Professional Experience Office

School of Education
Telephone: 8201 3330
Fax: 8201 2568

Professional Experience Report 2014

Middle & Secondary Schooling
Year 3 Undergraduate & Year 1 Master of Teaching

Pre service teacher name

Cassandra Powell

Student No.

2107551

Site

Balaklava HS

Year level(s) taught

9 10

Site mentor teacher

Nicholas Prokopec,

Subject

Physical Education

Site coordinator

George Cafcakis

University liaison

Sam Elliott

25 day placement
Site Context

School Coordinator - Context statement about your school

Site sector (DECD), Independent.

Balaklava High School is a DECD site of

Site size, class size and composition of

approximately 330 students. The school is located

campus

on one independent site from years 8 to year 12.

(R-12, Area, Primary, Secondary)

Balaklava High school provides education for a

Physical and/or unique characteristics.

large variety of students from different cultural

Students with specific needs.

and socioeconomic backgrounds as well as a diverse

Socio-economic factors.

range of educational backgrounds.

Mentor Teacher - Summary Statements

Professional Relationships

Comments

PROFESSIONAL & COLLEGIAL LEARNING

Cassandra was highly proficient in her ability to

Teachers actively engage in personal and

engage in collegial learning. This was evidenced by

collegial learning within the professional

her engagement in all staff and faculty meetings as

community

well as her ability to engage in one on one

practice with other faculty staff members. This
enabled her to gain quality expertise and advise
within the fields of Health and Physical Education.
Cassandra's interactions with all aspects of her
learning on site were exemplary.

LEARNER RESPECT

Being a bubbly and bright individual Cassandra was

Teachers foster trusting and respectful

able to make a very smooth transition into the

relationships with all learners

classroom setting. She was able to build positive

and conducive relationships with students, which is
difficult given the short time frame that she had
to work with them. Through this Cassandra was able
to plan and implement some often 'Challenging'
health topics. This was only possible due to the
students trust, confidence and respectful
relationships that Cassandra was able to build
throughout her time at Balaklava High School.

PARENT/CAREGIVER & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

Throughout her time at Balaklava High School

Teachers work effectively with

Cassandra was involved in some extra curricular

parents/caregivers and the wider

activities. She successfully helped plan, implement

community

and run a South Australian Secondary School Sports

Association Open Basketball carnival. This required
her to liaise not only with staff and students, but
also parents and caregivers as well as other
'Outside' communities such as the local sporting
clubs and it's members. This carnival was run and
implemented with Cassandra's help very well. She
also helped train and coach the Balaklava High
School Open Girls team which also made the state
final. This required her to train and organise the
team during regular lunchtime sessions as well as
after school.

Professional Knowledge

Comments

LEARNING PROCESSES

Cassandra has shown that she has a sound knowledge

Teachers know about learning processes and how of teaching processes. She has displayed this
to teach and implement

through the learning and curriculum experience's

that she created that catered for a diverse range
of learners. She was aware of the required
practices needed to give information.

LEARNING CONTENT

Cassandra had a great deal of knowledge in the

Teachers know the content they teach

topics that she prepared for. If she was unsure

about content she would thoroughly research and
always ask for assistance if she required it. I
found her knowledge in the areas of H&PE very
adequate.

LEARNING CONTEXT

Cassandra was well aware of the many facets that

Teachers know about learner contexts and

make up a classroom setting. Most importantly the

diversity

varying dynamics and contexts of learners. She set

and managed classroom lessons using varying
techniques and practices to suit a range of
students, including high achieving students,
students with learning difficulties and students
with severe behavior problems.

Professional Practice

Comments

PLANNING AND TEACHING

One of Cassandra's strongest assets was her

Teachers plan and implement teaching

organisational abilities. This resounded through

strategies for successful learning experiences her lesson planning. Because of this her lessons
were thoroughly though out and subsequently were
successful in her implementation of learning
experiences.
FEEDBACK AND REPORTING

Through her time at Balaklava High School Cassandra

Teachers assess and report learning outcomes

successfully assessed students and reported on

their learning outcomes. This was done through,
test, assignment, oral presentation etc. Feedback
was given though class discussion and on formal
assessment items.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Cassandra successfully managed to provide for

Teachers create a safe, challenging and

students a safe and challenging classroom

supportive environment

environment that was conducive to open dialogue and

successful learning outcomes. She was open and
supportive evidenced by many students seeking extra
advice from her about many topics that she
introduced.

Pre-service teacher: Comments

Through my time at Balaklava High School I was able to experience first hand what
teaching is really like and am so excited to get out and start it full time. Nick was a
supportive mentor when needed and gave a few useful tips along the journey of the
practicum. I am grateful to have gone to a school which has such diversity and opened up
my eyes to 'behind the scenes'. Excited to get to the next phase in my life, and glad to
have realized that this is what I want after this block of placement.
University Liaison: Summary statement
Cassandra has made a promising start to her teaching experience. Her teaching mentors
have commended her planning and preparation, and her willingness to engage in
extra-curricular activities. She is well placed to tackle her final year placement.
School Coordinator: Final Comments (optional)
School Coordinator:
The pre-service teacher may wish to submit this report with an application for

employment. Please

avoid the use of acronyms as student reports are often viewed by interstate and international
employers who are not always familiar with South Australian nomenclature
Name of School Mentor Teacher(s): Nicholas Prokopec

Date: 05.11.2014

Name of School coordinator: George Cafcakis Date: 05.11.2014

Consideration has been given to the complexities and degree of challenge of the professional
experience context in evaluating the pre-service teacher's ability to meet the assessment criteria
for the professional experience.
In our opinion, the pre-service teacher HAS demonstrated competency in the professional teaching standards indicated in this report, and is
ready to undertake Professional Experience Final Year.

SATISFACTORY

University Liaison
Name of

University

Report ID: 001426

Liaison: Sam Elliott Date: 15.09.2014