We value the contribution made by classroom teachers in assisting Pre-service Teachers gain competence and experience in real teaching and learning contexts. 

Each year the University of Tasmania requires the Faculty to enrol a set quota of students in the Education degree courses offered.  In these courses the central aim is to educate students to become competent practitioners who can teach in educational settings around the world.

The UTAS quota results in the Faculty of Education having to make in excess of 2200 Professional Experience placements a year so we depend on teachers, such as you, to assist in the professional experience aspects of the Pre-service Teacher becoming a competent practitioner.  Some schools and teachers are unable or decline to be involved in the Professional Experience program and this makes your contribution so valuable. Without your assistance this crucial component of studying to become a teacher would be lost.

If you have been a Colleague Teacher for a while you will observe there has been a change of name for Practicum, from School Experience to Professional Experience.  The need for this change has come about because some of our Pre-service Teachers are undertaking Practicum in educational sites which are not schools (eg Child Care Centres; Hospitals; Detention Centres; Disability Centres).  However, in making these placements the Faculty always requires a registered teacher to be the Colleague Teacher with the Pre-service Teacher.

1. What is your role as a Colleague Teacher in Professional Experience?
2. What education degree courses are available at UTAS?
3. How is the Professional Experience organised?
4. Are there special things I need to do when I first meet the Pre-service Teacher?
5. What assessment procedures do I have to complete for the Pre-service Teacher?
6. What happens if I have a Pre-service Teacher who is completing an unsatisfactory Professional Experience placement?
7. Why has an At Risk status been included for Pre-service Teachers on Professional Experience?
8. Can I expect to receive a visit from a Uni Supervisor during the Pre-service Teacher’s Professional Experience placement?
9. What happens if I am absent during the Pre-service Teacher’s Professional Experience placement?
10. What happens when the Pre-service Teacher is absent?
11. Do I get paid for supervising a Pre-service Teacher?
12. Assessment documents and Claim for Payment

1. What is your role as a Colleague Teacher in Professional Experience?
Your role as a Colleague Teacher is critical. Professional Experience enables Pre-service Teachers to experience the cultural context of the classroom and to see an experienced teacher, such as you, apply appropriate teaching strategies and processes for that school context. Please remember: You are legally responsible for  the class at all times whilst the Pre-service Teacher is with you.

2. What education degree courses are available at UTAS?
Four different degrees (Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Education In-service, Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Human Movement) are offered by the Faculty of Education in Tasmania.  Depending upon your area of teaching specialisation you may be invited to act as a Colleague Teacher for a Pre-service Teacher undertaking a Professional Experience placement from any of these degrees.

3. How is the Professional Experience organised?
Each Program’s Professional Experience units of study are sequentially developed to allow the Pre-service Teacher to reflect on every Professional Experience undertaken and combine these reflections with ongoing academic study. 

This means as a Colleague Teacher you need to be aware of the requirements of the particular Professional Experience being undertaken by each Pre-service Teacher you supervise.  Details about the different Professional Experience placements are available on the Faculty of Education’s Professional Experience web site.

4. Are there special things I need to do when I first meet the Pre-service Teacher?
Yes there are. We recommend you have a conversation with the Pre-service Teacher about the placement prior to the scheduled commencement of the Professional Experience. We ask that you provide detailed information related to the expectations of being a teacher at your school. 

Areas which should be explained include school times and dates of forthcoming meetings, a contact phone number; duties to be carried out both inside and outside the classroom; and procedures for notification of an absence. Pre-service Teachers really appreciate having a designated work area in the classroom so allocation of such a space in your room would be valued.  As many different curricula are used by schools in which our Pre-service Teachers undertake Professional Experience we ask that you share with them the relevant school and curriculum documents/policies to be used at your school. 

Our feedback from Pre-service Teachers has shown that they also appreciate having clear directions, preferably written, about what they will be required to teach during the time in your class. Provision of such guidelines enables them to be prepared and means confusion of expectations related to teaching are avoided.  Inclusion of information related to classroom management is also important.

We ask that they are provided with the following: a class list/; school/classroom rules; class times; daily routines in classroom/ school (eg daily phys ed); parent contact procedures; and other background information related to your class/school.

Positive relationships are central to successful Professional Experience placements and so your reaction to, and interaction with, the Pre-service Teacher will be fundamental to his/her ongoing preparation for becoming a member of the teaching profession.

5. What assessment procedures do I have to complete for the Pre-service Teacher?
The Pre-service Teacher will look to you for regular, constructive feedback.  We ask that you set aside specific times for discussions and provide clear and honest feedback (what went well, what needs to be improved, how might improvements be made) and maintain a dated record of the feedback given. UTAS requirements mean you need to complete a formal assessment of the Pre-service Teacher.  

