EDUC 4729/4730

Assignment 1

Megan Rackebrandt
2108021

Documentation of Five Structured Classroom Observations

Observa
tion
1
2
3
4
5

Day

Subject

Thursday 5th March

Thursday 12th
March
Friday 13th March
Thursday 19th
March
Thursday 26th
March

Year 12 Biology
Year 10/11 Tech World
Year 12 Chemistry
Year 10/11 Tech World
Year 10/11 Tech World

Domain 2 Create safe conditions for rigorous learning

2.1 Develop democratic relationships:
Throughout my observations, multiple strategies were used to develop
democratic relationships within the classroom. The development of these
relationships requires the teacher to take key actions such as, listening intently
to others and actively promoting inclusion. All of the teachers I observed used
class discussions to involve students in their learning and prompt their thinking.
Students participated in the class discussions by raising their hand, calling out
the answer or were nominated by the teacher. The class discussions then
provided teachers with the opportunity to model respect, while acknowledging
students perspectives in an environment where it is safe to voice your opinions
(DECD, 2010). Class discussions are a widely used teaching strategy that I
would implement frequently across all year levels and subject areas. This would
help to monitor learning, break up the lesson, and allow the whole class to
interact. When classroom discussions were initiated, I observed students help
and encourage their classmates when they were not able to answer a question.
I believe this was influenced by the structure of the classroom, which allowed
students to sit in groups and collaborate on tasks. In this way, students were
less likely to feel isolated and were able to more easily develop learning
networks (DECD, 2010). However, this would not be appropriate for all lessons,
particularly under test conditions when students are required to demonstrate
what they know individually. Another notable strategy used to demonstrate
respect and model attentive listening, was observed when teachers sat with
students at eye level to discuss their work. This helped to model a collaborative
relationship between teachers and students, rather than an authoritative one.
In addition, teachers who used this strategy demonstrated that they were
willing to invest time into helping students. This is a strategy I would use when
communicating with individuals and small groups of students, as I believe body
language is important to establishing effective working relationships.
Encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning is an
important aspect to developing democratic relationships. This was observed in
one of the Tech World classes when students were given half of a lesson to
independently finish off an assignment. In this way, the task became studentdirected, with the teacher being a facilitator of learning and sharing power with

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the students. However, I did observe some students abuse this freedom by
going off task, highlighting the need for close monitoring and encouragement
by the teacher. While it is important to give students some class time to work
on their assignments and receive help, the time available to dedicate to
assignments would be minimal in year 12. This is due to the significant
amounts of content that students need to learn in a short timeframe, meaning
most assignment work needs to be completed out of class. Another example of
shared power was observed during a Tech World class when students were
asked if they did or did not want to attempt an optional task. In this way, the
students were able to have a say in the lessons agenda, while also being able
to learn more about a particular concept if they were not ready to move on.
Providing students with choice was a teaching strategy I observed multiple
teachers use. In particular, one of the Tech World teachers implemented
voluntary workshops on different concepts for the upcoming test. If students
felt that they did not grasp the concept, they could choose to sit in and listen.
However, if they felt confident with the concept and wanted to spend their time
working on something else, then they were able to do so. This is a teaching
strategy I would consider implementing in my classroom in the future, as it
could be used to maximise learning time and acknowledges that not all
students have the same learning needs. However, it may be more difficult to
achieve within a closed classroom setting. Some teachers also encouraged
students to make responsible decisions, which was demonstrated when they
were provided with the opportunity to choose their own group members. I
believe it is important to provide students with the opportunity to choose their
own groups, as it models trust and respect. However, the teacher should pair
students for some tasks throughout the year, with it being important to work
with a range of different people. Pre-selecting groups could also be used as an
inclusive strategy, which is vital to creating safe learning conditions and
developing relationships.
It is important for teachers to set clear classroom expectations and clarify the
responsibilities of students in order to support the development of democratic
relationships. This was demonstrated in multiple classes when the teacher
discussed how arriving late was unacceptable. In a similar manner, the
expectations and responsibilities of students was made clear when the teacher
directed the year 12 Chemistry class to clean up a mess that was made during
a practical lesson. It was also noted that in one of the Tech World classes the
teacher told students that they needed to clean up more effectively and
carefully. In this way, the teachers were clarifying the rights and responsibilities
of the class, while also setting clear expectations for future lessons (DECD,
2010). In addition, I observed expectations being set when teachers were
explaining the requirements and due dates of various tasks. I believe it is
important to establish such expectations, as it would allow students to take
responsibility for their actions and help to create a classroom environment that
is optimal for learning.
2.2 Build a community of learners:

