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Creating supportive learning environments is a priority of preservice teacher education in Australia. It is central to Australia’s vision for education where improving educational outcomes for young Australians is crucial for their effective engagement with life. This course requires preservice teachers to understand theoretical, legislative, administrative, organisational policies and processes and the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct to create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments. Consideration is given to strategies that support learners’ wellbeing and safety by understanding young children (babies, toddlers, three to five year olds)/children (Primary school aged children)/adolescent (Secondary school aged students) physical, social and intellectual development and how they learn within the school/centre and or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. The commitment to work effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers, external professionals and community representatives is emphasised to broaden teachers’ professional knowledge and experience. Preservice teachers will engage in a range of learning experiences, which builds verbal and non-verbal communication practices and differentiated teaching strategies designed to successfully meet the specific learning strengths and needs of learners across the full range of abilities; including learners from diverse, linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and learners with disabilities. Practical approaches to manage challenging behaviours and to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching will be investigated. The course aims to provide purposeful learning and reflective opportunities to enable the development of an emerging teacher identity.

The aim of this preservice course is to enhance teacher efficacy and identity in contemporary learning environments. Current teaching practice advocates for the establishment of supportive inclusive environments and proactive differentiated teaching and learning strategies to promote learners' development, participation, engagement, wellbeing and safety.

The introduction focuses on the connections between relevant legislative, administrative, organisational policies and processes, codes of ethics and conduct and how they are founded on the physical, social and intellectual development of learners. Supportive behaviour theories and research into how students learn are critically reflected upon to inform differentiated teaching strategies to meet specific learning needs across the full range of abilities, including the strengths and needs of learners from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and the participation and learning of learners with disability. Investigation and analysis of a teachers' effective relational skills and the significance of verbal and non-verbal communication and practical approaches to responding to challenging behaviours occur by identifying the causes and developing context specific and inclusive behaviour plans to support learners. Strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers and engagement with external professionals and community representatives are explored to broaden teachers' professional knowledge and practice. The components and strategies that support learners' wellbeing and safety within centre/school/system, curriculum and legislative requirements will be appraised with an understanding of the relevant issues and strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. The course provides an understanding that it is only when learners feel safe, secure and supported, with a sense of agency that they are able to grow and develop as confident learners with a strong sense of identity.

On successful completion of this course preservice teachers should be able to:

1. critically analyse essential knowledge of relevant education reforms and practices, legislative, administrative, organisational policies, processes and codes of ethics and conduct principles for the teaching profession and how they are founded on the knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of learners (Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.1, 7.1, 7.2);
2. investigate the dispositions and knowledge of relational teachers to demonstrate a range of strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in centre/classroom activities, which includes literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas, verbal and non-verbal communication and practical approaches to manage behaviour and challenging behaviours and ensure students feel safe, valued and respected (APST 2.5, 3.5, 4.1, 4.3);
3. articulate critical reflection and application of classroom management practices that includes an understanding of relevant legislations, research into how learners learn and the implication for teaching, in particular differentiated teaching strategies to meet specific learning needs across the full range of abilities, including the knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to strengths and needs of learners from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and the participation and learning of learners with disability (APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6);
4. appraise the common components and strategies that support learners’ wellbeing and safety working within centre/school/system, curriculum and legislative requirements and key systemic policy documents, and describe how to align these in practice to manage and organise the contextual environment and resources that assist teachers to respond appropriately and report/refer suspected abuse and/or neglect (APST 4.4);
5. articulate the requirements to design and manage supportive learning environments with an understanding of the relevant issues and strategies available, including providing clear directions and organising appropriate classroom activities, to support inclusive student participation and engagement and supporting the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching (APST 4.2, 4.5);
6. clarify strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers and understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice to create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments (APST 7.3, 7.4);
7. demonstrate advanced cognitive, literacy and communication skills, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and bibliographic referencing.