Portfolio Guide 6

Professional (school) experiences, field works and excursions

In addition to satisfying the requirements set out under "The Student Teacher" in the Professional Experiences handbook, you should do the following for inclusion into either your Science Portfolio or your Resource Collection (as appropriate):

1. Lesson Plans: Write a formal lesson plan for each lesson taught, using one of the formats provided in your Science Curriculum courses. At the end of each lesson plan you should write a (short) reflection on the lesson (for your portfolio), noting at least the following:

• How well (or poorly) the lesson went
• Which aspects of the lesson were successful and why
• Which aspects of the lesson were unsuccessful and why
• Notes for the future (when teaching this topic or class again)

For your portfolio include samples (only) of your best lesson plans (in the section for 'Work samples') and, for this section, summarise what you have learned about the lesson planning process.

2. Observation Lessons: Write a (short) reflection on each lesson observed as part of your schedule of observation lessons, including general class details. Do not specifically identify either the particular class or the teacher in any reflection you write: the aim of the exercise is for you to personally reflect on, and learn from, the experience, not to assess or comment upon the teacher and students per se. Include these in your portfolio.

For your portfolio summarise what you have learned from your observations of science lessons.

3. Science Program Summary: Obtain a copy of the school’s Science program (with permission of the head teacher). Make a summary, noting the names/titles for each of the units from Yr 7 - 10 in the science program, with briefly summarise what each unit is about giving an indication of the following syllabus requirements that are addressed in each topic/unit:

• the Context for the unit
• the Prescribed Focus Area(s) addressed in the unit
• the Domain (Knowledge and Understanding) headings covered in the unit.

For your portfolio summarise what you have learned about science programs in schools.

4. Texts and Resources: Note the bibliographic details for class texts and for reference books and other science resource materials commonly used in the school. Also investigate the library’s science collection. Include your analysis/summary in the Portfolio.

For your portfolio summarise what you have learned about texts and resources in science teaching in schools.

5. Policy documents: Obtain (with permission) any departmental, school, or science faculty policy documents on discipline & management, safety, literacy/numeracy etc. Put these into your Resources Collection.

For your portfolio summarise what you have learned about policies that directly apply to science teaching in schools.