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There were many teaching strategies I observed that would help to build a
community of learners, including teamwork. This was implemented in the year
12 Chemistry class when I observed students collaborating and supporting each
others learning during a practical. More specifically, one group had their solid
stick to the inside of a funnel and were able to solve their own problem by
working together. During this practical, I was also able to observe interaction
and collaboration between the whole class. This happened when a student
warned other groups to be careful pouring the solution, as it fills up fast when it
reaches the neck of the flask. In this way, the importance of collaboration and
social learning was demonstrated, supporting the development of a community
of learners. An alternative teaching strategy was seen in the year 12 Biology
class when the teacher asked a student to come to the front and help complete
a diagram of transcription on the board. During this activity, other students
were actively listening and helping their peer complete the diagram, creating
an environment where students support each others learning. I would definitely
implement this teaching strategy in my own classroom, as it engages students
in their learning, while encouraging others to get involved. In a similar manner,
the ability for students to draw on each others expertise is important to
building a community of learners. This was observed during one of the Tech
World classes when the teacher gave students time to discuss possible
hypotheses and methods for their design investigation. I believe this is
important as it allows students to collaborate, share ideas and develop
teamwork skills.
Throughout my observations, I noted different strategies teachers used to
create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. In particular, multiple
teachers emphasised that no student was to work alone during group work and
that bigger groups would be made if needed. In addition, one of the Tech World
teachers told all students that tasks were to be split evenly between group
members. I believe it is important to encourage group work that promotes
active participation by all members, with teamwork skills being essential to life
outside of the classroom. The year 12 Chemistry teacher also promoted a
community of learners by actively seek[ing] out opportunities for all students
to make a contribution in teamwork (DECD, 2010, p. 33). This was achieved by
walking around the classroom and suggesting different things group members
could do so that they could maximise learning time and actively participate in
the task. Promoting active participation would be particularly important for
students in senior science subjects, with students needing to be assessed on
their practical skills. This is often achieved through a skills checklist, therefore
requiring all students to participate so that they can demonstrate the specific
skills. Within all the classes, it was also noted that the majority of students
sought help from the teacher or other peers when they did not understand. This
demonstrated that a community of learners was being established, as students
were not afraid to seek help, which is something I would aim to achieve within
my classroom.
During my observations, teachers often set questions to the class but did not
specify whether these were to be completed individually or as a group. I noticed
that students choices changed depending on the complexity of the question

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asked, with students often choosing to collaborate on more complex questions.

On the other hand, the year 12 Chemistry teacher made explicit when to work
individually and collaboratively by instructing students to do their calculations
alone and then check their answer with the rest of their group. Part of
developing a community of learners requires teachers to pose challenges
where individuals need to work independently or collaboratively, which was
achieved through these different strategies (DECD, 2010). It was noted that the
structure of the classrooms within the school further contributed to the
opportunity to learn from social interaction and build a sense of community.
This was observed when teachers from two Tech World classes were able to
collaborate and team-teach. In this session, one teacher would hold optional
workshops on various concepts that would be in the upcoming test. Students
from either of the two classes were allowed to join in on these workshops and
gain additional support if needed. Therefore, a community of learners was
established across classes, rather than being limited to the one class. While this
strategy worked well in this school, it may not be as effective in a traditional
school setting. This is because the structure and size of the classrooms could
potentially limit the opportunities for collaboration between classes.
A community of learners was fostered through all students having equitable
access to resources and support. This was demonstrated through the ability for
all students to access the lesson materials such as the PowerPoint on their own
devices. In this way, students were able to refer to previous information or skip
forward if they wanted more information. Providing students with access to the
materials used in class would be something I would make sure to implement in
my classroom. This would be particularly beneficial for students in the senior
years, as they would need access to numerous exam and test revision
materials. In addition, it was observed that a student who did not have a
working laptop was able to use the computers provided by the school, while still
being within close proximity to the class.
2.3 negotiate learning:
There were multiple situations in which negotiated learning was observed
within the classroom. This was demonstrated when many of the teachers
negotiated due dates for tasks with the students. The teacher and students
were then able to agree upon a fair date that suited everyone, allowing
involvement in the implementation of an assessment piece. However, due to
the strict nature of South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), it is
unrealistic for year 12 students to have significant say in when assessment
tasks are due because of the restricting timeframes. Another notable teaching
strategy implemented in the year 12 Biology class involved the addition of the
corresponding SACE key ideas on the PowerPoint slides. This is important as it
allows students to use the relevant curriculum guidelines as a reference when
setting their learning goals (DECD, 2010, p. 37). This is a strategy I would
adopt in my classroom, as I believe it helps to provide direction and purpose to
what students are learning and why. In a similar manner, students in the Tech
World class were encouraged to set learning goals when the teacher highlighted
concepts that would be explored further in year 12 Chemistry. I would also take

