Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it Focus: Content selection and organisation 2.2.1 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence Throughout my practicum, I ‘organised content into an effective learning and teaching sequences’ (AITSL, 2011). This shows I am meeting standard 2.2.1. The evidence I have collected to show this includes lesson plans, mentor feedback and work samples.
During my practicum experience I was able to organise learning content into an effective learning and teaching sequence using outcomes from the NSW Syllabus. During planning, my lessons were sequenced over 3-4 days, so students could build upon their previously learnt knowledge and develop a skill focus. In order to plan these lesson sequences I had to develop a confident knowledge of the content I was teaching. This enabled me to sequence lessons into modelled, guided and then independent practice where I was able to specifically scaffold students learning. This allowed me to model the lesson expectations so students could see how to achieve the outcome. A learning intention and success criteria was also included, which demonstrates how each day student's knowledge was growing by building upon previous content covered. I demonstrated my knowledge of the content through reviewing previous lessons in order to create a link between students learning. This helped them consolidate and understand the content.
My practicum experience taught me the importance of understanding the content prior to teaching. When my own understanding of the content clear and concise, I was able to clearly deliver this content to students and break it down where necessary. This understanding also allowed me to create discussions and ask appropriate questions throughout my lessons.
Feedback from my mentor teacher supports this notion that I demonstrated an understanding of learning content in order to teach effectively. Mentor feedback shows that my knowledge of content allowed me to address specific teaching points which were crucial to students understanding of the topic. My knowledge of the learning content allowed me to effectively teach students, as I was able to answer any questions that arose and was able to break the content down so students could develop their own understanding.
References: Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2011). Australian professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional- standards-for-teachers
Standard 2.2.1 Evidence
Writing was taught to students over the course of a week as a sequence of lessons which built on each other to help develop students reading skills and to help them complete a piece of writing. By sequencing the writing lessons, students were able to focus on one idea or section of their writing. This evidence shows how my lesson plans have addressed the same content and outcomes from the syllabus over 4 lessons. This also includes the learning intention, which demonstrates how each lesson focuses on a separate skill or task to achieve the outcome at the end of the lesson sequence.
Within these writing lessons there was a focus on the English skills being taught which included; prediction, recognising grammatical patterns and visualising. These were included in the sequenced lessons as it involved reading the same text over multiple days with each day having a different reading focus.
Work samples of students planning which occurred over 3 days. This shows emergent (left) andadvanced (right) planning sheets.
These plans were used to write their final narrative on the fourth day of the sequence. Work samples are shown below.
All my lessons involved independent, guided and then modelled practice to scaffold students learning. An example of my modelled work is shown for art and writing lessons.
Modelled, guided and independent practice was specifically included in my lesson plans.
Mentor feedback stating how I use modelling within my lessons.
Mentor feedback states that I demonstrated my ability to create lesson sequences to effectively teach students. It also demonstrates how my knowledge of learning content allowed me to effectively teach students.
This piece of evidence shows that I had prepared for the lesson by understanding the concepts and structures so I could create a useful discussion between students.