Know the content and how to teach it
AITSL Standards 2.1, 3.1 & 2.2
Focus Areas
- Develops resources independently
- Identifies objectives/goals for students as established by the school/faculty/unit
- Develops clear, stated learning objectives that match the needs of the students
- Expects that goals are met and checks this
- Develops well-structured lesson plans within the unit
- Uses appropriate resources for students at the learning stage
Description
The Code of Conduct (2016) requires teachers to maintain high standards of competence and be knowledgeable in their fields. During my placement, I was asked to teach subjects in which I was proficient (i.e., German) and others where I had limited exposure (i.e., History, Geography). In order to successfully design an engaging series of lessons and be adequately prepared to support my teaching I therefore invested significant time and effort at the start to familiarize myself with the new content and obtain a deeper understanding on the topic of the lectures, by consulting additional textbooks and relevant material. I then followed up with designing my lessons by discussing with my Mentor the areas to cover, as indicated in the unit plan and the curriculum, establishing relevant learning goals, defining the structure and organising the material appropriately, in order to facilitate delivery. Developing well-structured classes in this way also made me realise that “knowing the content” and delivering it are closely intertwined with the teaching strategies one chooses. Hence, it was instrumental in helping me to identify and employ suitable learning strategies and resources that enhanced students’ participation and promoted their understanding, as my Mentor confirmed (Picture 2.1).
Specifically for my Year 8 German class, I designed a lesson covering a topic indicated in the unit (Slider 2.1), which aimed to enhance competencies for this year level according to the curriculum. In this lesson students had the opportunity to practice all skills, namely speaking, listening, reading and writing. I started with a Kahoot game, which ‘hook’ students and captivated their attention. Through the game, I managed to revise the material from the last lesson and to check their level of familiarity with it. This activity instilled students with confidence and motivation for the remainder. Additionally, I enhanced their social skills by frequently using peer work in exercises and increased their engagement with tools like the random picker. To monitor and assess their progress, I asked them to upload their work on class’s OneNote page.
References
Victorian Institute Of Teaching (VIT) (2018). Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct. Retrieved from https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/35604/Code-of-Conduct-2016.pdf
Evidence Artefacts
Slider 2.1: Lesson plan on Year 8 German Class shows that I meet the criteria: 2.1, 3.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.4, 4.5.