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advantage of opportunities to connect content to students future study options,

including university, as it could help to motivate students learning.
Negotiated learning was demonstrated in specific tasks that provided students
with some freedom of choice. In particular, an assignment done in the Tech
World class allowed students to choose a technological material they wanted to
investigate. This would allow students to pick something that they are
interested in, providing a greater level of engagement in their learning. I
believe this strategy could be transferred to numerous tasks in which students
can choose a relevant issue/topic to investigate, while also meeting the
curriculum requirements. While the stage 2 subjects are strict in content,
students can also be provided with opportunities to investigate issues/topics
they are interested in through the issues investigation and design practicals.
The implementation of a design practical was observed within a Tech World
class, providing an example of an open-ended task in which students were
challenged to show initiative (DECD, 2010, p. 37). Design practicals would
then be essential to extending students learning and preparing students for
some of the performance standards they are required to meet as part of SACE.
This includes skills such as formulating questions for investigation and
designing appropriate procedures to investigate posed questions or hypotheses
(SACE, 2014). Implementing a design practical would also help students to
become more self-directed. In addition, it was also observed that students
worked at different paces when self-directed tasks such as design practicals
were implemented. While students will often work at different paces, it would
need to be more closely monitored within year 12 classes. This is because the
year 12 SACE guidelines have strict content outcomes and timeframes.
Therefore, teachers would be more reluctant to have a class of students
working at significantly different paces through assignments and core content.
An important aspect of negotiated learning involves working together with
students to monitor their progress, which was observed in the year 12
Chemistry class. In this class, students were told to add up their own scores
when they received their tests back. The teacher also asked students to go
through the test and see if they find a mark that was incorrectly taken away
from them. I believe this is a valuable strategy that would encourage students
to reflect on their test answers and not just the final score. Another key aspect
to negotiating learning involves the promotion of self-monitoring. This was
demonstrated in the year 12 Chemistry class when the teacher asked
promoting questions such as, Do you remember this? Joint monitoring of
progress was also observed in one of the Tech World classes when students
were required to show the teacher the method for their design practical before
they were able to start the experiment. This allowed the student and teacher to
work together to check over the method for improvements. I believe this is
essential for design practicals, as it not only allows the teacher to check for
students understanding, but is also important to monitoring safety in the
laboratory. Another key action taken by students within the negotiated learning
element involves seeking help when needed (DECD, 2010). This was observed
in all classes with students putting up their hand or walking over to the teacher

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for assistance. It is important that this action is encouraged within all

classrooms, as it is essential to the progress of students learning.
2.4 Support and challenge students to achieve high standards:
Many strategies were implemented by teachers to support and challenge
students to achieve greater levels of understanding. One strategy used in the
year 12 Biology class involved students coming to the front of the class to help
label a diagram. While some students were initially reluctant, the teacher
encouraged them by saying they would be helped through it. In this way, the
teacher challenged the student, while also providing the support needed to
complete the task. The teacher did not dismiss the idea when the student
seemed reluctant but set high expectations and followed through with the
strategy. I believe this is important and something I would do within my class to
challenge students, while also using the strategy to check for understanding. I
would then encourage the rest of the class to join in and help complete the
diagram, so that the strategy would be inclusive of all students. In addition, I
observed one of the Tech World teachers support students learning through the
use of modelling and guidance. In particular, the teacher drew diagrams on the
board to help students visualise and understand how to graph results. The
teacher drew multiple examples of the various types of graphs students could
use to display their data. Therefore, the teacher was able to provide scaffolding
for all students, rather than just providing one example, which may not have
suited all students needs. In this way, all students were provided with an equal
opportunity to achieve high standards.
In one of the practicals I observed for a Tech World class, the teacher made sure
to discuss the corresponding skills checklist that students would be assessed
on. This would support students to achieve high standards, as it highlights the
specific skills students need to be able to demonstrate. I believe that a skills
checklist would be an important assessment tool for monitoring students
progress, providing feedback and guiding students towards success (DECD,
2010). This would be a type of assessment students would need to become
accustomed to, as it is often used to demonstrate key sills in year 12 science.
Furthermore, I observed the year 12 Chemistry teacher support and encourage
students through positive praise. More specifically, the teacher noted how much
the class had improved on working collaboratively within the laboratory. I
believe it would be important to celebrate students successes, encouraging
key actions that would help them to achieve high standards.
Reflection of domain 2:
Creating safe conditions for rigorous learning is essential, as it as the ability to
affect all aspects of student learning. When students feel safe in their
environment it can help to support not only academic learning, but also social
development and the formation of positive relationships. From my observations,
I have been able to recognise the multiple faucets that need to be satisfied in
order to create a safe learning environment. I have also been able to reflect on
various strategies used to establish this environment, which includes the way
teachers interact with students, along with the tasks they set. As described by
Shindler (2010), teachers create the weather in the classroom, which

