FAQs

Expectations relevant to all Pre-Service Teachers, regardless of sector or level:

• Pre-Service Teachers are required to be aware of, and adhere to school policies and guidelines, along with policies including the VIT Code of Conduct and Ethics and the Child Safe Standards.
• PST’s are expected to be on site for the same hours as an employee. They are also expected to participate in any cocurricular or professional responsibilities (eg. PD, meetings etc.) that an employee would. We also expect that PST’s will be provided opportunities for learning and engagement as employees would. For example, in an early childhood setting, they may be asked to participate in cleaning but it would not be the central aspect of their learning. In a school setting, PST’s wouldn’t just sit and observe lessons, they would be provided opportunities to support students and the educator.
• PST’s are expected to complete a Reflection Journal each day whilst on placement. Whilst they do not necessarily have to submit this document, it acts as evidence of their engagement and is often called upon for verification or coaching purposes.
• Where PST’s are teaching, they are expected to submit lesson plans to their Mentor with enough time to reasonably expect their Mentor to provide feedback, and for the PST to adopt that feedback. We advise two working days.

Expectations that are specific to your PST's sector and levels are outlined in the relevant Mentor Guides.

We hope that Mentors will give their PSTs every opportunity to succeed by completing the following:

• Prior to Placement Starting: Read the relevant Mentor Guide
• First Day: Induct the Pre-Service Teacher and discuss placement expectations
• Ongoing: Provide your PST with support, feedback and teaching opportunities as per their requirements
• Half Way: Conduct the Mid-Placement Review of the assessed levels
• Last Day: Document a final reflective conversation by completing the eReport with your PST

It is essential that you complete a final eReport via this website as students require this document to successfully complete the Unit.

Each organisation taking a Monash Pre-Service Teacher (PST) is required to have a staff member whose position includes overseeing the PST program. We refer to this person/s as the Organiser of Teaching Placement, or OTP.

OTPs may not mentor PST's directly, but act as the point of contact for the University and are a support, both organisationally and pedagogically, to the PST and their Mentor. They are expected to place PSTs with a mentor who is suitable to work with a PST and whose workload allows the PST to fulfil the requirements of the placement, as well as to distribute documents and information sent from the University to all Mentors.

OTP Responsibilities (pdf) document outlines what is required of the Organiser of Teaching Placement, and is sent to them when placements for their organisation are confirmed with the University.

Each placement is classified as either Beginning, Consolidating or Graduate in level.

Generally, levels are set as follows:

Beginning - This is the first time the PST has had a placement in this sector. This is not an observation placement. We expect that PST’s be active participants in the learning environment. At this level, they may support the teacher, work with students one on one or in small groups. They may teach individual lessons or learning episodes if ready. At beginning level the PST is assessed against some APST’s.

Consolidating - This is likely not the first time, or the last time the PST will have a placement in this sector. Students may have multiple consolidating placements. Across their consolidating placements they are expected to gradually increase their teaching and responsibility so that they are ready for their final, graduate placement. At consolidating level, the PST is assessed against many but not all of the APSTs.

Graduate - This is the final time the PST will teach in this sector. They are expected to demonstrate that they could meet the same professional requirements you would expect of a graduate teacher. At graduate level, the PST is assessed against all of the APSTs.

Please see our Mentor Guides for specific requirements for your sector (Early Childhood, Primary or Secondary.)

Each placement is classified as either Beginning, Consolidating or Graduate in level.

If you are unsure what level applies to your PST,  try one of the following:

1. Contact the Organiser of Teaching Placement at your organisation. We have communicated the required level and asked them to pass it on to Mentors.
2. Ask your Pre-Service Teacher. All PSTs should be aware of which level their placement is, and they can find this out on their placement Moodle page.
3. If you know the Unit Code that the PST is completing, try our Unit lookup tool below.
4. You are also always welcome to contact us by phone or email.

Teaching Expectations for PSTs During Placement

While there is no minimum requirement for classroom teaching, it is essential that Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) are provided with ongoing opportunities to teach in order to develop their competence at the Beginning, Consolidated, or Graduate level.

PSTs undertake each placement at different times of the year to expose them to the full range of teacher-related activities across the APST Teaching Standards.

