PRIMARY FINAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

REPORT 2019
Student ID
Pre-service Teacher Ellie Walker

School Mount Burr Primary

Year Level
Mentor Teacher(s) Lisa Scott 5/6/7

School Co-ordinator Anne-Marie Fitzgerald

Coordinator
University Liaison Jennifer Frances

Please delete those not applicable Please select

Teaching Days 10 introductory days + 30 day block: 40 days 
8 week Country/Term 2 Placement: 40 days 
Extended Placement: Up t0 65 days 

CONTEXT Please add brief context statements about the school and class:
School sector; size and composition of campus (R-12, Area, Primary); particular
features or unique characteristics; index of disadvantage.
School
Mount Burr Primary School is a South Australian government school for students from Reception
to year 7. A Preschool is also located on campus and caters for pre-school aged children.

Mount Burr Primary is a small country school nestled amongst pine trees in the town of Mount
Burr. We are located in the South East of South Australia 11kms from Millicent. Employment is
mainly within timber mills, Kimberley Clark (paper manufacturer) and local businesses in Millicent
or the surrounding farms.
There are 40 students at Mount Burr with an ICSEA value of 929

Class (including children with special needs)

The class is made up of six year 6 students, five year 5 students and five year 7 students, making
a total of 16 students. There are 2 students with intellectual disabilities and one of these has a
mild physical disability including epilepsy. There is an even gender balance. The class has several
behaviour challenges, and students with high social and emotional needs. There are two GOM
students in the class.
ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS
Please place an ‘X’ at the point along each continuum that best represents the development of the pre-service
teacher towards each of the standards at this time.

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Standard 1 Know students and how they learn

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient

Standard 2 Know the content and how to teach it

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient

Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient

Standard 5 Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT

Standard 6 Engage in professional learning

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient

Standard 7 Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

I I I X I
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate Proficient
SUMMARY STATEMENTS (You may choose to comment on both personal and professional characteristics)
School Coordinator/Principal
Ellie quickly built positive relationships with staff and students at our site. She used observation
days to learn and start using the language of learning and questioning that is unique to our
school. It was pleasing to hear her use questioning for learning and behaviour management.
During her time at Mt Burr Primary, Ellie participated in a range of activities that helped her
prepare for her teaching career including an AUSMAP certification, moderation training and
development, excursions for an Industry Partner Problem Based Learning unit, helping to plan
the 7/8 Collaborative project with Millicent High School and being involved in a unique Vivid
experience in Sydney sponsored by Samsung.
Students enjoyed the learning that Ellie offered as it was engaging and challenging. She is well
organised and continually asked questions of all staff to further improve her practice.
Ellie used all staff as a source of knowledge, seeking advice and feedback when required. She
reflected on her practice and happily shared positive and challenging moments.
It has been a pleasure having Ellie work at our site and I wish her all the best as she begins her
teaching career.

Name: Anne-Marie Fitzgerald Date: 20/6/19

University Liaison

Name: Date:
SUMMARY STATEMENT (May be used as a referee statement)
Classroom Teacher/Mentor
Student Name: Ellie Walker
I recommend Ellie as an organised, reflective, knowledgeable and highly competent graduate
teacher. She knows students and how they learn, understands the content and how to teach it,
plans and implements effective teaching strategies. Ellie creates and maintains a supportive
learning environment by building positive relationships with students so they accept learning
challenges, uses a variety of assessment strategies including feedback as well as formative and
summative assessment.
Professional Knowledge

Ellie demonstrates understanding of students and how they learn. During observation days, she
identified learning and social and emotional needs of students. She planned units of work including
research based strategies to engage and challenge students. In a multi-year level class, she
provided differentiated learning appropriate to both year level and the specific learning needs of the
child. This was especially evident when planning for students with an intellectual disability. Ellie had
the opportunity to lead learning for these students with School Support Officers, clearly explaining the
expectations and learning achievement to complete a task. Ellie’s ability to understand how students
learn, helped her to set tasks that allowed students to enter and exit the task at their level.

Ellie demonstrated she understands the content and teaching strategies required for each learning
area, directly linking the teaching and learning plan to the achievement standard and content
descriptors. This understanding then allowed her to use formative assessment to set her teaching
cycle and reflect on students’ understanding and her pedagogy. She identified when explicit teaching
and scaffolding was required, ensuring students could engage with the task independently when
using a skill in a familiar or new context.

Ellie helped students make links across curriculum areas, using learning intentions to assist with how
the learning is relevant both now and in the future. Ellie’s Civics and Citizenship unit demonstrated
her ability to include Aboriginal perspectives to further develop students’ understanding and respect
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Ellie used literacy and numeracy skills as a basis for learning within the Maths, English, HASS and
Science curriculums.

Professional Practice

Ellie quickly developed positive relationships with both staff and students. She accessed all staff to
inform her teaching, asking questions and seeking advice. Her ability to understand the social and
emotional needs of the students, helped her to create a safe and supportive learning environment.
This positive relationship meant students were comfortable to take risks with their learning and seek
and accept feedback for improvement.

