Praxis

Athena Taylor

In this essay, I will examine my personal strategies in dealing with three vastly different
students: a child from the surfer culture, an Indigenous student, and a boy with diagonosed
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In any classroom situation, it is critical to
appreciate the complex and individualistic nature of those in your care. This includes
recognising and acknowledging their special needs, cultural background and the myriad of
personal characteristics that influence their interactions and involvement with others. It is
vitally important to understand the ways in which individuality can define and shape each
student, and work with rather than fight against these factors as they influence the day to day
learning process. Year 10, particularly, is a time of great change for most students, with
physical and emotional transitions that heavily influence their interactions with students and
teachers. For children with additional learning needs or culturally diverse backgrounds, this
time can be even more difficult. As teachers, there are a number of inclusive strategies and
flexible learning techniques we can incorporate into our unit plans and daily teaching routines
in order to improve the educational and emotional outlook for these students, thereby
ensuring positive achievement becomes a sustainable and realisable goal.
A brief explanation of the unit of work I will be focusing on is required in order to lay the
foundations for further discussion of individually catered learning plans. For the purposes of
this assignment, I have devised a plan based on my core subject area, English. The unit will
focus on the Australian film Beneath Clouds, studying the narrative techniques employed in it
and expanding upon this core knowledge for a focus on descriptive writing and structure.
There will be individual lessons on plot, characterisation, sentence structure, editing and
various other linguistic and figurative techniques. This movie focuses on a remote Indigenous
community in rural NSW, and follows the fates of two young Aboriginal Australians. I find it
to be an excellent movie to use for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, as it
provides great insight into some of the issues facing the Aboriginal community in 21st century
Australia as well as reflecting wider society and the multitude of other subcultures present in
our nation. It also has genuinely engaging performances from a young Australian cast,
brilliant cinematography and a relatable plot line for teenagers. For greater elaboration and a
day-by-day breakdown of this unit, please see the Appendix provided at the end of this essay.

For the purposes of my first study, I will be focusing on student 20, Tim Randel, whose
learning needs are derived from the surfing culture which can be found among many

communities in South Australia, particularly along the West Coast. Subcultural identities are
very important to a lot of students, and can play a significant role in guiding students through
difficult social transitions, from school to Uni or the workplace (Brady, 2003). As teachers it
is important we recognise the implications of cultural heritage and understand its potential
effects on a students level of classroom engagement (Easen 1992). Common traits of those
involved in the surfing subculture can include high levels of social networking, low academic
goal-setting, and issues of absenteeism, curriculum disengagement and distraction (Kampion
2003). In particular, Tim may find it difficult to concentrate in class and frequently verbalise
a wish to be outdoors. His homelife is likely to be academically disinclined, and there may be
elements of recreational drug use amongst extended family members (Kampion 2003).
However, he is a popular and gregarious student, and can be the life of the classroom when
he chooses. The key element as a teacher is to recognise and harness this social nature for the
benefit rather than the detriment of Tims peers. For this particular unit, the free choice
narrative allows students a high degree of independence, so encouraging Tim to write on his
passion of surfing is possible within the flexibility of the Australian national curriculum
standards (ACELA 1569). Personalising his content will hopefully engage him with the unit
and nurture active participation in class discussion, as would finding exemplars of surf stories
and novellas to serve as educational building blocks for his own work. Regarding classroom
interaction, for students such as Tim with high levels of social and emotional intelligence it is
important not to stress minor off-topic conversation, but continually reinforce the topics
relevance to the students own life, reminding them of the tangible benefits to be had of cooperation within the curriculum (Burnett, Bruce & Meadmore, 2004). It would be my
intention to harness Tims organic enthusiasm for his topic and use it to encourage other
students, motivating those lacking creative inspiration of their own. I would hope to utilise
Tims willingness to socialise by encouraging him to share and develop ideas with his
classmates, providing a platform for his naturally developed verbal expression and the other
students with an enthusiastic demonstration of theoretical principles that might help their own
written form. A secondary benefit of using students natural strengths in this manner is that it
provides opportunities of creative extension for highly academic but less emotionally gifted
students (an example of this might be Ruby) (Sapon-Shevin, 2007). In a student such as Tim,
balance and flexibility are key, as is the ability to recognise and work within the nondominant role that school plays in the fabric of his life. Engagement and networking not just
with parents, but the wider surfing culture, can help to prevent disengagement from becoming
chronic and academically limiting.
2

