An important part of our school programme is providing
opportunities for you to practise teaching.
Your associate teacher regards you as a teacher in training and wants to
assist you in every way.
Observe carefully the routines, organisation and the methods
your associate teacher uses to get the children to respond. If you follow this pattern, you will get a
similar response. It is not wise to
become too familiar with children.
PREPARATION
It is the responsibility of each student teacher to have
attended the appropriate briefings at University and to have read the practicum
brief. Staff expect that students will arrive with forethought as to their
practicum goals and with their practicum folders organised.
PLANNING
Each major lesson must be sighted before any student teacher
will be allowed to teach. Lesson plans
must be shown to associate teachers before teaching takes place. All reflective and assessment processes are
to be adhered to, as per school and university requirements. Reflections should
also be shared with your associate.
PRINCIPAL’S DISCUSSIONS
These are generally held in the Staffroom at a time
negotiated to suit all concerned. Please ensure you have read the guidelines
included in your practicum brief. You are expected to arrive at the Principal’s
discussion fully prepared with relevant questions you wish to discuss. Discussions will be held with the Principal
and/or Deputy Principal.
STAFF MEETINGS
You are welcome to attend Staff Meetings that are held while
you are on section. Syndicate and
curriculum team leaders will invite you to attend their meetings. Please try
not to leave during a meeting. If this
is necessary please ensure your Associate knows you will be leaving. Generally,
an administration meeting is held each Monday morning at 8.00am and staff
meetings (usually for professional development) are held each Monday afternoon
from 3.15 – 4.30pm.
CAR PARK
Students are welcome to park in the staff car parks off
Walters Road and Porchester Road.
Diagonal parking is also available on Walters Road in front of the Junior
Block. Please observe all turning restrictions - particularly on Walters Road.
STUDENT IDENTITY TAGS
At the briefing on the first morning of the practicum all
students are issued with ‘Student’ tags. The reason for these tags is purely
for safety reasons - all persons (other than pupils and staff) must be wearing
a ‘Visitor’ or ‘Student’ badge when in the grounds. The purpose for this policy
is so that anyone who is not authorised can be quickly identified and
challenged by a staff member. These tags should be returned at he conclusion of
the practicum.
MORNING TEA MONEY
Student teachers are asked to pay $3.00 per week for morning
tea. Payment of morning tea money should
be made directly to the office. It is felt that at 60 cents per day for tea,
coffee, milo and food student teachers are getting very good value for their
money. Managing who makes use of this facility is impossible. Therefore, all
students are expected to pay into this fund.
SCHOOL SCHEME AND RECORDS
Please use these within the school. We would recommend some
restraint with regard to the wholesale copying of policy – sometimes it is the
procedures that you are more interested in. Please ensure policy is relevant
before copying and check with your associate / Deputy Principal before copying.
A master set of policies is held in the Deputy Principal’s office.
PLAYGROUND DUTY
Student teachers are required to complete playground duty
with their associate teacher, however, you are welcome in the playground at any
time. A copy of the duty roster is displayed on the wall in the staffroom.
DISCIPLINE
If student teachers are wanting to take disciplinary action
in regards to a child, e.g. Up Here For Thinking, please discuss it first with
your associate.
DRESS
A suitable standard of dress is expected of each student
teacher. Students who are inappropriately dressed will be asked to leave the
school and return when suitably attired. As a guide students should look at the
dress of the professional staff and model themselves appropriately.
PHOTOCOPIER
Photocopying for personal / college use will cost 10c per
sheet. Any photocopying for a class
lesson is regarded as classroom use.
Photocopying needs to be in the tray in the office before 8.30am.
Copying can also be made on the copier in the Teacher Work Room. Please note that even if you bring your own
paper you are expected to pay the 10c per copy cost (this is still less than
the actual cost of copying).
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones should used sparingly while at school. Please
consider how it looks to the school pupils if you are wandering through the
school texting during breaks or you are sitting in the staffroom ignoring
others while you text! Your mobile phone will be turned off during class time
and meetings.
LUNCHES
Can be ordered at school from 8.30am from parents in the
lunchroom (Hall kitchen). Additionally, the dairy opposite the school supplies
good quality food for lunches etc.
SMOKING
It is a legal requirement that all New Zealand schools are
smoke free. There is no smoking at the Papakura Normal School at any time.
Student teachers who wish to smoke must leave the premises and be out of sight
from the school grounds. The table and chairs adjacent to the dairy across the
road are provided for staff use only as part of a private agreement between the
dairy owner and the Board of Trustees. Student teachers have not been granted
permission to smoke in this area.
RESOURCES
From time to time you will use resources from various
resource rooms or be asked to return resources after use by the class. Please
ensure that you return the items to their correct place and if in doubt please
check with your associate or another staff member. Do not dump and run!
SURVEY
To help us to help other student teachers we would like you
to complete a questionnaire at the end of this section. You need not put your
name on the form – simply place the completed survey into the envelope that
will be supplied to the trainee leader. Your comments and constructive feedback
is always welcome so that we can help to improve the opportunities for student
teachers at Papakura Normal School.
CONFIDENTIALITY
We would remind student teachers of the importance of
professional behaviour during their placement at Papakura Normal School. Please
respect the confidentiality aspect of your placement by ensuring that
information that you use in your studies is used solely for that purpose and
does not in anyway identify a student. Also remember that care is required when
discussing programmes and children in public.
PHOTOS / VIDEO / RESOURCES
Students are welcome to take photos and videos for the
purposes of record keeping, enhancing their future teaching practice and
e-portfolios. However, students should check with their associate prior to
taking photos etc and ensure complete confidentiality and privacy:
* no names should be used with photos and videos
* intellectual rights / ownership should be
acknowledged
* copyright laws should be respected
* the school, associate teacher and children should not
be identifiable on records retained
* where a child can be identified in a photo or video,
either the face should be blurred or permission obtained to use the photo.
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
The Deputy Principal is available to answer any questions
related to the school. He is also
available to help with any problems or concerns you may have.
FINAL MORNING
On the last day of your practicum the school has an open
morning whereby students are invited to visit other classrooms in the school
between 9.30am and 11am. Students are requested to return their completed
evaluation form and ‘Student’ badge to the Deputy Principal or Practicum leader
before leaving.
Good luck and best wishes for a successful section. Remember if you do have a problem, ask.