3rd Year Undergraduate or 1st Year Master of Teaching

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REPORT 2018

Student ID
Pre-service Teacher Alana Retallack 2206147

School Cornerstone College

Name: Learning Area: Year Level
Anthony Egan Science 9
Mentor Teacher(s)
Name: Learning Area: Year Level
Alyssa Leach Science 9 & 10

Name: Learning Area: Year Level

Jane Hoffman Science 9

School Co-ordinator Shane Schoff

Liaison Coordinator
University Penny Williams Anna Noble

Teaching Days 5 introductory days + 20 day block: 25 days

CONTEXT

School

Cornerstone College is an independent secondary school (Years 7-12) set in Mt Barker in the Adelaide
Hills. The introduction of Year 7s occurred in 2014. It is a Lutheran college with a strong emphasis on
the integration of the Christian faith and values in everyday school life. It has approximately 920
students, with class sizes ranging from an average 18 for practical subjects to approximately 25 for
others. Some students at Cornerstone College have special needs and they and staff are well
supported by the Adaptive Education team. Cornerstone is co-educational, with students predominantly
being of middle class, Anglo-Saxon background. Students live in the surrounding rural area including
Mt Barker and smaller towns.

Class (including children with special needs)

Mixed ability classes with some identified students with learning difficulties.
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 X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

Standard 2 Know the content and how to teach it

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

I IX I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

I IX I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

Standard 5 Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

I X I I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT

Standard 6 Engage in professional learning

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate

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

I I X I .
Complete Novice Emerging Graduate
SUMMARY STATEMENTS

School Coordinator/Principal
Alana has engaged with the Cornerstone College community with a friendly, vibrant and
professional approach. In addition to her teaching, she has lead home group, attended staff
meetings, daily staff devotions, chapel services, house meetings and regular yard duties. She
has participated in a staff ‘concussion training’ session and a staff strategic planning workshop.
Her professional learning included completing ‘Valuing Safe Communities’ training. Alana’s
communication has been thoughtful and clear and she has formed positive relationships with
both students & the staff mentors. She is commended for her approach and I wish her well as
she begins her career in teaching.

Name: Shane Schoff Date: 28 Aug 2018

University Liaison
Alana’s early pre-service teaching experience was exemplary at Cornerstone College. Her
professional courtesy and prompt reply to emails is a credit to her professionalism. She has
handled each situation with care and consideration for the teaching profession and her
representation as a Flinders University Pre-Service Teacher has been a credit to the University.
She has listened to and applied feedback from her mentors and myself and applied her skills
and pedagogical knowledge to reflect and consider changes to her practices. She has asked
relevant questions in an effort to increase her knowledge and practices to improve student
learning. She has shown a good understanding of the importance building relationships with her
class and her colleagues.
Alana is a respectful, caring individual with a friendly manner. She will certainly be an asset to
any school requiring her. It was a pleasure to get to know her and I wish her all the best for the
future.

Name: Penny Williams (BA, Hons, MTeach Spec Ed) Date: 13th September 2018
SUMMARY STATEMENT(S)
Mentor
Learning Area:
RE: Alana Retallack Year 9 Science

Alana worked with a Year 9 Science class teaching a Chemistry topic on Atomic Structure.

Professional Knowledge

Alana demonstrated a good understanding of key concepts and, in areas where she was less
confident, she was prepared to research and ask questions to clarify her understanding. With
support, she developed structured learning programs where her ideas were presented in a
logical sequence to cover concepts relevant to the learning outcomes.

Professional Practice

Over the time of the practicum Alana gained confidence and showed improvement in
classroom management. She made the effort to learn students’ names quickly, and sought
to develop positive relationships with her students. Her classroom communication developed
over her time here and by the end of her practicum she was speaking confidently and
communicating her ideas more clearly. She was very conscious of ensuring students were
on-task and coping with the work and she would move throughout the classroom, working
one-to-one with individual students when required.

Alana was keen to maintain student interest, using a variety of teaching strategies. She
prepared a range of resources which included worksheets, practical tasks and power-points
to introduce and reinforce concepts. She learnt to pace a lesson to match what could be
realistically achieved in the lesson time available and gained a better understanding of
student achievement levels through assessment.

Professional Engagement

Alana approached the role of teacher with a positive attitude, making time to attend meetings
to discuss and prepare lesson plans. She related well to students and sought to establish
good relationships in the class which resulted in positive engagement by students. Students
felt comfortable interacting with her, and asking/answering questions.

Alana would always welcome feedback on her teaching practice and would evaluate and
respond to this in an effort to improve her approach to teaching. She would listen to
feedback in order to discuss ways in which to improve in areas that needed improvement and
acted upon this advice. She was reflective of her own performance and strived to improve in
areas she felt needed developing.

Written by: Anthony Egan Date: September 11, 2018

Mentor
Learning Area: 9 and 10 Science
RE: Alana Retallack
Alana taught Year 9 and 10 Science – Physical Science topics

Professional Knowledge

Alana’s understanding of key concepts in both year levels was good and where she lacked
confidence she was willing to ask questions and seek more information to deepen her
understanding. She was prepared when students were asking questions and when she
didn’t have the answer she sought to find the answer quickly and in detail to ensure the
students had the correct information to move forward in their learning.

Professional Practice

Alana was well prepared for each lesson, making sure that she had clear visual assistance
with PowerPoint presentations and well-prepared activities in different modes to engage
student learning. It took a few lessons to gain some confidence, but she was able to develop
her classroom management and gain the students respect as a teacher. She made positive
professional relationships with the students by learning their names and relating to the
students well. Her communication in the classroom was clear and concise and when
students had questions, she learned to re-word explanations, so students could understand.
Alana worked on throughout her time to ensure that she had enough activities to keep
students engaged as well as being able to adapt when issues arose, or work was completed
earlier than anticipated.

Professional Engagement

Alana worked hard to ensure that she was involved in every aspect of a teacher’s day. Her
attitude to teaching was always positive and the students engaged well with this. Alana
would seek feedback regularly and work with the feedback to make her lessons and her
teaching more effective.

Written by: Alyssa Leach Date: 12 Sep. 18

Mentor
Learning Area: 9 Science
RE: Alana Retallack
Alana taught Year 9 Science – Physical Science topics

Professional Knowledge
Alana’s understanding of key concepts was good despite it being her least preferred subject.
When she lacked confidence she ensured that she had done background work to be able to
deliver material confidently. Alana was always keen to try new things and ways of delivering
info.

Professional Practice
Alana showed great development across her time with us, her confidence improved and she
began to take control of the class and ensure she was being heard. Alana naturally moved
around the room well working happily one on one with students and checking in to ensure
understanding. Alana will further develop the skills of managing assignment time both in
class and as home work to make sure all students complete tasks within a reasonable
timeframe.
Professional Engagement
Alana was very open to feedback and happily implemented and tried new things in class,
she managed a busy school really well and certainly took the opportunities to have
professional conversations with many staff in the office and around the school.

Written by: Jane Hoffman Date: 12 Sep. 18

SUMMARY ASSESSMENT

In our opinion Alana Retallack

☒ has, on balance, attained the level of ‘emerging’ against the Flinders standards for pre-service
teachers and is ready to progress to the final professional experience.

☐ has not attained the overall level of ‘emerging’ against the Flinders standards for pre-service
teachers and is not ready to undertake the final professional experience.