It is appropriate for all teachers to revisit the AITSL standards regularly to ensure we are improving our practice, and pinpoint the areas we can develop as professionals.
Now in my 8th year of teaching, with much professional development and practice under my belt, I must be actively working towards the “Highly Accomplished” or “Lead” end of the spectrum. When reading through the details, I have more awareness of the standards I must focus on to fine tune my teaching.
One thing I am proud of as a teacher is that I am constantly seeking professional development in a number of forms: attending conferences, webinars and seminars; reading peer-reviewed research; listening to podcasts and having conversations with my colleagues.
In regards to Focus Area: 3.4, Select and Use Resources, I would evaluate myself in the “Highly Accomplished” stage, as I perform this task regularly in my role as TL for classes on a daily basis. I also create Libguides with quality resources for both staff and students on a range of topics across various curriculum areas for student assessment tasks.
In order to progress to the lead stage, I plan to create resources that are particularly suited for my school, which as a religious school has a unique curriculum layered across ACARA. I would also like to run some PD for staff on how to use the resources that we have and where to find them to ensure our fabulous resources are being used fully. I do have some plans for this and now need to execute the plan!
Watching several of the AITSL videos that relate to Focus Area 3.4 and the Accomplished area it is an important reminder to ensure that the tools and devices we use fit in with the curriculum and improve outcomes for all students. With regards to selecting Indigenous resources, it’s important to ask how we can apply this learning across the educational frame as learning about Indigenous knowledge and culture is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary.