Associate Teacher Meeting

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Associate Teacher Meeting

• April 2010
• EDPRAC 621B

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Welcome
Bridgit Williams and myself, from the Faculty
Professional Support Team, will be working in the
practicum team in 2010. I will be enhancing
relationships and connections with the community
through my work with associate teachers and
Bridgit will be working predominantly with
student teachers.
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New Initiatives

• First practicum may be completed in home centre
• Graduating Teacher Standards
• DELNA is compulsory for all undergraduate
  student teachers
• Taught component in B.Ed
• PSP groups
• Compulsory minimum pass to go out on practicum

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In the handbook

• Course overview
• Portfolio requirements
• Learning Outcomes
• Goal setting
• Reflection expectations exemplars
• Permission proforma
• Roles responsibilities - student, AT, US
• Triadic process
• Guidelines
• Procedure for resolving concerns
• Fit to be a Teacher criteria GTS
• Course overview

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Possible Outcomes

• Pass - learning achieved for all learning
  outcomes, if any LOs are not met the practicum
  result is a fail
• Fail
• In Grad Dip provisional pass (dependent on
  subsequent passing of language course or
  assessment) all LOs must be met (apart from
  concern about language)
• A provisional pass must be confirmed with Barbara
  Backshall
• If any language issues identified in BEd
  university supervisor to arrange appropriate
  support.

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Role of Associate Teacher

• Provide opportunities for students to
• gain practical experience
• construct new learning, knowledge and
  understanding
• try out ideas and theories to test and modify
  them in practice
• Observe students teaching
• model and discuss own assessment, planning,
  teaching, evaluating and reflecting
• introduce student to teachers and families
• induct into centres policies and programme
• provide support, encouragement and professional
  challenges
• monitor progress carefully
• discuss student responsibilities and
  participation/contributions
• provide regular verbal and written feedback
• discuss any concerns with student and university
  supervisor
• regard student as professional colleagues
• contribute to the triadic assessment process
• complete weekly reports

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Student teacher responsibilities

• Contact associate teacher and visit centre if
  possible
• Attend 7.5 hours each day
• Follow centre or kindergarten policies
• Provide profile for notice board
• Inform of any absences
• Provide evidence of understanding from course
  work
• Maintain confidentiality and ethical practice
• Communication and team work
• Engage in teaching and learning
• Understand teaching responsibilities of Te Tiriti
  o Waitangi
• Consistently reflect on own practice
• Document involvement in teaching and learning
• Demonstrate teamwork
• Prepare for triadic assessment and contribute
  professionally

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This practicum

• Graduate Diploma in Teaching Conceptualising
  Practice
• 3-28 May
• First assessed practicum
• First time students have set professional goal
• One more 7 week practicum

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Diverse group

• Culturally and linguistically
• Wide variety of degrees and experiences
• Age range
• For some student teachers in this programme this
  is their first extended period of time in a
  centre or kindergarten
• Others are currently employed in centres

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Learning Outcomes

1. Establish professional relationships and
   communicate competently with children, parents
   and colleagues
2. Demonstrate a developing ability to practice
   effectively and contextually in early childhood
   education settings
3. Demonstrate an ability to integrate theory,
   research and practical experience in own
   developing pedagogical practice in early
   childhood education settings

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Evidencing Learning Outcomes

• Students are expected to show though
• their documented evidence that they have
• met the LOs.
• Reflections, photos(?), anecdotal or diary
  notes, work samples, learning stories.
• There are no set requirements in terms of
  quantity except a minimum of 3 reflections per
  week.

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Principles of Student Teacher Documentation

• Reflections are of a high quality (rather
• than quantity)
• Student teachers ability to notice,
• recognize and respond to childrens
• learning is evident in documentation
• (includes assessment and planning)
• The planning process is cyclical and
• authentic

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Reflection

• DATA
• Brookfields critically reflective lenses
• Smyths Stages in Personal and
• Professional Empowerment

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Weekly Feedback

• Is important to let student teachers know how
  they are getting on. Discuss any feedback you
  write with student teachers.
• You are settling in well and I know you worked
  hard to learn all the childrens names. We are
  enjoying your input and enthusiasm.
• Future Directions
• Please be aware of all the areas of learning and
  do not focus on just those you are most
  comfortable with. It would be interesting to
  hear more about what you are learning in your
  courses.

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If you have concerns

• Address them to the student teacher in the first
  instance and as soon as possible both verbally
  and in writing
• Contact the university supervisor, a meeting may
  assist to address the issue
• The university supervisor is likely to contact us
  but
• If it is still not resolved please contact Debora
  Lee on 623 8899 xtn 46216 or d.lee_at_auckland.ac.nz
  me on 623 8899 xtn 48225 or bs.watson_at_auckland.ac.
  nz

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Final Reports

• Are specific to the learning outcomes
• Include examples that demonstrate competence, for
  example
• Learning Outcome 1
• Kia ora Jane, from the outset you showed
  professionalism in your communication. You
  clearly had a good understanding of the learning
  outcomes and the importance of communication in
  teaching. You were sensitive in developing
  relationships with children, you did not rush
  them and were thoughtful about how it would be
  for them to have a new face in the centre. You
  also worked really hard to develop relationships
  with families/whanau and, although this was a
  challenge for you, it was great to see you make
  progress. I suggest that you continue ot work on
  this in your next practicum. Your teamwork is
  fantastic and you are a great team contributor.
  We will miss your input.

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• If the learning outcome is not met
• Kia ora Jane, although your poor attendance
  contributed to your lack of success on this
  practicum I was also concerned at the lack of
  enthusiasm you exhibited. It was hard for us to
  support you in our busy centre when it did not
  appear that you wanted to be here. It did not
  seem that you made much effort to develop
  relationships with children, teachers or
  families.

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If any of the learning outcomes are not met

• Triadic assessment should still take place
• Student teacher will be aware that there are
  areas of concern
• University supervisor facilitates, ideally the
  student teacher will understand that they have
  not demonstrated adequately that they should pass
• All concerns should be documented in final report
  

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Triadic Assessment

• Important component of our programmes
• Times can be negotiated when setting final
• visit
• Facilitated by university supervisor
• Student teacher begins process
• No new information should be shared
• A collegial and collaborative process
• Includes reference to documentation and
• examples from portfolio
• DVD available to borrow

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Support for Associate Teachers

• Web Site
• Associate Teacher Handbook and
• meetings
• Practicum handbooks
• University Supervisor
• Practicum Coordinator (d.lee_at_auckland.ac.nz)
• DVDs (new one coming out this year)
• Combined Associate Teacher Symposium
• (12 June 2010 at MIT)

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• Thank you for your support of our programmes.
• Kia kaha, kia manawanui.