Observations:

FITZROY HIGH SCHOOL

The school is full of students who didn't fit in to normal schools because of different
reasons such as bullying. Students are allowed to have phones and iPods with them in
class and it is encouraged that students take responsibility of their own learning.
Students are interesting as a group, and split up according to year levels.
Team teaching is encouraged, especially in the younger years, which means that a lot
of rooms are very large so that two classes are able to comfortably fit. These rooms
have two white boards and it can be very difficult to get the attention of students
however it can be done. The students are very responsive to how the teacher feels
about a subject and punishment is discouraged, and it is encouraged to simply talk to
the students and ask them how they may fix something.
In the older years, the classes are run classically, with teachers presenting the
information to the class, class discussion and then questions or activities to complete.
Class discussion is encouraged however many students seem to be lazy. In cases with
students at risk, the teachers do their best to get the students through.

Year 12 Further (Monday morning)

A lot of questioning to students to see if they remember what they covered last
time. Mainly one student answering.
Makes jokes with students in links between work.
Students come in late, check if they have anything they should. Simply
welcomes them, doesn't make fuss.
Sits down with students who may be behind for different reasons, makes sure
they understand where the information is coming from.
Knows which students won't work on their own, goes over to intervene and get
them to complete work.
Year 8 Math class (Tuesday Morning)
Gets class under control, team teaching.
One teacher stands at the back to keep control of the back of the class.
Ignores the student who knows the answer, however clicks her fingers, student
then goes on to roll eyes and call her a bitch.
Mostly interacting with students at the front of the class, will this cause more
of a difficulty for those who sit at the back?
Some students don't have books open, she doesn't tell them to.
Students in this large a group are harder to control, without a lot of help.

 Some students struggle to understand the concept of what is being taught, need
more help.
Listening to music while the teacher talks seems to be a problem. If needed
simply take away students headphones.
When handing out worksheets you can check where students are at.
Year 11 Further Math (2nd Period)
Class is large, but pays attention.
Tries to relate to students and what they may already have experienced
Not much to type about this class, it's a much more typical high school class
with the teacher leading the students.
Students work in their own with little intervention.
Make sure the relationship between student and teacher is strong so that
students are open to asking you questions.

Year 12 History (Wednesday Morning)

French Revolution
Opens the class with a song. (Hook)
Makes sure the students know what they are saying, and how to say it.
Jokes with the students.
Continues to relate all the information learnt, including titles to students in
French, keeps things interesting.
Gets students to question why a group of words may be included in the text
being reviewed/used.
Historiography is covered.
Makes sure to cover that the French Revolution is different to Russia, and in
which ways.
Makes students question what they are learning.
Encourages student involvement, students are welcome to ask questions and
interact as class discussion.
Makes sure students can recognise the main points in a text.
Tells students what they must write down.
Teacher really is able to joke with students, a sign that this is a year 12 class,
and concerning history, as these classes usually involve more discussion.

Year 11 History (Thursday Morning)

Asks about work from CRT lesson straight away.
Watching film in first half of class.
Before beginning the rest of film, makes sure to go over facts concerning the
film.

 Almost like a pop quiz as a class.

At the start of the class, as work is continuous make sure students remember
information from previous lesson.
Makes sure students understand that they need to think about things that she
says, and not just what she writes on the board.
Students are beginning to cover historiography this unit.
Make sure if needed students draw images.
Year 10Z Math (Tuesday Morning)
Girl at the back wearing beanie attitude.
Explaining things, giving students ideas as the video runs, pausing to do this.
http://ed.ted.com/
Students do realise that they need to copy some work down, but are still
prompted to do so.
Reminds students at back to come back to task, they seem to be unable to keep
up/ stay focused.
Has to bring out number line to explain adding or subtracting negative or
positive numbers.
One student seems to possibly have trouble with what he is learning.
Moves to the back of the class, as girls at the back keep talking.
Gives student a compliment for being polite.
Enter possible student tours group, explains what is going on then goes back to
teaching.
Makes sure there is an extra task for those who may find this work easy.
Show students funny videos, break up learning.
Work sheets, some students don't carry their textbooks around.
Students really can't keep focus, especially the girls on the back table.
Students are happier to ask questions for help.
Need a lot of guidance in what they are doing.
Student came with nothing to class except work book, laptop and pens.
Students have a class set for calculators.
Another student just sits there talking to students, not doing any work.
Student N didn't pay attention.
Student A is the one who doesn't bring belongings to class.
Student Ni didn't do anything until the calculators arrived and now talking to
student B.
Student A seems to have poor understanding of work, use different techniques
to get him to understand.

