Have you read the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF)?
 
Practical Issues

1. What do I need to do to undertake my Professional Experience placement?
2. How is my Professional Experience organised?
3. Can I change the location of my Professional Experience once it is finalised?
4. Why does it seem to be difficult to organise a Professional Experience placement?
5. I want to organise my own Professional Experience placement. What do I do?
6. I would like to go a do my Professional Experience in my child's (partner’s, friend’s) school.
7. What sort of Professional Experience placements should I undertake during the completion of my degree?
8. Can I complete my PE at any time during the year?
9. I am a volunteer at an educational site.  Can I complete my Professional Experience at that site?
10. I am ready to complete my Professional Experience 4. Can I complete this in another State or Territory or overseas?
11. Can I be left alone in charge of a class when I’m on Professional Experience?
12. Am I allowed to be paid during my Professional Experience placement?
13. I am only doing my degree part-time. Can I continue this on my Professional Experience placement?
14. What is the role of the Teachers Registration Board?
15. I have heard I need a Good Character Check before I start my Professional Experience. What do I do?
16. I have heard that the assessment criteria are changing for Professional Experience. What are these changes?

Personal Issues

1. What is my role /responsibility as a Pre-service Teacher in a school?
2. What is the role/responsibility of the Colleague Teacher?
3. What additional preparation is required for my placement?
4. Do schools have a dress code?
5. What are the professional standards expected of me?
6. What do I do if I am sick during the Professional Experience period or if my family responsibilities overtake me?
7. What if I am pregnant?
8. Do I have to make up the days I have been away when on Professional Experience?
9. I am a smoker. Where can I have a cigarette at my school?
10. What happens if I have an accident when I'm on my PE placement?
11. My brother is getting married during the week I am on Professional Experience can I go to the wedding?
12. I'm feeling stressed and finding it hard to meet the time and/or teaching demands of my PE placement. What should I do?
13. What does it mean if I am placed on At Risk status during my PE placement?
14. I have failed my PE!  What next?
15. What if I find my Colleague Teacher difficult to work with?

1. What do I need to do to undertake my Professional Experience placement?
First of all you must be enrolled in the correct unit of study for your Professional Experience.  When this is done you will need to complete a Professional Experience Placement Request form (PDF). You will be notified by the lecturer responsible for coordinating your PE when this must be done.

2. How is my Professional Experience organised?
In BEd, BEd In-Service and BTch Professional Experience placements will be organised by the Professional Experience Officer. If you are in the BHM program your Professional Experience will be arranged by the Academic Practicum Coordinator.  When your Professional Experience Request form is completed it is processed by the Professional Experience officer and subsequently you will be advised of the location of your Professional Experience.  Sometimes this takes a few weeks to finalise, so please be patient. 

3. Can I change the location of my Professional Experience once it is finalised?
No.  Once a PE placement has been made you are obliged to take up the placement.  Forfeiting the placement will result in the PE being delayed until the next scheduled PE period.  This will extend your course completion date.

4. Why does it seem to be difficult to organise a Professional Experience placement? 
In our Faculty the Professional Experience Officers must make approximately 2200 placements for Pre-service Teachers over the year.  To secure this number of PE placements, in excess of 3000 approaches are made to schools annually; some schools decline to take Pre-service Teachers.  To ensure equity for students and to meet the needs of all students a centralised process for PE placements has been established. You need to be aware that every year it becomes more difficult to place students in the locations requested.

5. I want to organise my own Professional Experience placement. What do I do?
In BEd, BHM and BTch you can not arrange your own PE placement.  Indeed, schools can NOT accept requests from individuals and CANNOT approve PE  placements. More details about this can be found in the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF).

6. I would like to go a do my Professional Experience in my child’s (partner’s, friend’s) school.
You cannot be placed in a school where there may be a conflict of interest. More details regarding this can be found in the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF).

7. What sort of Professional Experience placements should I undertake during the completion of my degree?
You are advised to seek a variety of Professional Experience placements.  We strongly advise all Pre-service Teachers to consider the range of schools in which they could work: for example government, non government, large, small, advantaged, disadvantaged, progressive, traditional, co-ed and single sex.

8. Can I complete my PE at any time during the year?
No. Professional Experience will be undertaken at strictly scheduled times during the year.  The timetable for Professional Experience is published at the start of each year.  You must arrange to be available for the entire period of your PE placement.

