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This practice portfolio includes a critical reflection on the three lesson plans that were written in the previous assignment. A reflection on the effectiveness of the lesson is made whilst taking into consideration how each lesson plan integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches. An evaluation is made of the professional development I have had as a preservice teacher thus far whilst analysing my teacher identity. This portfolio will also include multiple recommendations for improvement of the lesson plans design and delivery.

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The three-lesson plan sequence that was completed in AT2 provided students with an opportunity to develop their understanding of the significance animals have to indigenous culture whilst exploring themes of conservation and sustainability. Each lesson plan’s learning intentions considered the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to land. The lesson plans were based on the Victorian curriculum in recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures whilst including knowledge and skills to protect the integrity of these cultures. The AITSL (Australian Institute for teaching and school leadership) standards were also used as an indication of what should be included in the lesson plans in order for students to have a greater understanding of the content being taught. An example of a AITSL standards that was taken into consideration were 1.4, which can be identified as “Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students”. Throughout the trimester, a wide variety of resources expanded my knowledge on the importance of responsibly educating on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities. It is clear that the best way for educators to do this is by including indigenous voices in the class and reaching out to communities of indigenous Australians that are part of the school. The effectiveness of the lesson plans on achieving this are successful as literature and art were used to introduce indigenous culture to young children. This allows students to be engaged in the learning they are participating in whilst empowering them take ownership over their learning (by creating a short story in the final lesson plan). The lesson plans were designed for young students as an introduction to start having conversations around the importance of respecting and learning what the indigenous culture is, in a respectful and responsible way.

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How each lesson plan integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches:

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How each lesson plan integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches:

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Each lesson plan integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches in some capacity. In the beginning of each lesson, an acknowledgement would be made before learning commences. In the first lesson, the intention was for students to be introduced to some Australian Animals and to learn the significance these animals have within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities. Students were challenged to think about different animals that are unique to Australia and  were given opportunities to hear Indigenous stories that are significant to these animals. It is important that these stories are sourced correctly and told in a way that is respectful to the culture. This can be done by Including an Indigenous voice in the class to tell these stories. Conservation is also part of the Indigenous Identity and in this lesson, students are given a chance to discuss conservation of the animals they are exploring with each other. The second lesson plan integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches as this lesson was centred around the class reading a book written by Gladys Milroy who is an Indigenous Australian. Students would be made aware of this and explore the significance of what it means to be reading a story written by an Indigenous person. The book for this lesson was chosen specifically as it explores ideas of conservation and sustainability of Australian animals through an Indigenous lends. This is a clear way to integrate these approaches in lessons. The third lesson plan challenges students to utilise the knowledge they have gained from the previous lessons by creating their own short story. Stories will be centred around the ideas of connection to land and what it means to care and conserve the earth they live on. These are simple but effective themes that are at the roots of what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and identities are in relation to the land. These short stories that will be made in the lesson can allow students to develop their learning around a concept that they may not be familiar with (that being, what does it mean to care for the land and personal connection to conservation). This is also an effective lesson as it gives students an opportunity to advance their literacy and creative skills.

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Reflection of professional development as a preservice teacher:

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Reflection of professional development as a preservice teacher:

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My professional development as a preservice teacher has evolved this trimester as I have been exposed to many resources that have provided insight into views of aboriginal and Torres strait Islander knowledge. More specifically, my knowledge has deepened on the importance of including indigenous voices in the classroom, lesson plans and essays in order to responsibly ensure cultures and identities are respected. According to Mike Exell and Grame Gower in their chapter of “Developing strong relationships with Aboriginal students, families and communities”, The role family has on a child may be different than those who are non-Aboriginal Australian children. This is because indigenous families have a more community based- approach in the raising of the child with can carry onto a child’s education. Exell and Gower explain that it is important that teachers find ways to demonstrate to families that they are open to creating a mutual and respectful relationship with the parents and extended family members (pp. 87). My teacher’s identity has been shaped by having a greater understanding the importance of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the class and ensuring that the culture is respected. The term ‘culturally responsive teaching’ has been deepened in my development as a pre-service teacher. I have become more aware of what it means to have meaningful and an intentional interest in respecting the lived experiences of students to create a safe learning environment. Culturally responsive teaching can be defined as ‘ using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives of ethically diverse students as conduits for teaching them more effectively’ (Gay, 2002, p106).

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Improvements can be made on the three lesson plans to assist in the progression of ongoing learning and development for students. This can be done by considering what the needs are of the students that are being taught, then reflecting on the lesson plans to see if they meet those needs. It is important for the teacher to consider the different types of learning styles that students have in the class and accommodate for that. Some students may need extra support to stay engaged in the lesson whilst other students might not. These are the things to be considered. In the first lesson plan, areas for improvement may be that students could benefit from seeing an example of the puppet that the teacher made previously. This could help with understanding the task in a better way. It is also important to consider the time of day that the lesson takes place to ensure students are feeling alert. Because this lesson is planned to be a more creative, artistic focused lesson, it was planned to happen at the end of the day as students may be feeling tired and could benefit from a relaxed learning activity. This lesson plan can also be improved by providing specific resources to stories and facts for the teacher to share with the students. This will lead to a detailed and organised lesson plan that will allow the teacher to be prepared. The second lesson plan can be Improved by taking into consideration how to keep students engaged in the story that is being read. Initially, the idea to achieve this was for students to follow along with the story by using the puppets that they created in the previous lesson. Other ways for engagement to be achieved is to pause throughout the story and ask students to summarise what has happened thus far. This will also provide the teacher with an opportunity to check for understanding. A recommendation for the third lesson to be Improved is by beginning the lesson with a collective brainstorm of all the different ideas students have around connection and conservation to the land. This may help with formulating ideas around what their short stories are and provide an opportunity to hear what each other’s thoughts are.

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To summarise what has been explored in this portfolio, the lesson plans that were created are effective in allowing students to be introduced to concepts such as conservation, connection to land and Indigenous identities in a respectful yet creative way. The development that I have had as a pre-service teacher has been guided by the many resources and assessment tasks that have challenged me to think of concepts to further improve professional development.