GDip professional practice expectations

Find out about the requirements and expectations for each professional practice placement in the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary).

Professional practice 1

This one-week full-time observation week school placement in February-March enables student teachers to notice how teachers establish relationships with learners, how schools are organised, teachers’ core practices, and the connections between practice and theory.

Where possible, student teachers are placed in groups of 4-10 in each school and may be attached in pairs to a class. School coordinators may design a programme for student teachers that involves visiting a range of classes (including those that are not focused on the student teachers’ teaching subjects), experiencing a range of school activities, and ‘shadowing’ a teacher for a day. Student teachers should not expect to be assigned to a particular associate teacher for this placement.

Student teachers are encouraged to discuss their observations, reflections, and questions with each other and available staff. They are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the school so that they can attend to the interactions between children and kaiako, and between peers, as well as to the dynamics of environmental messages and the teacher’s role.

Student teachers have participated in Ngā Mihi, a one-week full-time campus-based programme, and one week of teaching and learning in their courses. They have been introduced to The Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession. They are very much feeling their way into what it means to be a teacher – and are excited and often a little nervous about the demands of the role.

This professional practice is mostly observational; however, student teachers are encouraged to participate in the life of the school as appropriate and in negotiation with their associate teachers. Student teachers are learning how to notice:

• relationship building and wellbeing
• teacher practices and decision-making
• the wider school context, including Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership
• teaching and learning routines and resources
• planning and preparation for teaching and learning
• interaction patterns and organisation.

These observations provide a foundation for their university-based learning in the first part of the year and enable student teachers to gain insight and examples that support them to connect practice to theory.

Student teachers are encouraged to participate in school events and excursions, with direct supervision.

Required tasks for PP1

1. Student teachers should be briefed by School Coordinators or Associate Teachers about safety procedures in their schools. There is no requirement of any forms to be completed for PP1.
2. Reflective log - Student teachers should keep a daily reflective log of their experiences and observations, using pseudonyms for the school and members of the school community. The reflective log should record:
   1. activities and experiences that the student teacher has participated in each day
   2. observations about the interactions between teachers/kaiako and students/ākonga, with thoughts about teachers’ reasoning and decision-making behind the interactions
   3. ideas/’takeaways’ and questions about effective teaching practice
   4. observations and questions about the school context, community and protocols/systems
   5. the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te reo Māori in school practices
   6. changes in their assumptions, for example, about establishing routines, relationship building, teacher/kaiako practices and decision-making, and the wider school context

Student teachers will be provided with a format for their reflective log.

3. Observations - Student teachers should select one teaching session or part of the day to complete a focussed observation. While observing, student teachers write down what they notice in as much detail as possible using the observation prompts provided. They should then compare and contrast what they noticed, and why, with another student teacher in the same context. If this is not possible, student teachers should pair up with someone in their whānau ako rōpū to compare and contrast their observations.

Prompts for further discussion and reflection in pairs include:

• The aspects of children’s or students’ wellbeing and learning that the teachers/kaiako promoted.
• How teachers/kaiako fostered an inclusive centre or classroom culture or learning environment.
• How Mātauranga-a-iwi and te reo Māori formed part of the teaching and learning.
• What digital teaching and learning tools were being used and for what purpose.

The observation and notes from the discussion in pairs should form part of the reflective log above.

Associate teacher formative feedback

School coordinators or associate teachers are asked to briefly report on the student teacher’s professionalism during the professional practice, in line with the professional learning and professional relationships teaching standards, and Code of Professional Responsibility. A brief form is provided for this purpose.

Professional practice 2 and 3

Professional practice 2 and 3 are block placements where the focus is on sustainable preparation, planning, teaching, assessment and evaluating teaching and learning. The expectations are outlined below.

Minimum teaching loads:

Professional practice 2 (PP2)

A minimum of 35 – 45 hours of teaching across 6 weeks. One week should include 8 – 12 hours. By the end of this practice the student teacher needs to demonstrate that they can sustain a regular classroom programme and cope with a 0.5 of a beginning teacher’s teaching load. We encourage student teachers to get as much experience as possible, but also to have time to plan, reflect and discuss their teaching.

Professional practice 3 (PP3)

A minimum of 10-14 hours of teaching each week for 4 consecutive weeks. By the end of this professional practice the student teacher should demonstrate that they can sustain a regular class programme and manage a 0.6 teaching load. Student teachers should take every opportunity to teach but there should also be time to reflect and think about teaching and conduct their culminating professional inquiry.

By the end of this professional practice the student teacher should demonstrate that they can sustain a regular class programme and manage a 0.6-0.7 teaching load.

Innovative learning environments

Many schools have innovative learning environments with several teachers collaborating to teach a larger group of children. In these circumstances we would expect the student teacher to teach large and small groups of students for sustained periods that would equate to the loads identified above in a single classroom. The aim is to take responsibility for as many elements of the programme as possible (equivalent to the associate teacher).

During the professional practice, provided it works within the class programme, it can be beneficial for the student teacher to visit other classes within the school to observe other age groups.

Learning designs

Student teachers should be involved in planning, preparing, and implementing aspects of the teaching and learning programme with guidance from their associate teachers. Student teachers are expected to develop greater independence over time and to learn how to develop their own learning designs prior to teaching. We expect them to take every opportunity to practise and fine tune their teaching practice.

Associate teachers need to see planning sufficiently in advance to allow time for discussion and change to be made. We recommend no less than 24 hours as an appropriate length of time that student teachers should submit their learning designs to associate teachers ahead of planned teaching. We also recognise that there are times when unplanned teaching opportunities arise and encourage student teachers to be involved in these with adequate support.

A lesson planning template is provided to support student teachers. However, any form of planning that suits both the student teacher and associate teacher can be used.

Student teachers will need to provide more detailed planning than experienced teachers. They should consult course materials to support them to identify how the nature and purposes of each learning area should be evident in planning and teaching. At a minimum, we would expect planning to identify:

• The relevant achievement objective(s), drawn from the NZC, and
• Learning intentions and success criteria.
• What the learners know and can do prior to the lesson, including the assessment data that has informed planning.
• How they will introduce and develop new learning, including consideration of students’ additional learning needs.
• Consideration of culturally sustaining pedagogy including the use of te reo me ona tikanga Māori as appropriate to the lesson.
• The intentional use of curriculum-specific pedagogical approaches.
• The anticipated pace of the lesson and timing of each activity.
• Strategies for classroom, behaviour and resource management.
• Appropriate resources having been adapted for the specific classroom needs.

After teaching, student teachers should evaluate their learning design so that the next learning steps for learning and teaching are identified and planned for. Visiting lecturers will want to see evidence of this planning and evaluation during their visit. Student teachers must have organised evidence of prior planning and reflections on lessons taught available for visiting lecturers.

Week 7

PP3

• Associate teacher report could be completed this week and discussed with student
• Complete any major responsibility teaching requirements
• This may be an ideal time to observe other class levels or teaching activities in the school if all requirements are completed
• Complete gathering any material and artefacts for coursework or assessments
• Continue to reflect on CPI inquiry focus and maintain narrative journal. Engage in professional discussions with associate teacher

Week 8

PP3

• This is a non-teaching week, it is time for student teachers to work on their culminating professional inquiry assessment (CPI) within the school
• Associate teacher report should be completed by Wednesday and discussed with student, if not completed in Week 7.