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emphasises the importance of how the teacher delivers information and

responds to students (p. 38). From my observations, it was clear that without a
supportive and safe environment, students are unlikely to reach their full
potential. This is because they would not feel safe to seek help and actively
participate in their learning. Therefore, it is essential that teachers model
respect, listen intently, form positive relationships with students and be
inclusive of all individuals.
Teaching strategies such as class discussions, group and individual work, along
with the negotiation of due dates, can help to empower students and
encourage participation. However, this would only be successful if the
environment allows students to feel safe and respected, so that they are willing
to take risks and learn from them. According to Wubbels et al. (2012), effective
teachers are typically described as those who develop relationships with
students that are emotionally close, safe, and trusting, who provide access to
instrumental help, and who foster a more general ethos of community and
caring in classrooms (p. 19). I believe this encompasses the main purpose of
this domain, with the development of relationships and the learning
environment significantly influencing students willingness to learn and their
motivation and engagement towards tasks. By observing the effect that strong
relationships can have on a students willingness to seek help and engage with
tasks, I will aim to develop a classroom environment that fosters the
development of relationships. In addition, I would use a range of teaching
strategies to deliver information in a supportive yet challenging way. I believe
these factors are important for teachers of all year levels to consider, especially
in secondary schooling when students often have a strong need for social
interaction.
Domain 3 Develop expert learners
3.1 Teach students how to learn:
During my observations, many different teaching strategies were used to
deliver information. In particular, the year 12 Biology and Tech World lessons
included the use of teacher-directed PowerPoint notes, labelled diagrams on the
board, questions and class discussions to deliver information. By using multiple
strategies, it helps students discover the ways in which they learn best. The
ability for students to choose their preferred learning strategy was
demonstrated when some students revising for a test in the Tech World class
decided to use a mini white board to display information and write down ideas.
This showed students taking the initiative to use different resources and modes
of learning that suited them. Another important aspect to this element involves
implementing different strategies that allows students to reflect on what they
have learnt and their outcomes. One strategy for achieving this was observed
in the year 12 Chemistry class when students were required to reflect upon
their test by using an error analyser sheet. This required students to analyse
where they lost marks on their test and why, by categorising their wrong
answers into three groups. These groups were labelled: misconceptions, I did
not know and silly errors. I believe this is a teaching strategy I would like to
implement within my classroom, as it is important for students to reflect on
what they do and do not know, rather than just the test score. In this way, they

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are able to identify the areas of understanding that need to be developed. This
would be particularly important for year 12 students who would need to
continue to develop their knowledge and refer back to their tests for exam
revision.
One teaching strategy used within a Tech World class required students to
determine what occurred in a given scenario using only yes and no questions.
The scenario presented to students was, Anthony and Cleopatra lie dead on
the floor. In this case, students needed to use questioning and inquiry skills in
order to determine what happened to Anthony and Cleopatra. Therefore,
students were required to reflect on their peers questions, and think logically,
critically and creatively. The questions posed during this activity increased in
complexity and relevance to the topic, effectively building on students prior
knowledge. Another aspect of teaching students how to learn involves the
development of management skills. This was observed in a Tech World class
when the teacher reminded students to be aware of the time and to work
efficiently to finish their practical within the session. By making this explicit, it
helps to increase students time management and organisation procedures and
strategies (DECD, 2010). This is important, as it is a transferable skill that is
needed in many aspects of life.
3.2 Foster deep understanding and skilful action:
I observed multiple strategies used to foster deep understanding and skilful
action, particularly in regards to monitoring students progress and adjusting
lessons accordingly. One example of this occurred when the year 12 Biology
teacher gave the class additional time to formulate an answer to a question
after recognising students were struggling. Similarly, in one of the Tech World
lessons students were instructed to finish off an assignment they started last
lesson, with the teacher devoting additional class time to the task. I believe this
can be an effective strategy as it could help students produce a higher quality
piece of work, while also allowing them to receive assistance from the teacher
that they would not have at home. This is important as it demonstrates the
teachers willingness to devote time and effort to helping students understand
new concepts (DECD, 2010). However, it would be important to recognise that it
is not always possible to devote class time to assignment work, particularly in
year 12. This is because teachers would need to keep to a strict schedule to
ensure the entire curriculum is covered. Teachers willingness to devote time to
helping students was also observed in the year 12 Chemistry class when the
teacher offered for students to come and see them outside of class time. A few
students did take up this offer by staying back after class to clarify some of
their test questions. Within the year 12 Chemistry class I also observed the
teacher commit quality time to refining students understandings by sitting with
small groups to go through example calculations and demonstrate more
efficient titration techniques.
Prompting questions was another frequently used strategy aimed at fostering
deep understandings. This occurred within all classes, with the teachers
supporting their students learning by using questions to guide them towards
the answer, without directly giving it to them. I believe this is important for all

