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Presentation Script

Title Slide: Professional Teaching Presentation

SECTION 1: SCHOOL AND CLASS CONTEXT

Slide 3: Introduction

Hello and welcome to my professional teaching presentation. In this session, I will explore my
placement experience at Piara Waters Primary School, a pseudonym used for a real WA public
primary school.

The presentation is structured in three parts. First, I will describe the context of the school and
class then justify my classroom decisions and teaching strategies in section two. Finally, I will
evaluate my own practice and reflect on feedback received.

All lesson planning and pedagogical decisions are informed by the Australian Curriculum and
aligned with the AITSL Graduate Standards. The lessons discussed were submitted in
Assessment Task 1 and revised in response to reflection and evidence. Let’s begin with the
school and student context.

Slide 4: School Profile and Demographics

Piara Waters Primary is a growing school in a high-demand area of Perth, Western Australia.
The school currently enrols around 900 students, with numbers increasing each year.

The ICSEA score is 1082, which indicates an above-average socioeconomic background.

However, student diversity is a defining feature of this school.

Over 59% of students speak a language other than English at home, and 13% are EAL/D
learners. Cultural diversity is wide-ranging and includes students from Indian, Chinese, African,
and Middle Eastern backgrounds.

School priorities are clearly articulated in its Annual Report and School Plan, with a strong
emphasis on early literacy and numeracy foundations, alongside social-emotional learning
(SEL). These contextual elements heavily shaped the teaching strategies I employed in my
classroom (ACARA, 2023; ABS, 2021).

Slide 5: Class Profile and Learner Characteristics

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In my Year 1 class, I worked with 24 students in a balanced cohort of boys and girls. Five
students were on Individual Education Plans (IEPs), including two EAL/D learners, one child
with autism spectrum disorder, one with cerebral palsy, and one diagnosed with dyslexia.

This required consistent use of differentiation, visual supports, and learning scaffolds. Behaviour
was generally positive, though minor attention difficulties were common, particularly during
transitions.

My lessons integrated multimodal strategies, concrete materials, and structured peer interactions
to support diverse learners.

Using insights from Duchesne et al. (2018) and Whitton et al. (2016), I emphasised inclusive,
collaborative, and engaging learning practices tailored to cognitive, cultural, and linguistic needs.

Slide 6 - SECTION 2: CLASSROOM DECISIONS

Slide 7: Managing Motivation, Engagement and Behaviour

In this classroom, motivation and engagement were supported through clear routines, scaffolded
group work, and practical tasks.

Minor behaviour disruptions were mostly related to attention fatigue or transitions. I used visual
timetables, reward tokens, and movement breaks to address these.

Glasser’s Choice Theory informed the use of peer collaboration and self-regulated tasks, helping
students feel connected and purposeful. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs guided my classroom setup
as students needed to feel safe and included before they could learn.

Vygotsky’s theory also influenced my approach: learning tasks were designed to be slightly
above each student’s level and supported through scaffolding and guided practice (Duchesne et
al., 2018). These strategies ensured all learners were both supported and challenged.

Slide 8: Effective Communication and Relationships

Building strong student-teacher relationships was essential in creating a safe and productive
classroom. I began each day with a short circle time, encouraging students to share their
thoughts, building trust and empathy.
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Verbal instructions were paired with visual prompts, ensuring inclusivity for EAL/D students
and those with processing difficulties. I adopted trauma-informed practices, responding calmly
and predictably to student outbursts, which helped preserve a safe space. According to Whitton
et al. (2016), such predictability reduces anxiety and increases learning capacity.

Peer connections were also cultivated through cooperative learning activities. The result was a
classroom where students felt valued, understood, and ready to engage with content.

Slide 9: Observation and Formative Assessment

Assessment was embedded into every phase of the lesson through observation and quick-
response tools.

I used exit tickets and whiteboards to check immediate understanding, particularly with
partitioning concepts. For example, after modelling two-digit addition, students would show their
partitioning steps independently.

Differentiated worksheets used colour-coded tiers to support or extend learning. My feedback

was informed by Hattie’s model, which emphasizes timely, actionable, and focused effort on the
task rather than the learner (Hattie & Clarke, 2019).

Scaffolding strategies ensured that support could be gradually withdrawn as confidence grew.
This approach helped me identify misconceptions early, provide real-time support, and track
learning progression across ability levels.

Slide 10: Involving Parents and Carers

Family partnerships were integral to supporting learning continuity beyond the classroom. I used
Seesaw to share photos, samples, and learning goals, allowing parents to celebrate progress at
home.

