Required Duties for the Classroom Assistant

 The Assistant Teacher is required to:  

• Assist the teacher in maintaining the classroom learning structure  
• Assist in other educational activities as directed by the Classroom teacher
• Provide attendant care and assistance to students when required
• Plan lessons and learning activities as required by the Classroom teacher
• Participate in other teaching related activities

 Duties 

• Undertake direct teaching of groups of students and individual students as determined by the Classroom teacher.

• Undertake other non-teaching supervisory duties 
• Undertake other classroom teaching related and organizational duties as determined by the classroom teacher.  
• Assist in preparation of student resources and equipment.  
• Provide support for staff in programs and daily routines particularly in the junior school. 
• Assist students on an individual or group basis in specific learning areas under direction of the classroom teacher  e.g. Special Needs, Small Class Groups, High Achievers, etc.

• Take a role when required in the general organization of the classroom 

• Observe students and draw them to the attention of teachers as appropriate.  
• Assist in the communication of instructions between students and teachers.  
• Assist with the supervision of students in the playground and on excursions. 
• Attend staff and planning meetings, curriculum days and professional development activities. 
• Observe the Staff Code of Practice as stated in the school Charter.  

Day to Day Activities :

Before School

• Arrive at school by 8.30 am. 
• Check whether you have playground duty. The roster is in the Staff Room. 
• Be in your class area at 9.00 am to receive the students with the Classroom Teacher.

In the Classroom

• Ensure you understand the class rules.
• Indicate your expectations of the class with the teacher present.
• The class teacher will take the roll, or you may be asked..
• Ensure that lunch orders are sent to the canteen by 9.30am.
• Follow the class timetable, which should be displayed in the room and the direction of the teacher.

In the Playground

• There are usually two allotted areas for supervision in the playground – ask your classroom teacher which areas you need to supervise with her and when. Recess begins at 10.40 until 11.00 and two teachers are on duty. Lunch duties are from 12.40 - 1.05 and 1.05 - 1.30. Usually the library is open at lunch time from 1.05 - 1.30 and a withdrawal room is supervised at this time also.
• Many schools have Playground bags. These bags contain first aid equipment, red cards which give students permission to be inside during breaks, copies of the school rules and a playground book in which all incidents which demand teacher intervention. All students and staff are required to wear broad brimmed hats or legionnaires caps in the playground. Sports equipment is usually available for borrowing at lunch time and this is organized by class monitors. 
• Teachers on duty should be vigilant in moving around their designated area of supervision, monitoring behaviour, litter and behaviour near and in toilets.

Afternoon Session

• Mark the roll after lunch.
• Make sure the classroom is tidy at the end of the day.

Before You Leave

• Discuss with the Classroom teacher any concerns or successes about your day.

School Hours

Internship teachers may be required to complete the following. (Depending upon the requirements of their University or College or their ability )

• teach, with planning assistance from the Classroom Teacher, single teaching episodes, whole sessions (e.g. morning start to recess)  each day;
• demonstrated how to cater for individual differences within the class in terms of teaching approaches and learning materials;
• where possible, planned and implemented relevant teaching/learning experiences outside of the school classroom context;  (Sports Class) and
• Critically reflected on personal performance and adapted teaching practice in light of this reflection, consultation with the Classroom  Teacher.

Daily Activity

Week 1
Day 1: observe and assist Classroom Teacher with small groups.
Day 2 & 3: plan and implement one or more whole class teaching lesson
Days 4 & 5: plan and implement full sessions for the whole class each day

Week 2
Days 6 & 7: plan and implement at least two full sessions for the whole class
Days 8, 9, & 10: plan and implement teaching for the whole class for the whole day

Preparation

Teachers are required to prepare thoroughly for all teaching lessons. They should:

• Prepare and discuss with the Classroom Teacher all lessons to be implemented - no preparation - no teaching;
• Use reflection and evaluation to plan follow-up teaching

Formats for Planning

Effective teaching is based on careful planning. Each lesson plan - should clearly articulate the teaching purpose and highlight the following:

• What is to be learned ?
• WHY it is being learned ?
• What are the intended outcomes?
• What do I want the students to learn (concepts, skills, facts, values)?
• How can I foster this learning (strategies for presenting the content)?
• How will I determine what has been learned (assessment of learning outcomes, and evaluation of teaching)?

