Roles and Responsibilities

A School Principal (Primary or Secondary Site) or Director/Nominated Supervisor (Early Childhood Site) may appoint a person to overall coordinate and organise arrangements for TESs at the Site. Alternatively, that role may remain with the Principal or Director.

SPC are asked to liaise with the University for the following tasks:

1. Advise the University if any TES does not contact the Site for an orientation, or does not arrive for the commencement their placement
2. Introduce each TES to the Site via an induction process and assist staff to arrange to accommodate them on Site in their teaching environs.  Induction should include the Site’s Code of Conduct.
3. Brief TES about Site facilities and resources and appropriate use of these
4. Ensure onsite attendance is recorded for TES, document any absences accordingly.
5. Coordinate the TES ‘off-class’ commitments such as playground supervision, bus lines, etc.
6. Liaise closely with the ST(s) and, where appropriate, the TS during the placement, including arranging to be available for discussions
7. Encourage ST to provide consistent and progressive oral/written feedback to the TES
8. Support the ST to initiate and follow the Individual Support Plan procedure (if required)
9. If required, be available to consult with the ST (and/or the TS if one appointed) if a determination is required to ascertain the TES has demonstrated all the required standards to pass the placement
10. Advise ST to discuss the professional experience Final Report with their TES and, if necessary, assist the ST with input.
11. Investigate if there are any complaints from, or about, TES
12. Provide electronic sign off on the professional experience Final Report  via SONIA for each TES
13. Confirm with the ST for each TES their student is completing accurate and regular attendance over the placement and notify the Professional Experience Unit if TES are not fulfilling requirements
14. Contact the Professional Experience Unit - peu@newcastle.edu.au for all SONIA access queries.  At the end of the placement sign, the Professional Experience – Payment Authorisation Form to authorise payment be processed. Email the completed form to the Professional Experience Unit - peu@newcastle.edu.au

Placement settings will vary from course to course, program to program.

Overall, the ST will oversee and facilitate the TES’s experience under their mentorship in the following roles:

1. Provide opportunities for TES to observe and participate in the varied aspects of teaching
2. Demonstrate teaching techniques that complement and supplement the feedback provided to the TES
3. Coordinate the amount of teaching to be attempted by the TESin accordance with the expectations of the placement.
4. Advise on content of lessons and teaching techniques (essential in initial placements – TES completing first placements in their program have completed only minimal planning at this stage) and provide unit plans/ scope and sequence documents that will support the TES’s planning
5. Identify a range of resources to assist the TES in developing lessons
6. Check lesson plans to ensure they are adequately prepared. Lessons that are inadequately prepared should not be taughtand should be revised.
7. Using the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as a guide, assist in the development of the TES skills on a day to day basis by providing regular and progressive feedback
8. Provide written feedback on at least one lesson a day.
9. Assist the TES to evaluate their teaching performance and observations through regular reflective conferences
10. Advise the SPC as early as possible of any TES who is having difficulty meeting expectations
11. Regarding TES who are having difficulty meeting expectations, facilitate and follow the Individual Support Plan ’ procedure as required
12. Encourage the development of the TES’s professional attitude and experiences
13. Complete the Formative Assessment via discussion with the TES during the placement at the appropriate time, and decide in consultation with the SPC(and TS if appointed) whether the TES has at least demonstrated the required Teaching Standards.
14. Access and complete the professional experience Final Report via the SONIA Online platform in the final week of the placement – seeking assistance from SPC if required. To access SONIA ST require a unique SONIA username and password.  Please contact the Professional Experience Unit - peu@newcastle.edu.au for assistance.
15. IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING PAIRED PLACEMENTS :
    If allocated a paired placement, where the ST has 2 TES at the same time, then each TES should teach independently and teach the required number of lessons. For example, TES 1 may have a Year 7 class and 2 Year 9 classes; TES 2 may have the ST’s other Year 7 class and a Year 8 and Year 10 class. The ST’s timetable should be divided between the two TES, and the TES should not be team teaching at this time. Independent feedback for each TES will be required.

