Narelle Hancock
Personal Statement
Introduction
I am a qualified and enthusiastic teacher with past
industrial experience and a love of STEM. I have
successfully taught in a range of subjects and year levels
and have been involved in classroom teaching, team
teaching and teaching strategy trials within the school.
I am very passionate about science and mathematics as
a result of my own education and background. My goal
as a teacher is to encourage innovation and to plan
interactive, student-centred lessons with flexible
scaffolding to give the maximum potential for academic
and personal success.
Professional Knowledge
I am qualified to teach middle school maths, science and
senior chemistry/biology.
I have completed a Bachelor of Technology in Forensic
and Analytical Chemistry and a Bachelor of Science
(Honors) based at Forensic SA. I have worked at
Renmark High School and Charles Campbell Collage as
a Science/Biology and Maths Teacher. Previously I have
worked in the dangerous goods sector using investigative
chemistry skills to identify unknown hazardous
chemicals. I use this past experience and the students
own interests to enhance content delivery.
I believe that all students have different social, physical
and intellectual levels of development and as an
educator; it is my responsibility to cater to these levels.
By giving notification of any changes in routine, providing
challenging extension work and opportunities for
individual work, I support students with high-functioning
aspergers. I utilise ICT in the classroom to cater to
students with different learning styles and to provide
modelling of theoretical concepts along with hands-on
interaction in the laboratory.
An important cross curriculum priority of the Australian
Curriculum is to incorporate an appreciation and respect
for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and
identity. By introducing Indigenous perspectives into the
sciences, students develop an increased cultural
awareness and a deeper understanding when exploring
social and environmental problems, such as how modern
science in conjunction with traditional ecological
knowledge allows us to manage different ecosystems.
I utilise reflection after each lesson and develop flexible
lesson plans designed specifically to my cohort of
students using Gardners Multiple Intelligences and the
Higher Order Thinking skills.
I use the Australian Curriculum, TfEL and the schools
literacy and numeracy strategies when planning for and
implementing effective teaching and learning.
Professional Practice
I design challenging and authentic projects aimed at
developing skills in critical thinking and innovation
through the incorporation of Virtual Reality (Google
cardboard and HTC Vive Headset) through project based
learning. Students research and design a 360 virtual
reality ecosystem and exhibit it to the wider community
using VR headsets.
I plan laboratory investigations based on problems with
real world applications that require a literacy based
approach for expressing scientific ideas. I designed a
Chemistry Stage 2 Investigations Practical to build a
commercial hand warmer using various exothermic
chemicals that must meet specific criteria and
demonstrate the students ability in practical design.
I organise formative tasks to scaffold summative
assessment which are mapped to the learning objectives
to ensure an achievable and fair judgment of student
learning. I provide prompt verbal and written feedback so
that the student can reach higher learning potentials.
I provide opportunities for inquiry based learning and for
students to work in pairs, teams or as a whole class to
support each other and create a collaborative and safe
environment. I incorporate cybersmart tools and school
policies to provide a positive online ICT experience and
manage classroom behaviour with explicit instructions
and a preventative approach. Combined with constant
reflective practices, flexibility, and good student-teacher
relationship, these strategies are used to great effect and
bring learning to the fore.
Professional Engagement
I firmly believe that positive relationships between all
members of a community who are involved in a students
education are essential to building quality learning within
a safe and supportive environment.
I involve parents in their childs learning through daily to
weekly updates which is particularly helpful for the
parents of students with personalised learning plans to
ensure that any issues are resolved promptly. After
discussions with the line manager, I politely raised
concerns with a parent, regarding a students change in
behaviour over the term and how this had negatively
impacted on his learning and developed strategies to
help him get back on track.
I develop positive rapports with teaching staff through
open and respectful dialogue and by actively contributing
during staff meetings. I design and share assessment
tasks during joint staff tasks and take on feedback
willingly.
I use reflective practices for each task to ensure further
improvement and that the learning objectives were met
inclusively. I collaborated with a mathematics teacher at
Henley High School to trial a forensic-maths task that I
designed and I look forward to hearing her reflections on
how it was received by her students.
I apply professional learning such as incorporating
various teaching strategies that were being trialled at
Banksia International High School into my own teaching
methods by integrating selected Ann Baker strategies
into the year 8 mathematics classrooms to improve
student transition into high school.
I am involved in the broader community and in
encouraging learning outside of a school setting through
challenge days at the University of Adelaide with year 9
students as part of the Young Women in Technology
Experience to promote female engagement in
engineering.
As I firmly believe in continuous improvement I have
been an active participant in a variety of professional
learning communities and programs including STEM,
Money Smart and MASA SASTA conferences.
Knowledge of, and adherence to, Occupational Health
Safety and Welfare policies is of paramount importance
in both the educational sector and in the chemical sector.
I use hazard reporting systems to facilitate corrective
actions and have been trained in Responding to Abuse
and Neglect, OH&S, first aid and was a Chief Warden for
a brief time. I understand the guidelines in the Protective
Practices for staff in their interactions with students.