My second student is Helen Wilson, an Aboriginal girl of middling ability with a particular
interest in art. For the purposes of narrative writing I feel higher engagement is possible
through drawing on the inherently imaginative elements present in most dreamtime stories
(Illyatjari, 1998). This is an opportunity for cross-cultural education and development of a
hidden curriculum, namely in discussion and examination of the oral storytelling traditions
of Aboriginal communities and what we can learn from this unique style. Such conversations
benefit not only the individual student but the broader class as well, by exposing them to
diverse ways of using language and the techniques attendant to each style (Anderson 1991).
In terms of pastoral care, I believe it is vital for teachers to understand the sense of extended
kinship present in many Aboriginal families, and the need for collaboration and co-operation
in setting practical and approachable academic goals for students. Formal review of learning
standards could be facilitated between the teacher and school, parent and community leaders,
to ensure that support and consultation forms part of the learning process (Athey 1990).
Given Helens proficiency in art, I would look to allow some form of visual accompaniment
to be included as part of her work. This could be seen as a reward for successful completion
of the written unit, or as an example of the interrelatedness of language with other forms of
creative expression. Another way of fostering Helens participation in this task would be to
encouarage her to seek out respected elders within her community regarding elements of
traditional storytelling to incorporate into her own narrative story. This sort of practical
community engagement has been proven to result in more successfully participative students
(Bourke 1995). In fact, I did exactly this with a non-compliant Indigenous year 10 student in
my first practicuum at Port Lincoln Highschool, and found that by linking the power of
language to a tangible and emotionally connected facet of the students life, her involvement
in the unit became much more positive. More generally, it is always a good idea for teachers
to present their classroom in a culturally inclusive manner, so that any cross-cultural
techniques utilised in their day to day teaching are reinforced by the students physical
environment (McKay 1999). This can be achieved with posters, diverse student art (for
instance any accompanying drawings or paintings to Helens story) and other visual props
that reflect a broad theme of inclusivity. In this regard my unit is helped by the strong
Indigenous element in Beneath Clouds, which I would hope provides a stepping stone to
further conversations on embracing diversity within the classroom.

My third and final case study is of student 17, George Papadimitriou, a boy of presumably
Greek origin who has officially recognised Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
with an emphasis on inattention and restlessness within the context of a traditional classroom.
I will also be basing my approach on a child I taught in my second practicuum who shared
similar characteristics, and with whom I established a relationship that helped to bridge the
gap and promote positive learning and academic standards in an otherwise uncooperative
young man. This unit, I believe, has deliberate benefits for those students with a strong desire
for physical movement, and I would attempt to incorporate kinaesthetic learning into my
teaching plan to reflect this. Active learning has been recognised as important for students
who struggle with the sedentary nature of conventional classroom teaching (Hodkinson &
Vickerman, 2009), although I believe it can be of significant benefit to all students. For
instance, enabling students to act out key features of common plots, or physically
demonstrate certain character tropes used in narrative writing, serves not only as a release
valve for students pent up energy, but also an indication of the fluid relationship that exists
between language and other forms of expression. Once the active teaching phase of this unit
is complete, the physical writing of the narrative should be approached with a similar degree
of practical flexibility. After giving set structures and staggered requirements for each lesson,
I would hope to allow George to move outside and reinvigorate his levels of attention and
imaginative responses through short intervals of controlled physical activity (Gibson &
Blandford, 2005). In other words, it would be suitable for him to go outside and run up and
down the steps a few times as long as he could then produce tangible results at the end of the
lesson. It is my firm belief that students should be allowed as much freedom as possible in
their learning environment, particular in cases of students such as George who often struggle
with long hours spent sitting in one spot. What is important is clearly defined boundaries and
plainly enunciated behavioural expectations, so that the student has a way of obtaining a
degree of release without feeling persecuted by the teacher (Hodkinson & Vickerman, 2009).
Structurally, it is also important to minimise elements of visual distraction in the classroom,
and be open to new seating arrangements to ensure that children such as George and Tim who
difficulty concentrating are not placed together when active listening is required.

