A pre-service teacher is completing a qualification that meets the requirements of a nationally accredited program of initial teacher education. The award of this qualification means that they have met the standards at the Graduate career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Standards) articulate what teachers are expected to know and be able to do at 4 career stages: Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead. The Teacher Standards make explicit the knowledge, skills and attributes required at each of the four career stages.

The Standards have two main purposes:

1. to improve the quality of teaching

2. to support the career progression of Australian teachers

The seven Standards are interconnected, interdependent and overlapping. Each career stage includes descriptors that help you understand and develop yours and the pre-service teachers practice and expertise. Each career stages has the Standards organised into three domains of teaching.

• Professional Knowledge

• Professional Practice

• Professional Engagement..

Mentoring using the Graduate Standards

As a supervising teacher you will mentor and coach pre-service teachers to improve their professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement.

You can do this by:

1. Breaking down and discussing the Standard Descriptors with your pre-service teacher and plan professional learning goals targeted at improving the quality of their teaching and impact on student learning outcomes.
2. Supporting the pre-service teachers through observations, co-teaching and modelling of classroom practice to implement a range of teaching strategies.
3. Providing your pre-service teacher with informal and written feedback to support their professional development and impact on student learning achievement.
4. Discussing the goals and evidence that you need for your pre-service teacher to demonstrate they have met the Graduate Standards. Refer to the Professional experience - Evidence guide for supervising teachers © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)

The following resources can support you to:

• create a professional development plan for the pre-service teacher - self-reflection against the graduate standards, SMART goal planning template and classroom practice feedback - graduate © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2024
• develop the pre-service teachers knowledge and skills by recommending specific "Setting up for Success" webinars that link to their professional development plan. © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2022
• develop a deeper understanding of the Standards by reviewing filmed illustrations of the standards © Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)