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teachers to do, as it helps the student to not only develop problem solving skills
and a sense of accomplishment, but also understand the reasoning behind the
answer. Similarly, a teacher I observed during one of the Tech World classes
encouraged students to extend themselves by asking what else they could do.
This was done when reviewing students design practicals and helping them
improve their methods. At the same time the teacher was able to provide
timely feedback to students, which is another important aspect to guiding
students to achieve high standards (DECD, 2010). I believe the opportunity for
students to draft work is essential to receiving constructive feedback, improving
work and fostering deeper understandings.
In one of the Tech World classes, the teacher implemented a revision by request
form. This was an online form that students were able to fill out anonymously to
notify the teacher of specific concepts that they wanted additional revision on
before the test. In this way, it helped to provide feedback to the teacher, while
also encouraging the process of self-reflection in students. These are all key
actions that would be important to achieving a greater level of understanding.
Self-assessment is also important to developing deep understandings and skilful
action, which was observed in the year 12 Biology lesson. In this case, the
teacher implemented a self-assessment task at the beginning of the lesson,
with students being given 10-15 minutes to individually complete a quiz. The
teacher then displayed the correct answers on the board, allowing students to
mark themselves and determine their own progress. I believe that self-testing
and reflection is important, however it would have some limitations with
students being reluctant to participate if they know they will be given the
answers and the teacher is not marking the work. On the other hand, the
process of self-testing is essential to fostering a deeper understanding, as it
allows students to recognise what they do and do not know.
During my observations of the year 12 Chemistry class, the teacher was able to
foster deep understandings by providing students with the opportunity to
practice an experiment. In this case, the teacher noted that it was ok to make
mistakes in this laboratory, as they could be improved upon next week when
the summative practical would be conducted. Providing students with the
opportunity to practice particular skills would help to foster deeper
understandings, as it would allow them to work towards mastery and
automaticity (DECD, 2010, p. 51). However, it is unrealistic to be able to
practice every summative assessment task, due to the limited timeframes in
which to complete work and cover curriculum content. Another strategy that
was used to foster deeper understandings was seen when a Tech World teacher
helped students find alternative resources that would provide different
explanations of the same concept. In this way, the teacher was able help the
students find an example that would allow them to connect new knowledge
with their own prior experience (DECD, 2010, p. 51). I believe that it is
important to be able to assist students to find examples and alternative
explanations of concepts that they can connect to the own lives. This would
allow student to gain a deeper understanding, as they are able to connect the
information to their prior knowledge and organise information in a way that is
easy for them to remember

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3.3 Explore the construction of knowledge:

