Template: evidence of professional practice

Template: evidence of professional practice

PRT name Registration no. Workplace Inquiry question

1. Content and context for learning

1a. The education setting context

My learning environment (demographics of the area, primary, secondary, early childhood, location, workplace educational priorities or philosophy)

1b. The cohort of learners

My class / group of learners (composition, range of learning abilities)

Describe your group of learners - what their group interests are, what activities they enjoy,

number of children

what your group looks like cultural background, languages, educators,

1c. The focus learners

My focus learners [literacy and numeracy levels, factors affecting learning, relevant personal information (e.g. socialisation / group working skills)]

Provide some context about the group of learners you have chosen. You should choose a minimum of 4 focus learners and describe who they are - age, knowledge, abilities and understandings. Write about them across all learning areas not just in relation to your inquiry question.

Perhaps consider each outcome of the VEYLDF and write generally under each area,

Family context

What is the link between these learners and my Inquiry question?

state clearly why you chose each child in your particular group of focus learners and you will need to link them to the inquiry question

1d. Program of learning (brief overview)

What knowledge and skills am I trying to address in the Inquiry? What curriculum am I using? (attach any annotated planning documents to the end of this template as your evidence)

What are you wanting to develop in the learners during the inquiry, what learning do you anticipate observing. What specific knowledge are you addressing.

Link this to the VEYLDF and relate outcomes.

You need to write about the curriculum you use in your practice

Attach a copy of your program to show you understand planning , the cycle and that you link to a curriculum

1e. Targeted learning outcomes

The learning outcomes I want the learners to achieve. What change(s) would I expect to see in my focus learners after the Inquiry?

You should include here the specific goals you have planned for each of your focus children within the scope of the inquiry project, and you can also reference the particular aspects of any EYLF/VEYLDF learning outcomes which relate to these goals.

You may write 1-3 specific goals for each learner and then also include the relevant outcomes which relate to your goals from the VEYLDF. The curriculum outcomes are broad and you will develop specific goals which relate to these and the specific golas will then be the focus during the 4 weeks.

This will ensure you have a specific goal to plan around and then observe progress towards.

2. The Inquiry question, professional learning and professional responsibilities

2a. The Inquiry question

Why and how did I choose my Inquiry question?

2b. Professional learning

When Ive observed the teaching practice of others (at least one observation)

Observation 1

Date of observation Who I observed (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature What I saw / heard / experienced

This must be observation of a fully VIT registered teacher - it may be within your own service, your mentor, or you could reach out to a teacher at a local EC service near you.

What I learned

How this helps me address my Inquiry

Professional conversations (based on at least two discussions about the Inquiry)

Discussion 1

Date of discussion Who I talked with (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature What we discussed and what I learned

These professional conversations may be with your mentor, either at the initial online meeting, or at one or more of the 3 visits. The aspect of the visits you focus and reflect on here should be specific feedback given and discussion around your general teaching practice or an aspect of your inquiry project (this can include the planning phase before you begin). They could also be with a colleague who is also a fully VIT registered teacher. Note - it must be with a fully VIT registered teacher

How this helps me address my Inquiry

Discussion 2

Date of discussion Who I talked with (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature What we discussed and what I learned

How this helps me address my Inquiry

A professional conversation on child safety and wellbeing, including maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. This conversation should be supported by referring to the Victorian Teaching Professions Code of Conduct and any relevant workplace policies or procedures.

Discussion 3

Date of discussion Who I talked with (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature What we discussed

This professional conversation around your professional responsibilities may be with your mentor during one of the 3 visits - or it may be another colleague or leader within your service with whom you have this conversation. Note it must be with a fully VIT registered teacher.

2c. Professional Responsibilities report

After your professional conversation (Discussion 3) write a brief report describing

your legal obligations as a teacher in relation to child safety and wellbeing

two examples of how you have met these legal obligations

a reflection on the Victorian Teaching Professions Code of Conduct, including how you maintain appropriate professional relationships with learners.

This report will outline your understanding of your professional responsibilities and two clear examples of things you have done in your practice that demonstrate your understanding. Remember to also include a reflection about the Victorian Teaching Profession's Code of Conduct. Be specific about how you maintain an appropriate relationship with learners, including parents, families and community - VIT highlight the importance of professionalism on social media

It is a good idea to write about each section of the code of conduct and relate this to your practice to show how you implement the code in your teaching.

3. Apply knowledge to teaching practice through action plan

The action plan

Inquiry question

Informing data

Assessment data, observations, learning plans, learner files, reports / factors affecting learning (e.g. medical reports)

Background information such as observations, assessments, information from families or other professionals working with focus child/ren, general observations and critical reflections which provide information supporting the choice of your inquiry question and how you will proceed.

Write generally about how you have collected background information to inform you about your learners. The informing data will be what supported you with deciding to select these learners and develop your question.

You may also write about something relating to your growth as a teacher if this impacted your inquiry decision eg a teacher whose inquiry is about science may have chosen this as learners were interested in science and the teacher saw a gap in her ability to plan for science in the program.

You need to attach some samples of evidence which show your supporting data from your practice.

Perhaps 4 different examples

This is also a good space to talk about information you collect from families

Professional learning

Learning I will undertake to support the Inquiry

Professional learning can be either formal opportunities such as attendance at a webinar or other online learning platform, face to face workshop or conference, or informal opportunities such as professional reading, professional conversations, etc.