In order to teach with the greatest level of effectiveness, we must understand the unique
characteristics that make up every student we come across. It is important to recognise the
individual nature of human beings, and the ways in which this can influence their learning
needs, personal development, and interactions with peers and staff. For students coming from
unique culture backgrounds, such as the surfers of the West Coast, levels of disengagement
and disaffection can be monitored and rectified by structuring the unit to have some degree of
relevance to the students extracurricular activities. To strengthen and promote positive
cultural development and community engagement in Indigenous students, English provides
excellent opportunities to incorporate traditional methods of storytelling and linguistic styles
into day to day teaching plans. Finally, flexibility is crucial for teachers of students with
ADHD. By allowing small, controlled outlets for physical activity that are both productive
and emotionally healthy within the context of the child, we can assist these students to
achieve their goals without restricting them to a rigid adherence to sedentary learning
practices. Ultimately, the best teachers are those who understand that promoting positive
learning for any student involves a rich tapestry of active teaching techniques, learning
strategies, parental co-operation, professional collaboration and engagement with the wider
community, all acting purposefully to set positive, realistic and achievable goals that will lead
to the longterm academic and emotional empowerment of the child.

[2011 words]

Bibliography
Anderson, B. (1991) Imagined Communities. Verso, London.
Athey, C. (1990) Extending Thought in Young Children: A Parent-Teacher Partnership. Paul
Chapman Educational Publishing, London.
Bourke, E. (1995) On Being Aboriginal in Identifying Australia in Postmodern Times. Ed.
L Dobrez. Australian National University, Canberra, 131-136.
Brady, Laura (2003) Teacher Voices: The School Experience. Pearson Education, Frenchs
Forest.
Burnett, Bruce, Meadmore, Daphne and Tait, Gordon (eds) (2004) New Questions for
Contemporary Teachers: Taking a Socio-Cultural Approach to Education. Pearson
Education, Frenchs Forest.
Easen, P. Kendall, P. and Shaw, J. (1992) Parents and Educators: Dialogue and
Development Through Partnership. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken.
Gibson, S. & Blandford, S. (2005) Managing Special Education Needs. Sage, London.
Hodkinson, A. & Vickerman, P. (2009) Key Issues in Special Educational Needs and
Inclusion. Sage, London.
Illyatjari, Nganyintja (1998) How I Learned as an Aboriginal Child in W.H. Edwards (Ed)
Traditional Aboriginal Society. MacMillan Education, South Yarra, Second Edition, 1-5.
Kampion, Drew (2003). Stoked! A History of Surf Culture. Gibbs Smith, Layton.
McKay, Belinda (ed) (1999) Unmasking Whiteness: Race Relations and Reconciliation.
Queensland Studies Centre, Nathan.
Sapon-Shevin, Mmaria (2007) Widening the Circle: The Power of Inclusive Classrooms.
Beacon Press, Boston.

Appendix One

Unit Plan: Beneath Clouds

Year: 10
Class Description
For the purposes of this unit I am working on the assumption of a year 10
English class in a rural highschool of majority lower socio-economic status. My
first practicuum is at Port Lincoln Highschool, which has 42% in the bottom
quarter. It also has 16% Indigenous students, a small (under 1%) percentage of
students with english as a second language and several students with unique
cultural needs or learning difficulties.

Text
Beneath Clouds
Directed by Ivan Sen, starring Danielle Hall and Damien Pitt
An independent Australian film set in rural New South Wales. The story follows
two young Aboriginal teens as they hitchhike towards Sydney in search of their
family. The movie deals with a variety of social issues, including drug and
alcohol abuse, unemployment and youth disengagement, teenage pregnancy,
police harrassment, domestic violence and racism. It focuses on questions of
identity and place, through one main character is proudly Aboriginal and the
other who hides behind light skin. It also raises questions about family, and
what it means to be a young person in modern Australia.

