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Even mature experienced graduate students can find their first foray into a classroom as a teacher a bit of a shock.

UWA students are required to do two teaching practicums as part of the Master of Teaching (Primary). As many postgraduates enter the Master's program as parents with significant professional and life experience, some of them wondered if practicums were still relevant to pre-service teachers.

Primary Program Course Coordinator, Associate Professor Valerie Faulkner, says that practicums are a valuable opportunity to put into practice much of the theory about child development, developmental learning, differentiation and pedagogy that pre-service teachers study at UWA .

"Education research confirms that the practicum is a key aspect of teacher education and can present invaluable and crucial experience for student teachers," Professor Faulkner said.

Graduate (2011) Joanne Dixon says that classroom experience brought educational theory to life. "I learned that because students are individuals, teaching is full of variety. Effective teachers have to be extremely skilful. Road-testing theoretically ‘perfect' lesson plans was critical to ensure they actually worked!" she said.

Ms Dixon did her first practicum in the pre-primary classroom at Moerlina School in Mount Claremont.

"Moerlina made me feel part of the community and I felt comfortable and welcome there," she said. So comfortable, that she continued on at the school well past the requirements of her practicum in a voluntary capacity. "My time at Moerlina enabled me to connect the dots - to connect the theory I had learned at UWA with the practice of teaching. It has helped me to become a better teacher."

Educational research suggests that student teachers value five key things in a practicum: emotional support, peer relationships, collaboration, flexibility in teaching content and method, and constructive feedback. According to Professor Faulkner, a critical component of the school experience is adjusting the learning experiences so all children can participate.

"Teachers must integrate literacy and numeracy across and beyond the curriculum to help children understand that learning is not only important in school but beyond school," she said.

"This leads to another important component - assessment. Given the high stakes attached to assessments at both state and national levels, it is important that pre-service teachers participate in administering, marking and analysing data and then making decisions about how to plan and teach as a result. This is part of teachers' work and the sooner pre-service teachers become confident in participating in teaching pre-service the better."

"Joanne recognised and valued the opportunities open to her at Moerlina and undertook unpaid volunteer work despite the financial pressures of full time university study. All pre-service teachers need a real and regular experience of school," said Moerlina teacher Maria Marsh.

Feedback from student teachers indicates that practicums are hard work. And many student teachers are surprised by what happens in the classroom - it goes a lot further than teaching formal lessons to the curriculum framework.

"One of the most valuable things I learned from my student pracs was that teachers are constantly learning. You can never know enough about teaching and you never stop learning," Ms Dixon said.

Published in UWA News , 5 March 2012