Schools as text looking at the whole school

Describe the school in terms of

its demographics, appearance
and resources (be general here
and do not name the school).

School grounds were beautiful and really well kept. There was
very little rubbish around. Classrooms were neat and organised
and all really colourful with lots of posters and the students work
on the wall.
The school had access to large amounts of resources, in
particular reading materials. Many of these resources were
located in multipurpose rooms which all classrooms had access
to. Teachers also had access to paints, craft materials, maths
equipment and drama props which were located in various
areas of the school.
School was located in a high socio-economic area.

What were the roles and

responsibilities of the teaching
staff you observed?

Mentor Teacher (Year 2 Classroom Teacher)

After discussion with your

mentor teacher describe how
policies and processes of
government, administration and
schools have an effect on the
work of the teacher?

Prepare lessons for students

Organising upcoming assembly item
Role in the running of faction carnival (ie scoring,
marshalling the kids to their events)
Communicating with students parents (both via email
and face to face contact)
Communicating with other staff members in regards to
students in the class (ie concerned about academic
performance in certain areas, checking on students
completing work with other staff outside of her
classroom)
Lunch time duty

Within the school, teachers were able to plan and teach lessons
in the way they liked. My mentor teacher enjoyed having
freedom in this area because it meant she could focus on
teaching the kids in her own way and not worry about trying to
adapt a specific style. Lesson plans and daily work pads were
not checked on a regular basis. However, this would be different

if there were concerns about the way a classroom was being

run.

What did you observe nonteaching staff doing to support

teaching and learning in the
school?

The curriculum is set by the government and it is up to the

school to ensure they cover everything outlined in the
curriculum during the school year. As my mentor teacher was in
her first year of teaching since graduating university she was
really concerned about ensuring that she covered everything in
the curriculum. Another thing that she was concerned about was
doing the required work to gain her full teaching registration,
she had a provisional registration.
Principal The principal was out and about around the school grounds and
not just in his office all day. He knew almost all of the students
and parents names and engaged in conversations with them on
a regular basis. On some days he would come into the
classrooms and see how everything was going. During the two
athletics carnivals he was heavily involved, for example setting
up the equipment and starting the running races.
Education Assistants Some EAs were assigned to specific classrooms to help
children who had learning or behaviour disabilities. Not all
classrooms had EAs however during their time away from their
assigned classrooms they would offer their help to other
classrooms. In my class we had an EA come and help us for the
classes upcoming assembly item. Some of the EAs were
completing required hours for TAFE courses while some were
full time staff members.

Students
You will have observed the diverse
nature of your classes. How was this
diversity supported?

Students were arranged in groups for certain activities (ie

maths, reading) depending on their ability level. They were also
provided with resources appropriate to their ability level. (ie
readers, worksheets)
EAs were in classrooms which had children with learning or
behaviour disabilities.

Function of Schools
Did you observe the connection
of your schools with the broader
community? How did this
happen?

The week I was there was a great week to come and observe
the connection between the school and the community due to
the athletics carnival being held at the beginning of the week.
The parents came to both support their children and assist in the
running of the day which they were more than willing to help
with. P&C provided fundraiser for faction carnival

The staff noted that they feel there is a great connection

between the school and the community because of the
relationships they have with both the students and parents.
Some parents in the morning would come into the classroom
with their student and talk to the teacher as well as other
students

What do you think the function of

school is?

Reflection think about your

experiences during the week and
describe how your previous
experiences have informed your
view of teachers and schools.
Has anything changed?

A local caf provides the lunch orders for the school as they do
not have a canteen.
Primary School
I believe the function of primary school is to provide children with
a safe environment which they can learn what the curriculum
requires them to and learn about themselves in regards to things
like who they are, what they believe and how they think.
It is also a place for students to learn and put into practise social
skills which will be invaluable in both their high school careers
and adult lives.
Particularly in primary school I think it should be an environment
which allows students to enjoy being kids and not force them to
grow up too quickly.

In regards to my primary schooling I feel I had a very similar

experience to the kids in the classroom I was in. I remember
doing lots of hands on activities like crafts and using visuals to
help with our learning. For example in maths we wouldnt always
just fill out a work book or work sheet, sometime we would build
things or use blocks to visually represent what we were learning.
When I was little I didnt appreciate how lucky I was to be able to
have access to such great resources. However when I was old
enough to realise that not everyones school experience is like
mine I really did appreciate the opportunities I had. I hope that
as the kids grow older they will also appreciate what a wonderful
school they attended during their primary school years. I also

think I have such good memories of the classroom because I

had teachers who were still loving and enjoying the work they
were doing just like many of the teachers at my prac school. It
wasnt until high school that I experienced teachers who were
just there because it was their job not because they had a
passion for it.
My schooling experience, at least in primary school, also had a
great sense of community within it. Particularly during the
various carnivals when the parents would come to watch the
students and support the teachers in the running of the days. I
feel this also came from the fact at the time it wasnt a
particularly big primary school, similar to the school I was in for
the week. I think smaller sized schools do allow for a greater
sense of community but I think this is also influenced by how
willing parents, staff and students are willing to get involved in
the schools community. When I compare my time at my old
school to what it is now I feel that sense of community has been
lost because there are a larger number of students there.
My school did not have such a hands on principal. The
principals dedication to his work and his involvement in so many
aspects of the school was something I felt the school was
incredibly lucky to have. That is certainly something which has
changed in my opinions of schools, I always viewed the principal
as someone who seemed quite cut off from the day to day
running of the school and they would only know who you are if
you did something terrible or amazing. Now I feel that the type of
principal a school has depends on the type the person who
holds the position.