QCT Professional Skills/Standards

Commit to reflective practice and professional renewal

Practice

At a minimum graduates of approved pre-service teacher education programs will be able to:

• reflect critically on personal professional practice

• use professional standards to analyse professional strengths and weaknesses, set personal professional goals, and assess their capacity to meet the professional and ethical requirements of the Queensland College of Teachers

• identify and know how to access professional development opportunities for improving teaching practice and the performance of other aspects of the role of a teacher

• identify and access learning communities and professional networks

• perform teaching and non-teaching duties in a manner that is consistent with employing authority and school policies and procedures and legal and ethical obligations of teachers

• actively participate in mentoring, coaching and other professional learning programs

Knowledge

In order to meet these minimum expectations, graduates of approved pre-service teacher education programs will have a sound fundamental knowledge of:

• the changing role of the teacher in contemporary society

• school and employing authority policies on accountability

• the legal, ethical and professional responsibilities of teachers and obligations in regard to child protection

• standards and ethical and accountability requirements established for the profession by the Queensland College of Teachers

• a range of contemporary research on teacher professionalism

• how to access educational research, contribute to learning communities and professional networks, including through the use of ICT, to support professional learning, self-assessment and development

• mentoring and coaching techniques

• learning communities, professional networks and organisations with the capacity to support learning and development activities

• strategies for reflective practice and lifelong learning

Values: The development of elements of knowledge and practice through the preservice program should acknowledge the importance of appropriate values and dispositions for teaching, and lead towards development of the values described in the Professional Standards for Queensland Teachers.

Design and implement engaging and flexible learning experiences for individuals and groups

Practice

At a minimum graduates of approved pre-service teacher education programs will be able to:

·         establish learning goals and learning plans that reflect relevant curriculum frameworks and policies

·         know how to communicate learning goals and plans to students, families, caregivers and other parties

·         select and use teaching and learning strategies and resources that meet specified learning goals, curriculum requirements, learning needs, interests and learning styles

·         identify and apply learning experiences that incorporate flexible individual and group learning, teaching, assessment and behaviour management strategies

·         identify and use teaching, learning and assessment strategies and resources in which ICT is embedded

·         know how to gather information from a range of sources to evaluate learning activities and how to use this information to improve teaching, learning and assessment strategies and resources

Knowledge

In order to meet these minimum expectations, graduates of approved pre-service teacher education programs will have a sound fundamental knowledge of:

·         the content, processes and skills of the areas they teach and links across content areas

·         the socially, culturally, historically constructed nature of knowledge

·         ways of identifying learning goals

·         lesson and program planning

·         relevant curriculum frameworks and an awareness of school, authority and employer policies and procedures

·         how students learn and the implications for practice in the early, middle and senior phases of learning

·         ways of gathering and using student information in the design of learning experiences

·         ways of identifying, evaluating and selecting teaching, learning and assessment strategies, resources and technology

·         effective teaching, learning and assessment strategies and resources where ICT is embedded

·         individual learning needs of students including students with particular needs such as disabilities and

·         learning difficulties, and gifted students

·         techniques for planning, negotiating, implementing the curriculum and evaluating learning experiences

Values:

·         The development of elements of knowledge and practice through the pre-service program should acknowledge the importance of appropriate values and dispositions for teaching, and lead towards development of the values described in the Professional Standards for Queensland Teachers.