Professional Knowledge

With evidence that Australian school students may be spending a year of their total schooling with a Casual or Relief Teacher (CRT), a new evidence summary released by
AITSL calls for more support specifically targeted to these teachers. My e-portfolio is based on the understanding that as a relief teacher I play a critical role in supporting
the learning and wellbeing of all students in the absence of their permanent teacher. The evidence presented within this section of my e-portfolio is based on whole school
programs, permanent teacher relief notes, classroom management strategies and prior knowledge of the schools’ demographics. My evidence focuses on the Year 2 Maths
curriculum to support each school’s existing math program such as Stepping Stones, Prime Maths, Money Smart and so forth.

Figure 1A Term planner used as a guide to structure curriculum deliver into my Daily Work Pad 1.2, 1.3, 1.4,1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6

A tool I readily use is my term

planners. It is a collaborative
document created from
experience working within a
school. It is used to document
the effectiveness of each
lesson, including assessment
items, as well as providing
feedback to students.

Term planners record effective

resources that differentiate
between the learning needs of
students. For example, some
students will not understand
quantities and their number
representative. Therefore,
more time is allocated into that
group of students to
understand part-part- whole,
number and quantity
relationship and trusting the
count in accordance with First
Steps in Mathematics Number
(Department of Education
W.A., 2013).
I find maths is more relatable to
students when I explain how I use it
in everyday life. For example,
pointing out the 2D shapes in the
environment, to then build on that
idea of 3D shapes found in the
kitchen such as cups and saucers,
jars, boxes, ovens and tables to name
a few. Building on the students
physical and social environments
improves intellectual development
and understanding of concepts
(Knaus, 2015).

There are many situations where

Maths and Literacy are bound
together for example, the students
needed to create two bookmarks to
sell at the MoneySmart cart. For the
sale to be successful the students
needed to know their audience and
appeal to what that audience would
want. Appealing to the audience
improved our year group sales and
the students were able to be more
engaged in seeing who could sell the
most items and make the most profit.

Students collaborated so those not

strong with returning change where
paired with students who were
confident and could check before
change was given.
Figure 2A Diagnostic Map from First Steps Mathematics used as a tool to develop teaching strategies to support all students 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6

The diagnostic map is a guide

used to understand where the
students are at and what I need
to provide to move students
onto the next stage of
understanding maths concepts.

The teaching strategies could

consist of one on one or small
group work using small blocks
to demonstrate number bonds.

Another teaching strategy

could be paired work between
weaker and stronger students,
where the strong student
explains their strategy for
problem solving or
understanding the concept.

Choosing the correct resource

to demonstrate a concept and
for students to use as a tool to
support their learning is
paramount for successful
teaching strategies i.e. do
students know how to use the
resource to make it an effective
tool?

(Westwood, 2016)
Figure 3A Getting to know the student and developing relationships 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6

Examples of finding out about who the student is, their culture, their family make up and likes and dislikes. This is a nice way to determine the demographics of my
classroom.
Figure 4A Example of getting to know the students and strategies to support students' literacy and numeracy achievement 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.5, 2.6.

Self portraits can show a level of self-efficacy and how the student may view themselves. SMART goals practiced over the week are readily available for the students
to reflect upon self-improvement. Evaluating how the student sees themselves can then begin to build short term SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant
and timely) goal setting as a way of building a growth culture in the classroom.
Figure 5A Using relief teacher strategies to get to know the students and sustain their learning outcomes by using names to seating plans, applying classroom rules and expectations 1.1, 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6.

As a relief teacher the most effective way to classroom manage and to get to know the students by first name and as quickly as possible is to do a quick
sketch of the seating arrangements both at their desk and on the floor. I then use a positive reward system to encourage good choices, classroom
behaviour expectations and encourage school values. Students also need to get to know you as a teacher. Students need to know your expectations and
consequences for the creation of a safe learning environment.
After the assessment phase of numbers 1-100 I look at the First Steps Diagnostic
Map which enables me to map out effective teaching strategies that are responsive
to the learning strengths of the student.

For example, Maths scope and sequence; number and place value are taught in
Term 1 because all other math problem solving involves understanding quantity
representations, whole number value and the introduction of fractions and money
collections and the decimal point.

Therefore, working on number bonds and subitising strategies assists students who
are weak in understanding number. Pairing and or collaborative small group work I
find are a safe environment for students to work in.

Figure 6A Designing, structuring and implementing teaching programs in response to the strength and learning needs of
all students. Using strategies to unpack the unknown 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6
Figure 6A Designing, structuring and implementing teaching programs in response to the strength and learning needs of all students. Using strategies to unpack the unknown 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1,
2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6

Displaying educational posters in the classroom and including them

in my teaching repertoire of strategies means students become
aware of the resources within the classroom and how to use them
such as the ‘Problem solving process’.

