Illustrations of Practice – Graduate Level – SPERA
As visual representations of what teacher practice could look like in a range of contexts, Illustrations of Practice help teachers to situate their own practice within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
They are an impression of aspects of teacher practice within a particular career stage of the Standards and aim to assist teachers to interpret the meaning of the elements of the Standards. Accordingly, the illustrations demonstrate practice in a range of learning environments and across the spectrum of student cohorts.
The illustrations are short videos, often supported with resources including student work samples and teacher planning documents, captured in schools across Australia. They can be used to support teacher self-evaluation/reflection and professional learning.
SPERA’s Partnership with CEPWA and AITSL
In mid 2012 SPERA was successful with its Request for Proposal to the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to produce four illustrations of practice. SPERA joined forces with the newly formed Country Education Partnership WA (CEPWA) who were also contracted to produce four Illustrations to support the implementation of the new Australian National Professional Standards for Teachers.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers comprise seven standards outlining what teachers should know and be able to do. The seven standards are grouped under the three domains of Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, and Professional Engagement.
The Illustrations of Practice are a resource for teachers and designed to bring the Standards to life. As a resource the illustrations:
- demonstrate what teacher practice could look like in a range of contexts to help teachers situate their own practice within the National Professional Standards for Teachers.
- are an impression of the qualities of teacher practice within a particular career stage of the Standards. The four career stages are designated as Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished, and Lead.
Seven Illustrations produced by SPERA and CEPWA depicted the Graduate level and in the rural and regional context. With the exception of three Illustrations, interns from the Western Australian Combined Universities Training Schools Project (WACUTS) volunteered their time and experience to enable the production to take place.
The interns and schools that made the project possible were: Annaliese Dawson (Murdoch University), Elizabeth Corp (Murdoch University), and Alexandra Gilbert (Edith Cowan University) who are all interns at O’Connor Primary School in Kalgoorlie; Laura Wilson (University of Western Australia) at Harvey Primary School; Natalie Donkin (Murdoch University) at Harvey Senior High School; Alana Reid (Curtin University) at York District High School and; Tanya Cox (Murdoch University) at Kellerberrin District High School.
Others who were not involved in the WACUTS internship program and providing Illustrations were; Tanith Dent, Natalie Perott and Libby Owen. Natalie, a graduated from Edith Cowan, had recently taken up an appointment at O’Connor Primary School (Kalgoorlie) after enjoying the opportunity to complete a practicum at the school in 2011. Tanith also completed a practicum at O’Connor in 2011 and had recently returned to the school to fill a vacancy after completing her teacher education training at Edith Cowan University. Libby was in her first year of teaching at Toodyay District High School after graduation from Notre Dame University.
Each of the graduates involved in the project are exceptional teachers with a passion for rural education. It was a great privilege for SPERA and CEPWA to be involved in the project and to work alongside teachers early in their careers and committed to the provision of quality education beyond metropolitan Australia.
The Illustrations produced by SPERA and CEPWA are published on the AITSL website: