Points of advice … continued

11. Lessons and plans submitted well ahead of time

It is critically important to offer your lesson overviews and plans to your Mentor Teacher as far in advance as possible. This will give her or him time to carefully consider your planning, offering you comments and feedback you can

apply going forward. Planning and preparation are key to quality teaching and being well prepared is the essence necessary to quality teaching.

Try to avoid handing initial plans to your mentor in the morning when lessons are to be delivered. This would not give him or him sufficient time to offer you meaningful feedback or suggestions.

12. Being on time

It is also of utmost importance that you are on time at the start of each day and each period. It is good practice to be at work at least 20 minutes before the start of the day so you can set up without being flustered. Similarly, to stay at the end of the day to get as much ready as possible for the next day is wise practice.

As part of this, try and establish with your mentor a time you will meet during or at the end of the day to discuss what has happened. These collegiate (staff together) feedback sessions are essential if you at going to get the most out of your practice teaching period.

If for any reason you need to leave early, make sure you discuss this wi your mentor, then clear it with the school Leadership Team. Often an Assistant Principal is the person responsible for giving the okay on matters of necessary absence.

13. Work commitments while studying

Many students are working during the time of their training and have to fit work commitments around study obligations. Practice teaching requirements mustn’t be compromised by work obligations. If necessary, arrange with employers to change work hours so that you a not put under pressure about practice teaching requirements.

As each Teaching and Learning block is built around the requirement of hours and days, you cannot afford to cut back on required Tim allocations. If you do, it means that practice teaching requirements are not fulfilled.

14. Participating in extra opportunities available for language appreciation

One of the needs that tend to emerge for International Students is naked to avail themselves of the opportunities to practice English Language usage. While some International Students have studied and have TESOL qualifications, there are wide variations in the ways language is studied and practised in ordinary everyday situations. I am not being critical in making this comment: However,

it is true to say that the issue of language is one of the most challenging confronting overseas students. (This would of course work in reverse for a traditional Australian English speaker visiting an over-ease country and participating in teaching programs.)

I strongly urge you to participate in programs that might be available

to help, support and assist you in the area of language usage. As I visit around, there are things about the language I note concerning individual students. I will develop a document that looks at the way language is being applied to circulate it to everyone with whom I am working. It will point out some of the ways language is being used and how it might be better spoken.

15. Classroom observation

Before the course commences – the opportunity to participate in classroom observation for the sake of appreciating the way teachers and students interface and work together would be helpful. This is an expectation that children and students in Australian classrooms may act and respond in the same way as those in overseas countries. The are significant differences. Some of these differences I have spoken to individual students about; relate to attitude, concentration and general behavioural and deportment matters. Being aware of these differences before teaching practices commence could be very helpful.

To be continued