Learning & Teaching News

An Educational Institution

The College Motto of Faith, Education and Service guides the work that we do as a College.  In the area of Education, as a school we consider this a responsibility beyond our students only and to provide educational opportunities in various forms for our broader community.  One way in which we do this is to host pre-service teachers from a number of universities in our school.  Each pre-service teacher that we host is either studying a Bachelor of Education or a Masters of Teaching degree and as part of this study are required to complete a number of placements in schools.  St Peter’s assigns each pre-service teacher (PST) a mentor teacher from our staff who guides the PST in developing their teaching practice.  This occurs through PSTs observing teaching, team teaching with their mentor, and teaching whole classes on their own with their mentor there for support. The PSTs bring a wealth of knowledge into our school, being very aware of contemporary educational practices currently being taught at universities.  Mentors often reflect on the new ideas they learn from PSTs, and also that they sometimes remind us of good practices that we once used and realise that we should bring these back into our lessons.  Many students at the College are currently being taught by a pre-service teacher as the first round of placements is drawing to an end.  These PSTs have reflected on their experience at St Peter’s and have given the following reflections.

“Since beginning my placement at St. Peters I have been pleasantly surprised to see the level of connection between students and teachers, with support available to students not only in the classroom but outside of it as well, whatever it may be. I have also been impressed to see students’ dedication to their learning. Not only has their commitment to their learning been impressive but their willingness to partake in activities outside of the classroom and seeing the role the students play in building such a positive culture at the school has enriched my time here.” Chloe Thompson PST Monash University

“As a pre service teacher my experience in the classroom has been incredibly rewarding. The warmth and support from the community has made me feel super welcomed and valued. With my collaboration with the music team and engagement with the enthusiastic students, everyday has been a new opportunity to learn and make new connections. Being a part of this supportive community provides a spark for my future in teaching and it motivates me to make a positive impact on the future musicians and learners.” Liam Whiteman PST Monash University

“Placement at St Peter's College has opened up a lot of teaching opportunities for us as preservice teachers. We have had the privilege of observing various effective pedagogies across multiple subject areas. We have had the honour of teaching various classes within our university subject areas and were able to obtain quality and effective feedback from mentor teachers to further refine our teaching practices. We have also had the honour of engaging with extra curricular events including Harmony Day which showcased the cultural diversity of the college and the unity of the school community. We look forward to expanding our professional understanding and work towards our own career development.” 

Raya Landrito , Julia Rusu and Georgia Manzat PSTs Monash University

We look forward to welcoming more pre-service teachers over the remainder of the year and the great ways they enrich the learning in our College.

Mr Andrew Mitchell

Learning and Teaching Pedagogical Coach

Mr David Hansen

Deputy Principal - Learning & Teaching