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My name is Kylie Lewis, I have been studying my Bachelor of Education for the Primary school sector for seven years and will complete my studies at the end of 2017.  During this time I have raised a young family of 4, my youngest being 2 when I started and my eldest being 7, run a small trade business, worked part time (at one point, managing two jobs at one time) and volunteered at the kids Rugby League club in multiple roles including treasurer, secretary and first aid officer.  My persistence and determination to find a life balance and complete my studies with many commitments, has given me valuable experience that support my degree and desired career path.

I decided to become a primary educator after raising my children. From the time my eldest was three, I would set up a little classroom in the corner of our study with his own weather chart, calendar and a magnetic board where he could arrange the alphabet and learn to count to 10 using magnetic manipulatives.  I had so much fun with him and realised my passion was in educating young children.  I want to make a difference in children's lives by encourage positive attitudes and creating fun, supportive and inclusive experiences for all young children.

I have a strong passion for Health and Physical Education and believe that there are countless benefits to be gained from providing and encouraging all children to participate in physical activity. My dream is to become a classroom teacher who works closely and collaboratively with Health and Physical Education staff, and become a fundamental part of the organisation, coaching and managing of carnivals, teams and events within and outside of the school. I have studied team management, organisation and coaching to allow me to be better equipped to do this. I also have a coaching certificate for rugby league, and netball and wish to gain further qualifications throughout my career. Furthermore, I am a qualified and highly experienced level 2 first aid sports trainer and league safe. This is something that motivates me and a part of my life that I am extremely passionate and proud of.

I love to see all children

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My professional placement for EDP2222 was in a co-educational public, country school that educates 170 students.   The school is situated in the Scenic Rim Council approximately 1 hour south-west of Brisbane and has very little cultural diversity.  The school places a large emphasis on community, with a great sense of belonging and respect for the people and places.  My classroom is a combined grade 3/4 class with 26 students of which 13 are grade 3 and 13 grade 4.  There are 14 boys and 12 girls which exhibit significant academic diversity.  All students are English speaking and there are no obvious cultural diversities within the group
Being a composite class, I already knew that I would need to differentiate my lessons so that I catered for the needs of all students in order to keep them motivated and engaged.  However, to do this, I needed to first observe my students and determine what their strenght, weaknesses, likes and dislikes were. The Productive Pedagogies emphasise the importance of connectedness, in that students need to feel like there is a purpose to what they are doing and learning.  (Queensland Government, 2012).  Students are more likely to stay on task when they feel like what they are doing is purposeful and engaging.  When first placed in my classroom, I was able to observe students during class and playground time and make notes on some of their behaviours, learning characteristics and personality traits.  Conversations with my mentor allowed me to get deeper into who they are and where they come from, their backgrounds and home situations.  I also had conversations with students to allow me to appreciate what excites them, their likes and dislikes.   I used this information and created an observation chart (1.1).  I could then use this information to inform my planning.   I was able to develop lesson plans which cater to the needs of the multiple inteligencies of all learners (Howard Gardner, 1987).

Active observations had allowed me to recognise that at one end of the scale, I had Jayde and Harmony, who were confident and capable whilst at the other end, I needed to cater for John who rarely engaged with the lesson unless he has one-on-one support.  I was able to plan my lessons to include extention activities for early finishers, provided support for the students who needed it and ensure I catered for John and Seth.  After reflecting on my time spent in the classroom, coupled with the feedback (1.5) provided by my mentor, engaging in active observations had allowed me to plan a differentiated lesson with strategies that catered for all of my students learning styles.  This meant that I was better prepared and felt confident in my abilities and delivery.

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Belief statement

Like Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000), I believe that students come with a range of skills, beliefs, ideas and prior knowledge that influence how they observe and interpret their environment, which subsequently affects their ability to remember, understand, problem solve, and acquire new knowledge.  Not only are people intellectual beings, but they also possess social and emotional qualities that make them unique learners.  As a teacher, I believe the most important beginning to a positive, engaging education is getting to know your students so that you can understand what pedagogical strategies best support their learning.  A belief that resonates with that of Fredrich Frobel who, according to Gutek (2001), established that each child needs to be accepted as an individual with his or her own unique needs and interests, and educated accordingly (p127).  Furthermore, to be an effective teacher it is important to know what I am teaching and how to teach it.  To achieve this, I need to have an understanding of the Australian Curriculum (2016), and teaching strategies that best support its delivery.  The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians acknowledges that globalisation and changes in technology are placing greater demands on Australian education and skills development than ever before (Ministerial Council on Education, 2008).  Therefore, I believe it is essential to engage in ongoing professional development to keep abreast of strategies and pedagogical content knowledge that will allow me to effectively plan and deliver lessons and assessment.

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Standard 1 - Know your students and how they learn

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Standard 1 - Know your students and how they learn

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1.1  - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.

1.2  – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.

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Year 3/4 Professional experience report