Professional Experience Office

School of Education
Telephone: 8201 3330
Fax: 201 2568
Professional Experience Report 2014
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE FINAL YEAR
Middle & Secondary Schooling
Year 4 Undergraduate & Year 2 Master of Teaching


Pre service teacher name Su-Sim Lim Student No. 2082583
School Underdale High School Year level(s) taught 8
School mentor teacher Elena Hadar Subject Maths
School coordinator Lesley Holliday University liaison Yvonne Oxenberry
40 day placement
Site Context School Coordinator - Context statement about your school
School sector (DECD), Independent.
School size, class size and composition of
campus
(R-12, Area, Primary, Secondary)
Physical and/or unique characteristics.
Students with specific needs.
Socio-economic factors.
Underdale High School is a progressive learning
community for approximately 600 students from
diverse cultural backgrounds. The school is located
in the western suburbs and is easily accessed by
public transport.


Underdale High School as a Professional Learning
Community is committed to:


All staff participating in learning teams to
improve student engagement and learning outcomes
through a focus on pedagogy in particular in the
areas of literacy, numeracy, differentiation and
digital learning


Catering for diverse interests, abilities and
backgrounds


Offering a broad range of subjects and pathways
Embracing learning technologies
Supporting students to achieve their personal
best


Involving students in a wide variety of sports


Promoting student leadership and co-curricular
activities


Delivering a supportive, personal development
program


Celebrating student diversity and achievement
Participating in international student programs


Mentor Teacher - Summary Statements
Professional Relationships Comments
PROFESSIONAL & COLLEGIAL LEARNING
Teachers actively engage in personal and
collegial learning within the professional
community
Su-Sim attended all our faculty and staff
meetings. She took an active part in our
professional development sessions. Su-Sim was
inducted to our planning and learning community
sessions that focused on implementing Australian
Curriculum to
the middle school year levels. LEARNER RESPECT
Teachers foster trusting and respectful
relationships with all learners
Su-Sim fosters respect and trust and this is shown
in her ability to learn students names quickly.
She also is familiar with their interests,
concerns and special skills. Su-Sim works closely
with teachers, the Leadership Team and the SSOs to
respond to
students needs/disabilities( SHIP,NEP, ESL). PARENT/CAREGIVER & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Teachers work effectively with
parents/caregivers and the wider
community
Su-Sim attended our teacher-parent night. She
very enthusiastically took the opportunity to
meet parents and to express genuine concern or
satisfaction with the students' results.
Professional Knowledge Comments
LEARNING PROCESSES
Teachers know about learning processes and how
to teach and implement
What I come to appreciate most about Su-Sim is
the way she presents Mathematics. Su-Sim uses
Mathematics as a way of thinking and making
sense of the world we live in. For example, she
used her own shopping experience to introduce
Algebra to Yr 8 and kept updating the calculations
as the days went on. Su-Sim introduces visual
tools to help students recall Maths procedures
previously taught. She uses a variety of effective
assessment strategies designed to meet outcomes.
She designed and maintained effective and
efficient
record-keeping systems that monitored
students learning progress. She also
integrated the use of electronic boards within
daily teaching. This
solved potentially difficult aspects of learning.
LEARNING CONTENT
Teachers know the content they teach
Content and knowledge in Mathematics to year 8s is
of a very high standard and this is conveyed with
appropriate, easy to understand steps for ALL
students when instructing/teaching the class as a
whole.

