Higher level accreditation

Supervising a pre-service teacher is a fantastic way of sharing your skills and experience. It is also a pathway towards accreditation as a Highly Accomplished teacher.

As a highly accomplished teacher, you are a highly effective and skilled classroom practitioner, and routinely work independently and collaboratively to improve your practice and the practice of colleagues.

You contribute to your colleagues' learning and may also take on roles that guide, advise or lead others, including colleagues and pre-service teachers.

You maximise learning opportunities for your students by understanding their backgrounds and diverse individual characteristics and the impact of those factors on their learning.

You have in-depth knowledge of your subjects and curriculum content. You work with colleagues to plan, evaluate and modify teaching programs to improve student learning and keep abreast of the latest developments in your specialist content area or across a range of content areas for generalist teachers.

Your interpersonal and presentation skills are highly developed and you communicate effectively and respectfully with students, colleagues, parents/carers and community members. - https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards/understand-the-teacher-standards/career-stages

Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers mentoring pre-service teachers

It is essential that pre-service teachers are exposed to expertise and mentored by high performing teachers during their professional experience placements.

The skills required for supervising teachers align closely with the practice articulated in the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Standards

Standard 6 describes how teachers should support pre-service teachers while they are on professional experience placement.


Focus Area Highly Accomplished Descriptor Lead Descriptor

6.1

Analyse the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to plan personal professional development goals, support colleagues to identify and achieve personal development goals and pre-service teachers to improve classroom practice.

Use comprehensive knowledge of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to plan and lead the development of professional learning policies and programs that address the professional learning needs of colleagues and pre-service teachers.

6.2

Plan for professional learning by accessing and critiquing relevant research, engage in high quality targeted opportunities to improve practice and offer quality placements for pre-service teachers where applicable.

Initiate collaborative relationships to expand professional learning opportunities, engage in research, and provide quality opportunities and placements for pre-service teachers.


Aspiring Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers

The benefits of supervising pre-service teachers:

You are provided an opportunity to:

  • network with other supervising teachers and professional experience coordinators.
  • develop mentoring, coaching and leadership skills.
  • gain experience that can support you in gaining future promotions or leadership roles.
  • reflect on your own classroom practice and impact on student learning outcomes.
  • broaden your sphere of influence.
  • have professional conversations about the latest educational research and evidence-based strategies.
  • observe different ways of working.
  • gather evidence that can be used in a HALT application.

Standard Descriptor 6.1.3

Example

▪ works with colleagues and pre-service teachers using expert knowledge and understanding of the Standards to plan professional learning goals targeted at improving teaching and classroom practice

▪ meets with colleagues and pre-service teachers to use the Standards as a focus for pre-observation discussions to identify Standard Descriptors connected to professional learning goals impacting teaching and classroom practice

▪ uses post-observation analysis and feedback with colleagues and pre-service teachers to identify and/or evaluate achievement of personal and professional development goals aligned to the Standards and discuss further planning

Standard Descriptor 6.2.3

Example

▪ plans for quality placements for pre-service teachers using expertise and experience to devise professional learning opportunities and programs of support

▪ supports pre-service teachers through observations, co-teaching and modelling of classroom practice to implement a range of teaching strategies to improve practice

▪ discusses and provides feedback to support pre-service teachers’ professional development to improve teaching practice and impact student learning achievement


Reference: Highly Accomplished Teacher Evidence Guide

For applicants working in K–12 schools November 2022

Standard Descriptor 6.1.4

Example

▪ uses the Standards to lead the evaluation of professional learning policies and programs, analysing data from a variety of sources to identify the professional learning needs of colleagues and pre-service teachers relative to school priority areas

▪ uses comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Standards to mentor and support colleagues and pre-service teachers to plan their professional learning needs and conceptualise a shared understanding of what constitutes quality teaching and learning


Standard Descriptor 6.2.4

Example

▪ takes a lead role in expanding research-based professional learning opportunities for colleagues, establishing professional networks and collaborative relationships to improve a whole school approach to support classroom readiness for early career and pre-service teachers

▪ engages in evidence-based research to lead professional learning with colleagues and establish school-wide targets to expand and support quality opportunities to provide pre-service teacher placements to support development and ensure teacher education graduates are classroom ready

Reference: Lead Teacher Evidence Guide

For applicants working in K–12 schools November 2022

Resources

The following resources can support you to:





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