During placement, it is expected that the TES will gain personal experience of the total Site environment by participating in a full range of class/room and Site activities.

Over the course of the placement, to gain as much experience as possible the TES will need to:

1. Gain an understanding of the Site’s community, the Site’s program, physical surroundings and Site’s facilities.
2. Observe the teaching procedures used by the ST(s) and should use the Observation templates provided in the course
3. Become acquainted with the students,  teaching, learning as many names as possible and acquiring some background information about students.
4. Become familiar with curricula, departmental and Site policies and resources, teaching aids, etc
5. Assist, where appropriate, in the carrying out of routine tasks which are normally the responsibility of teachers/educators.
6. Observe the ST's methods in obtaining effective group or behavior management and discipline and creating a positive classroom atmosphere.
7. Plan, teach and evaluate lessons
8. Participate in reflective conferences with the ST
9. Complete the Formative Assessment with the ST at the appropriate time(s) during the placement
10. Discuss with the ST strategies to assist their development as teachers (refer to Appendix 2 Targeted Areas for Development).
11. Communicate effectively with a range of Site personnel
12. Work collaboratively with fellow TES and Site personnel
13. Sign the attendance book each day to ensure that the Site can verify your attendance.  Additionally, complete attendance or absence in the SONIA Online timesheets
14. Develop and maintain professional experience portfolio as important written evidence of learning
15. At all times behave in a professional manner that meets the standards of the University of Newcastle’s Code of Conduct and your Site’s code of ethics
16. View and sign off on professional experience Final Report prior to leaving the placement Site on final day

A representative of the University is appointed as Supervisor to most TES placements.  A TS will visit the TES during the course of the placement period.

Over the course of the placement the TS will be able to assist the TES and the Site with any queries relating to administering the placement and provide the TES with an observation report.  Additionally, the TS will:

1. Liaise professionally with relevant Site personnel prior to the allocated supervision visit(s) and schedule their visits with the Site as soon as practicable.
2. Work with Site personnel to facilitate the professional growth of the TES
3. Check lesson plans / units of work and the ‘hard copy’ portfolio to ensure that the TES has adequately prepared for and reflected on lessons/practice
4. Observe the TES the appropriate point in time allocated to this course.  Provide a written evaluation that reflects the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and supports an informed opinion about teaching potential.  A Lesson Observation Form is to be completed and submitted electronically using SONIA Online.
5. Assist the ST/PSC to facilitate and follow the Individual Support Plan procedure if required
6. Afford the TES adequate additional support if needed. Should a second inspection be considered necessary, the Course Coordinator and PEU should be contacted prior to this occurring
7. Liaise with ST and SPC to ensure the Formative Assessment is completed at the appropriate time, and the professional experience Final Report is accessed and completed in the final week of the placement.
8. Consult as needed with the ST on the content of the professional experience final report – encourage the ST to complete the report for the student’s final day of placement.
9. Sign the TES professional experience Final Report via the SONIA Online using the unique login and password supplied to the TS for such purpose.

Where the placement is outside the University’s designated placement area, the role of the TS is to:

1. Consult with appropriate Site personnel by phone, email and video link about the TES’s progress
2. Consult with the TES by phone, email and video link about their progress
3. Review and respond to documentation sent from Site personnel and/or the TES
4. Consult by phone or email with the ST on the content of the professional experience final report.
5. Out of Area supervision will require where possible ONE lesson to be recorded and a video link to be sent to the TS for feedback. The TES must seek permission from the Site and from parents for this filming to be undertaken.  Note that students DO NOT need to be filmed, only the TES.

NB: Where the placement is the final or Internship placement the role of the TS is to also:

1. Ensure the onsite visit to observe the TES is towards the end of Phase 1 (end of week 3 or beginning of week 4) and the QT coded lesson observation is in Phase 2 Usually week 8) A Lesson Observation Template and QT Coded Lesson Observation Template is to be completed and submitted electronically using SONIA Online.
2. Arrange pre and post observation meeting times that allow for the QT Rounds style of discussion about the lesson that was coded.  The TES should be a part of this open Rounds discussion of their practice.