Unit Task
Text production, narrative, maximum 800 words (see attached sheet)

Unit Length
Four weeks
2 x 45 min lessons, 1 x 90 min lesson per week
See attached sheets for further detail.
7

Unit Rationale
This unit focuses on fluency of language and exploration of ideas and issues
through story. It will begin with the viewing of a film that I hope would have a
high degree of relevancy to the target classroom, particularly a rural
highschool with a large number of Indigenous students. Its language, while
coarse, is relatable and the subject issues it explores relevant. Unpacking these
issues will hopefully encourage students to engage with the task of a text
production, where they can incorporate their own particular point of view into
written form.
The unit will focus on the essentials of narrative, including clarity of expression,
character development, and aspects of plotting and pacing. Students will work
with the source text in identifying strategies and techniques which engage with
the audience and contribute to the telling of a good story, before applying
what they have learned to their own pieces of work.
By the end of this unit the students will have a grasp of several key
competencies. I would assign this unit towards the beginning of the year, as a
text production is a good way of identifying the literacy levels of the class, and
which students may need extensions or extra assistance.
Through studying Beneath Clouds and the issues it raises and then exploring
some of these or others through their own text production, it is my additional
hope that students may engage with a hidden curriculum of cultural
awareness, respect and tolerance.

Focus Questions
Identity: What does it mean to be Australian? What does it mean to be
Indigenous Australian? In what ways do young people identify
themselves?
Families: How are families created? Defined? What effect do they have
on individuals?
Purpose: Why do we do the things we do? What are th extenral and
internal motivations for our actions? What is hope?

Year 10
Assessment Type: Text Production
Narrative
Purpose
A narrative is a piece of fictional writing, usually shorter than a full novel. A narrative tells a
story or account of events, and it can often try to explore issues or meaningful reflections
about the world. It is a personal document characterised by unique perspective, setting and
characters with which the reader engages. A narrative should contain an emotional response
as well as telling an engaging story. It should also bring particular scenes to life, and
encourage interest in what is happening, rather than merely documenting a sequence of
events.
Description of Task
We will watch a film that encapsulates elements of an engaging story, then discuss what
issues arose and how they created a memorable narrative. Exerpts of written narrative will
also be considered, and students may use these as models for their own writing. Write a
narrative of your choice.
Remember in your writing to:
be selective in planning the events and people you intend to write about
make a decision regarding point of view and perspective
use tense appropriately and consistently
show, dont tell (e. g. Instead of writing, I have never been as sad as the months after
my best friend moved away, describe the scene where you are alone in the playground
on the swing. Show me yourself struggling with getting the swing high into the air without
your long-time friend pushing you and you show me grief.)
write with an aim to attaching an emotional response to the story
draft and edit your narrative, paying particular attention to eliciting an emotional response
through your selection of scenes and language choices, as well as ensuring an
appropriate structure, fluency and accuracy.
Form/lengths/conditions
You may choose to make a blog or submit as a written account.
800 word maximum.
If you wish to narrow down the focus of your narrative, for example, concentrate on a
personal recollection, memoir or event in your past. Please negotiate this with me prior to
commencing work on this task.
Audience: The teachers and others of your choosing.
Due Date: 7th April, 2014

LESSON BY LESSON PLAN

Week Lesson

Time

Content

Week Lesson
One
One
(see
full
lesson
plan
for
greater
detail)

45 min

Introductory: what is a narrative

Provide interesting exerpts, discuss in
groups, share with class: what was
interesting, what wasnt interesting
Types of narrative: autobiography,
fiction, science-fiction, etc
Watch trailer for the movie: start
thinking about themes, ideas, things
that are interesting/not interesting;
ideas for your own narrative

Lesson
Two

90 min Watch movie

Teaching
Method
Class discussion
Individual
reflection

Interactive

ICT

Week Lesson
Two
Four

Discuss the movie as a class: did we

like it movie and why? Justify using
analytical responses.

Class discussion

What were the issues in the movie?

Teenage pregnancy, substance abuse,
police harrassment, racism, etc.

Class discussion

Start to think about any issues to

include in your own narrative, where
you want it to be set, what your
characters will look like, what conflict
they will face: quiet time in class to
work on this.
45 min Read and categorise various simple,
compound and complex sentences
Write three of your own on a given
topic, share with the class
Write a paragraph of narrative which
includes at least one of each of the
sentences, preferable as part of the
narrative idea you are generating

Start
thinking of
ideas for
your own
narrative

Learning
Resources

Printed
exerpts of
narrative

Class discussion

Encourage note taking

Lesson
Three
(see
full
lesson
plan
for
greater
detail)

Homework

Student
independent
work

Group and class

work
Student
independent
work

Youtube, tv

Write a brief
summary of
what the
movie was
about, key
themes and
ideas, etc.
Type up a
preliminary
map of their
story idea,
central
characaters
and setting,
and the
issues they
will be
focusing on.

