For many preservice teachers, professional experience placements can be both an exciting and daunting time, especially when it’s your first experience in front of a classroom! It’s a chance to apply everything you’ve learnt at university in a real-life teaching environment.
Try these tips to help you put your best foot forward.
1. Do your homework
Research the school prior to starting. Knowing even just a little bit about the school demonstrates initiative and gives you prior understanding about school policies and the general school ethos. Make sure you visit the school website, and if your placement is close to where you live, try to organise a brief visit before you start.
This is a good opportunity to familiarise yourself with where you need to go on your first day and chat to your mentor teacher to gain some valuable insights about the students you’ll be teaching. If you’re lucky, you might even get to meet your class!
2. Build your school networks
During your time at the school, you’ll likely be working toward building a good relationship with your supervising teacher. However, while most of your time will be spent with them, we encourage you to get to know the support staff if the opportunity arises, for example, teacher aides, administration staff, visiting specialists, cleaners, groundsperson and tuckshop staff. They have tremendous insight into the workings of the school, staff and students – plus they know the best meals in the tuckshop!
3. Take ownership (and lots of notes)
Time is valuable! Ask how you can help your supervising teacher or others in the staffroom. Absorb as much information as you can and take loads of observation notes with your supervising teacher. Remember they are taking time out of their regular schedule to mentor you.
Some preservice teachers take a folder with them where they can store all relevant information and resources they might need or are given by their teacher, such as lesson plans, learning resources, notes and feedback they receive. We recommend taking a USB with you as well.
Get to know your students’ names as quickly as you can and make an effort to use them. Some preservice primary teachers draw a blank floor plan at the beginning of their first day and start adding names onto the floor plan, 1 or 2 at a time until they have student names memorised.
4. Immerse yourself in the school environment
Find out if you can observe other teachers in and outside of your teaching areas or year levels. Say yes to opportunities, whether they are assisting with inter-school sport, homework clubs or even professional development.
5. Treat the experience as a prolonged job interview
This is your time to showcase yourself as a potential employee. On the flip side, take the time to reflect on the experience and seek feedback to keep improving. Demonstrate your willingness to learn from all experiences by listening and acting on the feedback. Engage with new ideas and consider alternative perspectives presented during the placement.
Professional experience placements are important milestones in your teaching journey. They provide you with the opportunity to build professional networks that can last throughout your entire career. We wish you well on your placement!
Don’t forget, if you’re considering a professional experience placement in a rural or remote community, take a look at our Beyond the
Range Professional Experience grants.