ST ADELE WARREN

Early Years Teacher

Location: St Paul’s College
Position Title: Early Years Teacher

TEACHING AND LEARNING

I effectively work with students from diverse socio-cultural, family and religious backgrounds, using strategies that ensure inclusivity
and equity, demonstrating successful implementation of rigorous learning. I believe that it is imperative to implement a rigorous
curriculum for all students that embodies critical literacy and numeracy components, enabling them to develop and test their
understandings, while being active participants in their own futures.

To ensure children are motivated and engaged, I utilise different methods and technology across all curriculum areas. Tasks are often
open-ended and hands-on, allowing for collaborative learning and scaffolding. I find this assists with physical, social and intellectual
development, allowing for differentiated learning, as it provides multiple entry points. Within my teaching program I ensure that I
provide a differentiated curriculum, to not only support goals outlined in an Education Plans (including those catered for students with
disabilities, English as an additional language or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island background), but also to promote excellence in
student academic performance.

At Salisbury Heights, I worked collaboratively with our Teaching and Learning Coordinator to identify, manage and support students
with identified learning needs. Negotiated Education plans (One Plans) were written with them and parents to support students varying
intellectual, emotional and physical capabilities. Strategies and goals were discussed and added with help from outside agencies such as
Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists.

During my time at Prince Alfred College, I was required to plan play based experiences that were child centred or related to a unit of
inquiry from the Primary Years Program and the Early Years Learning Framework. Quite often my ideas for planning came from the
student’s curiosity, which evoked them to delve deeper into the topic and ask investigative questions. These questions allowed
students to order their findings, making comparisons and discover relationship within the world around them. I wrote about these
discoveries in the form of learning stories on the school blog, which allowed parents to be involved in their child’s learning outside the
school.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

I establish a success-orientated environment that is safe and encouraging for students where they can develop their potential, through
a sense of belonging and encouraging risk taking. I achieve this through promoting and teaching a Growth Mindset in my classroom.
Having a growth mindset allows students to view their learning optimistically having a positive impact on their approach to taking
academic challenges and engage students.

As a teacher I make every effort to develop and maintain working relationships which support a mutual and positive climate within
the classroom and school. I do this through being approachable and displaying an interest in my students; complimenting them,
greeting them by name every morning and recognising occasions that are significant to them. I provide students with appropriate
opportunities to contribute to decisions and acknowledge helpful and courteous behaviour. I believe this supports students in being
responsible for their own learning and behaviour. I value the importance of team work and encourage my classroom to work as a
team. We negotiate rules and expectations for successful learning. I believe through the power of negotiation, students are more
successful in sharing responsibilities of roles within the classroom and are able to make clear and conscious decisions that support
teaching and learning within the classroom.

To support and reduce prolonged and explosive behaviours I have used strategies from the Interoception program to teach students to
listen to their bodies and recognise early warning signs. Activities are run 3 times a day for 5 mins, and consists of different stretches
that evoke different sensations within the body. With students identifying what is happening and why it is happening, they able to hone
in on their bodies and recognise different feelings and understand their reactions to these feelings. The program also teaches children
about how the emotional part of the brain can take over in times of stress and therefore our higher-level of thinking can no longer
function and keep us from ‘flipping’ the lid. Implementing this program in my classroom reduced the amount of inappropriate
behaviours and leadership intervention.
ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING OF STUDENT LEARNING
Assessment and reporting is not only important for tracking and monitoring student progress, but also in engaging and challenging
students to improve their academic outcomes. The assessment tools I prefer to use are informal, they identify gaps in learning and
pathways for intellectual stretch. Planning for differentiation is taken from results and observations, and inform my planning and
implementation of quality programs. Results also direct conversations with parents and gather evidence for student profiles.
Assessments I have used for this are, running records, phonological screening tests, dictation tests, words their way diagnostic tests,
PAT-R/PAT-M and math misconception tests.

From the data gathered, I’ve designed individual learning goals for each student in the class. These goals are specific and achievable
within a short timeframe and assist with reducing gaps students may have in their learning or providing an intellectual stretch. This
allows students to become active participants in the learning process and empowering them to become independent, life-long learners.
These goals also allow me to identify suitable practices to support students and under what conditions; one to one support or small
group learning.

During learning experiences, students are provided on the spot constructive feedback through the use of checklists, rubrics and
anecdotal comments. Including students in the assessment processes using success criteria, appropriate scaffolding and opportunities
for intellectual stretch in the learning process, which enables learners to achieve successful outcomes, be active participants in their
own learning and build upon past experiences and ideas, supporting academic improvement and empowering them to be life -long
learners. This year I worked with students who did not reach their academic benchmarks the previous year, in this form of feedback
students strived for their personal best and this had a positive and successful effect on student’s academic growth.

INTERACTION WITH THE SCHOOL AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY

I have established highly effective and collaborative partnerships with a diverse range of people, including students, staff and
community members. I have built these partnerships through my strong involvement in the school community within my roles as a
classroom teacher, supporting roles in leadership, and also attending weekend sports and community fundraisers. Parents in the
school community often seek my advice and support, to discuss their child’s progress or wellbeing concerns and these relationships
have been built over time. This enables me to strengthen consistency between the school and home environment, creating
partnerships that further develop a sense of security, safety and self-esteem.

As a member of the Site Improvement Plan (SIP) committee, I worked closely with the Principals, leaders and other members of
staff to make decisions so the school can to continue to improve and invest in student’s success long term. Within my Professional
Learning Community (PLC), I relayed relevant information shared during SIP meetings, whilst also passing on concerns and queries
staff have, back to the members of the committee. As a member of the Reception PLC I worked collaboratively to share resources
and develop learning units. I took the lead on creating an assessment criteria to monitor student growth in literacy. As a PLC, we
worked with our team leader to come up with a process for implementing this school wide. It was since been completed and has
had positive effects on students reading scores.

I have taken various lead roles such as Math Teacher Leader, Mentor Teacher and Supervising Teacher. In my math role I worked
closely with our Senior Leader (SLLIP) and other Math Teacher Leaders to plan and direct moderating sessions with our Salisbury
Partnership. With this role I also assisted teachers in planning for intellectual stretch and participated in professional learning with
Tierney Kennedy. As a Mentor Teacher and Supervising teacher I supported Early Career Teachers and Pre-Service teachers in
developing their professional practice in supporting student outcomes in relation to the AITSL standards. I assisted other mentor
teachers in facilitating with the induction and training of the Early Career Teachers. I provided resources to support in programming
and planning, and training and development to support classroom management. This included classroom observations, suggestions
for training and development for classroom student management strategies including setting up goals and expectations of students.
As a result, student management and participation improved, including that of my own class.

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY RESONSIBILITIES

Within my various roles I have adhered to all work health and safety guidelines, and legislative requirements. My knowledge comes
from being on the OHS&W committee for two years at Elizabeth North Primary school, and as a result I have provided a safe learning
environment where there is minimal risk to students, staff, parents and myself. As part of my personal development I undertook
training in Child Protection Curriculum and Accidental Counselor. Working at a school where children come from disadvantaged family
backgrounds, this knowledge was paramount for creating a safe environment, where my students felt comfortable to come to school
and seek advice or help from myself or other staff.