Professional experience visits process
Parent policy
Professional experience visits policy
Procedures
- If the Professional Experience Office (PEO) is contacted by a mentor teacher, organiser of teaching practice (OTP) or principal/preschool director, professional supervisor indicating a situation where a student is at risk/of concern, the process outlined in the Faculty 'at risk/concern procedures' will be implemented. Briefly, the PEO will contact the relevant Professional Practice Consultant who will liaise with other staff as necessary. The Professional Practice Consultant will discuss the matter with the pre-service teacher, the OTP and/or mentor teacher, and the counselling or psychology student and supervisor and will arrange a visit to the school/centre/organisation/agency as required. A plan of action to support the pre-service teacher, counselling or psychology student will be developed. Details that are more specific are found in the 'At risk/concern procedures' document.
- When a pre-service teacher or counselling or psychology student contacts the relevant Professional Practice Consultant or Professional Experience Office to request a visit, a meeting will be arranged between Professional Practice Consultant and the pre-service teacher, counselling or psychology student. If it is deemed appropriate, Professional Practice Consultant will contact the mentor teacher and/or OTP at the school/centre, agency or the counselling or psychology student to arrange a visit as required.
- To ensure appropriate supervision/mentoring, relevant Professional Practice Consultant will discuss professional experience supervision with the pre-service teacher/s, counselling or psychology student and determine whether or not a visit to the school/centre is required. If a visit is considered necessary, contact will be made by the relevant Professional Practice Consultant with the OTP at the school/centre to arrange a visit. In the case of psychology placements the student must arrange a meeting.
- To build collaborative relationships as per the Partnerships and Professional Placements strategic plan, Professional Practice Consultant may consult with the Manager Professional Practice Consultants, Manager of Professional Experience Office and/or the Professional Experience Director (if necessary), and other staff to determine how relationships with professional experience settings can be enhanced by visits from Professional Practice Consultant. Initial contact will be made with relevant schools/centres via phone or email to arrange a suitable time to visit.
Definitions
- Academic Staff
- Staff who have responsibility for professional experience programs or units. This includes Professional Experience Directors; Professional Practice Consultants; Psychology Practicum Coordinator, Psychology Practicum Supervisors, Counselling Practicum Supervisors, Chief Examiners; Unit Coordinators; Lecturers.
- Professional Experience
- Periods of placement in schools, early childhood centres and other educational settings that are deemed to constitute the required number of supervised teaching practice days as well as counselling and psychological organisations/agencies as outlined in the relevant accreditation body's guidelines.
- Visits
- Contact undertaken by Professional Experience Consultants to communicate with mentor teachers, organisers of teaching practice, pre-service teachers, professional supervisors and counselling and psychology students during professional experience (or during other relevant periods related to professional experience). In most cases these will be face to face visits to schools/centres, but may also include email, phone and online communication where deemed appropriate (e.g. for rural, interstate and international placements). For students on interstate or international placements where they are accompanied by the Faculty staff, the visit will be face to face.
Administration
Supporting guidelines | N/A |
Responsibility for implementation |
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Key stakeholders |
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Approval body | Created at Faculty Board 2/13, 29 May 2013, agenda item 6.4.1 |
Endorsement body | Endorsed at Education Committee, Faculty of Education 1/13, 29 May 2013, agenda item 8.6 |
Related legislation | N/A |
Related policies | N/A |
Related documents |
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Date effective | 29 May 2013 |
Reviewed on | 2 May 2018 |
Next review date | 1 May 2021 |
Policy owner | Associate Dean (Education), Faculty of Education |
Policy author | Professional Experience Director |
Content enquiries | Professional Experience Director |