Outdoor Education and Physical Education Teacher - Heatherwood School

Location Profile

Heatherwood School is a secondary school for students aged between 12-18 years with a mild intellectual disability (full scale IQ between 50 and 70.) The school provides a range of on and off campus programs that allow for the development of students as self motivated individuals with a sense of personal worth, independence and the ability to pursue a socially productive and personally fulfilling life-style.

Heatherwood Vision Statement

The Heatherwood school community envisages a vital and dynamic school established to meet the current and future life needs of its students. The school will develop students as self motivated individuals with a sense of personal worth and independence and the ability to pursue a socially productive and personally fulfilling life-style.

The School's curriculum shall be based on the democratic values of social equality, mutual respect, self discipline, cooperation and shared responsibility.
The School will provide programs designed to meet the individual needs of students within the framework of the policies of the Department of Education and Training Development and the School Community.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated successful teaching experience with secondary aged students with a mild intellectual disability.

SC2 Demonstrated successful outdoor education teaching experience.

SC3 The ability to employ appropriate assessment, recording and reporting strategies so that informative feedback can be provided.

SC4 Demonstrated sound interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to be a productive team member.

SC5 Demonstrated keen interest and desire to create and implement innovative programs.

Role

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 his or her 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

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.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:

• 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.

Responsibilities

The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:

• 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 classrooms 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.

Vaccination Requirement

A person is not eligible for employment in the Teaching Service unless that person meets the vaccination requirements on commencement in the position.