For many pre-service teachers, this may be their first time setting foot in one of the various school settings that the NSW Department of Education has to offer.

You may find yourself sharing your expertise and supervising a pre-service teacher for as little as one week or as long as one school term. To ensure that both you and the pre-service teacher have a positive experience, consider the following ways to support your pre-service teacher through a successful practicum placement.

1. Ensure mandatory requirements are met

To support the development of excellence, staff members supervising professional experience placements in all schools must undertake relevant professional learning to underpin their knowledge and skills. The supervising preservice teachers - online training program has been developed and made available by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to guide your professional development.

As well as completing the mandatory professional learning, you must also attain your proficient teacher accreditation before being eligible to supervise a pre-service teacher.

2. Formally induct your pre-service teacher

Completing a placement in a school can be both a daunting and exciting experience, so welcoming the pre-service teacher in a friendly and organised manner will provide a strong initial foundation to their professional experience placement.

As the supervising teacher, it is important that you arrange an induction for your pre-service teacher. This can be completed on the first day of their placement or during a pre-placement meeting.

To ensure a successful and compliant induction, read the 4 steps of the induction process for pre-service teachers. These steps provide guidance for supervising teachers who mentor and assess pre-service teachers. You will find an onboarding checklist, mandatory prerequisites and best-practice guidelines to support a high-quality placement experience. In some schools, the mandatory induction actions listed may be completed by staff other than the supervising teacher, such as the Head Teacher Administration, Professional Experience Coordinator or School Administration Officer.

Schools and initial teacher education providers can also access the Pre-service Teacher Hub for further advice on preparing pre-service teachers for a successful professional experience placement.

3. Establish your expectations during their placement

Setting realistic boundaries and expectations for both yourself and your pre-service teacher should be done in line with the expectations of the school and the NSW Department of Education’s Code of Conduct.

Pre-service teachers are often instructed to submit lesson plans and accompanying resources to their supervising teachers in advance. Be sure to actively communicate your expected submission time frame with your pre-service teacher.

Consider:

• When should they send lesson plans for approval?
• Through which platform should they send them?
• When can they expect feedback on their lesson plans? Will this be verbal or written/digital communication?
• How and when can they contact you if they have a question or concern?

You can also communicate additional expectations of your pre-service teacher in line with school expectations. This may include dress code on regular teaching days and sport days, arrival and departure times and the number of lessons they are expected to teach and observe.

4. Encourage your pre-service teacher to explore what the department offers

Rural Professional Experience Program

Is your pre-service teacher interested in completing a future placement in a regional, rural or remote NSW public school? Students participating in this program will be able to experience the benefits of a teaching career in a rural NSW public school alongside another pre-service teacher from their university.

Beyond the Line Program

Second and third year undergraduate students can apply for the opportunity to participate in a week-long expenses paid trip with the department to experience teaching at selected regional, rural and remote NSW public schools.

Career Connections Program

Second, third and final-year Bachelor of Education and Master of Teaching students can apply for the opportunity to explore teaching as a career across western and south-western Sydney.

Get paid to study

Encourage your pre-service teacher to explore our get paid to study section. Here, they will find a number of scholarship opportunities which offer financial support and a guaranteed permanent teaching position upon completion of their studies.

5. Log this activity as professional development

Did you know that you can gain hours towards the maintenance of your accreditation by supporting and mentoring a pre-service teacher? Your support of a pre-service teacher is classed as a professional commitment activity, and as such, you are able to log the hours spent mentoring, coaching or engaging with teacher education students as professional development through your NESA online account (eTAMS).

For more information visit NESA’s Professional development requirements webpage.

Thank you for your continued support of our future teachers.