This year there are changes to the criteria for assessment. We have moved to using the Teachers Registration Board’s Graduate Standards as a basis for assessment. In this way it will be possible for Pre-service Teachers to demonstrate they have met the necessary standards for provisional registration as a teacher at the conclusion of their four Professional Experience placements.  If you are unsure about the assessment process we suggest you talk to your Principal and/or the University Program Coordinator, or visiting Supervisor. 

Complete details related to the specific Professional Experience placement each Pre-service Teacher is undertaking can be found in the documentation provided by the Pre-service Teacher or on the UTAS web site at http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/profexp/

6. What happens if I have a Pre-service Teacher who is completing an unsatisfactory Professional Experience placement?
Unfortunately a number of Pre-service Teachers will find the Professional Experience challenging, possibly confronting and in exceptional cases untenable.  If you see signs that the Pre-service Teacher is not going to be able to complete the Professional Experience satisfactorily contact your Principal and the relevant University Practicum Coordinator to discuss the situation. 

University Supervisors/Coordinators are there to support you, effective communication is essential between all parties in these cases. If you see signs that the Pre-service Teacher is going to “fail” the Professional Experience contact your Principal and the relevant Program Coordinator.  This Pre-service Teacher needs to be placed on ‘At Risk’ status (see the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF) for more details) so that all parties are aware of the situation and processes can be put in place to handle the situation effectively.

7. Why has an At Risk status been included for Pre-service Teachers on Professional Experience?
It has become evident that sometimes a Pre-service Teacher will complete a Professional Experience placement without fully understanding that he/she is at risk of failing, until the completed assessment is shared.

This can be very stressful for all involved and thus, the At Risk procedure has been put in place to assist with this situation. In most cases the At Risk procedure would be enacted in the first half of a PE placement. Full details regarding the Professional Experience At Risk Procedure are available in the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF) at http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/profexp/

8. Can I expect to receive a visit from a Uni Supervisor during the Pre-service Teacher’s Professional Experience placement?
Not all Pre-service Teachers on Professional Experience placements will be visited by University staff. However, you can be assured that you will be supported by University staff if any problems arise.  University staff acknowledge you are the most important contact person for the Pre-service Teacher during the placement, however they are there to support you if you so desire.

If visits are scheduled to be undertaken by University staff, the Supervising Lecturer responsible for your school will want to spend time with you to discuss the progress that has been made by the Pre-service Teacher during the placement.  The Uni Supervisor will arrange a visit to meet you and your Pre-service Teacher. You can also make contact with your allocated Uni Supervisor via email and/or phone at any time.

9. What happens if I am absent during the Pre-service Teacher’s Professional Experience placement?
Your absence during the Pre-service Teacher’s Professional Experience placement is still counted as a day for the Pre-service Teacher.  However, the Pre-service Teacher cannot replace you in the classroom.  A relief teacher will be required.

If you are absent for more than a day or two the placement of the Pre-service Teacher in your class may need to be reconsidered by your Principal and the University Program Coordinator.

10. What happens when the Pre-service Teacher is absent?
The Pre-service Teacher may be absent due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances.  As the Teacher Registration and Certification requirements demand that a Pre-service Teacher participates in a set number of days of Professional Experience all missed days need to be made up.

When absent the Pre-service Teacher needs to fill in a Leave of Absence Form (PDF) when he/she returns to your school. This Form needs to be faxed immediately to the Professional Experience Office. You are asked to sign this Form prior to returning it to the Faculty.

The days that the Pre-service Teacher needs to make up to cover all absences needs to be completed at a time convenient to you and the Pre-service Teacher. The Pre-service Teacher can not make up Professional Experience time if it coincides with Uni lecture and tutorial times.  The Pre-service Teacher is required to fill in a Negotiated Days Following Absence Form (PDF) to inform the Faculty of the schedule of days to be undertaken.  The Form needs to be signed by you and returned to the Professional Experience Office prior to the commencement of the extra days in school.

11. Do I get paid for supervising a Pre-service Teacher?
Yes you do.  The rate of payment for Colleague Teachers in Professional Experience is determined by an agreement with the Australian Education Union, the Tasmanian Education Department and the University of Tasmania. Claiming your payment needs to be completed on the required form (PDF).

Please ensure you complete and submit the documentation provided through your Principal at your earliest convenience after the completion of the placement.  It is suggested that you keep a copy of your completed form for future reference.  If you require more information please refer to the Faculty’s Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF).

12. Assessment documents and Claim for Payment
We ask that the completed Assessment documentation and Claim for Payment be forward by mail or fax (6324 3453)

Faculty of Education
Professional Experience Office
Locked Bag 1307 Launceston
University of Tasmania
LAUNCESTON TAS 7250

Claim for Payment can only be processed after the placement has been completed (including any Negotiated Days) and the Assessment Documentation has been received. If required Assessment Documents are available at http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/profexp/

The important role you play in Professional Experience is highly valued. Thank you!
Please be assured both academic and administrative staff members at the University are there to support and assist you during the duration of the Professional Experience in all Faculty of Education programs.