An ITD Hub Project
Section 4
Assessing and Recording Learning.
Targeted APSTs: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5.
Supervising Students Working on their Projects.
Supervising students is a core teaching responsibility and demonstrates my ability to apply curriculum knowledge, cater to student needs, manage learning environments and provide effective feedback.
I team-teach YR9 & YR11 Furnishing Pathways (FUR), assist in YR 12 Furnishing Pathways, Engineering and Design. This term I have been taking the lead in the Year 9 FUR class, rewriting and writing resources, taking lessons and preparing materials (mostly) for this class.
Supervising Students is a Core Responsibility
Read moreChecking for Understanding
Gamified Formative Assessment
Gamification has the power to evoke fundamental yet essential human emotions, such as a sense of accomplishment and excitement, which can bring joy and happiness to learners.
(Yassin & Abdulgalil Abugohar, 2022; Nuri et al., 2022; Mudure-Iacob, 2021).
Safety Audit
CARA, CARA, CARA!
Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment—that’s what CARA means. But what does it mean for a school to get audited for safety in an ITD department?
There was a lot of activity, including research, photos, forms, signs, checking tools and machines, asking lots of questions and then putting a PLAN in place.
And we know the rules about planning…
Behaviour & Incident Management
Relationship is Key
Behaviour management is a crucial aspect of a teacher’s professional practice. The APSTs highlight the importance of ongoing learning, creating a positive learning environment, and using effective strategies to ensure all students feel safe and supported in learning.
This area concerned me the most when entering the education world. I had the advantage of working as a TA for 3 months last year and had some ‘teachable moments’ with Year 7 classes.
“I find building relationships with the students was key to establishing good behaviour.“
Overall, I found that building positive relationships created a foundation for a calm, supportive learning environment in which students are more motivated and behave appropriately.
Read moreMarking Assessments – March 2024
Marking Projects
I team teach YR9, 11 & 12 Furnishing Pathways (FUR) and YR12 Design and Engineering Skills. I have been able to mark or moderate practical assessments for all subjects.
Marking students’ work is a crucial aspect of assessment and feedback within the APSTs. It allows me to assess student learning, inform their teaching practices and provide guidance for further improvement.
YR12 BEACH STOOL
11 March, 2024
Team-marked YR12 Beach Stool project.
Workbook Constructed as per plans, accuracy of construction, quality of finish.
Safety in the Workshop
“Safety doesn’t happen by accident.”
Like all teachers, my aim is to create a safe and productive learning environment for students in the workshop by setting clear expectations for students to comply with the workshop safety rules, learn and pass compulsory safety tests and follow all Safety Operating Procedures (SOP) for every tool, machine and task while they are in the workshop.
As a builder of over 30 years, I have seen my share of serious accidents by tradesmen rushing or not concentrating on their tasks or surroundings.
As I say to my students,
“The blade does not care if it hurts you as it slices through your fingers.”
Read more‘Chalk and Talk’ is dead! – or is it?
Does the board have a use?
The expression has been used to categorise unimaginative teachers who would rather treat the classroom like a university lecture theatre. Side note: It has been interesting to see the difference between lecturers at university who teach or have taught in schools and those who have gone straight from school to university and stayed there. I have had some shockers and have refused to attend tutorials because it has been that bad.
Read moreObserve and Reflect.
EDS2401 Professional Experience
This semester, my 3-week Pex/Prac was at my Internship Host school as per Trade 2 Teach guidelines.
The main difference was that I was at the school full-time and got to observe more classes. I also could ease my way into micro lessons and, eventually, full lessons. The internship helped with this process immensely, as I already knew the school, the students and how the school does things, so I could concentrate on developing my knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy techniques and strategies.
During my practicum, I joined the supervising teacher in marking and moderating assessments/ marks. This was a great experience, as I saw the full lifecycle of a subject, which, in turn, helped me modify my teaching practices.
“A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”, and a model models the same.
Like a picture, I have learnt that models and exemplars speak ‘a thousand words’ when it comes to encouraging students to engage with the content. Demonstration (DEMO) models that depict ‘the next step’ are useful to ‘show’ students the expectations of the lesson.
Models & Exemplars
I have the privilege of team teaching the YR9 Furnishing Pathways (YR9 FUR) class during Term 1 and Term 2. Models and DEMO models have been great tools to show students their next steps and the end goal. This has created excitement and expectation for the final product. The students really enjoyed this project, and the models played a big part in making it a huge success.
Safety – OnGuard
Is OnGuard really necessary?
Safety in the workshops is paramount. Coming from the construction industry as a carpenter, builder, supervisor and project manager for over 30+ years, I have seen my share of accidents, many of which have happened to me. Most of the time, accidents happen when people rush, don’t prepare properly or are ignorant of the dangers.
Read moreReflecting on my first micro lesson
YR11 Furnishing Pathways Theory Class
Context: Yr 11 Theory Class.
I shared my construction and project management history and then explained how the skills they are learning in the Furnishing Pathways subject will give them many employment and career opportunities in the future.
Support Provisions
My Internship School – Establishment Phase
2024 – Year 1, Term 1
Maroochydore State High School’s Industrial Design and Technology Department will be my home for the next few years as I learn how to teach.
We started with two days of professional development (student-free) to kick off 2024, Term 1.
The two days were intensive. I was new to the school so I had to absorb the mass of information and navigate my way around the school, workshops, department staff and procedures.
As any new teacher would attest, it is quite a daunting experience, with more questions than answers being the norm at the start of a new venture.
