Amanda Day
Teaching E-Portfolio
Standard 1
Standard 1 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers covers the knowledge of students and the way in which they learn. As educators in the 21st century, it is not enough to simply deliver content, ask students to take notes and expect them to retain the information. The way students absorb knowledge has changed drastically in just a few short years and it is vital that teachers keep up with these changes if they truly seek the best for their students. Quality teachers use a variety of techniques, strategies, resources and theories to monitor the changing needs of adolescents to engage, motivate and encourage student participation and success.
This standard is significant to the role of the English and Drama teacher because it encourages the continued study of adolescent learning needs and the continued application and implementation of content in a manner that includes students of varying abilities, backgrounds, learning styles, aptitudes and interests. This is demonstrated in Standard 1.4 in which I show how I completed the Crossing Cultures " A Hidden History" sessions.
The English subject is complex and oftentimes dense – making it vital to understand how to best deliver the content in an engaging way while incorporating basic and advanced literacy skills into each and every lesson. In an age of technology, English teachers must be able to find creative ways to make their students want to learn – to provide incentives other than the pure and simple academic trajectory.
Drama, on the other hand, is expansive and vast in methods and content – allowing teachers to tailor the learning to individual students as opposed to suiting the highest denominator. By using the first standard within drama, effective teachers are able to ensure that the units covered are appealing not just to the students’ sense of curiosity but will also serve to develop and build their social awareness and appreciation for culture.