9. I am a volunteer at an educational site.  Can I complete my Professional Experience at that site?
No.  It is important that from the outset as a Pre-service Teacher you are seen as a professional colleague not a volunteer. Sometimes, PE placements at the same school site can result in a conflict of interest for all involved.

10. I am ready to complete my Professional Experience 4. Can I complete this in another State or Territory or overseas?
Yes, contact the relevant coordinator. Please refer to the Faculty’s Professional Experience web site to find out who the lecturer is for these alternative placements. There are specific guidelines for applying to undertake such PE placements.  Please see the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF) or contact the relevant lecturer for further information.

11. Can I be left alone in charge of a class when I’m on Professional Experience?
No.  Pre-service Teachers can not be left legally responsible for a class, you are not a registered teacher. 

12. Am I allowed to be paid during my Professional Experience placement?
No.  Under the agreement between the education sectors a Pre-service Teacher is NOT to be paid during a Professional Experience placement.

13. I am only doing my degree part-time. Can I continue this on my Professional Experience placement?
No. PE placements must be undertaken full-time. You need to attend the school for full days/weeks as set out in the Professional Experience regulations.

14. What is the role of the Teachers Registration Board?
A Memorandum of Understanding exists between the Teachers Registration Board (TRB) Tasmania, and the University of Tasmania, Faculty of Education with regard to conducting Good Character Checks for Pre-service Teachers wanting to undertake Professional Experience in educational sites. 

The Department of Education and all non-government schools are therefore assured of the suitability of Pre-service Teachers to undertake Professional Experience placements in their schools.  Check the TRB website for details on Registration for opportunities to teach (LATS or Relief Teaching) in your final year.

15. I have heard I need a Good Character Check before I start my Professional Experience. What do I do?
A Good Character Check is organised by the TRB.  Only students who have received a Good Character Clearance from the TRB will be permitted to participate in any Professional Experience session in, or visits to, any Tasmanian state or registered school.  The Clearance is valid for the duration of the course ONLY. You can find more details at www.trb.tas.gov.au

16. I have heard that the assessment criteria are changing for Professional Experience. What are these changes?
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 if you pass each Professional Experience successfully it will be possible for you to demonstrate you have met the necessary standards for provisional registration as a teacher at the conclusion of your Professional Experience placements.

PERSONAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT

1. What is my role /responsibility as a Pre-service Teacher in a school?
A school is entitled to expect the same level of commitment from a Pre-service Teacher as is required of permanent teaching staff. Your Professional Experience will be continuous and full-time.  You must arrive and depart from the school as if you are a full-time teacher and endeavour to participate fully in school activities (with staff and students). 

Punctuality and preparation are the keys to a successful PE.  Upmost in your mind must be the safety of the students and yourself.  Have you read the Code of Conduct section in the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF) ?

2. What is the role/responsibility of the Colleague Teacher?
The Colleague Teacher remains responsible for the management of their classroom programs and for ensuring that the work undertaken by the Pre-service Teacher during the PE is integrated into the total curriculum planning for each class.  The Colleague Teacher remains responsible for the overall supervision of the class and the Pre-service Teacher.  As a Pre-service Teacher you will NOT be left alone in charge of the class at any time during any Professional Experience.

3. What additional preparation is required for my placement? 
Students must plan ahead in terms of

• taking leave from employment
• the additional financial costs of being on placement
• arranging transport to their placement site, since it is not possible to guarantee placements will be available in the exact location requested.

4. Do schools have a dress code?
On your first visit to your school LOOK at the standard of dress of your teacher colleagues and ASK your Colleague Teacher about the dress code of the school. You must present yourself as a member of the profession.  Wear your UTAS name tag at all times.  Specific details about this can be found in the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF).

5. What are the professional standards expected of me?
Dignity, respect, integrity, empathy and justice are part of the Code of Conduct you will sign onto as a Registered Teacher and as a Pre-service Teacher you will be expected to adhere to these principles and to be treated by your teacher colleagues as a professional. Remember the little things: pay your “tea” money, park your car in the designate area, adhere to the laws regarding smoking, say “thankyou” to your Colleague Teacher.

6. What do I do if I am sick during the Professional Experience period or if my family responsibilities overtake me?
Your first responsibility is to make contact with the school BEFORE the school day begins (or the night before if possible). Remember a classroom of children may be counting on you.  On the first day you return to the school site you must complete a Leave of Absence Form (PDF).  The Form must then be faxed to the Professional Experience Office on (03) 6324 3453.

The school is advised to keep the original copy of the Leave of Absence Form (PDF) for the purpose of recording the accurate number of days completed by you during the PE placement. 

7. What if I am pregnant?
Congratulations.  Your well-being is paramount.  Make sure you inform the Year Coordinator of your UTAS program and the School Principal and Colleague Teacher.  Providing you are in good health (doctors certificate may be required at some schools) you will be able to take part in a PE placement up to 6 weeks before the birth of your child and 6 weeks after the birth.

8. Do I have to make up the days I have been away when on Professional Experience?
Yes you do. ALL days must be made up to allow you to meet Teacher Registration requirements when you complete your degree. You need to negotiate with your Colleague Teacher a mutually agreeable schedule to allow all missed days to be made up. 

You can not make up missed days when University lectures and tutorials are scheduled.  You need to fill in the Negotiated Days Following Absence Form (PDF) and get your Colleague Teacher to sign it. After completion the Form must be sent to the Professional Experience Office and be received prior to you commencing the negotiated days.  For ease of delivery the Form can be faxed to the Office on (03) 6324 3453.

9. I am a smoker. Where can I have a cigarette at my school?
Schools and their grounds are smoke-free zones, thus no smoking is permitted on the school site during your Professional Experience.

10. What happens if I have an accident when I’m on my PE placement?
You need to advise your Colleague Teacher and School Principal of the accident and fill in an Accident and Incident Form available at the school.  This document will then be sent to the Director of Practicum. Costs incurred, beyond those covered by Medicare, can be claimed through UTAS Personal Accident Insurance.

11. My brother is getting married during the week I am on Professional Experience can I go to the wedding?
Social and sporting events are not deemed to be legitimate reasons for not attending your Professional Experience placement.

12. I’m feeling stressed and finding it hard to meet the time and/or teaching demands of my PE placement. What should I do?
If you have not commenced your PE placement, you need to make an appointment to speak to your University Program Coordinator immediately.  The Professional Experience Officer will want to contact your placement school to make an apology as soon as possible.

The Faculty of Education prides itself on its presentation as a professional organisation and early notification of any Professional Experience changes is essential.
If you have already commenced the PE placement and then decide to withdraw YOU will need to make immediate contact with the University Program Coordinator, the Professional Experience Officer and of course the Principal and Colleague Teacher of the school.

Confidential counselling services are available at the University to assist you through this time if you so desire. Go to http://www.studentservices.utas.edu.au/counselling/

13. What does it mean if I am placed on At Risk status during my PE placement?
This means that there are concerns about you being able to complete your Professional Experience successfully.  You will be advised in writing of the reasons you have been placed at risk.  Your University Program Coordinator or Supervisor will be notified of your position by your Colleague Teacher and you can expect a meeting to be held with you and University and school personnel to plan how you can be supported at that time. 

Subsequent satisfactory improvement in the highlighted areas of weakness could result in you passing the Professional Experience.  See the Professional Experience Procedural Guidelines (PDF) for more details.

14. I have failed my PE!  What next?
Unfortunately some Pre-service Teachers do not achieve a satisfactory rating on every Professional Experience.  If you are not successful on a PE placement the University Practicum Supervisor, your Colleague Teacher, and your School Principal will meet to discuss the details of your Professional Experience.

Then your Program Coordinator will arrange to speak to you regarding your PE and you will need to repeat the PE in the next scheduled period at a different location in a similar school. Unfortunately, UTAS rules mean that two (2) failed Professional Experiences in one year will result in termination of your degree!

15. What if I find my Colleague Teacher difficult to work with?
It is quite possible that you will not form a lasting friendship with every Colleague Teacher on every PE placement.  Your quest is for a professionally rewarding experience that will allow you to grow developmentally as a Pre-service Teacher.  If you feel you are not being treated fairly or in line with the TRB Code of Conduct contact your Program Coordinator for advice. 

Our best advice is if you need assistance ask for help.  Even if you approach the wrong University person he/she will direct you to the responsible person to assist with your concerns.

Remember it is best to deal with problems when they arise.  Issues are much easier to handle when they first come up and this can save much anxiety and stress for you and indeed all involved.