Assessment name

Reflective Essay

Task description

The essay will focus on your teaching experiences from one specific class.  In the essay you will establish the context and learning profile of this class, identify and justify 3 teaching practices you used with this class and review how effective these strategies were in maximising the engagement and learning outcomes for this group of adolescent learners. Drawing on the current adolescent development and learning literature and using artefacts and evidence from your own planning and teaching, this reflective essay outlines how you applied your theoretical understandings of adolescent learners to your own teaching practice and what key learnings and understandings you have taken from this experience regarding understanding and teaching adolescent learners.

This is an authentic assessment because as a Secondary teacher you will be required to undertake an ongoing inquiry cycle approach to planning and teaching.  This process will be informed by your understanding of adolescent development and appropriate classroom practices to maximise learning engagement for the unique dynamics and specific learning profiles for each class.  The purpose of this assessment task is for you to analysis the effectiveness of the teaching practices you implemented with a specific class of adolescent learners and how analysis this will inform your future teaching practice.

Due Date

WEEK 13, Thursday 1^st June 2023, submitted via CANVAS by 11:59pm.

Length

3000 words

Weighting

60 %

Individual or Group

Individual

Formative or Summative

Summative

How will I be assessed

Rubric (HD – F)

Learning outcomes measured

This assessment task measures the following Course Learning outcomes.

CLO1: Demonstrating a knowledge of the developmental, socio-emotional and learning characteristics of the diverse range of adolescent learners in secondary school contexts and how these impacts learning and teaching.

CLO2: Reflecting critically on research relating to personal growth and development of adolescent learners including the role that the socio-cultural context plays.

CLO6: Creating and maintaining students' well-being and resilience within supportive and safe learning environments where challenges are reframed as learning opportunities.

CLO8: Communicating and engaging effectively with diverse individuals and groups to a high personal literacy level.

The assessment relates directly to APST: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 1.5, 1.6, 3.7, 4.4, 6.2, 7.3, 7.4, (see https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards for further information on these standards).

What you need to do

Step 1: Identify what class you will use for the essay.

Identify the specific class you want to focus on in the essay. Factors to consider when selecting a class include.

1. Was there a wide range of learning needs in this class?

2. Did you have multiple opportunities to observe, plan and teach this class?

3. Have you implemented a range of strategies aimed at maximising engagement and learning outcomes in this class?

4. Do you have access to the teaching artefacts, resources, and evidence to support your discussion in the essay?

Step 2: Draft your essay using this structure.

Ensure you de-identify the school, class, and individual students.  Using the following structure write an initial draft of your reflective essay.

1. Introduction that formally outlines the purpose of the essay and provides context, such as general school context information and the specific class you will be discussing (grade, subject and lesson content).

2. Class profile that outlines the class profile detailing the specific learning needs and class dynamics a teacher must consider when planning for this group.

3. Teaching Practice 1 – what it is, what class profile learning profile characteristics it is responding to, why you selected it (substantiate with literature), how you used it (using teaching artefacts and evidence to support this), reflect on how effective it was (critically align to the literature) and how it challenged or affirmed your own beliefs about effective teaching practices.  Finally, indicate the implications for your future practice.

4. Teaching Practice 2 – repeat above process.

5. Teaching Practice 3 – repeat above process.

6. Summary

7. Reference List

8. Appendices – you can choose to embed teaching artefacts and evidence within the text or alternatively refer to them within the body of the essay and attach them as appendices.

Step 3: Edit and map against the marking criteria in rubric.

Step 4: Add Cover page and Statement of Authorship

Resources available to complete task

· QUT cite|write – APA guide

· How to submit an assignment with Turnitin

What you need to submit

One Adobe PDF document or Microsoft Word document that contains the following items:

1. Assignment Title Sheet – must include:

· unit code, unit name, semester and year, assignment title, student name, student number, word count (if applicable)

· the following statement of authorship: In submitting this work, I declare that, unless otherwise acknowledged, this work is wholly my own. I understand that my work may be submitted to Turnitin and consent to this taking place.

· The Reflective Essay

· Relevant Appendices

· Reference List

Submission requirements

This assessment task must:

· use QUT APA referencing for citing academic literature.

· be submitted in electronic format as an Adobe PDF document or Microsoft Word document via CANVAS by following these steps:

1. Access the Turnitin Submission link >>View/Complete

2. Click on the Submit button.

3. Give the submission a title, select the correct file and click the Upload.

4. Click Confirm.

5. Click Return to Assignment list.

6. To check successful submission, you will receive a text match %, and you are able to resubmit, view or download your paper.

7. ALWAYS check your student email for the submission receipt.

Moderation

All staff who are assessing your work meet to discuss and compare their judgements before marks or grades are finalised.

Criteria

High Distinction (7)

Distinction (6)

Credit (5)

Pass (4)

Marginal Fail (3)

Fail (2)

Low Fail (1)

Class Profile:  Understanding adolescent learners.

30%

Very high and perceptive level of understanding of the developmental and learning needs of the adolescent learners in the class.  Discussion in class profile supported by a comprehensive range of scholarly literature.

Well-developed understanding of the developmental and learning needs of adolescent learners in the class.    Discussion in class profile supported by a range of scholarly literature.

Credible understanding of the developmental and learning needs of adolescent learners in the class.   Discussion in class profile supported by a range of scholarly literature.

Sound understanding of the developmental and learning needs of adolescent learners in the class.  Discussion in class profile supported by a limited range of scholarly literature.

Limited understanding of the developmental and learning needs of adolescent learners in the class.    Superficial engagement with literature.

Inadequate understanding

Inaccurate understanding or understanding not evident

Reflection on 3 teaching practices to support and engage adolescent learners.

50%

Comprehensive and insightful reflection that is supported with strong evidence from teaching practice and a comprehensive range of scholarly literature.

Well-developed reflection that is supported with evidence from teaching practice and a range of scholarly literature.

Credible reflection that is supported with some evidence from teaching practice and a range of scholarly literature.

Sound reflection that is supported with limited evidence from teaching practice and a limited range of scholarly literature.

Limited or incomplete reflection.  Evidence from teaching practice is limited or not evident.  Superficial engagement with scholarly literature.

Inadequate reflection

Inaccurate reflection or reflection not evident

Academic Writing and Referencing

20%

Outstanding reflection that clearly outlines sophisticated and scholarly thinking.  Outstanding standard of writing and use of APA for in-text referencing and reference list.

Well-developed reflection that clearly outlines insightful and well-informed thinking.  High standard of writing and use of APA for in-text referencing and reference list.

Credible reflection that outlines sound and informed thinking.  Sound standard of writing and use of APA for in-text referencing and reference list.

Writing focussed on reporting with limited reflection.   Basic standard of writing and use of APA for in-text referencing and reference list.

Poor standard of writing in regard to reporting or reflection.  Poor standard of writing and use of APA for in-text referencing and reference list.

Writing errors interfere in the communication of the meaning. Has not met the word limit requirements.

Writing is not sufficiently clear and contains material that has been written by others and not been accurately paraphrased or attributed.