Evaluating teaching and learning

Effective teaching and learning in this teacher’s classroom is based on a deep knowledge of her students’ intellectual development and characteristics. This is evident in her approach to the planning of lessons, the strategies she uses to engage students with the content of the curriculum area, and in her responses to students’ individual learning needs. In the clip, which focuses on students learning about number and place value in Mathematics, the teacher provides students with a diverse range of physical resources for which to learn about the concept.

Ross Park is the oldest government primary school in Alice Springs. The teacher has been at the school for four years. She currently teaches a Transition/year 1 class. Her longer term planning to meet the individual needs of her students has led her to introduce a problem solving session at the beginning of most of her lessons. She has taken this approach because of the diversity of ability levels in her composite class; also because many of her students understand formulas or principles but are unable to apply them to problems or real life situations.