Focus area 4.1 Support student participation.
Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities.
Given that almost 40% of the students at Broome Senior High School identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, inclusive practice has required ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded in lessons. In one example of a two-way learning approach, when delivering a unit on world cultures, I first asked two staff members from the school's Cultural Centre, to join the class and deliver lessons on culture from their respective cultural perspectives, thus framing the delivery of content from an ATSI viewpoint. Notes from one of these lessons are shown below. My reading log, shown here, demonstrates my commitment to professional learning in this area.
Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities.
Given that almost 40% of the students at Broome Senior High School identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, inclusive practice has required ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded in lessons. In one example of a two-way learning approach, when delivering a unit on world cultures, I first asked two staff members from the school's Cultural Centre, to join the class and deliver lessons on culture from their respective cultural perspectives, thus framing the delivery of content from an ATSI viewpoint. Notes from one of these lessons are shown below. My reading log, shown here, demonstrates my commitment to professional learning in this area.
To support and engage all students, I have explicitly taught students strategies to promote such engagement. One example of such is shown below, where a student with challenges relating to information processing struggled to follow instructions and to ask for help. To support this student's engagement, I created a scaffold and pasted it to her desk, which provided a visual reminder of strategies she could use in her quest to become an independent learner.
In striving to practice positive interactions, I have sought to implement with my classes, the school-wide system of positive interactions. This PBS model for interaction, proposes that for student-teacher relationships to thrive, there should be a ratio of 4:1 in dialogue, where positive feedback outweighs corrective feedback to students. To support my implementation of this way of speaking, I invited a school specialist teacher to observe my interactions and give me feedback, as shown here. I then used that feedback, to improve my dialogue with students to better reflect the desired ration and invited the specialist teacher to return to the classroom to observe me again, where he gave me further feedback on how I had improved in this regard.
Focus area 4.2. Manage classroom activities.
Establish and maintain orderly and workable routines to create an environment where student time is spent on learning tasks
Clear boundaries and expectations, in line with wider-school policy underpin how I support student participation. Key to this is order and predictable routines. In one class, to accommodate a Year 9 English class who had been struggling to focus in a free-seating arrangement, I introduced a seating plan, as shown below, to maintain order and structure.
Establish and maintain orderly and workable routines to create an environment where student time is spent on learning tasks
Clear boundaries and expectations, in line with wider-school policy underpin how I support student participation. Key to this is order and predictable routines. In one class, to accommodate a Year 9 English class who had been struggling to focus in a free-seating arrangement, I introduced a seating plan, as shown below, to maintain order and structure.
As a matter of good practice, lessons in the English classroom follow a predictable sequence of events which are visible to students from the commencement of the lesson, as shown in the photo below. This helps establish order and routine, both of which are conducive to learning.
.Focus area 4.3. Manage challenging behaviour
Manage challenging behaviour by establishing and negotiating clear expectations with students and address discipline issues promptly, fairly and respectfully.
To establish clear expectations with students, I spent time at the commencement of the academic year creating a class compact, as shown in the example here. This class compact was displayed in a prominent place and referred to throughout the year.
During my time teaching English at Broome Senior High School, I have worked within the school-wide PBIS framework to teach students positive behaviour. The school's framework involved a buddy class system for students unable to work responsibly in class. Where student behaviour was more disruptive or students refused to take time out by going to buddy class, the school's system of issuing behaviour reports came into effect. Further to issuing a behaviour report, the Head of Learning would facilitate a restorative meeting between the student and myself, as teacher, to discuss the motivation for the negative behaviour and to discuss how to change challenging behaviour and work together going forward.
One of the key components in the PBIS framework involves explicitly teaching appropriate behaviour. The lesson plan and presentation shown here document evidence of a lesson I delivered, teaching students how to follow directions the first time they are provided. Underpinning this approach is the key assumption that if we want students to behave in a particular way, we must teach behaviour just as we teach any other skill.
In term two of 2019, I spent a week teaching a special needs class at secondary level, with students ranging in year level from seven to twelve. This required managing a range of complex and challenging behaviours. An example of how I responded to one demonstration of complex behaviour is provided in the observation note shown here.
I have continuously sought to respond to challenging behaviours in a culturally safe manner, by treating students with respect and in a space where they feel safe. The case shown here, documents a case where two Year 9 students refused to attend class. I responded by convening a meeting with them at Broome Girls Academy (BGA), a space they have ownership of, and with BGA support staff in attendance. The students were offered an opportunity to talk about the BGA values to which they, as members, aspire and discuss their behaviour within this context.
Paradoxically, one of the most effective ways to reduce recidivism of challenging behaviour, has been to recognise positive behaviour, and this is something I have consistently sought to do by communicating with parents/carers and students to report positive behaviour frequently, as shown here and here.
Front and centre in my values, is the importance of relationships and the need to maintain and strengthen them, even in challenging times. This is supported in the evidence, as shown in my reflection below.
