Experience to enhance your learning
Professional experience is the mutually beneficial relationship between student teachers and the mentors who supervise them.
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Macquarie's program is uniquely focused on integrating the study of educational theory with real teaching experiences. Professional Experience Program units are based on a spiral sequence, adding new levels of complexity as students progress through their placements.
As there are many ways to be an effective educator, students are encouraged to explore a wide range of approaches and experiences in this safe and supportive environment, with guidance from experienced teachers.
Our Professional Experience Program is based on graduate teacher standards in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
Specialisations
Students in our Initial Teacher Education programs can specialise in teaching:
- children aged between birth and five years
- children aged between birth and twelve years
- Kindergarten to year 6 (primary)
- Years 7 to 12 (secondary).
Our philosophy
Our programs are founded on a deep respect for children and students. We seek to empower them, aligning closely with the NESA Professional Experience documentation.
We believe students:
- learn best when engaged and interested
- learn through interactions with the physical and social world.
We believe teachers:
- should be collaborative guides and facilitators, rather than dictators, of students' learning experiences
- should prioritise the process of learning when programming and planning.
Education is about building meaningful relationships that recognise multiple perspectives and embrace diversity.