Evidence Set Six:
Professional conduct and compliance
Overview
Evidence Set Six illustrates the ways in which I display professional conduct in my daily practice and comply with relevant requirements, policies and processes at organisational and legislative levels.
Descriptors identified
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
4.4 Maintain student safety
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
6-A Legislative requirements
6-B School policy requirements
6-C Reflective practice
Annotation
Artefact 6-A I have engaged in required professional development to stay up to date with legislative requirements to ensure that I am equipped to comply with the responsibilities in my role. Although I have not been required to utilise the training for identifying neglect or abuse, nor to report conduct under mandatory reporting, I am equipped to do so, should the need arise and in this way I am ensuring student safety (4.4, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2). The training I have completed for the NCCD also helps me to ensure that I am complying with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, to support the full participation of children with disability across all domains of the standards that are within my responsibility as a teacher (1.6, 7.1, 7.2)
Artefact 6-B The items in this artefact pertain to the process that I participated in when a child in my class was suspended for physical violence against another child (although I was absent on the day the incident occurred and therefore was not involved in the earlier stages of the process).
To maintain safety for all children, standards for acceptable behaviour must be upheld, and the process of suspension is one that is hopefully not often used, but is nevertheless important. The children involved on both sides of the conflict were treated with care and respect, and the welfare of them both as well as the other children in the class, was a central focus throughout the process. As a result, the suspended child successfully re-entered school and the wellbeing of all children has continued (4.3, 4.4).
Artefact 6-C Reflective practice is a valuable tool for teachers, to bring awareness and intention to their teaching, to identify areas of strength as well as areas for development and to thereby improve all aspects of their practice. While I am continually reflecting informally on my practice everyday, I also regularly reflect more formally on lessons and activities that I am delivering, which enables me to identify the aspects that are effective and those that I could perhaps change. Coupled with peer observation, reflective practise is helping me to continually improve as a teacher and to therefore enhance the learning outcomes of the children whom I teach (3.6, 6.3, ).
Reflection
Having the duty of care for children is the most fundamental aspect of being a teacher and forms the basis upon which the wellbeing of children at school is built. Also, by nature of the close interactions a teacher has with the children in their class each day, we are in a unique position to offer a place of safety and trust outside of their own families. This is a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Taking the time to reflect on my own practice regularly is a time-consuming process, but one that I know is instrumental to my continuing development and growth as a teacher. However it has also been helpful for me to be able to recognise how far I have come and what I have achieved in my time as a teacher.