Italian (Tuesday afternoon)

Gives prompts but not entire answers
Slows the learning down.
Preparing the students for year 12 with the way the task is conducted.
Review meeting for personal teaching reviews (Tuesday Afternoon)

Attendance, student grades

How teachers can do this.
Going over where they want to improve over the next however long (term 4)
Similar goals as they are working towards main goals as a team.
Where do they want to help students?
Support for struggling students, attendance.

Year 10Y Math (Wednesday Morning)

Class is further ahead than the other class, more ability.

Students are able to be set on some work automatically, able to help each other.
Students are more interactive.
Class is more aware of what they are learning
When a student is unable to do something, other students are able to help.
Students are aware that they need to copy stuff off the board.
Interactive examples with students.
Good interaction when explaining things to students, makes sure that they
understand.
Different ways to explain things
Year 10Y and 10Z Inquiry (Thursday middle lesson)
Students are completing work on their presentations for work experience.
Presenting to their parents tonight on what they did at work experience.
Class is mainly writing up the last things they need to do and creating their
presentations.
Some are just not working at all and chatting, while others have already
finished.
Students sitting in front of me are chatting and popping bubble wrap, not
actually working.
Students who have finished are doing what they want.
The teachers who are in charge of this class (Briony and Maria) are running
around trying to help students and get printing done.
Eventually the teacher comes around and puts them back on task however the
class is quite relaxed and doing what they want.

 Some students are sitting on phones or playing on laptops.

Such a difference in where students completed their placement (retail,
hospitality, IT/Marketing, Vet clinics, Circus OZ, Channel 9).
Food Teach Year 8 (Thursday Afternoon)
Students spent the time cooking, there are teaching aids in the class as two students
have mental difficulties. Around the classroom while cooking most of the students
work diligently however it is a fun environment.
Student Free Day (Friday)
Looking at the goals and focuses of Scarlet Team (Senior School)
SCARLET GOALS
1. Maintain VCE achievement that matches potential as indicated by SFO
2. Document Year 10 Curriculum for literacy, numeracy, inquiry and science that
differentiates.
3. Target support of students below the expected level.
4. To have all students at 90% or better attendance.
5. Support the school's wellbeing practices.
TEACHER PERFORMACE PLAN (2 goals per dimension, SMART goals)
1. Student Outcomes (evidence needs data)

How student score at the end of year 12, how many students do they aim to finish
with certain score ranges?
2. Professional Knowledge- know students, know content on how to teach it.

If picking up a new topic/subject knowing what you are teaching and how you may
attempt to teach it.
3. Professional Practice- plan for effective learning, create supportive and safe learning
environments, assess and provide feedback.

Improving the way that teachers teach a certain aspect, ie. Poetry.
4. Professional Engagement- engage in professional learning, engage with colleagues,
parents and community.

Attending professional development meetings either at school, or at the conference.

SMART goals:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time constraints

Year 11 Math Methods (First Monday morning back)

Teacher is taking up class from Christine, first thing done is students are to
complete a worksheet to give the teacher an idea of the students understanding.
Before students begin completing the sheet he does a quick run over of the
labels of an exponential component.
Students are told to use the calculators for this class. Some students are just
sitting around and chatting instead of doing the work, mainly the small group
at the back of the class (four boys)
The rest of the class are happy working.
Makes sure students have an understanding of what is expected of them in
class.
All students are expected to have their CAS calculators with them in all
classes.
Breaks the class up with the worksheet. Worksheet, explanations, worksheet
etc.
Don't know all the student's names, uses what he has.
Get students to complete questions that he has placed on the board so that
students have to complete them and then explain how they came to that answer.
Give students ideas about what the better choice is for exams, and reminds
them of what they are learning and how it is important.
Praises students who think they have an answer for a more difficult question.
Year 11 Advanced Math/Specialist Math (Monday afternoon)
Taking over the class for the rest of the year.
Getting to know students at first, asking why they picked maths, completed the
questions himself so students can get to know him.
Going back over basics of what they are going to learn.
They are doing trig.
Class is happy to work but likes to talk.
Re-introducing students to the calculator.
Students seem to talk a lot, students go to stand up and leave before they are to
leave.
Year 9 connect (Wednesday afternoon)

Asks the students why they are starting off so poorly.