For EAL/D families, visual instructions and translated summaries supported access. Literacy and
numeracy take-home packs further involved families in practising foundational skills. I invited
parent feedback through digital forms and informal chats, integrating their perspectives into
learning support strategies.
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However, I had to be flexible with communication timing due to parents working night or shift
hours. Epstein’s framework highlights that effective family-school partnerships improve student
achievement and behaviour (Epstein, 2018; Henderson & Mapp, 2002), which I observed
throughout the term.

Slide 11: Lesson Plan 1: Standard 1 Focus

Lesson Plan 1 targeted foundational place value understanding using base-ten blocks. This was
designed to engage all learners through hands-on materials and differentiated pairings.

Ella, a student with dyslexia, was supported through peer discussion and colour-coded
instructions. Kaiden, who has cerebral palsy, was provided adapted scissors and allowed extra
movement time.

EAL/D students benefited from simplified language and visual prompts. This lesson
demonstrated my ability to apply Focus Area 1.5 (Differentiation) and 1.6 (Inclusion of students
with disability). This helped me ensure all learners were given equitable access to the curriculum
(AITSL, n.d.).

Reflection led me to consider even stronger scaffolded metacognitive strategies, like learning
journals, for Ella.

Slide 12: Lesson Plan 2: Standard 2 Focus

In Lesson Plan 2, students progressed from concrete tools to mental strategies. The learning goal
was aligned with ACMNA030, which focuses on partitioning for addition and subtraction.

I used guided worked examples to model breaking numbers into tens and ones, then scaffolded
worksheets and peer problem-solving supported independent application.

Mathematical vocabulary such as "addends" and "regrouping" was explicitly taught using visuals
and anchor charts, addressing Focus Area 2.2. My lesson showed strong alignment with Focus
Area 2.1 as I combined content knowledge with effective, age-appropriate strategies.

These decisions ensured that all students, regardless of ability, accessed core curriculum content
in numeracy (AITSL, n.d.; ACARA, 2023).
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Slide 13 - SECTION 3: EVALUATION AND REFLECTION

Slide 14: Feedback Received

Feedback from tutors, mentors, and peers highlighted both strengths and growth areas.

My lesson planning was praised for differentiation, particularly the inclusion of students with CP
and dyslexia. My use of concrete materials, like base-ten blocks, and calm behavioural strategies
also received positive comments.

However, areas for improvement included offering more robust extension tasks for higher-
achieving students and embedding metacognitive prompts to deepen understanding.
Additionally, feedback suggested that I collect and act more systematically on formative
assessment data.

This aligns with the "evaluation" stage in Rolfe et al.’s (2001) reflective model. Going forward, I
aim to sharpen my use of assessment tools to inform teaching in real time (AITSL, n.d.).

Slide 15: Tracked Changes and Improvements

Based on the feedback, I revised my lesson plans using tracked changes.

First, I included extension tasks like “add three two-digit numbers” to challenge fast finishers. I
also embedded self-reflection prompts such as “What did I do well?” and “What would I try
differently next time?” to support metacognitive development.

The exit tickets were revised to include low–medium–high complexity options, allowing for
more nuanced assessment. I also introduced a basic peer-assessment rubric for pair work, helping
students articulate and evaluate their problem-solving strategies.

These updates aimed to ensure stronger differentiation, clearer assessment data, and more student
agency (Hattie & Clarke, 2019; Duchesne et al., 2018).

Slide 16: Final Reflection and Advice

This assignment has reinforced the value of evidence-informed, reflective teaching. As future
educators, we must balance inclusion with challenge, respond flexibly to learner needs, and use
feedback as a catalyst for growth.
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The teaching and learning cycle emphasises that planning, teaching, assessing, and evaluating
are continuous and iterative. I have learned that even small changes, like reframing a question or
pairing students strategically, can have a profound impact on engagement.

As Timperley (2011) argues, the most powerful learning happens when we critically interrogate
our practice. My advice to future students is to embrace constructive feedback—it pushes us
toward excellence.

Thank you for listening.

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References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023). Australian Curriculum

v9.0. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023). My School: Piara Waters
Primary School. https://www.myschool.edu.au/

AITSL. (n.d.). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Duchesne, S., & McMaugh, A. (2018). Educational psychology for learning and teaching.
Cengage AU.

Epstein, J. L. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and
improving schools (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Hattie, J., & Clarke, S. (2019). Visible learning: Feedback. Routledge.

Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family,
and community connections on student achievement. Southwest Educational
Development Laboratory.

McDevitt, T. M., & Gallagher, K. C. (2019). Child development and education (7th ed.). Pearson
Education.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., & Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection for nursing and the helping
professions: A user's guide. Palgrave Macmillan.

Timperley, H. (2011). Realizing the power of professional learning. Open University Press.

Whitton, D., Barker, K. L., Nosworthy, M., Humphries, J., & Sinclair, C. (2016). Learning for
teaching: Teaching for learning. Cengage.