Professional Experience Handbook: Section 2

Eligibility to proceed with professional experience placement is dependent upon students meeting their course requirements. These requirements are;

• All teacher education students must be enrolled in a Charles Sturt professional experience (EPT) subject
• All teacher education students must have obtained and uploaded their NSW Working with Children Check number and expiry date to InPlace prior to placement allocation.

Please note: teacher education students seeking placements outside of NSW must complete the relevant State appropriate Working With Children Check

For Primary and Secondary School placements only, students require:

• Child Protection Training and Anaphylaxis Training to be successfully completed; current, and uploaded into InPlace 6 weeks prior to placement allocation.
• Successful completion of the Literacy and Numeracy Test prior to completing their final placement.

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.

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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.

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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

• Please follow the InPlace self selectable allocation process.
• Any enquiries about the allocation process should be directed to the Workplace Learning Team: FOAE-WPL@csu.edu.au.  
• The Workplace Learning Team will notify you of the timing and process for self selection via an Interact2 announcement approximately six weeks prior to the start of the placement

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

• Requests to make changes to a confirmed placement will only be considered in exceptional circumstances where a serious and unavoidable change has occurred.
• Students are required to contact the Workplace Learning Team without delay, so that alternate placement allocation arrangements can be considered by the Workplace Learning Team Manager and relevant placement settings.

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The following checklist is designed for teacher education students to follow in order to help in the planning for a successful placement.

1. Ensure all academic tasks relevant for professional experience preparation are completed;
2. Ensure that the relevant Guides to Professional Experience Placement, the Subject Outline and texts for placement are read and understood;
3. Ensure all administrative paperwork is ready to be given to the placement site;
4. Prepare professional experience folder;
5. Introduce yourself to the placement setting before the placement starts and become familiar with its policies, procedures and details of the placement classes;
6. Confirm that the supervising teacher will be present every day.
7. In the event of any unplanned absences, adjustment will need to be made to the placement. Please contact the Workplace Learning Team for advice and assistance FOAE-WPL@csu.edu.au
8. Ensure you know the expected dress code and confirm the hours of work, where to go and who to contact upon arrival (Charles Sturt's Charlie's Online store stocks teacher education polo tops).

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.

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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:

1. Has every opportunity to attend each placement without any need to meet or overcome preconceptions drawn from staff members to whom they have previously known in another capacity and;
2. In the event of a difficult or failed placement, avoiding a conflict of interest should reduce the risk of an awkward situation.

In order to avoid a conflict of interest arising from the personal circumstances of the teacher education student, they are advised that:

1. The completion of a placement may be at a school they attended provided five (5) years has elapsed since the completion of the student's final year of attendance at the school
2. Completing a placement at a school where their own child is currently a student is not permitted.
3. Undertaking a placement in a school where they have worked in paid employment or as a volunteer in the past five (5) years needs to be avoided.
4. Completing a placement in a school in which a close relative is currently working, either as a teacher or as a member of the non-teaching staff needs to be avoided.

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.

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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.

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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;

1. Initial the sign in book on arrival and departure each day as required (this is a WH&S requirement);
2. Remain at the placement setting during the prescribed placement hours;
3. Abide by the regulations of the education authority;
4. Assist with duties undertaken by the supervising teacher;
5. Assist with other expected on-site activities;
6. Abide by the established policy on matters of dress, grooming, punctuality and mode of address;
7. Abide by the regulations of the placement setting in relation to the use of technology during the placement. This includes appropriate use of social media, internet, email and any access provided by the placement setting.
8. Complete the learning and teaching activities expected of them while on placement, which are detailed in the Guides to Professional Experience Placement for each subject.

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:

1. University Liaison Officer/Professional Experience Liaison Officer
2. Supervising Teacher;
3. The relevant site based Professional Experience Coordinator and Principal of School/Director of Early Childhood Service;
4. Workplace Learning Team: FOAE-WPL@csu.edu.au;
5. The Subject Coordinator.

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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 Brightspace 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.

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.

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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 Brightspace, 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.

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