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As a pre-service teacher, it is important to critically reflect upon our teaching practice. Crucially, this reflection should go beyond mere strengths and weakness to consider the most important outcomes, those of student learning. In considering my future professional learning needs I have evaluated areas of my teaching that I can actively seek improvement to achieve improved learning outcomes for students. Ingvarson (2002) suggests that “professional development should involve teachers in the identification of what they need to learn and in the development of the learning experiences in which they will be involved” (in Marsh, 2008, p293). This commitment to value and seek continued improvement is at the core of Tasmanian Teachers Registration Board (TRB) Standard A5.

A key area of improvement that I seek is the strengthening of my teacher identity which requires a commitment to self reflection of one’s practice. Brookfield (1995) proposes four lenses that can be engaged by teachers in a process of critical reflection: ‘(1) the autobiographical, (2) the students' eyes, (3) our colleagues' experiences, and (4) theoretical literature. These lenses correlate to processes of self-reflection, student feedback, peer assessment, and engagements with scholarly literature’. Using these lenses has contributed to my understanding of myself as a teacher, and the improvements that can be made in the establishment of class routines, use of voice, and consistency of instruction. I aim to continue to ‘find the me’ in the teacher. The strengthening of my teacher identity will contribute to my ongoing commitment to ‘understand the importance of and make deliberate efforts to strengthen professional teacher-student relationships’ (TRB – B1).

I have also focussed on the ongoing challenge of providing quality differentiated instruction in my classroom. Dunn, Beaudy and Klaras, (1998) offer that “every person has a learning style – it’s as individual as a signature. Knowing students’ learning styles, we can organise classrooms to respond to their individual needs” (in Marsh, 2008, p157). The provision of differentiated instruction requires knowledge of each student as an individual. In order to achieve this understanding on PE4 I will seek to gain insight into my students learning as quickly as possible. For this purpose a student learning survey will be conducted. A study performed by Tomlinson, Moon and Callahan (1998) revealed that very few teachers take student interests, learning profile or cultural differences into account when they plan lesson (Subban, 2006, p9). As part of my professional learning I will plan for individual students to achieve specific differentiated learning outcomes (TRB - C2) and select appropriate strategies to extend students’ thinking and understanding (TRB - C3).

Another professional learning goal that I have identified includes the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into my planning and instruction. I seek improved understanding of the use of ICT in learning and specifically; to more effectively demonstrate a repertoire of strategies to support literacy, numeracy and ICT development and be able to articulate the connection to theory (TRB – A3). This is not an uncommon goal in the information age however it is important to recognise that “the aim of learning situations is for students to develop a love of learning, not a love of multimedia per se” (Atkins, 1993 in Marsh, 2008, p201). My goal focuses on the appropriate selection of ICT resources and their meaningful application in the classroom to enhance learning opportunities.

These professional learning goals are significantly interdependent and impact directly upon the student learning outcomes in my classroom. Ingvarson offers that “professional development content should focus on what students are to learn and how to address the different problems students may have in learning the material” (2002, in Marsh, 2008, p292). With strengthened teacher identity, a thorough understanding of my students learning needs and wants and appropriate use, and effective implementation, of ICT resources I believe greater learning outcomes can be achieved.