On a typical school day (excluding excursions, special events, etc.), school mentors should support PSTs to:

• Teach approximately one lesson per day, guided by the mentor’s professional judgment of the PST’s readiness and capability at that stage. This teaching role may involve co-teaching or delivering part of a lesson or leading small groups of school students, as appropriate. For PSTs on their Beginning (initial) placement, these roles are ideal starting points. However, PSTs on Consolidated or Graduate-level placements are expected to take on more lessons progressively to build their teaching capacity.
• Actively participate in lessons, engaging in intentional noticing in approximately one lesson per day, with observations being purposeful and focused on specific, pre-determined aspects of teaching and learning. Active engagement during observations is strongly encouraged. Observation remains valuable at all placement levels, though its purpose, focus, and depth will vary depending on the PSTs starting points, including drawing on their ITE academic units to date. For instance, early placements often concentrate on establishing classroom routines and observing student responses, whereas advanced placements typically emphasise instructional strategies, assessment practices, and their coherence with student learning and broader contextual factors, acknowledging the interplay of teacher, student, and contextual elements within the classroom.

Beyond classroom teaching, PSTs should be provided with opportunities to engage in the broader professional responsibilities of teachers and participate purposefully on placement. These may include:

• Attending & contributing to staff meetings – observing team collaboration, curriculum planning, and school-wide decision-making.
• Supporting yard duty – learning about student supervision, safety protocols, and informal relationship-building.
• Participating in homeroom or pastoral care activities – understanding student wellbeing practices and daily routines.
• Attending assemblies and school events – gaining insight into school culture, community engagement, and event management.
• Supporting students with their learning needs – assisting individuals or small groups, providing feedback, and differentiating instruction.
• Engaging in planning and preparation tasks – such as creating resources, marking work, or contributing to lesson planning.
• Observing parent-teacher interactions – where appropriate, to understand communication strategies and partnership building.
• Other teacher-related duties - as appropriate, such as school excursions, examination supervision, and parent-student-teacher meetings.

Each of these experiences should be accompanied by critical and constructive reflection, which PSTs are encouraged to engage with in the daily Reflection Journal. This documentation can also be used as evidence of their knowledge and understanding of the appropriate APSTs for their professional experience. Their writing should focus on what was learned, how it connects to professional standards, in light of ITE academic unit(s) to integrate theory and practice, and how it informs future practice.

Updated 27 October 2025.

The Pre-Service Teacher (PST) is required to demonstrate a different number of APSTs depending on which level their placement is. They are also required to demonstrate key professional capacities and behaviours. Our expectations of both the Mentor and Pre-Service Teacher are outlined in the Mentor Guides.

To see which specific APSTs are required of your PST and some assessment advice, download the Assessed APSTs (pdf).

This document might also help you throughout the placement to keep track of which APSTs have been met, and how. Keeping a record such as this will assist you to easily complete the eReport with your PST on the final day of placement.

To view a sample of an eReport, please select the document below which corresponds to your PST's placement level:

• SAMPLE - Mid Placement Review (pdf)
• SAMPLE - Beginner eReport (pdf)
• SAMPLE - Consolidating eReport (pdf)
• SAMPLE - Graduate eReport (pdf)

Please be advised that these sample eReports are for viewing purposes only and should not be submitted as a final eReport; they are meant solely to assist mentors in visualising and comprehending the eReport format.

We would appreciate knowing as early as possible.

Mentors, Organisers of Teaching Placement and Pre-Service Teachers are supported by a Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) who is an experienced educator. If you have any concern about your PST, the PPC team would appreciate knowing as early as possible, and being able to assist.

Contact the PPC team via edu-ppc@monash.edu, and your message will be directed to the appropriate consultant for your organisation and sector.

Mentors, Organisers of Teaching Placement and Pre-Service Teachers are supported by a Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) who is an experienced educator. If you have any concern about your PST, the PPC team would appreciate knowing and being able to assist. Contact the PPC team via edu-ppc@monash.edu, and your message will be directed to the appropriate consultant for your organisation and sector.

The PPC team regularly work with Pre-Service Teachers to develop their practice in collaboration with Mentors. They often visit schools and are easily available via phone or email. They are experienced teachers who are always happy to chat and collaborate.

The Teaching and Performance Assessment (TPA) is an assessment used to assess the practical skills and knowledge of pre-service teachers against the Graduate Teacher Levels in the final year of their course.

During the TPA, final year students will plan, implement, assess, reflect on and evaluate a 3-5 lesson sequence, which they will teach to a group of learners during Professional Experience. We are asking mentor teachers to support the TPA by providing an opportunity for our students to undertake this teaching.

Apart from supporting our final year students to complete the TPA, we are not asking mentor teachers to do anything extra. The assessment of the TPA rests with the academic team teaching, and Professional Experience will be assessed by mentor teachers in the usual way.

Please view the video below to learn more.