During my observations, there were a number of strategies that different
teachers adopted to explore the construction of knowledge. In particular, a
teacher in one of the Tech World classes implemented a task that required
students to critically analyse sources of information for credibility and reliability
(DECD, 2010). This skill was developed through an assignment where students
were required to investigate a material of their choice, with many students
researching information from various sources on the Internet. The assignment
was researched based, meaning students had to use various sources to support
their claims, while also acknowledging other peoples work through references.
Acknowledging information sources and assessing them for credibility is an
important skill for all subject areas and is a requirement of SACE, meaning I
would dedicate lesson time to developing these skills.
Providing opportunities for students to conduct and write practical reports
would further support students construction of knowledge in regards to science
subject areas. This was observed in both the year 12 Chemistry and Tech World
classes, when students were required to conduct a practical and write a
summative report. In this way, students were encouraged to become
apprentice scientists, as these are tasks that professionals working in the
science field would be required to do (DECD, 2010, p. 55). While students were
writing up the practical report, one of the Tech World teachers highlighted the
importance of recording the results you have and not the results you wish you
had. This is essential to the construction of knowledge within the science
discipline, with students needing to be able to critically analyse the information
they have and justify its validity.
3.4 Promote dialogue as a means of learning:
I frequently observed teachers change the way they communicated with
students to effectively support their learning. In particular, all teachers paused
to allow students to think after asking the class a question. This is important as
it allowed the students to process the information before formulating an answer.
In this way, the teacher allowed for think/wait time, before asking for
responses from students (DECD, 2010, p. 59). This was also demonstrated in a
Tech World class when the teacher asked students a question and told them to
think about it for 30 seconds before discussing it with a neighbour. I believe this
is important when conducting class discussions as it allows time to think
critically, while also reducing the pressure placed on students to answer the
question. However, the wait time would vary depending on the type of question
asked.
During the year 12 Chemistry class, I observed the teacher use specific thoughprovoking questions to develop students learning. In particular, the teacher
asked questions such as Can we equate this to the number of grams? and
Why are we putting the sodium carbonate in the conical flask instead of the
hydrochloric acid? Throughout all the classes I observed, the teachers always
encouraged students to ask questions if they did not understand and walked
around the classroom during activities to ask students how they were going. In

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addition, one of the Tech World teachers used questions to get students to
verbally describe what they were doing. This teacher asked students to
describe what they had set up in their practicals, highlighting that discussions
are integral to all stages of all learning tasks (DECD, 2010, p. 59). Throughout
the lessons, I observed all teachers utilise the strategy of prompting questions
to actively engage students and guide their thinking. I would also use these
types of questions within my teaching practice and recognise the importance of
this strategy to student learning at all year levels.
Reflection of domain 3:
In order for teachers to develop expert learners, a combination of teaching
strategies needs to be used to guide and scaffold students learning. Throughout
my observations, I became more aware of the necessity to incorporate multiple
modes of teaching and communicating with students. This is because it is
essential to helping students become aware of how they learn best and utilising
this information to maximise their learning. As described by Rahman et al.
(2010), expert learners set reasonable learning goals for themselves and have
the self-efficacy to choose and use productive learning strategies (p. 1). These
are characteristics that teachers would need to help students develop in order
to become expert learners. Some specific strategies teachers could use to
develop expert learners includes providing opportunities for social interaction
and collaboration, along with self-monitoring. In this way, it was noted that selfreflection is important for both students and teachers, particularly in regards to
improving practices and acknowledging effective ways of constructing
knowledge. Furthermore, the time the teacher allows for students to reflect on
the information before asking for responses or introducing new information is
essential to fostering a deep understanding.
The use of prompting questions was utilised by all teachers and is valuable to
developing expert learners. Questions were often aimed at guiding students
towards the answer using their prior knowledge. Therefore, the teacher was not
giving the student the answer but supporting their construction of knowledge
and promoting deeper understandings of concepts. Questioning was not only
used to promote students construction of knowledge, but also provided a
valuable way of monitoring students progress. Monitoring progress is essential
to structuring lessons within students zones of proximal development.
Therefore, I would aim to use various teaching and assessment strategies to
monitor students progress and adjust my lessons to suit their needs. I would
also seek students feedback on my teaching, which would not only be valuable
to improving my teaching practices but also to developing positive relationships
to support learning.
Domain 4 Personalise and connect learning
4.1 Build on learners understanding:
The ability to build on students understandings requires the teacher to
recognise what individual students know, understand and are able to do. While a
short quiz was done at the start of the year 12 Biology lesson, I believe that this
was focused on allowing the students to reflect upon what they know, rather

