Getting to Know Your International Contacts: Part 3

Getting to Know Your International Contacts: Part 3

 Theresa from near Sydney, Australia writes: 

At the moment in the Sydney diocese schools there is a big push towards Inquire Learning. Each term a curriculum area is selected to be taught this way. There is a coordinator situated in each school to assist and support classroom teachers in this area.  (1 coordinators is a teacher who is released from regular teaching for a ½ day per wk to work on a given curriculum area.) There are also consultants at the Catholic Education Office (CEO) who come out to the schools and assist and advise the classroom teachers on classroom layout and ways to improve so as to give the children better choices in learning- the setting up of effective learning centres. With Inquire Learning, the teachers chose a topic and then the teachers set up 6 learning areas. The children then choose which area they want their learning to follow. The teacher then guides the tasks so as to provide the child with the skills, etc. that they need. The tasks are all about what he child needs. As my friend Debbie works in a 3 stream school, all 3 teachers in yr1 must get together weekly and plan the activities in relation to the Inquiry task.  There focus this term must be science and in particular mini beasts. She is taking in a pile of worms tomorrow for one of the learning centres.

As a support for teachers involved in Inquiry Learning this year, there will also be a conference in April where teachers involved in its teaching in 2013 will be inputting their experiences to aid those involved this year.

 

With professional development, each school system provides inservices for its teachers. Each year the schools are given a booklet outlining the planned inservices for that year. Each teacher is given the opportunity to apply to their principal to attend. These days are fully funded and so teachers are paid their days wages to attend. There are also twilight and after school inservices available. As these are outside of the regular school hrs than no extra pay is given. The CEO also organizes professional development in conjunction with the Universities. The last one I attended was at the University of Wollongong that went for 10 days scattered over 6 mths. It was one that dealt with Autism. Even though I was a relief teacher at the time, my application was still accepted to participate and I was paid to do it.  

 

Each school, regardless of which system they belong to have 4 professional inservice days each year, usually 1 each term. During these days the children do not attend school and the staff as a whole participate in some form of inservicing depending on the needs of the school and staff. These are usually held on school premises but may be held at another venue if warranted.

 

Professional goals? – To work collaboratively as part of a team, to be prepared and so not let others down, to keep up with all the changes and in particular all the technology.

 

Professional hopes and challenges? To be willing to share responsibility- giving over some tasks to someone else and being acceptant of their ability. Using technology to enhance the children’s learning. Keeping up your end of the bargain and not letting the team down. Allowing oneself to enjoy the children and the teaching experience and not get too caught up in the political and mechanical side of teaching.

Soraya near London, England writes: 

1)      No real issues known about as all the staff at our school provide the highest possible standards of quality of care and teaching, in UK all the schools are monitored by a government body called "OFSTED" office for standards in education, all schools throughout Uk are monitored and observed by this government body, they regularly visit our school and sit in on classes, OFSTED use a points system and each school are scored via performance of pupils and teaching abilities of the teachers.

2) Training is provided for our professional development by the government, example I will be attending a pediatric first aid course In next few weeks also we have various other mainly 1 day training sessions.

3) My professional goals are to expand my knowledge working with children and to provide support for my colleagues I work within the classroom, I also provide support for the parents.

4) I hope to develop my skills and learn sign language, I feel this is a skill and a challenge for me in order to have the chance to work with children who require special needs.

The insight I gained from my two colleagues from other countries is that we all have the same general goals in mind:  Helping children.  I also learned these two ladies have similar experiences and concerns as myself.  I like that the Australian school has more special services to monitor and support the educators and teachers during their regular visits to the school.