LEARNING CONTEXT
Teachers know about learner contexts and
diversity
Su-Sim is a passionate Maths teacher who actively
engages in school and DECT initiatives to ensure
that students have access to current teaching
methodologies.
Su-Sim makes the explanations and content clear to
students from start. Her tasks and marking system
have been positively validated by the school.Su-
Sim breaks down topics into a series of smaller
tasks that are relevant to students
understanding and can be completed daily. She
initially assesses participation, improvement and
effort. This way, students learn that trying and
persistence are indicators of success. Su-Sim uses
direct, meaningful instruction for introducing new
topics, open-ended questioning, cooperative
learning, guided practice, problem based-learning,
demonstrating and investigating a posed question.
Professional Practice Comments
PLANNING AND TEACHING
Teachers plan and implement teaching
strategies for successful learning
experiences
Planning of lessons is done in detail with
appropriate objectives set.
Teaching strategies have been employed during
lessons that show a diversity in instructional
methodology and also accommodations for student
learning has been made. Su-Sim uses information
about students to plan and organize instruction.
This is an area of focus that needs further
development, especially for NEP students .
However, a great improvement has been seen since
the beginning of her teaching Practicum, as Su-Sim
was quick to understand the demographic and
learning capabilities (limitations) of students in
this year
8 class and had subsequently endeavoured to
change the way in which instruction and work
material is delivered to students.
Su-Sim is also very creative. She managed to
organize a variety of group activities (two or
more) for long double lessos that helped students
break up the boredom of a long lesson and
motivated them to stay focused.
FEEDBACK AND REPORTING
Teachers assess and report learning outcomes
Su-Sim has taught a Year 8 class of mixed ability
levels. She very successfully created assessment
tasks: tests, puzzle sheets and folio tasks that
are aligned to Australian Curriculum and covered
the main concepts taught. Su-Sim uses a variety
of effective assessment strategies designed to
meet outcomes. She designs and maintains
effective and efficient record-keeping systems
that monitor students learning progress.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Teachers create a safe, challenging and
supportive environment
Su-Sim is at the beginning of her career. An area
to think about and improve on is to achieve
positive learning environment for all students
(high achievers and middle band). She would benefit
more from making behaviour expectations clear as
well as from effectively monitoring the entire
level of noise in the room.
I wish her all the best in her teaching career and
have no doubt that she will be an excellent asset
to teaching profession. Well done Su-Sim!
Pre-service teacher: Comments



Whilst teaching Year 8 maths at Underdale High school I was able to lead students
meaningfully through mathematics. I was challenged by the wide spread of proficiency
levels in the class that I taught and so worked hard to provide a curriculum
experience that was accessible to each student. I did this through giving students a
personal program of varying levels of complexity.
Students were encouraged to work through this program and check in with me along the
way. There were also many students in this class from Non-English speaking
backgrounds. To make the learning accessible to them I made very clear the literacy
definitions and conventions of mathematics I also made sure I showed every-step needed
to complete a problem on the board. Through teaching this cohort I also grew, and
will continue to
grow, in my ability to manage behaviour in the classroom.
University Liaison: Summary statement


Su-Sim
is a very competent beginning teacher. She has good rapport with students, and
she consistently encourages them to achieve their highest individual
potential. She shows high quality skills in planning creative and engaging
activities for students, incorporating the use of things
like ppts, youtube clips, games, well designed worksheets/tasks as well
as whole group teaching and group work discussions to facilitate
learning.



Unit
plans are well documented, and Su-Sim designs her individual lesson plans
thoughtfully and with good detail, implementing strategies to support the
varying abilities, interests and learning styles of those in her classes.



She
is respectful in establishing student behavioural expectations, she listens
to advice from her mentors, and she has shown very good progress in managing
this facet of her teaching.



Su-Sims
friendly and professional manner meant that she was able to develop sound
working relationships with the other teaching staff around her. She made
herself aware of whole school administrative details, school policies,
and

curriculum details, asking for guidance and following through as necessary.



A very successful
practicum at Underdale High School.
School Coordinator: Final Comments (optional)
Throughout the practicum Su Sim was highly professional and confident.
She developed her skills as a teacher and has the attributes to be an
outstanding classroom practitioner.
She will be a valued member of any school community
School Coordinator:
The pre-service teacher may wish to submit this report with an application for employment. Please
avoid the use of acronyms as student reports are often viewed by interstate and international
employers who are not always familiar with South Australian nomenclature
Name of School Mentor Teacher(s): Elena Hadar Date: 16.06.2014

Name of School coordinator: Lesley Holliday Date: 16.06.2014

Consideration has been given to the complexities and degree of challenge of the professional
experience context in evaluating the pre-service teacher's ability to meet the assessment
criteria for the professional experience.
In our opinion, the pre-service teacher -

HAS demonstrated competency in the professional teaching standards for registration in SA
SATISFACTORY
University Liaison
Name of University Liaison: Yvonne Oxenberry Date: 19.06.2014
Report ID: 000956