I plan lesson sequences that integrate the curriculum standards and content descriptors to ensure that relevant and structured learning experiences are provided for all my students. I establish an inclusive, relevant, differentiated, engaging and challenging classroom that caters for my students’ diverse learning needs and preferences.
Reading
The Reading lessons I plan use the whole-part-whole lesson structure. At the start of the lesson, I explain and unpack a learning intention. I then guide the students to decide upon a success criteria for the lesson. Then I teach the students with an explicit focus on a specific reading area that is determined by the curriculum and the students learning needs. I encourage class discussion about the topic using Exploratory Talk and sentence stems. The students then work with their reading groups to take part in differentiated activities that align with the learning intention and their specific groups learning needs. During this time, I work with a Skill Based Reading Group or an Ability Based Reading Group. This enables me to provide consistent feedback to my students about their reading. I also make anecdotal notes about my students reading. After the activities, the students focus on their individual reading goals and read independently or ‘buddy read’ to develop their reading stamina. At the end of the lesson, the students discuss what they learnt during the lesson, share work they completed and discuss what challenged them. The class also revisits the success criteria that is referred to throughout the lesson to see if it has been met. This enables students to monitor their reading and self-reflect on their progress as readers.
Writing
I teach Writing using whole group, small group and individual instruction. We follow the Writing Cycle which involves planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing writing pieces. The lessons I develop involve students writing for authentic audiences and purposes. As a teacher, I involve students in focused and scaffolded writing experiences using principled approaches to the teaching of writing such as the Writing Workshop. The Writing lessons I teach encompass a range of teaching practices such as modelled writing, shared writing, interactive writing and independent writing where varying levels of support are provided at different points of need. I incorporate rich, authentic texts as mentor or model texts throughout my lessons. These texts guide students to use the same literary tools in their writing. In addition to this, I incorporate explicit instruction about the process of writing, structural and grammatical features of genres, handwriting and spelling. I provide students with dedicated, uninterrupted blocks of time for writing that occur daily. At the beginning of each Writing lesson, I introduce a clear learning intention and work with the students to develop a success criterion. I explicitly teach the focus of the lesson and when possible, use a mentor text as part of the explicit teaching instruction. I model a work example and provide opportunities for students to work independently as well as part of a group.
Numeracy
When teaching Numeracy, I engage students in solving and discussing tasks that promote mathematical reasoning and problem solving and allow multiple entry points and varied solution strategies. I enjoy challenging my students during Numeracy lessons and providing them with different problem solving activities that facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. As a highly effective Numeracy teacher, I facilitate discourse among students to build shared understanding of mathematical ideas by analysing and comparing student approaches and arguments. In addition to this, I pose powerful questions to assess and advance students’ reasoning and sense making about important mathematical ideas and relationships. I build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding.
One of the lesson sequences I developed and delivered as a teacher at Roxburgh Homestead Primary School was a Year Two Mathematics sequence about 2D and 3D Shapes. During this sequence, the students worked in their ability groups and over the course of a few weeks, they worked through a rotation of different hands-on shape activities. Students were assessed by completing a pre-test on Essential Assessment, by using a Success Criteria Checklist which aligns with the Victorian Curriculum. This ensured that I was able to monitor my student’s achievement of the success criteria each lesson as well as observations and anecdotal notes. Students were moved to different groups depending on the progress they had shown. Some examples of activities that students completed included: finding different 2D and 3D shapes in the classroom and playground, creating a 2D or 3D shape book, creating 3D shapes using a range of manipulatives including Lego and then identifying the faces and edges on the 3D shapes they had created. At the end of the lesson sequence, the students used Tinkercad to complete a Design and Technology Project in which they had to create a 3D toy out of 3D shapes. The students designs were then printed using a 3D printer. Throughout the lesson sequence, I taught the students as a whole group, taught a separate ability group each session and roved around the room assisting students as they completed activities independently or with their groups. Through observation and anecdotal notes, I was able to observe my students and correct any misconceptions that became apparent during the lessons. Using the Victorian Curriculum also enabled me to differentiate my lesson sequence by providing me with knowledge about how to extend my students and how to support those who were struggling with the concept. At the end of the lesson, I performed a post test using Essential Assessment, I was able to use the post test data along with the other assessment I had conducted throughout the lesson sequence to determine student learning growth.
As a teacher, I am committed to providing excellence and equality in education. All students are entitled to a rigorous, relevant and engaging learning program that addresses their individual learning needs. I ensure that I differentiate the way I am teaching to suit the needs of my students. All students have their own unique learning abilities, backgrounds and preferred learning styles. I put great importance on understanding my student’s interests and the way they learn best which enables me to deliver a highly engaging and effective learning program. I have extensive experience working with students with varying levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger’s Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Sensory Processing Disorder, anxiety and depression. I ensure that I support all of my students so that they can all achieve success in their learning.
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