Element 7
Teachers are actively engaged members of their profession and wider community.
Aspects
7.1.1 Demonstrate the capacity to communicate effectively with parents and caregivers
7.1.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of effective home-school links and processes for reporting student progress to parents and caregivers
7.1.3 Demonstrate the importance of involving parents and caregivers in the educative process and the use of a limited number of strategies to seek that invovlement
7.1.4 Demonstrate the capacity to work effectively with external professionals, teachers' aides and community based personnel to enhance student learning opportunites.
7.1.5 Understand regulations and statutes related to teachers' responsibilites and students' rights
7.1.6 Demonstrate the capacity to liase, communicate and interact effectively and appropriately with parents, caregivers, industry and the local community.
I will demonstrate the capacity to communicate effectively with parents and caregivers. (Aspect 7.1.1) Whilst I have created a letter (http://16968.educatorpages.com) to send home to parents as part of a PDHPE assignment, I think it is important that I also make contact with the parents of my students on practicum. This can be done with the design of an introductory letter, just so that parents are made aware that I am working with their children in the classroom, and the capacity in which I will be teaching. As part of this I also hope to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of effective home-school links and processes for reporting student progress to parents and caregivers (Aspect 7.1.2) by sending home a work sample from a lesson I have conducted. Such will be marked against the lesson objectives and be given a personalized comment. Again with reference to parent /caregivers liaison, I hope to demonstrate my capacity to communicate and interact effectively and appropriately with them. (Aspect 7.1.8) Talking with them before and after school and if possible, attending a parent/teacher information night will hopefully achieve this.
I believe that parents and caregivers are a very important consultant for the classroom and should be involved in their child’s education wherever possible, whether it be through involvement in classroom activities or parent/teacher interviews. (Aspect 7.1.3) Parents need these opportunities to share and discuss with the school their child’s knowledge, so that their education is the result of a real and interactive partnership between the home and school environment (Groundwater-Smith et al., 2003, p.285). These links are essential for the promotion of the best learning environment for the student at home and in the classroom. When the parents are kept informed of their child’s progress and learning, they can help to expand upon what is taught in the classroom, and help foster a deeper understanding for the child.
I have demonstrated the ability to work effectively with teacher’s aides to enhance student learning opportunities. (Aspect 7.1.4) In my second professional development practicum, I worked in every lesson with a fulltime teacher’s aide to promote understanding for all students in the classroom. With numerous teacher’s aides in the room at different times, this certainly was an area I came to know and appreciate.
I need to re-familiarise myself with regulations and statutes related to teachers’ responsibilities and students’ rights (Aspect 7.1.5) before practicum. Whilst most of this knowledge is maintained, it is a very important part of a teacher’s role and therefore I feel it is necessary to revise policies such as that of Child Protection, so that I can feel confident in having a thorough knowledge of the document.