Ellie thoroughly planned units of work to implement well-structured and sequenced lessons to
engage students and promote learning. She used a range of teaching strategies to develop
knowledge and skills that allowed students with different learning styles to access and demonstrate
understanding of the topic. This was especially evident in Ellie’s Maths and English units. The tasks
allowed students to enter and exit at their level, while also challenging those students who require
intellectual stretch. She identified what students needed to do to “move on” to the next level, asking
questions to challenge their thinking. While teaching English, Ellie implemented self-moderation and
goal setting learnt at a professional development day. This was a researched informed strategy from
Dylan Wiliam. Students used a writing sample, written feedback and an assessment rubric to analyse
where they “sit” on the continuum at their year level standard, and what they will do to move forward.

Ellie used questioning as an effective tool to support student understanding, participation,

engagement and achievement. She used questions to promote thinking, allowing students to engage
in the “learning struggle” helping them to feel a sense of achievement when learning was completed.
Ellie used non-verbal cues and visual representation to allow students to access learning in a variety
of ways.
Ellie used a variety of strategies to give feedback to students. She demonstrated understanding as to
when feedback is necessary. Her verbal feedback was given in a timely manner, allowing students to
act on it to improve learning. Written feedback was used to help students reflect on learning, set
goals and know what to do to further improve.

It was evident that Ellie’s teaching had a positive impact on student learning, as work samples had
evidence of transference of skills, knowledge and understandings in familiar and/or new contexts.
Students acted on the verbal and written feedback that Ellie provided, helping them to further
improve their learning.

Ellie used student reflection as a form of formative assessment and self-reflection. Using a range of
both written and verbal strategies, she used student feedback to inform her planning and teaching.
Having professional conversations and using formative assessment strategies helped Ellie to
evaluate her teaching programs. She asked questions of others acting on feedback to continually
improve and refine her practice. Ellie identifies quickly when a leaning plan has not worked for
students, quickly assessing what she will do next time to help students have greater success.

Ellie assessed student learning against the achievement standard, giving reasons to support her
judgement. She contributed positively to Maths moderation with neighbouring schools. She used this
information to assist with assessment of student learning in her units of work.

Ellie has faced challenging behaviour during her time at Mt Burr. She adopted a range of strategies
including questioning, self-management and reward systems. She always asked questions with
particularly challenging students and refined her skills to continually improve managing the
behaviour. She implemented new strategies to the class which were very successful. She set daily
routines and set clear expectations when teaching. She addressed discipline issues promptly and
fairly. Ellie limited the need for managing behaviour by engaging students in the task and ensuring
they had the skills required to independently complete learning.
Professional Engagement

Ellie identifies areas of teaching that are a focus area and works diligently to improve. She seeks
feedback for improvement and asks questions to ensure she is targeting her “problem of practice”.
Ellie is self-reflective and can see areas for improvement, independently recognising when teaching
and learning plans should be altered to meet the needs of the students.

Ellie identifies her strengths and areas for improvement. She understands the importance of
professional learning, especially in areas of the curriculum that she is less confident. Ellie researches
information that will inform her teaching and help her to improve.

Ellie asks questions when required, ensuring that she is responding to students within the schools’
code of conduct. She demonstrates understanding of working effectively, sensitively and
confidentially with students and parents.

Ellie used all staff as a source of knowledge to further improve her teaching. She is confident to
share the positives and challenges faced in her teaching. She contributed to conversations in
meetings and professional learning opportunities, demonstrating her ability to work collaboratively
as a team.

Ellie has been involved in range of experiences while working in the Upper Primary Class. She
positively contributed to the 7/8 collaborative project with Millicent High School, Beachport Primary
and Kangaroo Inn Area School. She worked collaboratively with staff, value adding to the project,
assisting with organising student learning and co-teaching collaborative days with colleagues.
She used professional development to improve practice and plan learning to improve student
outcomes. Ellie was an asset on our Vivid Sydney trip. She was involved in coordinating events
and was flexible, adapting to changes that were required while on camp.

I wish Ellie well as she begins her teaching career. She will be an asset to any staff and school.

Written by: Lisa Scott Date: 20/6/19

 SUMMARY ASSESSMENT (To be agreed by the School Coordinator and the University Liaison)

In our opinion Lisa Scott

has demonstrated the following overall level of performance in this final professional experience:
(Please click on appropriate box below)

☐ Unsatisfactory

☐ Satisfactory

☐ Competent

☒ Outstanding

All Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) activities completed No/Yes

NOTES FOR COMPLETING THIS REPORT

The pre-service teacher may wish to submit this report with an application for employment. Please avoid the use of
acronyms as student reports are often viewed by interstate and international employers who are not always familiar
with South Australian nomenclature.

Please keep an electronic copy of this report and submit the report to the University Liaison.

If this is not possible then please email it directly to: primaryprofexp@flinders.edu.au