APST 3 pertains to the planning and implementation of teaching and learning, which involves the establishing of reasonable but challenging goals, and realising these goals through effective sequencing and use of strategy. My main exposure to this APST is through how I plan for EAL/D students.
Invariably, my classes have all had a significant number of EAL/D students. Data suggests that on average around 25% of students learn English as an additional language or dialect in Australia (ACARA, 2021). I have made it something of a priority to learn and practice effective strategies for teaching literacy to EAL/D students (3.6). Of particular note was a moment during my first volunteer year, when a student joined the class later in the year who didn’t speak any English. To a learning teacher such as myself, this was a fascinating situation, and I appreciated being given a chance to observe a more experienced teacher respond to her needs. A year later, I happened to meet this student again, and her English had improved immensely. I found myself curious as to the stages of EAL/D English confidence and competence, and what would necessarily be best practice for the different stages in the student’s development (3.6). I decided to utilise a resource I had created for an assignment task – something of a rubric based on an ACARA resource that detailed the demonstrable behaviours, challenges and best practice approaches to EAL/D students at different ages and levels of competency (3.4, 3.6) (ACARA, 2015). Using this resource I could handily determine a student’s level of achievement by observing them and examining their assessment items. After determining their level of competency I could match it with best practice and better plan for my EAL/D students (3.2, 3.3).
I applied this resource to that same student who a year earlier was only beginning their English literacy, and learned she was now at an advanced ‘emerging English’ competency level. This can then inform lesson and unit plans that can not only accommodate but challenge this student (3.1). Wherever possible, I found it was prudent to let her represent her thoughts with drawings or actions, if she struggled to find or write the right words. When these situations arose, I would explain the correct word – repeating her action back to her or addressing her drawing to help add context. Since then I now try to look at all my EAL/D students according to this resource before planning any content for them (3.2, 3.4, 3.6).
