Standard 1: Know students and how they learn

Getting to know the students and how they learn is the foundation for a
successful learning environment (Marzano & Pickering, 2009).
I do this by profiling the learners individually and as a cohort to collect
information about the educational interests and needs of the learners.
This is achieved through conducting interviews with the students, parents
and other teachers; developing questionnaires about the students
interests and preferred learning styles; continuous anecdotal
observations.

1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical,

social and intellectual development and characteristics of
students and how these may affect learning.
My current cohort of learners are a very diverse group with a range of
physical, social and intellectual needs. There is one girl that has a physical
disability that requires full time care and support to achieve any learning
tasks. (Please refer to students profiling) There are also a few students
that are socially immature for their age, displaying socially unaccepted
impulsivity in their actions and language. This creates restrictions for their
development and learning in some areas.
In contrast, there are some students that are quite mature for their age
and are able to focus on any set tasks. These students have a good
attitude towards learning. This is displayed through their social and
academic behaviour. (Please refer to Standard 4.1 and Student Profiling)

1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into

how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Some strategies to get to know the learners and how they learn include:
Students preferred learning styles can be assessed through the
participation of a Multiple Intelligence Quiz
(http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment). This enables
the teacher to gather knowledge of the students preferred learning styles
and plan accordingly to cater for the diversity. This information can also be
gathered through informal discussions or general observations. (Please
refer to Student Profiling)

Educational learning needs can range from social-emotional to

intellectual needs. Such information can be assessed in many ways, such
as student, parent or teacher interviews; general anecdotal observations
throughout the school term (Please refer to Student Profiling) and
formative assessment 5.1.
Classroom Climate. The goal of every teacher should be to establish a
classroom climate that supports a sense of acceptance and belonging,
and comfort and order for all students I the class. When this is
successfully achieved, the students learn the value themselves, the school
and their peers more, and therefore, participate and learn more (Marzano
& Pickering, 1997). It is essential for teachers to consider the individuality
such as the interests, knowledge, experiences and abilities of their
students when they are planning. This will enhance the level of
engagement and participation (Please refer to Student Profiling for
evidence)
The Habits of Mind are an identified set of 16 problem solving, life
related skills, necessary to effectively operate in society and promote
strategic reasoning, insightfulness, perseverance, creativity and
craftsmanship. The understanding and application of these 16 Habits of
Mind serve to provide the individual with skills to work through real life
situations that equip that person to respond using awareness (cues),
thought, and intentional strategy in order to gain a positive outcome
(Costa & Kallick, 2000)
Such positive habits of mind can be developed through Art Costas Habits
of Mind resources including: http://www.chsvt.org/wdp/Habits_of_Mind.pdf
Dynamics: Understanding the dynamics of the different personalities in
the classroom and how it affects each child differently will enable the
teacher to group students (peer tutoring, ability level and mixed abilities)
in a way that will promote instead of hinder the learning journey. This
information can be retrieved through discussions and observations.
Initially, I would like to allow students to choose their seating arrangement
and only move them if it appears that is not working. This information
would also be helpful to allocate groups, for example, peer tutoring, ability
level and mixed abilities.
10 essential skills: This is a framework that I like to use to assist me in
developing effective classroom management skills.
For further information please refer to the link below
http://education.qld.gov.au/actsmartbesafe/teachers/pd.html
(Please also refer to Standard 4.3 for elaboration of classroom
management strategies)
Professional partnerships are another essential aspect of childrens
development and learning process. When a teacher makes an effort for
the parents to be included in their childs education by creating a
professional networking system with them, there will be a strong

foundation developed where the parents and teachers are working

together towards a common goal. As a result, the childs education will be
greatly enhanced because they will know that their education is not only
valued at school but it is also valued and promoted in the home
environment. (Standard 7.3 for strategies to support this) (Murray &
Mereoiu, 2016).
Please also refer to: Standard 4.1, Appendix Student Profiling,
Classroom Management Plan, My Professional Philosophy, 1 LEP, Place
Value LEP.

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and

socioeconomic backgrounds: Demonstrate knowledge of teaching
strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of
students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic
backgrounds.
There is a great need for differentiation in my planning as the cohort of
learners is a very diverse group. Such differentiation includes:
Providing appropriate scaffolding for learners of lower ability levels and
optional extension tasks for students that finish the required tasks earlier.
Such examples of differentiation are elaborated in 1.4 and 1.5. (Please
also refer to Standard 4.1 and appendices Place value, Numeracy skills
and Managing diversity)

