Compulsory Responses
Integrity in Practice
The code of conduct (Queensland Government, 2011) contains the ethics, and principles which all teachers are required to abide, they include integrity and impartiality, promoting the public good, a commitment to the system of government and being accountable and transparent in all dealings. We are expected to be committed to the highest ethical standards, accept and value advice, which is objective, independent and impartial as is our duty, show respect towards students, students’ families, colleagues, and the general public, and are committed to an honest, fair and respectful engagement with the local community. The standards of practice for teachers are the Australian Standards for teachers or the APST’s which consist of Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement (QCT, n.d.). Other aspects of Standard Practice are professional boundaries which consist of building a professional relationship with our students, there needs to be mutual respect, care and understanding. As teachers we are in a unique position of trust, care, authority and influence, which ultimately means that there is always an inherent power imbalance between teachers and students (QCT,2019). Appropriate Communication is the way a teacher interacts on social media. The accepting of friend requests from students or posting an image or following them or making contact through social media is a no-go zone, it is suggested that teachers set up privacy settings on all electronic devices to keep all professional and private life separate, and being mindful of things you post on social media. Conflicts of Interest involves a conflict between our professional lives as a public servant and that of our personal one. As a teacher it is our job to make sure all our dealings are transparent and above board. Information Management and Security consists of information relating to students, their families, their situations, and the students’ results are all privileged information, and it is a requirement that this information is kept confidential and secured. To ensure information is managed correctly, lock your computer when you leave it unattended, wait at the printer or photocopier, check you are sending emails to the right person and if sending to multiple people you use the Bcc function that way you keep everyone’s email address private. Do not repeat information you overhear and ensure you store and dispose of confidential information appropriately. This means shredding any sensitive documents or filing them away in the school’s strong room or archives. Gifts and Benefits are allowed if the cumulative value is not over $150.00. If a gift is of cultural or historical significance, then a declaration will be required, and the item/s will be retained by the school. Gifts given at the end of the school year and it falls within the allowed parameters of the law it can be accepted. Ethical Decision Making requires asking questions R = recognize the issue, E = examine the situation, F = find the facts and gather evidence, L = liaise and consult, E = evaluate the options, C = come to a decision and T = take time to reflect, consider your decision and how it will look like under public scrutiny.
OneSchool
OneSchool is the department of Educations “comprehensive software suite which all schools use to run safe, secure, sustainable and consistent reporting and administrative processes” (Queensland Government, 2023).
OneSchool is the place where all student records are stored, from attendance / absences to academic achievements to behaviour. OneSchool also houses student NAPLAN Class, enrolment records, medical records, behaviour, standardized testing, record of contacts, NAPLAN student, literacy continuum, support and intervention, diagnostic results, extracurricular activity, photography permissions, sensitive case records, and developmental maps. The student data which is saved in OneSchool can be used to inform schools with the school strategy of ‘every student succeeding’, teachers can use this information to inform their teaching (EDC4000, 2023). It is also where teachers can record all conversations with parents/cares (both sides of the conversation). Those with access are departmental staff in schools, regions and central office, the information is used to successful and efficiently perform duties with the highest standards of confidentiality and privacy. OneSchool contains Curriculum, assessment and reporting contains subsections which are access to curriculum resources, class unit and lesson plans, course and assessment planner, weekly planners, individualized curriculum support, diagnostic and standardized assessment and class markbooks.
Professional Engagement
Teach Queensland:
Is the employer for all teachers in Queensland and they are here to support teachers and educators (EDC4000, 2023). They supply support for local and rural and remote teaching opportunities. Teach Queensland has information about schools and opportunities for employment, there are paid incentives for rural and remote teaching opportunities, relocation, meal and travel allowances and there is a new education futures institute. Professional development and wellbeing support is available, along with new and exciting curriculum studies, they are resilient and proactive, community minded and have an extensive list of school settings from Primary school to Outdoor & Environment Centres, with 60% of schools in rural and remote areas as well as Indigenous schools in around QLD. The starting salary for a beginning teacher is $78,000 per year which rises every year, there are benefits for all teachers including work / life balance. Opportunities are also available for working in rural/remote areas, career advancement, financial benefits, lifestyle benefits and many other benefits. There are supports for beginner teachings, scholarships and grants. There are transfer ratings for all schools with rating from 1 -3 which is local and 4-7 are remote. They also provide the requirements for applying for jobs, how to go about it and provide advice for applying for work.
Career Readiness
“Strategies to survive and thrive in your first year of teaching” (EDC4000, 2023).
As a beginning teacher I will experience butterflies, anxiety, excitement, and nervousness, yet a feeling of achievement for reaching this life goal and next phase of my life. I understand the rate of teachers leaving the profession in the first three years is around 25% (EDC4000,2023). This data shows that I will have to develop my resilience by ensuring I: seek help when needed, combat the feeling of isolation by keeping in contact with family, and partake in activities to keep my mind and body healthy. I opted for rural/remote locations for my last placements as I would like to gain experience in this setting. Some other strategies I will incorporate for a successful journey into teaching is to: ask for help, insist on an induction, being more forward. To be a good teacher I will: acquire coping strategies and ensure I have an invested mentor. As a teacher I will be scrutinized both professionally and privately, so I will need to respect everyone from students to cleaners to community members, conduct myself professionally, and communicate effectively. I will ensure I keep true to myself, constantly reflect, and make necessary adjustments to lessons, find time for completing schoolwork and for myself. Creating a high profile with the school and community, being flexible, thinking on my feet, and learning from mistakes will hold me in good stead (EDC4000, 2024). The use of direct action with palliative coping strategies together will aid in a successful year. Direct action is seeking help or information, this can be from the mentor, other staff in the school, district office, the union, a close friend, or family member, attending PD sessions and the use of critical reflections. Palliative coping strategies are all about you and looking after your mental and physical health: use positive self-talk, find the funny side of something which was said or done in class, set psychological boundaries so when does schoolwork start and finish, allow yourself time to unwind and depersonalize issues which may arise in the class (not everything is your fault). Avoid self-medication, isolating yourself or feelings of apathy, or too many sick days these are all areas for concern, seeking professional help is advisable. The first year will be tough but it is how you deal with it that matters, if you are willing to use everything at your disposal from creating relationships with fellow staff members to the people in your wider community to simple changes like using ICT’s in your classroom and remembering that you are not alone, the first year will come and go in the flash of an eye and before you know it, teaching will become second nature.
Reference
EDC4000 Preparing for the Profession: Course notes [Lecture notes]. (2023). USQStudyDesk.
https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/course/view.php?id=27019
Queensland College of Teachers. (n.d.). Professional Standards. https://www.qct.edu.au/standards-and-conduct/professional-standards
Queensland College of Teachers. (2019). Professional Boundaries: A Guideline for Queensland Teachers.
Queensland Government. (2011). Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service.
Queensland Government. (2023). OneSchool.
https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/attachment/OneSchool-access-management-and-use-procedure.pdf
