre-service teacher. • Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the professional experience handbook and with the assessment forms. Day 1 & 2 of the Professional Experience • Establish or re-establish relationship with students, mentor and Professional Learning leader (PLL) as applicable • Acquaint yourself with the routines of the school. Take note of your yard duty and meeting commitments. • Work as a co-professional with the mentor teacher. • Give your mentor teacher an outline of all the things you need to do during the professional experience. • You will need to write a lesson plan for each lesson that you teach during the professional experience. You can either use one of the lesson plan templates located at or design your own template in conjunction with your mentor teacher. • Introduce or re-introduce the pre-service teacher to the principal and other staff where appropriate. • with the pre-service teacher about the specific requirements of the professional experience and how they can be accommodated. • Discuss individual student needs and behaviour management strategies that are effective and part of the class/es routine. • Decide 1 – 2 lessons that the pre-service teacher can teach. Ask teachers to email their lesson plans so you can provide feedback and help them locate resources to support their planning. • Discuss how you will give feedback when you are observing the teacher teach. Observation feedback templates can be found at
necessary, CDU) timely feedback as to progress. (See “At Risk” procedures if necessary) 1 week block of continuous teaching • Teach sequenced lessons or as appropriate. If required more lessons can be planned and taught. • Provide mentor with templates on which they can record their feedback about your planning and teaching. • Meet with Mentor teacher and discuss ‘Form A: Skill Development.’ • Complete the in-school task ‘Applying Principles to Practice.’ Present a clear, professional explanation and presentation of your learning to a forum of your choice that must include your mentor teacher. In a Teaching School (NT) this presentation would occur in a weekly tutorial. • Set goals for your next period of professional experience. • This is the first time that pre-service teachers are expected to teach continuously and they will require considerable support to design, implement and reflect on the teaching and learning. • Give written and oral feedback on pre-service teacher planning teaching and assessment. Discuss the reflective journal with pre-service teacher. Give feedback on sections he or she is willing to share. • Complete Form A Skills Development, mid-point assessment by the end of this week giving the pre service • Attend the presentation ‘Applying Principles to Practice’ and fill out the assessment rubric (Form B) • Complete Form C; Overall Professional Experience Evaluation Record. • Assist the pre-service teacher to set goals for their next period of professional experience. After the placement • Ensure that you have completed the ten required in-school days. If not, negotiate with your Mentor teacher about suitable times to complete this requirement. • Maintain a copy of completed Assessment Forms A, B and C • Complete Assessment Forms A, B and C and email copies to Indicating Student name, number and unit code in the subject line)