Manage challenging behaviour by establishing and negotiating clear expectations with students and address discipline issues promptly, fairly and respectfully.
To establish clear expectations with students, I spent time at the commencement of the academic year creating a class compact, as shown in the example here. This class compact was displayed in a prominent place and referred to throughout the year.
During my time teaching English at Broome Senior High School, I have worked within the school-wide PBIS framework to teach students positive behaviour. The school's framework involved a buddy class system for students unable to work responsibly in class. Where student behaviour was more disruptive or students refused to take time out by going to buddy class, the school's system of issuing behaviour reports came into effect. Further to issuing a behaviour report, the Head of Learning would facilitate a restorative meeting between the student and myself, as teacher, to discuss the motivation for the negative behaviour and to discuss how to change challenging behaviour and work together going forward.
One of the key components in the PBIS framework involves explicitly teaching appropriate behaviour. The lesson plan and presentation shown here document evidence of a lesson I delivered, teaching students how to follow directions the first time they are provided. Underpinning this approach is the key assumption that if we want students to behave in a particular way, we must teach behaviour just as we teach any other skill.
In term two of 2019, I spent a week teaching a special needs class at secondary level, with students ranging in year level from seven to twelve. This required managing a range of complex and challenging behaviours. An example of how I responded to one demonstration of complex behaviour is provided in the observation note shown here.
I have continuously sought to respond to challenging behaviours in a culturally safe manner, by treating students with respect and in a space where they feel safe. The case shown here, documents a case where two Year 9 students refused to attend class. I responded by convening a meeting with them at Broome Girls Academy (BGA), a space they have ownership of, and with BGA support staff in attendance. The students were offered an opportunity to talk about the BGA values to which they, as members, aspire and discuss their behaviour within this context.
Paradoxically, one of the most effective ways to reduce recidivism of challenging behaviour, has been to recognise positive behaviour, and this is something I have consistently sought to do by communicating with parents/carers and students to report positive behaviour frequently, as shown here and here.
Front and centre in my values, is the importance of relationships and the need to maintain and strengthen them, even in challenging times. This is supported in the evidence, as shown in my reflection below.
Focus area 4.4. Maintain student safety
Ensure students’ well-being and safety within school by implementing school and/ or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Maintaining student well-being and safety has meant not only being responsive to student needs but also being proactive in terms of being aware of existing needs, policies and plans. The example shown in this observation note, demonstrates my response to issues raised by a student in order to maintain his safety.
During the coronavirus pandemic of early 2020, I implemented a number of strategies to promote student safety while schools remained open. These strategies included teaching and enforcing rules of social distancing in schools and explicitly teaching safe behaviours such as hand-washing. The lesson plan shown here, is one example of such a lesson. During the coronavirus pandemic, I also sought to promote student safety by using the issue of the global pandemic as a learning point as exemplified in this assessment task.
A number of my students have had health issues or disabilities which required specific health and safety requirements. One such example, was a student with a significant heart problem which required that I participate in defibrillator training and be trained in the application of risk management strategies. Another student in my Year 7 class was legally blind. In addition to modifications around learning, this required that the classroom be modified to maintain his safety. Modifications included implementing a seating plan, to support his day-to-day orientation and safety in the class and making sure all instructions and information was provided orally.
Ensure students’ well-being and safety within school by implementing school and/ or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Maintaining student well-being and safety has meant not only being responsive to student needs but also being proactive in terms of being aware of existing needs, policies and plans. The example shown in this observation note, demonstrates my response to issues raised by a student in order to maintain his safety.
During the coronavirus pandemic of early 2020, I implemented a number of strategies to promote student safety while schools remained open. These strategies included teaching and enforcing rules of social distancing in schools and explicitly teaching safe behaviours such as hand-washing. The lesson plan shown here, is one example of such a lesson. During the coronavirus pandemic, I also sought to promote student safety by using the issue of the global pandemic as a learning point as exemplified in this assessment task.
A number of my students have had health issues or disabilities which required specific health and safety requirements. One such example, was a student with a significant heart problem which required that I participate in defibrillator training and be trained in the application of risk management strategies. Another student in my Year 7 class was legally blind. In addition to modifications around learning, this required that the classroom be modified to maintain his safety. Modifications included implementing a seating plan, to support his day-to-day orientation and safety in the class and making sure all instructions and information was provided orally.
Focus area 4.5. Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically.
Incorporate strategies to promote the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
With ICT a key component of 21st century learning, students are constantly reminded of expectations and practices around the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
The implementation of the Australian-wide phone ban in January 2020 lent itself to some learning sequences around safe behaviours online. As part of this, I delivered explicit lessons in not using mobile phones at school and also in responsible use of ICT.
Incorporate strategies to promote the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
With ICT a key component of 21st century learning, students are constantly reminded of expectations and practices around the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
The implementation of the Australian-wide phone ban in January 2020 lent itself to some learning sequences around safe behaviours online. As part of this, I delivered explicit lessons in not using mobile phones at school and also in responsible use of ICT.