Send me the
paragraph
for review

Worksheet
for
homework
use (see
attached
sheet)
DVD player
Worksheet
for
homework
use

Sentence
examples,
worksheets
(see
attached
sheet)

Student
independent
work

10

Lesson
Five

90 min Reviewing what we have learnt so far

Point of view: read and discuss exerpts
from various texts that include a
variety of points of view, discuss
effects on reader, etc.

Group work

In class: rewrite one of the exerpts

from a different point of view, share
with class, discuss differences

Student
independent
work

Discuss some of the minor characters

in BC and how their point of view
might be different from the main
protagonist: eg. the prison guard,
farmer, etc.

Class discussion
and group work

Write a para (50-100 words) from the

perspective of a minor character in BC
Lesson
Six

Week Lesson
Three Seven

Class discussion

Finish para
on different
perspective
and email to
me

Exerpts of
point of view

Student
independent
work

45 min Dialogue
Read examples of different ways of
using dialogue in the stories

Class and group

discussion

Discuss differences between formal

dialogue, casual, swear words and
colloquialism (with reference to BC)

Teacher
instruction

Half the class write a short piece of

dialogue between two characters who
are best friends; the other half
between two characters who dont
know each other, share and discuss
45 min Plot: examples of famous plots,
simplified, written on the board in
mindmap form

Student
individual work,
class discussion

Unpacking the someone wants

something, why? construct with ref to
these plots

Class discussion

Discuss above construct in relation to

BC, for both the major characters: in
groups, then share with class

Group work

Working out basic elements of plot,

including these basic questions: who,
what, where, when, why?

Teacher
instruction

Applying these to own narrative idea

Student work

Write
dialogue
between two
characters as
part of your
narrative,
and email to
me.

Exerpts of
dialogue

Class discussion

Worksheet
for use in
plot
structuring

11

Lesson
Eight

Lesson
Nine

90 min Tone/Language: class revision:

adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs,
pronouns, connectors, etc.
Also discuss: different sentence types
and their impact on tone

Class discussion

Provide exerpts and examples of

different tones: comic, sad, horrified,
serious, romantic, etc.

Group work

Discussion on how language shapes

and changes the tone, in groups then
share

Class discussion

Work on first draft narratives, making

sure to include simple, compound and
complex sentences and a variety of
engaging language
45 min Description: flowery vs simple
description
Description of characters, setting:
examples and discussion about what is
interesting, what isnt

Week Lesson
Four Ten

Teacher
instruction

Exerpts of
writing to
demonstrate
different
language

Student
independent
work
Teacher
instruction

First draft
due at end
of week

Class discussion

How to capture the readers attention:

examples of both good and bad
description, how to include in narrative
work
45 min Characters: how to make characters
interesting: discussion of favourite
fictional characters, what makes them
like this

Teacher
instruction

Teacher instruction on things to think

about with characters, what to include,
issues such as Mary Sue, etc.

Teacher
instruction

Group work summary of Vaughn and

Lena, what makes them interesting as
characters, what are their major flaws

Group work

Begin discussion of good editing

process: three layers of editing (see
expanded lesson plan)

Teacher
instruction

Lessson 90 min Show examples of well edited pieces to

Eleven
give ideas what to look for
(see full
lesson
Discussion of editing process,

Continue
working on
first drafts

Class discussion

Teacher
instruction
Class discussion

Exerpts of
good and
bad
description
(see
attached
sheet)
I will hand
back first
drafts at end
of this
lesson.
Students to
apply editing
techniques
learnt in
class.

Continue
editing.

Worksheet
on questions
to consider
when
creating
characters

Exerpt of
before and
after good
editing
12

plan for
greater
detail)

Lesson
Twelve

questions to ask, etc.

Create checklist on board, print out
sheets, use as referencing for own
editing

Teacher
instruction

Go through a piece of work in class as a

group

Class work

Work on individual narratives

Student
independent
work
Student
independent
work

45 min Final chance of editing, discussion with

teacher: hand up at end of week
Conclude unit, summary of everything
we have learnt, why its important,
what aims and objectives we have
achived as a group

Teacher
instruction,
class discussion

Begin preliminary introduction to new

unit

Teacher
instruction

Final draft
due at end
of week.

Checklist
worksheet
for editing
process

Printed
summary for
student
reflection

13