Ten a Day is a manual teaching strategy where ten questions are

written on the board to be solved first thing in the morning. The ten
questions are based on previous knowledge. The idea behind using
the Ten A Day strategy is building upon and consolidating prior
knowledge. This strategy can be utilised with any math program. It is
important for the teacher to involve the students when
demonstrating the strategies used to solve each problem.
Figure 7A Example of engaged students using grid paper to organise their understanding to problem solve 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5.

Students become familiar with using grid lined paper, this means they can organise
their thoughts and work more concisely for example place value columns are already
aligned, arrays can be easily aligned, graphs are easily aligned, story boards easily
organised and translations seen more clearly so forth. Grid paper can be used as a
resource and tool in aiding students to grasp concepts such as place values, addition
and multiplication along side of the whole school math program and resources.
Figure 8A Creating a safe learning environment using differentiation strategies and resources for students to understand the place value concept 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5,2.6

As well as using the whole school math program other resources such
as ICT (Interactive whiteboard, YouTube, PowerPoint, websites such as
Maths is fun and Daily 10 to name a few) are excellent visual aids to
understand the concept being learned.

I have observed the benefits to students who write the math problems
in their grid books and attempt to solve the problem using
organisational memory recall and those students who use program-
based math books where students do not write the problem only the
answers.

My assumption is physically handwriting the problem enables the

brain to organise and withhold the information longer. Also, when
problem solving it is easier to recall previous work as opposed to
reading a problem and jotting the answer.
Figure 9A Designing and Implementing teaching strategies that are responsive to cultural settings and the histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students 1.4, 2.4

Using the cross-curriculum priorities of SCSA I can link history into any maths lesson to aid students in understanding that maths is part of all human culture and now
there is a universal language of maths within its sub strands of number, geometry, chance and data. For example, the indigenous kids of Mer Island in the Torres Strait
played this Segur Etug guessing game which is now played in our classroom.

The Segur Etug game is great for small groups of students who are recognised as being weak at trusting the count and understanding number as a representation of
quantity. Repeated playing of games such as these aid in understanding number and place value. This game can be differentiated to meet the learning needs of
students across the full range of abilities such as object having a specific pace value and so forth.
Figure 11A Applying math concept of fractions into creating potions. Students can be extending by Figure 10A Example of a strategy to understand place value and quantity in comparison to expanded notion
writing procedures and using more ingredients 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6

There are many strategies to explain the concepts of math. By using resources students can relate to is key for them to
understand and create a picture in their mind of the value of number. These pictures correlate the place value of the
number and its worth using the layered cake method. Again, this is another resource and teaching strategy which can be
utilised alongside any school base math program to differentiate to meet the learning needs of all students. The fraction
display was part of a literacy procedure text to create a health potion or drink for before school.
Figure 12A An example of using a school based program and a differentiated worksheet to support student learning 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.3, 2.6

The example here is a differentiated worksheet where I can support the students in small groups in understanding fractions. Having a separate worksheet aids the
in not being overwhelmed with the workload and the feeling of being left behind. The idea is to understand the concept of what fractions represent as opposed to
getting work done at a pace that is creating an unsafe environment for the student. Students can draw and represent these images on their small whiteboards,
before attempting the exercises in the math program book.
Figure 13A Giving students different materials to display their knowledge of understanding a math concept such as fractions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5

Top left is an example of a Paul Swan learning strategy game to understand fractions. This game can be played after the allocated school math lesson and activities has
been completed, it also demonstrates that learning is a social activity. Top right is an example of finding shapes out in the environment such as a square window and
noting if the shape/window was divided into smaller sections such as rectangles or squares. The students can then illustrate what they saw and provide a reason as to
why they were sectioned into smaller parts. Bottom left, a student representing a half and bottom right an example of an extension activity enabling the student to
display their knowledge in terms of connecting the student’s environment to everyday math.
 Figure 14A An example of using Money Smart teaching program and using knowledge of curriculum and assessment 2.3

Consistent assessment provides a snapshot where students are at and this data informs me of what I
need to do to get them to where they need to be. For example, changing resources, using another
strategy to explain a concept, or giving the student time to practice what has been taught.
Figure 15A An example of implementing the Year 2 Mathematic scope and sequence of understanding number and place value using knowledge of curriculum, assessment and reporting requirements 1.6,
2.3, 2.6

Assessment data and annotated notes provides evidence to the parents

where their child is at within each strand of the curriculum and what needs
to be done to achieve satisfactory or excellence according to the SCSA
Judging Standards.
Figure 16A Example of designing and implementing differentiated strategies to meet specific learning needs of students using knowledge of the curriculum, assessment and reporting 1.5, 1.6, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6

Assessment record to show evidence of achievement by each student for each curriculum elaboration.
Figure 17A Education Department policy to be adhered to when designing and implementing activities to support students with disabilities 1.6.