Eligibility to proceed with professional experience placement is dependent upon students meeting their course requirements. These requirements are;
Appropriate professional behaviour is expected in any Professional Experience. To be fully aware of professional expectations, all teacher education students should refer to the NSW Department of Education and Communities Code of Conduct and The Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics, and apply the relevant information to your placement and/or your working environment after graduation.
Students who have current or recent employment experience as full time teachers in their curriculum area may apply to their Course Director for an exemption from a professional experience placement, consideration will be made on the basis of currency, scope and duration of their teaching experience.
Please note: There is no exemption from professional experience for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (Birth to Five) or the Bachelor of Education (EC&P) courses or for those enrolled in a professional experience subject as a Single Subject Study.
It is the responsibility of staff in the Workplace Learning Team to arrange all professional experience placements. A placement which has been organised by a teacher education student without the prior approval of the Workplace Learning Team will not be approved. Under no circumstances should teacher education students approach schools/early childhood settings requesting placements. Nor should they enter into agreements regarding future placements.
Please note: The Bachelor of Education (Birth-5) students are exempt from this rule and will be advised by the Workplace Learning Team of the process and timing for submitting their applications for professional placement.
Students enrolled in On Campus courses
Students enrolled in Online Courses
Teacher education students enrolled in Online courses are required to use the InPlace self placement allocation process. Please follow the InPlace self placement allocation process. Any enquiries about the allocation process should be directed to the Workplace Learning Team: FOAE-WPL@csu.edu.au
Applications must be completed at least eight weeks prior to the requested placement start date to allow the Workplace Learning Team time to negotiate and confirm the placements with the relevant schools/early childhood services.
Notification of Placement Confirmation
Teacher education students will be notified via InPlace and the Workplace Learning Team of their placement details (name, contact details, supervising teacher and university liaison officer) approximately 3 weeks prior to placement.
Changing a Confirmed Placement
The following checklist is designed for teacher education students to follow in order to help in the planning for a successful placement.
NOTE: As a teacher education student you are required to wear identification whilst on your Professional Experience Placement and carry your University student ID card. You can either purchase a Charles Sturt name badge from the online store and carry your ID card or wear your University student ID card in a clear plastic lanyard or clear plastic name badge sleeve during school visits and placements.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest for teacher education students on placement, the Workplace Learning Team uses the following guidelines to select appropriate placement. This is based on the premise that a teacher education student:
In order to avoid a conflict of interest arising from the personal circumstances of the teacher education student, they are advised that:
Exemptions may be sought by sending an email to Workplace Learning (FOAE-WPL@csu.edu.au) stating the grounds on which the exemption is sought.
Personal and Financial Planning
Teacher education students may need to make special arrangements with regard to childcare, employment, travel and short-term accommodation to complete their placements. Whilst it is the teacher education students’ responsibility for managing the personal and financial preparation to undertake placements information regarding potential financial assistance can be accessed via Charles Sturt Scholarships and Grants.
Charles Sturt Support Networks
The University will make reasonable adjustments to ensure students with a disability have access to and participate in Professional Experience, in accordance with the Disability Standards for Education 2005.
Teacher education students who are experiencing difficulties while on professional experience placement may seek assistance from available university support services. These include academic support, disability services support and personal counselling. Information regarding available support services, can be found at Student Success.
Legal Responsibility of Teacher Education Students
Students need to be aware of the work, health and safety policy and practices of the school/service at the commencement of the placement. Charles Sturt University students are covered under comprehensive personal, professional accident and liability insurance whilst they participate in University course-approved placements within Australia, the conditions of coverage can be found on attached Insurance Letter. Additional information and resources are also available online.
If any accident occurs whilst on workplace learning, teacher education students should notify the Workplace Learning Team via email within 48 hours so that direction can be provided and the appropriate University staff can be advised.
Cybersafety
It is important to remember that ethical behaviour does not end at the school gate for teachers. Teacher education students should familiarise themselves with the foundations of ethical behaviour online found at the eSafety site.
Infectious Diseases
Teacher education students need to be aware of the principles for prevention of the spread of infectious diseases. Information can be found at Staying Healthy (pdf, 2.6MB) from the National Health and Medical Research Council website.
Placement Engagement
To enhance the professional experience, it is recommended that students offer to undertake additional responsibilities and extra activities whilst on placement to provide greater support, strengthen professional networks and to further demonstrate a practical understanding of their theoretical knowledge.
Teacher education students are regarded as temporary members of staff and, accordingly, will observe the same conditions as teachers which include but are not limited to the following;
Excursions Whilst on Placement
Teacher education students engaged on a professional experience may be included in school or early childhood excursions at the discretion of the Principal or Director. Clear arrangements should be made regarding responsibility for any excursion costs, as these are not borne by the university.
