Classroom Teacher in Melbourne

Pakenham Springs Primary School is located in the South East growth corridor and has a current enrolment of 700 students. It is located on Livingstone Boulevard, adjacent to the council reserve and opposite a shopping centre. Under an arrangement with Cardinia Shire Council, a kindergarten and maternal health care centre are also located on site. The school commenced operation at the beginning of the 2008 school year and experienced rapid growth. Now with many new schools in the area, enrolments are stabilising. The mission of Pakenham Springs is to educate, motivate and inspire all students to ensure they acquire the essential skills and knowledge to become respectful and informed members of the local and global community. As well as comprehensive literacy and numeracy, the school offers specialist programs in Physical Education, Visual Art, Media Art, STEM and Auslan. We have a strong focus on student engagement and wellbeing through our Berry Street Education Model structures and School Wide Positive Behaviour framework.

Expectations of behaviour are clearly and explicitly taught throughout the school and align with the school's values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. Pakenham Springs has a whole school behaviour management approach based on research, which allows student behaviour to be managed in a sensible way with a focus on re-teaching desirable behaviours and repairing relationships.

Pakenham Springs is a Professional Learning Community, where teams work collaboratively to ensure the needs of all students are being met and that the practice of all teachers is high quality, based on research and continually improving.

The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges - range 1 and range 2. The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning. As the classroom teacher gains experience, their contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.

Classroom teacher Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities. A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high-quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

• Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students.
• Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity.
• Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning.
• Supervise and train one or more student teachers.
• Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

Classroom teacher Range 1 The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs. Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers. At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities. The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice. New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels. Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school. Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricular activities.

Selection Criteria

• SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills.
• SC2 Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.
• SC3 Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
• SC4 Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning. Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
• SC5 Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
• SC6 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.

Responsibilities

• Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students;
• Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school;
• Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal;
• Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions;
• Undertaking other non-teaching supervisory duties.

Who May Apply Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

Diversity and Inclusion The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces.

Child Safe Standards Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards.

Conditions of Employment All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements. Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check. A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.

Qualification Requirements The person must have provisional or full registration approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and if the person completed an Australian postgraduate level initial teaching program or course of study on or after 1 January 2024, they must demonstrate that they have satisfactorily completed a postgraduate level accredited initial teacher education program that has been accredited by an Australian State or Territory Teacher Regulatory Authority as satisfying the requirements of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 'Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures'.