Practicum
All of Educations Undergraduate and Graduate Entry programs undertake Practicum Placements in various areas of schooling, pre-schooling and adult institutions around Adelaide.
What's it all about?
The practicum's undertaken during your studies will enable you, the Student Teacher, to begin the process of learning to teach. The emphasis will be on orientation towards the teaching profession, introduction to working in a whole site setting with some understanding of the community context, and introduction to aspects of the teacher's role. You will be expected to demonstrate the necessary interest, personal qualities and the attitudes of a person who expects to enter the teaching/caring profession. To start with you will not be expected to have highly developed skills, but rather we expect you to develop and demonstrate progress in skill development as you move through your program.
The objectives at the First Year level are that the Student Teacher will be able to:
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demonstrate an ability to relate effectively and professionally to children, students and placement staff;
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demonstrate a commitment to working within the conventions of practicum sites and the profession;
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demonstrate familiarity with site policies, procedures and management systems;
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satisfactorily complete a series of observations of site practices and facilities;
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demonstrate initial skills in planning, and evaluating learning activities appropriate to teaching small groups and single activities;
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demonstrate initial skills in teaching and facilitating learning for individuals and small groups;
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demonstrate an ability to manage individual learners and groups of learners positively;
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competently undertake a range of simple para-professional tasks associated with teaching;
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demonstrate realistic insights into likely personal success as a future member of the teaching profession.
As Practicum's progress you will be required to become more involved with all aspects of teaching such as preparing materials in order to effectively teach, addressing student needs such as how individuals best learn, behaviour management techniques and out of hours involvement with sites for example staff meetings.
It is important to remember that:
As Student Teachers, you are invited guests of the practicum site and you are
expected to behave accordingly. The impression that you make on staff
in regard to your commitment, willingness to learn, initiative and
cooperativeness, will in no small measure, determine whether the site will
continue to accept Student Teachers in the future.