List all the learning and select 1 to write a brief summary about

Some of the Pd will need to relate to your inquiry

Purpose of the Inquiry

Knowledge and skills I am trying to address in the Inquiry

What are the specific skills and knowledge you are hoping to see the children develop over the course of your inquiry?

Inclusive practice

How I will cater for

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners

learners who need extension

learners with disability

learners who need additional support to access the learning.

In this section you can include relevant information about how you will/could support the learners in each of the above groups. These learners may actually be one or more of your focus children, or it may be hypothetical if you do not have a learner in the above groups within your cohort. The intent is to see how you consider, plan and cater for specific individual needs of learners across diverse groups within your teaching practice

It is important you write detailed information her which shows specific strategies for each group. VIT focus on this section in audits

I will send you some PD resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners

Success criteria

Learning outcomes I want the learners to achieve

in this section list the specific goals you have for each individual focus learner. You may also have general goals for the group as a whole that you hope to achieve within your inquiry.

Resources

What I will use to teach the Inquiry

Think about the learning experiences you have planned for the weeks of your inquiry and any specific resources you will need to have available for use, which may include (but not limited to) ICT resources, books, props, art materials

Strategies

What I will do to deliver the content and skills

What are the teaching strategies you will use? These may include specific experiences, conversations, interactions and questions, methods of recording and documenting children's involvement and progress.

There are many teaching strategies available. See the intentional teaching strategies document I sent you. You will also have strategies not on this list and may choose to write about others which are meaningful to your work

List 5-8 with a brief description

Activities

What the learners will be doing during the Inquiry

What Are the learning experience you will plan and implement over the 4 weeks. Your mentor will need to observe evidence of these during visits.

You nee dto consider how you will present this in your inquiry so as others reading your work can see the link between

Learner outcomes- strategies resources- activities- ongoing reflection- program changes

There is no one way of doing this and you will need to consider what works for your style of teaching and documenting.

You will collect evidence of the activities and observations of the learning during this 4 week cycle.

Some teachers choose to use a template format as this allows them to clearly demonstrate the planning cycle with the above information. You may find your weekly/fortnightly planning document may not have enough detail for the purpose of the inquiry. Which is why a template may be useful

I will send some examples for you to consider

If you use a template/table you will also need to attach a copy of the program you will be using for your service/parent

Assessment

Assessment to be done during the Inquiry (allowing for a range of opportunities for learners to demonstrate their knowledge, including annotated learner work samples)

Formative Summative

How are you going to assess as you go along within each day, week of your inquiry? Observations, learning stories, webs of children's thoughts and ideas, reflections with co educators and families, etc

You will attach 2 examples from each child as evidence of assessment during the inquiry action

How are you going to sum up the learning that each child has experienced over the course of the inquiry? How will you assess whether your strategies have been effective, and whether your inquiry has been achieved?

I will send some information to you on formative and summative assessment

Reflections

Prompts / questions to help guide reflection

Think of some questions which will help you critically reflect on your practice and the children's engagement and learning throughout the course of your inquiry.

Approx. 5 questions

Attach an example of your reflection for one of these

4. Implement your action plan

4a. Observations of practice

Based on a minimum of 3 visits by your mentor or other fully registered experienced colleague

Visit 1

Date of discussion Who observed me (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature Summary of the feedback received and a reflection on what I have learned (any observation templates used can be attached as further evidence)

Visit 2

Date of discussion Who observed me (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature Summary of the feedback received and a reflection on what I have learned (any observation templates used can be attached as further evidence)

Visit 3

Date of discussion Who observed me (colleagues name and VIT registration no.)

Name Registration no. Signature Summary of the feedback received and a reflection on what I have learned (any observation templates used can be attached as further evidence)

4b. Gathering other evidence

Not all descriptors of the standards may be demonstrated in your Inquiry.

You may need to demonstrate some descriptors outside of the Inquiry - this may include evidence from previous teaching experience as a provisionally registered teacher with your current group or a different group of learners.

Your mentor / experienced colleague may have witnessed actions or practices you used that could evidence a descriptor - where descriptors have not been evidenced in the documentation of your Inquiry into practice, this additional evidence can be used.

This section may be completed by you or your mentor / experienced colleague where you wish to provide additional evidence - specific details of your actions or practice need to be documented.

Please note: you do not need to complete this section if your Inquiry already includes evidence of all APST descriptors.

You only need to include information here if a descriptor has not been demonstrated elsewhere throughout your inquiry. Here you can draw on other aspects of your teaching and professional practice outside of the inquiry to demonstrate how you meet these descriptors. Your mentor will guide you in completing this if required.

I often find teachers use this space for

IT standards - 2.6 and 4.5

Parent engagement 3.7 and 7.3

5. Evaluate effectiveness of practice

Use these questions to guide you in reflecting on your Inquiry

Did the assessments of learners demonstrate progress towards / achievement of learning goals? (use your data to explain what progress has or hasnt been made - annotated learner work samples should be included in an appendix)

Did changes to my practice improve the learning of my learners?

How do I know?

What impact did my Inquiry have on my teaching practice?

How will I develop my learning further?

Can I share my learning with others?

Appendix

Attach annotated evidence that you have collected to demonstrate proficiency against the APST descriptors.

This should be authentic evidence that was gathered during the Inquiry and may include

work samples

other assessments

planning documents

observation templates

resources

meeting notes

correspondence with parents / carers

photos, video or audio of learner work.

Please note: one piece of evidence may cover a range of standards you do not need 37 separate pieces of evidence. You should discuss with your mentor whether the evidence you have included is sufficient to demonstrate proficiency.