Standard 1

Through my practicums and university work I have met the requirements for Standard 1, know your students and how they learn. This annotation displays that I have a thorough knowledge of adolescent development (1.1.1), understand how students learn (1.2.1) and am capable of differentiating and supporting students across the full range of abilities, including students with a disability (1.5.1 & 1.6.1).

As part of my Masters in Secondary Education, I completed a subject called ‘Understanding and Engaging Adolescent Learners’, that focused on how students learn by observing the physical, social, neurological and spiritual changes that students progress through during adolescence (1.1.1 & 1.2.1). For assessment task 1, I had to draw on theories of adolescent development to create and interpret a case story. I wrote a narrative from the perspective of a student to show my thorough understanding of the adolescent mind (See UEAL.1). I received a HD for this assessment and my tutor asked is she could distribute this work to the rest of the class. She stated that my work displayed an advanced understanding of educational theories on how students learn and an in depth knowledge of the social and neurological development of adolescence (1.1.1 & 1.2.1).

On my Professional Experience 2, all of my classes were mixed ability meaning I had the opportunity to teach students across the full range of abilities. My skills in differentiating my teaching to meet the specific needs of each of my students is reflected in my Professional Experience 2 Report, that states I successfully extended students and demonstrated a capacity to differentiate my lessons (1.5.1).

Additionally, at university, I also undertook a subject called ‘Inclusive Education: Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities’. Throughout this subject, I researched and developed my understanding of teaching strategies that can be used to engage students with a variety of learning difficulties in the classroom (1.6.1). In my final assessment, I produced a thoroughly researched paper that profiled three students and identified specific teaching strategies for their unique learning difficulty. The class average for this assessment was a mid-range Credit. I received a HD with my tutor commenting on my ‘sensational lesson plans’ (see IE.3.Feedback), my knowledge of legislation and my understanding of the needs and strategies of specific students (1.6.1).

Through the selected evidence I have shown my knowledge of adolescent development (1.1.1) and the effects this may have on student learning (1.2.1), and have displayed competency in teaching students with a range of abilities (1.5.1), including students with a disability (1.6.1). Thus, I have demonstrated the necessary skills to successfully achieve Standard 1, know students and how they learn.