1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the
impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the
education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
backgrounds.
The Department of Education and Training acknowledges the traditional
custodians of the lands from across Queensland and pay our respects to
the Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, the
traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander
people across the state (DET, 2016).
The teaching implications from teaching should differ dramatically It is
integral for academic success that all students feel that their culture is
respected, celebrated and integrated into the curriculum (Hyde, 2010).
This gives the students a sense of pride in themselves; their family and

culture. As a result, their attitude towards learning will be made positive

and successful (Hyde, 2010). (Please refer to Managing diversity)
While there has been improvement in school attendance for all
Queensland state school students, there is great potential to improve the
rates for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (DET, 2016).
A lot of opportunities for the students to learn about the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander cultures are embedded into my planning and
teaching process through the use of certain curriculum content and
resources. If there was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island child in our
class, I would provide many opportunities for the child and their family to
be involved in the planning process of cultural education to supplement
their peers understandings of the Aboriginal childs cultural background
(Hyde, 2010). Such opportunities would be beneficial to the whole class
as it would not only promote a sense of belonging for this child, it will also
enhance their respect and pride in their culture. Their peers would benefit
through the understanding and respect of the culture that they gain. As an
understanding is gained, differences can be embraced and celebrated
(Hyde, 2010).

Some more examples are provided below.

The quality teaching of these students relies on teachers having
knowledge and practice (capabilities) in the education of English as an
Additional Language or Dialect (ESL/D) learners (DETE, 2013).
Understand Cultural BehaviourIt is important for the teacher to make
an effort to learn about their cultural behaviour, for example, that
Aboriginal children are less likely to answer questions in class because
traditionally, Aboriginal culture has been passed on through the telling of
stories; its not about question and answer (Korff, 2016).
Keep High Expectations If Aboriginal student numbers are low,
teachers might ignore them, expect them to deliver poor results or
victimise them (Korff, 2016). However, the teacher should not expect an
Aboriginal child to underperform, instead, expect them to reach for the
stars because they are capable (Korff, n.d.).
Expect Autonomy Aboriginal children have been raised to be
autonomous individuals with a right to express needs and opinions and
have them taken seriously (Korff, 2016).

Include Community SpiritPlanning should always include the larger

community. Aboriginal students are more used to working for the
collective good rather than focusing on individual achievement (Korff,
2016).

Resources that introduce knowledge of the Aboriginal culture:

Book: The Little Red Yellow and Black Book by Bruce Pascoe

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of

students across the full range of abilities: Demonstrate knowledge
and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the
specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Students come to the educational setting with varying experiences,
interests, knowledge, abilities and perceptions of the world (Marzano &
Pickering, 1997).
My current classroom, in which I am participating in my practical
assessment, consists of learners from years 3 to 6. In this class, there is a
large range of learning needs and abilities and a great need for effective
differentiation for student success. (Please refer to Student Profiling)
Different differentiation strategies are required for all subjects that cater
for students specific learning needs to achieve the intended learning
goals (Hyde, 2010). Some examples of differentiation will be provided
below.

One example of differentiation in reading is below.

Reading:
In guided reading sessions, differentiation would be providing students
with ability level books, which would be at an instructional level to
promote and support reading development (Winch, Johnston, & Holliday,
2014). The allocated tasks, related to the texts, should also be at an
instructional level of understanding for the learners (Winch, Johnston, &
Holliday, 2014). (Please refer to Teaching Reading)

One example of differentiation in mathematics is below.

Mathematics (Place value):
In this lesson, we were practicing using expanders to represent the value
of different numbers. As there were many different levels of abilities in this
class, there was a great need for differentiation, especially in
mathematics. In place value lessons, some lower level students were
required to use hand-on materials such as MAB blocks and paddle pop
sticks to represent the value of certain numbers before writing them on
the expanders. Some students were asked to write numbers up to the
hundreds. Some had numbers up to the thousands. Some more advanced
students were given numbers in the millions to represent.
The fast finishers and more advanced students were asked to write the
numbers from the expanders in as many ways as possible, while folding
the expander in different ways. (For evidence of this please refer to Place
value LEP, Numeracy Skills, Standard 1.4, 4.1 and Managing Diversity)
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with
disability: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of
legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation
and learning of students with disability. (Please refer to Managing
Diversity)
Each student with a disability requires support and differentiation at
differing levels for different tasks, depending on the severity of the
disability and the needs and interests of the child. There are many
legislative requirements to ensure that all students with disabilities are
provided with appropriate support to enabled access to appropriate
curriculum material to ensure success, whether it be support from a
teacher aide or supportive classroom arrangements. Some examples of
catering for the needs of a child with a disability may include:
Students with ADHD often have very impulsive and disruptive behavioural
patterns. These students need to be taught strategies that enable them to
learn to control their impulsivity. One strategy could be encouraging them
to count to 10 in their head and practice deep breaths when they get
mad. Over time they should learn to control their inappropriate impulsive
behaviour. Hands on tasks or physical movement in the classroom could
also be an effective strategy to engage students with ADHD.
Students with Autism often have fixations about certain things, for
example textures, topics (dinosaurs) or certain activities. When teaching a
child with autism, their inability to cope with change can make it very
difficult to engage them in anything that differs from their area of interest.
Therefore, it is essential that the teacher incorporates their interests into

the daily teaching plan. One example could be allowing the student to
play with playdough while listening to a story being read.