Asks students if they have any other work to go on with.
Students are looking for a place to volunteer.
A lot of praise for students.
Trying to find a place of volunteer for students, some students aren't sure
where they want to go but know where they would prefer not to go. Reading a

students voice.
Year 7 Science (Thursday middle session)
Beginning of class, students have a work sheet and go straight into work. Are
told they have a lot to cover so need to pay attention.
Students know that while the teacher is writing information down on the board
they need to copy everything, some asking if this is required.
As they are doing a prac today.
Had plans to project things on the screen however that part is broken, students
are interested in what they are doing.
Goes through each part of the microscope as this is new for students.
Students have questions about seeing brains under the microscope explains
why this is not possible in a way that the students understand it's not her
choice, it's because it won't work.
Before she sends them off to work, she makes the aware that they have to do
certain things.
Clear instructions as they are working with expensive equipment.
Checks what the students have done after they have found what they need.
Repeats herself a lot.
Anything a bit more difficult, or new the students are brought up and she goes
through everything step by step. Explaining what they are to do and how
careful they need to be. As well as giving them an idea of what they should see.
Makes sure the students are aware of how much time they have before it is
time to finish up.
Students are encouraged to write up a lab report, which they will do for
homework.
Walks around making sure that students have everything done correctly, and if
she can see anything that they can't.
When finding guard cells she lets the students know, so that they can come and
take a look.
Gives out 'animal cells for students to look at, all of them are very excited at
what they are looking at.
Reminding students what they should have in their books/notes.
Her voice doesn't always change when talking to the class, or to a student.
Year 7 students need to be reminded and reassured about everything going on.
Advisory morning meeting
Talk about students and academic struggles/absences.

Inquiry year 9 (Friday Morning)

Upon walking in asking a student what homework was required of students for
home work.
Class works well quietly.
Students are asked if they have finished, and if they have to show this. As a
student hasn't and has been playing games he is adding a question to the list.
All students are at tables of four, no more than four at a table.
A lot of students are beginning to talk as they have mostly finished. Getting
louder.
Brings the class together in a circle on the floor, students don't like this
however he gets them to do it anyway saying that if they keep complaining he
will do it more often.
Students talk about what they learnt in the main activity.
Actively uses the word punish in class.
Some students work well quietly, others don't settle or talk a lot.
Inquiry Year 7 (Monday morning)
Team teaching year 7 students, studying Ancient Rome.
Method of class management used, silent tag if a student talks during silent
time they are 'it' at the end of the class the person that is it stays in for 15
minutes while everybody else goes.
Students know to write notes up from the board.
Main teacher works from the front of the class while the other works from the
back, giving help.
The name of who is 'it' is placed on the board so that they can keep track.
Much more strict class management, compared to Associate Teachers classes.
Class video played, students are to recognise what might be false or true (myth
or legend)
Asks students what they notice about the video just watched, while one teacher
goes to collect printing, the other teacher, teaches the class.
Students complete a kinaesthetic activity to show what happened concerning
Romulus and Remus.
A online stop watch is used in the form of a bomb to give students an idea of
how much time they have.
Using freeze frames made by the students to give their understanding of what
occurred in the video watched.
Students then give one thing good and one thing they could fix in their freeze
frames.
Calls out students at random for their groups to come up.
Class is mainly run by one teacher, the other teacher involves herself more with
the students and keeping the class working. And anything that they may be

better at teaching.
Use of many cartoons or videos that would entertain the students but also
promote learning.
Students are made aware of what isn't in the political system of Rome (women)
Give students examples of what they are doing in a way that they can relate to.
Watches the video again as not all students got everything in their notes, allows
them to get everything again.

Year 8 Inquiry (Wednesday afternoon)

Watching a video.
Classrooms allows for closing up a section of the room to watch a movie.
One student is told off, after yelling out. Asked why he is doing this after being
told many times to not yell out.
Quick cover in what they saw last time, asks the students what they saw.
Asking students questions, they then call out.
TV show about sweat shops in India a group of privileged English people go
into the sweat shop.
Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1722506/
Very confronting. Students realise a lot from watching this how horrible some
of the conditions are. They have an opinion one what is occurring and want to
comment. However after a few comments, the teacher hushes them as they
show is continuing.
Year 8 Food Teach (Thursday Afternoon)

Students were cooking.

The regular teacher wasn't there, a different teacher.
Class seemed more difficult to control.
Hard to get to pay attention.
Didn't take what they said seriously, had to be repeated several times.

Team meeting (Thursday after school)

3 Way conferences.
Year 12 adv. Year 11adv. VCAL adv.
Checking if they will miss some students, and then making sure that they can
catch them up later on about year 12 choices.
Talk about which students have booked and haven't booked, send out an email
to all families to make sure that they know that there is a need possibly to book
in if they would like to see a teacher about their studies.

Year 10 Inquiry (Friday morning)

Working out how to introduce students to year 11 and 12 humanity classes.
Gets the students involved, asking them about how it would affect them in
different situations.
Tries to cut off and quickly answer questions that could go off topic.
Walking around while he talks, as most students are on their phones.
As students are sitting there many are not taking notes, so he tells students to
take notes, preferably by hand as he said that it helps them remember better the
if by laptop.
Ask students, as they are taking notes if it is okay to move on.
Speaks slowly to the class, it links with the work on the power point, much like
a lecture style class.
Relates what is being taught to the students current lives.
Get students to do small group discussion, and then go on back to the class to
encourage larger discussion