Element 1 - Teachers know their subject content, and how to teach that content to their students:
During past practicum experiences, I believe I have achieved a number of the professional standards for a graduate teacher. To begin with, I have always designed lessons to achieve syllabus outcomes, as is evident in each lesson plan I made. Despite the progression to daily and weekly planners in later years of the degree, I have continued featuring syllabus requirements prominently in each lesson (see Appendix A – lesson plan). Due to such constant referral, and the thorough way I investigate topics before teaching them, I feel I also have a competent knowledge of my subject content.
My knowledge and skills relating to using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have also helped my progress as a graduate teacher. My ability to include ICT in a lesson demonstrates several aspects of the quality teaching framework (DET, 2003). For instance, I am comfortable using wikis and class-wide emails to improve the social support and connectedness felt between students and teacher alike, I have received basic Smart-Board training, and am competent with using numerous Microsoft programs. I have also devised an internet-based unit on recycling in the school’s local area, to enhance the lesson’s significance, by integrating what they were learning into the students’ own community (See Appendix B– lesson evaluation). This also required me to monitor and manage student behaviour and computer use, which was aided by the students’ genuine interest. Each aspect has helped support my professional development and growing competence in this area.