Focus area 1.

3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds

Descriptor Design and implement teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socio economic
backgrounds.
Reasoning Australias linguistic, cultural, religious, socioeconomic and geographic diversity requires teachers to develop exceptional skills to ensure that all students no matter what
their background or where they live, achieve their full potential. This requires teachers to build on the contributions that diversity brings to the classroom, being able to use
their pedagogical knowledge to ensure that teaching strategies are responsive to the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, are used. (Teaching in Remote Australian
Schools: Enhancing Pre-Service Teacher Education, 2014, A Resource Package.
http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/fms/education_files/coreacom/TERRR%20Network/Teacher%20Guide%203.pdf
Examples
of
evidence
The Humanities Year 7 Ancient Egypt unit catered for a variety of learning styles and encouraged inquiry based learning through students articulating what they
would like to learn and also undertaking independent research. This teaching and learning unit plan included teaching strategies which were designed and based on
the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. (See attached: Allans %27 IUP.doc) This unit
would be improved by implementing the feedback given by my tutor. (See attached: Allan integrated uni mark and Allan Intergrated Unit feedback)

During my semester 2 practicum at Williamstown Highschool I took part in the EAL class. I was able to observe, implement and give feedback on learning programs for
students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds that included teaching strategies that had been designed based on information
gathered about students learning strengths and needs. In this class students of Chinese background were diligent but required more initiative and independence in
group discussions. There learning style was opposite to the Spanish, Italian, Swedish and Vietnamese students who had great initiative in discussion but lacked work
ethic. A response to this situation was the pairing students so that their learning styles and strengths complemented each other in their written and verbal.
Post observation, this proved to be an effective strategy that promoted worthwhile discussions and increased the class work ethic.