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than it being an indicator used by the teacher. This is because the quiz was selfmarked, meaning the teacher did not collect the completed task. On the other
hand, other formative assessments such as class discussions and questions
would help to indicate a students level of understanding. In addition, the
teachers I observed would walk around the classroom and look at students work
when a task had been set. In this way, they were able to monitor which students
needed additional assistance. The teacher would also walk up to students to ask
them how they were going with the task. Similarly, the year 12 Biology teacher
asked all students to put their hands on their heads if they thought that they
might know what polymerase does. A student with their hand on their head was
then picked to explain it to the rest of the class. This is another quick method
the teacher used to monitor students progress and understanding of important
concepts. I believe that this would be an effective strategy that could be used to
provide immediate feedback of students understandings.
Within the year 12 Chemistry class, I observed a situation where the teacher
asked the class a question about moles and realised the whole class had little
understanding of the concept. When they recognised that students were unable
to answer the question, the teacher told the class that additional time would be
spent on this concept in the next lesson. This provided a clear demonstration of
how the teacher informally assessed for students understanding and used this
to inform lesson planning (DECD, 2010). Therefore, the teacher could use this
knowledge to structure lessons so that they are able to effectively build on
students understandings. Acknowledging all ideas, exploring misconceptions
and guiding students toward accuracy, is also important to building on learners
understandings (DECD, 2010). This was observed when the teacher in the year
12 Biology class responded to a students answer in a class discussion by saying
that they were not sure on how they worded the response and that they might
have to work on it to get it right.
4.2 Connect learning to students lives and aspirations:
It is important for teachers to be able to connect the curriculum to students
lives and aspirations in order to motive and engage them. This was observed in
one of the Tech World classes when the teacher highlighted information about
corrosion that was important to know if students were planning on studying
year 12 Chemistry. Identifying the relevance of what the students were learning
to where they were possibly heading in their future studies would help to
provide a link between the content and their aspirations and goals. I would
make sure to highlight these connections within my classroom, as it would help
students to see a purpose to what they are learning and what they could
potentially learn in the future. In a similar manner, one of the Tech World
teachers was able to highlight the relevance of the upcoming practical on
corrosion to students immediate lives. This was achieved by getting students
to describe where they have seen corrosion, which elicited responses such as
rust on the grill, tarnished silverware and rust on the roof of a shed. In this way,
students were connecting what they were about to investigate to purposes
outside of the classroom. I believe asking questions that allows students to link
learning to their own lives, helps to personalise learning and provide purpose to
students work.

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Megan Rackebrandt
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During some of the conversations between students and teachers, it was

observed that the teacher would often refer to the potential audience of the
work in order to help students put the task into perspective. More specifically,
this was observed during a Tech World class when students were writing their
practical reports. Within this lesson, the teacher justified why students needed
to have descriptive titles for their reports, by referring to the amount of
information needed for someone who had not seen or conducted the practical
to be able to understand. Similarly, the teacher also referred to a potential
audience to help guide the writing of students methods. In this case, the
teacher identified that the method needed to be clear and written in a way that
would allow someone else to easily replicate his or her experiment.
Another notable strategy involved one of the Tech World teachers taking photos
of students and their work during a practical lesson. These photos were going
to be used as photographic evidence for the general capabilities on the
students e portfolio. In addition, these photos were going to be accessible to
students families so that they are able to see what students are doing in class.
This is something I would be particularly interested in doing in my classroom, as
I believe it is an effective way of making students feel valued and showing
families evidence of students learning in class. However, the teacher would
have to monitor those students who do not give consent to have their photos
taken.
4.3 Apply and assess learning in authentic contexts:
The ability to apply and assess learning in authentic contexts was
demonstrated when the teachers were able to link important concepts to
relevant contexts. In particular, when learning about genes in year 12 Biology,
the teacher made reference to diseases such as breast cancer. This is
something that is regularly talked about in society, highlighting the link
between what the students are learning in school and what is occurring in the
local community. Resultantly, the teacher was able to encourage students to
connect learning with issues of personal, local or national significance (DECD,
2010, p. 69). Another strategy used by the Tech World teacher included
describing real life factors that would affect the production of rust. In particular,
the teacher described how coating jewellery with gold would help to protect it
from rust, however coating nails with gold would be impractical and expensive
so other approaches would have to be used. In this way, students were able to
relate the purpose and content of the lesson to everyday problems. Within one
of the Tech World classes the students were able to investigate the effect of
corrosion through a design practical. Allowing students to design their own
practical provided them with the opportunity to personalise their learning and
undertake a project that has an authentic context. I would try to make
connections to the surrounding community and students lives when delivering
content as it can motivate students and makes the information they are
learning purposeful.
Within the Tech World class, the teacher structured a task so that students were
able to continuously share their work with their peers. More specifically, the