What is the Aim of the Lesson ?

Include here the goal of the teaching lesson with an explanation of the features that make the lesson significant. This description should include both content and process related features. Questions to consider here might be:

• Why is this teaching lesson being given?
• What do I intend to achieve in developing concepts, skills, attitudes and values.
• At all times, consideration should be given to curriculum requirements as well as students' needs, (based upon their age) interests and prior learning.

What will the students understand by the end of the lesson ?

Anticipated student learning (How will the student change, i.e. what will they know, do, feel as a result of the lesson?)
For example, students will be able to by the end of the lesson :

• identify the significance…
• discuss the main features…
• understand the …

List specific learning outcomes. It is better to focus on achieving one or two outcomes well than try to cover too many in one lesson.

Prior Learning:
What previous experiences may impact on the success of the teaching/learning? Consideration should be given to previously gained knowledge, skills, experiences and attitudes of students

Resources / Materials:
Ensure that materials/equipment is available. Any photocopying should be prepared prior to commencement.

Presentation:
Good teaching episodes tell a 'story' with a beginning, middle and end.

Introduction/Stimulus:
Plan effective motivational strategies to capture students' interest. These may include using an item to arouse curiosity and motivate the students. Provide the students with an understanding of what is to be covered during the session. Link new learning to prior understanding.

Development:
Introduce activities in a clear and logical manner. Consider the sequential development of learning tasks. Students' understanding should be monitored throughout. The development phase may include activities such as researching, listening and writing and should utilize a variety of strategies to assist individual student learning. Consider:

• Organization of the class

• Key questions or discussion points to be emphasized

• Clear description of the activity to be undertaken

• Focus on what the students are doing, not what the teacher is doing

Consolidation:
Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge, attitudes and/or skills by problem solving, presenting and debating.

Culmination
Provide a suitable closure to summarize the activity of the teaching session. Revise what has been learned and establish a feeling of completion.

Evaluation:

It is important for Intern Teacher to evaluate their teaching as soon as practicable. They should be encouraged to initiate a discussion with the Classroom Teacher and support comments with specific examples, indicating strengths and weaknesses, areas of concern, or areas that need developing.

Evaluating the Students
 

Questions to consider include:

• How were the anticipated learning outcomes achieved?
• Were any changes observed in students' knowledge, skills and attitudes? What kinds?
• How did the lesson cater for the range of learning abilities?
• What aspects of the lesson could be improved?

Self Evaluation as Teacher

Questions to consider include:

• How effective was my preparation?
• Was the plan sufficiently detailed? Why?
• Did I use the allocated time productively?
• What strategies could be introduced to improve the lesson?
• Was the classroom management efficient and effective? Why?

Evaluating Structure:
 

Questions to consider include:

• Was prior learning anticipated?
• Was the introduction motivating? How do you know?
• Did the lesson flow sequentially?
• What opportunities provided for students to demonstrate their learning?
• How effective were the support materials?
• Are there more effective assessment methods that could be used?
• What were the implications of any unanticipated events that affected the success of the lesson?
• How effective was the concluding activity?

Follow Up:
Include information and suggestions for subsequent learning and teaching.

Example Format for Planning Teaching Lessons

Curriculum Area: ______________________________________________

Year Level: ___________________________________________________

General Topic:_________________________________________________

 Time allocated: ________________________________________________

Learning Objectives/Outcomes:__________________________________________________

Students' Prior Understanding/Experience/Knowledge_______________________________________________________

Resources:__________________________________________________________

Procedure Introduction
(stimulus/motivation)   ___________________________________________________________________
 

Sequence of learning activities
(incl. steps, key questions, examples of content, student and teacher roles, grouping etc) ____________________________________________________________

 Conclusion__________________________________________________________

 Assessment of student learning___________________________________________________________________________

Self-evaluation of teaching __________________________________________________________________

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