Course overview
Within previous courses in your program, you have had the opportunity to build knowledge, understanding and practices related to birth to 35 months and preschool education settings. This professional experience course now invites you to build on your capacities for working effectively within an education setting for children prior to schooling. Preservice teachers may choose to undertake this final placement within a context catering for children aged birth to 35 months or for children attending preschool. Through the coursework and work integrated learning, preservice teachers will continue to build their capacities to undertake the co-construction and codesign of curriculum, as they engage effectively with children, families and colleagues. They will develop skills to facilitate deep inquiry into the learning needs of children within varied contexts. Preservice teachers will continue to explore the current research, theory and practice within Australia and internationally that informs early childhood approaches.
Course learning outcomes
- Build effective professional relationships and dispositions with children, families, colleagues and other professionals in an early years setting
- Apply knowledge and skills with creativity, initiative and a high level of personal autonomy, accountability and respect while working and leading in a team setting
- Apply an advanced body of knowledge of contemporary theories and practice as they engage with curriculum documents, children, families, colleagues, community and other professionals to implement democratic inquiry-based pedagogies in an early years setting
- Design and evaluate the use of pedagogical documentation to demonstrate children's learning and provide evidence of developing practices as a teacher
- Demonstrate developing capacity to exercise aspects of leadership which demonstrate a commitment to collaborative leadership and teamwork and evaluate their own skills and knowledge relevant to early childhood leadership theory and practice
- Reflect on teaching and learning experiences in the light of professional standards, policies, legal and ethical guidelines for the profession and developing beliefs of the role of early-years educators