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Megan Rackebrandt
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teacher set up an assignment on a class Goggle document. Therefore, all

students were able to see and access each others work and gain a repertoire of
information on a variety of materials. This task also allowed students to
research a material of their own choice, meaning they could choose something
that they were interested in. Additionally, students in one of the Tech World
classes were able to use materials of their choice within a design practical.
These included everyday items such as coke, juice and yoghurt, which students
would be able to use to test for the effects of corrosion. In this way, they were
provided with materials they would use at home, linking their learning between
home and school. Where possible, I would try to incorporate opportunities for
students to test properties of everyday household items, as it would help to
make their learning transferrable and more purposeful.
4.4 Communicate learning in multiple modes:
The teachers I observed provided the opportunity for students to choose how
they take their notes (either on their laptop or handwritten), allowing students
to communicate their learning in a way that suits them. This was also
demonstrated in one of the Tech World classes when students were given the
opportunity to present their results in different formats including excel or hand
drawn graphs. In addition, the year 12 Biology lesson incorporated multiple
modes of communicating particular concepts such as diagrams, PowerPoint
notes and videos. The lesson also incorporated a number of teaching strategies
such as teacher-directed and student-directed tasks, allowing for individual and
collaborative work. This would help to break up the lesson and account for the
diverse needs of students. However, it was noted that the year 12 lessons
incorporated more chalk and talk style teaching throughout my observations,
which allowed the teacher to cover more content within the lesson. This
strategy is often utilised by teachers in the senior year levels, as they are
required to teach a significant amount of curriculum content in a short amount
of time.
Within this element it is also important for teachers to acknowledge safety
when using different modes of learning, particularly when working in the
laboratory (DECD, 2010). This was observed in the year 12 Chemistry class
when the teacher reminded students to put on lab coats and safety glasses.
The teacher also monitored safety by making sure that students apparatus was
set up correctly before they started the practical. In addition, the issue of safety
was considered when students in the year 12 Chemistry class would have to
ask before receiving the hydrochloric acid. In this way, the teacher was able to
keep track of where students were up to in their method and monitor the
groups who had access to the chemical. Safety was also addressed in one of
the Tech World classes when the teacher made a group who were using a base
of pH 14 create a warning sign so that others would not touch their experiment.
During the practical lessons, I observed the teacher walk around the class to
monitor students collaboration, give advice and make sure they were safe. As
an aspiring science teacher, I would always remind students of the importance
of safety within the laboratory, with it being essential to a teachers duty of
care.

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Megan Rackebrandt
2108021

Reflection of domain 4:
Upon reflection of this domain, it is clear that teachers need to be able to make
learning relevant to students in a way that the skills and understandings learnt
could be transferred to the local community. By frequently acknowledging the
relevance of particular concepts to current issues in society, it would help to
engage students in their learning. Despite making these connections, teachers
would still have to communicate the information in multiple modes in order to
present the content in ways that are accessible to all students. To be able to
personalise learning further, it would require the provision of a flexible learning
environment, which can be difficult for senior teachers to achieve (DEECD,
2007, p. 2). This is because the senior year levels have strict content and
assessment guidelines that need to be met within a certain timeframe. In this
way, the teachers ability to personalise tasks and involve the local community
is restricted. On the other hand, one simple strategy for involving students
families and connecting learning to the local community was observed when
photos were taken of students and their work. I would aim to use this strategy
within my classroom to provide an additional audience for students learning
and provide evidence of learning during parent-teacher interviews.
Teachers should not only aim to connect learning to students lives but also to
their personal aspirations and goals. In particular, teachers could seek
information about what students want to do and study in the future and
highlight the course information relevant to their learning goals. In this way, the
teacher is able to connect the curriculum content to students lives outside of
the classroom, which also makes learning purposeful. In many cases, this would
require teachers to emphasise how particular skills can be transferable across
disciplines. In order to make content relevant and personal, teachers would first
need to seek out what students know and understand. This would therefore
require the implementation of various types of assessment in order to develop
an understanding of individual students prior knowledge. Once this has been
established it can be used as a starting point for implementing a high quality
curriculum that is meaningful for students.
References:
Department of Education and Early Childhood development (DEECD). (2007).
Personalising Education from research to policy and practice. Victoria: State
Government of Victoria.
Rahman, S., Mahmud, Z., Yassin, S., Amir, R., & Ilias, K. (2012). The
Development of Expert Learners in the Classroom. Contemporary Issues in
Education Research, 3(6), 19-36.
Shindler, J. (2010). Transformative Classroom Management: Positive Strategies
to Engage All Students and Promote a Psychology of Success. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE). (2015). Subject Outline:
Chemistry. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from:
https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/web/chemistry/stage-2/planning-to-teach/subjectoutline

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South Australian Department for Education and Child Development (DECD).

(2010). Teaching for Effective Learning Framework. South Australia:
Government of South Australia.
Wubbels, T., Brock, P., Tartwijk, J. V., & Levy, J. (2010). Interpersonal
Relationships in Education: An Overview of Contemporary Research.
Netherlands: Sense Publisher.