Teaching Practice (ECE490)

ECE490 Teaching Practice is 10 cu, graded field-based course with a 12-week full-time practicum placement in either a childcare centre or kindergarten and is a pre-requisite for Work Attachment for students without an existing L2 certification from a prior ECE Diploma. It builds on the knowledge and skills acquired from prior coursework and field practicum experiences. The course structure includes: (a) students’ gradual assumption of supervised teaching responsibilities (planning based on child observations, implementation, reflection); (b) seminar attendance and completion of assignments, (c) observational assessments by supervisors, and (d) mid- and end-ofsemester self-evaluations and reflective theory-practice conversations with the university supervisor and cooperating teacher. Students are expected to demonstrate satisfactory teaching effectiveness in at least three consecutive weeks of full classroom responsibility.

• The principles of developmentally appropriate practice, and the image of the child and teachers
• Introduction to Anti-Bias Curriculum goals
• Professional code of ethics for early childhood education
• Professionalism in working with families, community, and other professionals
• Reflective practice
• Child development knowledge and the creation of responsive, engaging and challenging learning environments for diverse learners
• Developmentally appropriate, responsive approaches and strategies to enhance learning
• Pedagogical content knowledge in the main subjects/domains for early childhood curriculum
• Repertoire of instructional strategies for promoting the development of critical thinking dispositions in learners
• Developmentally appropriate usage of assessment, documentation, and reporting practices to support learning
• Family and community relationships and the ability to involve families and use community resources to enhance curriculum
• Documentation of own teaching competencies using a professional portfolio

• Evaluate connections between theory and the realities of practice.
• Analyse own strengths, limitations, and beliefs about the teaching and learning process.
• Formulate a personal teaching philosophy.
• Design and carry out curriculum and instruction that is responsive, anti-bias, engaging, challenging, and conceptually sound for learners with varying approaches to learning and at varying developmental levels.
• Defend or rationalise constructivist teaching practices based on theory and child observations.
• Employ workplace practices that contribute towards a respectful, collaborative work culture.