Classroom Teacher - Melbourne, United States - Schools (Government)

Description

Role

The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges- range 1 and range 2. The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning.

As the classroom teacher gains experience his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.

Classroom teacher Range 2
Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:
- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervise and train one or more student teachers
- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

Classroom teacher Range 1
The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs. Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.

At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities.
The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice. New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.

Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.

Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricula activities.

Responsibilities

The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:

Who May Apply

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

EEO AND OHS Commitment

The Department of Education and Training is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms – gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces.

Child Safe Standards

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the Department's exemplar available at

DE Values

The Department's employees commit to upholding DET's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. DET's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the DET values is available at

Other Information

Applications must include:

For ease of handling by the school, all documents (cover letter, CV and key selection criteria responses) can be saved as one pdf and uploaded to Recruitment Online. Please also ensure that your name is included in the header of each document.

All applicants should ensure that their personal profile on Recruitment Online is up to date.

Applicants seeking further information about the College or this position, are encouraged to contact the General Office on , prior to the closing date of applications.

Conditions of Employment

VIT LANTITE

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements. This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.

Location Profile

College Profile

St Albans Secondary College's vision, values and guiding principles combine to create a safe, supportive and structured environment where every student is guided and inspired to achieve to the best of their ability. Our College community values respect, integrity, leadership, and the pursuit of excellence.

We are proud of our school community's achievements: our results in almost all areas are significantly higher than the average for the State, and for similar schools. St Albans Secondary College has regularly been recognised as a high performing school. In studies undertaken by the Department of Education and the University of Melbourne we were well above state benchmarks in all measures. These outcomes, together with excellent attendance rates, continued growth in students' literacy and numeracy skills, and significant improvement in students' sense of connectedness and safety, are a testament to the combined efforts of staff, families and students.

Our commitment to foster the academic and personal development of each student, to provide a high-quality education, and to guarantee a broad range of programs to challenge and enrich all students, is a significant factor in these achievements. Our Attendance Policy of 90%, close monitoring of student absences, and effective communication with parents ensure that the importance of regular attendance for successful student learning is well embedded in the school culture.

The SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) program is offered to challenge and motivate gifted and talented students from Year 7 right through to Year 12. Additionally, enrichment electives are offered from Year 9, and VCE subjects are available to selected students from Year 10. Our top achievers are supported with scholarships, as well as university mentoring programs including the Kwong Lee Dow Scholars' program, and they consistently gain entry into top level tertiary courses.

A focus on positive, respectful relationships as an essential part of a safe, enjoyable learning environment is an essential aspect of the College's culture, as is our strategy of enhancing student voice and leadership across the school, and providing a rich extracurricular program. Activities include a comprehensive instrumental music program, drama and music production, public speaking and debating, writers' workshops, a camps program, sports teams and carnivals, a House system, and a range of student clubs.

Our vision for wellbeing is to support all members of our school community to develop a resilient mindset by striving to ensure that everyone feels Connected, Protected and Respected. The development of a comprehensive allied health team approach to student wellbeing, recent work on resilient mindsets, and further strengthening student wellbeing programs have been important in fostering engagement, positive behaviour, and respectful relationships.

Creating a strong community is an important part of the College's strength. We actively seek the contributions and participation of families, as well as business and university partners, and our vibrant and growing Alumni program to create the best possible surroundings for our students to learn and grow. Our students benefit from a range of high-quality opportunities to engage with business and community partners through mentoring and leadership programs, and the Alumni program. Our staff are deeply committed to fostering the learning and wellbeing of each student. Parent satisfaction with the school is well above the state average, and reflects the confidence parents and families have in the work we do together.

Throughout 2021, we maintained a sustained focus on guaranteeing precise, highly effective teaching practice in every classroom, including in the online context. Online learning in 2020 provided a springboard for rethinking how we design and deliver curriculum and assessment. As a result, in 2021, we refocused curriculum planners around KUDs (Know, Understand, Do) linked to the standards, and worked with staff to create a clearer narrative and awareness of through lines from standards to assessment. This, in turn, led to a change in how we document curriculum and make it available to students and parents. In Term 4, staff were introduced to the further concept of differentiating their KUDs as part of curriculum and assessment planning, and this will be ongoing throughout 2022.

Differentiation, using the Carol Tomlinson model, continued as a major strategic focus for us. The development of a model, based on Tomlinson's work, to illustrate the 'what' and 'how' of differentiation has promoted greater clarity for staff, and a framework for guiding the direction of future work. Whilst COVID disrupted the planned direction and mode of professional learning, a great deal was still achieved, and this has provided an excellent basis for the work on differentiation in 2022. In particular, the use of 'master data sheets' to centralise and visualise the learning data for each student in Years 7 to 10, and to support staff in the use of this data to differentiate their curriculum, teaching and assessment gained traction. Professional learning on the whole school Literacy strategy was delivered; however, there was a need to pace this work due to the demands that online learning placed on staff. The whole school Numeracy strategy remained in development, and will be introduced to staff in 2022.

Another key priority in 2021 was to deepen the work on resilient mindsets with our school community, especially in terms of developing a framework and language for resilience. There was a recognition of the need to be more explicit in terms of the link between learning and wellbeing, particularly in the context of differentiation. There is evidence of the traction of this work in language used by students and staff, in frameworks and policy documents, and in the systems implemented to keep our community connected during online learning. The experience of our girls in their education was investigated by a working party and recommendations for action developed. This remains a challenge for us, and will continue as an important project in 2022.

Our student learning data, as summarised in the Performance Summary, once again showed that the College is performing above like schools in all areas, and above the State in most areas. These are excellent results given the disruptions to face to face learning due to Covid 19. Our model of online learning, where staff followed the timetable and had contact with students every lesson, either for explicit teaching or application time, provided the support our students needed to be successful.

In 2021, we achieved a mean VCE study score of , with of study scores over 40. This compares well with the state average of , and 4% above 40. 97% of students satisfactorily completed the VCE. The percentage of students who achieved an ATAR above 80 was , and the College's average ATAR was , compared to the Stave average of These excellent results were obtained through the hard work of the teaching staff, and the engagement and motivation of the students.

St Albans Secondary College is an accredited provider of education for international students. Our reputation for academic excellence has attracted 35 students from overseas who are currently completing their secondary education with us. Our local and international parent communities are integral to the success of this program, and to the support provided to the students.

The school has committed to a sustained program of facilities upgrading in order to improve the learning and work environment for students and staff, and this is evident from the front gate to the sports oval.

We have built a strong, positive school culture where effort and achievement are valued and recognised. The friendly, supportive, caring atmosphere of our school is very often commented on by visitors. Students are able to articulate the high expectations that the staff and parents hold for them and they appreciate this.

St Albans Secondary College is a community where staff and parents work together with, and for the benefit of, students. Staff are deeply committed to the academic progress, and personal development and wellbeing of each student.