Student Placement Support and Review Process (SPSRP)
A student who is having difficulties in the course of a placement may be notified that they are at risk of failing professional experience. Following consultation between the school/setting and the University, a Developmental Support Plan will be put in place to assist students to reach the required outcomes of the placement. Student Placement Support and Review Process (SPSRP) as outlined in Section 5.
Withdrawal from Professional Experience
Any teacher education student who withdraws from a placement, should make telephone contact with their University Liaison Officer/Professional Experience Liaison Officer in the first place and then irrespective of the reason, must also advise the following members of staff via email immediately:
Website Address: https://arts-ed.csu.edu.au/professional-experience-unit/guidelines/section-2
This Award is endorsed by the Associate Head of School (Workplace Learning and Partnerships) and acknowledges an outstanding success in a professional experience placement. It is a merit-based award and should be the equivalent of receiving a High Distinction in a graded subject.
Students must apply for the award by completing a submission which includes recommendations from staff at the placement school, extended reflection on the placement by the student and endorsement by the Subject Coordinator.
The criteria for consideration for the Award of Outstanding in Professional Practice are as follows.
A) Final Professional Experience Report
B) Recommendation by the Supervising Teacher
At the time of compiling the final professional experience report, and where the student meets the above criteria, the Supervising Teacher is invited to complete a letter of recommendation which describes:
This letter of recommendation should be endorsed by the Principal/Director and be sent to the Professional Experience Unit with all other documentation at the conclusion of the placement.
C) Endorsement by the Subject Coordinator
The Teacher Education Student should request of the Subject Coordinator a written statement attesting to the student’s completion of all requirements prior to, during and following the professional experience placement at a satisfactory standard.
D) Reflection by the Teacher Education Student
The Teacher Education Student should construct a digital portfolio which presents evidence from the professional experience placement to demonstrate how they have addressed each of the 7 standards of the National Professional Standards for Teachers. The digital portfolio should consist of an introductory page establishing the context of the placement and include no more than one portfolio page for each standard, providing annotated evidence of achievement. The digital portfolio should be completed as part of the electronic submission with the application.
Checklist for Teacher Education Student's Application
Application
The Teacher Education Student should submit by an email the application consisting of the above documents, the digital portfolio or GTPA and a letter of application.
Applications must be received via email to the FOAE-WPL@csu.edu.au within one month of the conclusion of the professional experience placement.
Teacher education students in school settings are expected to arrive at least thirty minutes prior to the start of the school day and leave no sooner than thirty minutes after the end of the school day. This may vary according to the needs of the school and the activities planned (for example, excursions, sporting events or concert rehearsals).
It is expected that a teacher education student in an early childhood setting will work the same hours as their supervising teacher. Failure to attend a professional experience placement for the minimum of seven (7) hours per day may result in a student being deemed to be at risk of failing the professional experience placement.
Permitted Days Absent
Teacher education students are expected to be in attendance for each day of the professional experience placement. In order to meet both the requirements of their Charles Sturt degree and the minimum standard requirements of NESA (or equivalent).
Students who need to take Leave of Absence for any reason during the placement must notify both the placement setting and the University Liaison Officer/Professional Experience Liaison Officer. A Leave of Absence Form must be completed as and submitted to your Subject Coordinator via EASTS with your final report. Students should note the guidelines on Permitted Days Absent section below in relation to any requirement to make up missed days in order to ensure that they meet requirements for accreditation.
Courses with no permitted days absent and must make up all days including exams, public holidays and industrial action | Courses with permitted days absent without making up the day for exams, industrial action or public holidays but must make up all sick days |
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Bachelor/Master of Teaching (Secondary) Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Industry Entry Bachelor of Education (HPE) Bachelor of Education (Outdoor Education) Bachelor of Education (TAS) Bachelor/Master of Teaching (Primary) | Bachelor of Education (Birth-5) Bachelor of Education (K-12) Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) |
Industrial Action
In the event that industrial action is scheduled during a professional experience placement, teacher education students are advised to act cautiously. In accordance with the NESA Framework for High Quality Professional Experience in NSW Schools, teacher education students are to remain supervised at all times. If for any reason a student is concerned they are to contact the Workplace Learning Team.
At the completion of the placement, teacher education students must work with their supervising teachers to complete all sections of the final professional experience report.
It is important that the report is fully completed before the addition of any signatures. These must be entered sequentially: the report is 'locked down' as signatures are added, and editing after this occurs is not possible.
After obtaining all signatures, the supervising teacher must email the report to the teacher education student. The teacher education student must submit the final Professional Experience Report to The Charles Sturt University Electronic Assignment Submission Tracking System (EASTS), along with any other required documentation. Teacher education students should remember to thank their supervising teacher, Principal/Director and other staff for their assistance during the placement.
Note: There may be changes to the Professional Experience Handbook from year to year. Please ensure you are using this web version, as any PDF versions may be out of date.