Part A will focus on:
- what they have learned about reflective practice
- the things they will do differently as a result of their learning about reflective practice
- the results of their initial reflection against the standards.
TSA Reflecting on standards – supervisor support notes
The purpose of the support notes is to familiarise supervisors with the course, and to provide specific advice on how best to support teachers as they work through the course.
About this course
In this course, teachers will learn about the essential role of reflective practice in the performance and development process. Designed for both new and experienced teachers, this course will build on teachers’ practical skills, hone their reflective abilities and give them lasting capabilities to support career-long development.
In this course, teachers will:
- reflect on their own practice and set goals to improve it
- learn to use the Standards as a guide as they build their teaching expertise
- explore the theoretical findings of prominent research including the work from the Australian Charter for the Professional Learning of Teachers and School Leaders amongst others.
There are 4 parts to this course. Various tasks require the teacher to apply what they have learnt in their school context as part of the course.
Understanding the role of the supervisor
For the purpose of this course, the supervisor may be:
- a member of the school executive
- an expert teacher
- a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher
- a teacher mentor
- any teacher responsible for supporting other teachers' professional development.
As a supervisor of a teacher working through this course, you should:
- meet with the teacher you are supervising at recommended points
- help the teacher make connections between the course content and their teaching practice.
Your role as supervisor
If there are a team of teachers in your school working through this course together, you could lead the whole team. You might also consider:
- differentiating the facilitation of practical activities to suit the unique needs of your school
- providing regular feedback to help teachers apply the course content successfully in their classrooms.
Your role as supervisor, however, should be determined by your unique context and the needs of your colleagues. You should think strategically about the amount and type of support that would enable high-impact professional learning.
You may wish to consult the department’s advice on high-impact professional learning for school leaders as you consider your role as supervisor.
It is understood, however, that in some circumstances it may only be possible for some supervisors to have minimal involvement. Teachers are still able to complete the course without direct, ongoing leadership from you.
Course completion and recognition of professional development
Teachers who are maintaining their accreditation can have their professional development (PD) hours for this course recognised as Elective PD.
These course completion conditions are as follows:
- completion of all tasks and professional readings
- reflection is completed at the end of each part of A, B and C
- completion of all course evaluation questions in Part D: Reflection.
Once teachers have completed all course requirements, they can log the course as Elective PD in eTAMS.
Supervisor meeting discussion points
At each meeting, your discussion with the teacher you are supervising should focus on key learning drawn from each part of the course.
Part A
Part B
Part B will focus on:
- their prioritised areas for improvement
- the short-term goals they have set for themselves
- the evidence they will collect.
Part C
Part C will focus on:
- their thinking about professional learning activities/ experiences
- what each of their goals involves
- what they need to know, understand and do to achieve their goals
- the professional learning activities/ experiences available for them to achieve the goals
- their anticipated timeframe to undertake the activities/ experiences
- the implementation of their plan
- how they may apply changes to their thinking and classroom practices.
Part D
Part D will focus on:
- their successes in relation to the goals
- any areas they feel they still need to work on
- their new goals and plan for professional learning activities/ experiences.
Course outline
There are 4 parts to this course. Various tasks require the teacher to apply what they have learnt in their school context as part of the course.
Part A
Part A – Preparation
- approximately 3 hours long – 3 tasks
- learn about reflective practice
- initial reflection against the standards
Part B
Part B – Where do I need to be?
- approximately 2.5 hours long – 4 tasks
- identify and prioritise areas for improvement
- set improvement goals
Part C
Part C – What do I need to do?
- approximately 3 hours long – 1 reading, 4 tasks
- plan for improvement
- apply changes in the classroom
Part D
Part D – Reflection
- approximately 1.5 hours long – 4 tasks
- reflect against the standard descriptors/ have goals been achieved?
- set new goals
- review what you have learned during the course
- review the standard descriptors you have demonstrated
Learn more
Supervisors should view the course content to familiarise themselves with TSA Reflecting on standards.