Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Distance Education FAQs
- Can I do my professional experience at 2 days a week, as I am working?
- Can I do all my professional experience in the same school?
- Can I do a professional experience at my old school?
- Can I split my professional experience across school holidays?
- How many days professional experience do I need to do?
- What if I have an exam when I want to do professional experience?
- Can I contact schools myself?
- Do I have to do my professional experience this term?
- How late in the year can I start my professional experience?
- Who sends in the reports, me or the teacher?
- There will be a teacher's strike when I am on professional experience. What do I do?
- If I miss a few days due to illness, misadventure etc do I need to make them up?
- What happens if I get sick or suffer a misadventure (eg. death in the family) on professional experience and am unable to complete the program?
- Does a Staff Development Day count as "prac days" and should I attend?
- My first professional experience was on Year 2. Can I do my next professional experience on Year 3?
- Should I participate in a school organised excursion and who covers costs?
- Can I complete my professional experience at the same school my child attends or where I have a family relationship such as parent, aunt, uncle etc?
- How long is a school day?
- Can I make use of the CSU Library while on placement?
1. Can I do my professional experience 2 days a week, as I am working?
The usual pattern would be 5 days per week for the total number of required days. If the school agrees to allow the placement to be 4 days per week then that will be permissible, as well.
2. Can I undertake all my professional experience placements in the same school?
No, you need to experience a range of different school settings, and be exposed to diverse models of teaching & learning and simultaneously demonstrate your capacity to establish and maintain relationships in different contexts. Where a teacher is already employed as a conditionally accredited teacher, she/he will required to undertake one teaching placement in a second context in order to meet these requirements. Supervision by a university-appointed supervisor will undertaken in the usual manner.
3. Can I do a professional experience at my old school?
Yes, but the experience of other students has shown that this is not a really good idea, as some have felt, or are treated, as though they are still students.
4. Can I split my professional experience across school holidays?
This is sometimes possible, but you will need to explain to me why you want to do this, as prac in the final week of one term and the first week of the next term can mean the loss of several teaching days.
5. How many days professional experience do I need to do?
Most courses require 60 days because of accreditation requirements, However the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) course requires 50 days from 201060 onwards.
6. What if I have an exam when I want to do professional experience?
You may have leave to do the exam, but must make up the time.
7. Can I contact schools myself?
You need to apply to us for permission to approach a school, specifying the dates when you wish to do your professional experience. After we have given permission, you may approach the school.
8. Do I have to do my professional experience this term?
It is most sensible to enroll in your professional experience subject when you intend to undertake it. However, it is permissible, if circumstances change and you need to defer the placement, to do so.
9. How late in the year can I start my professional experience?
You should plan to conclude the placement 3 weeks before the end of the school year, so the beginning of November is a sensible cutoff date. It is your responsibility to find out when the school closes for the year. Also bear in mind that your grades are finalised at the end of November, and if a teacher delays in returning your assessment to CSU, you might not receive your report or grade until after schools re-open.
10. Who sends in the reports, me or the teacher?
As the reports have to be signed by the Principal, the school sends them to us. However, you should sight and sign before you leave the school. CSU staff will return the original report to you once it has been verified and copied for the files.
11. There will be a teacher's strike when I am on professional experience. What do I do?
We suggest you do just as your professional associate does. We don't want anyone to be in the position of strike-breaking, and possibly being in charge of children unsupervised.
12. If I miss a few days due to illness, misadventure etc. do I need to make them up?
You must complete the full number of days for your program, so missed days, irrespective of the reason or the course in which you are enrolled, must be made up.
13. What happens if I get sick or suffer a misadventure (eg death in the family) on professional experience and am unable to complete the program?
Typically, you will be awarded a TA grade and be permitted to complete the program at another time. The duration of the deferred placement will be determined by the Professional Experience Co-ordinator.
14. Does a Staff Development Day count as "prac days" and should I attend?
If at all possible, you should attend all staff extra-curricular activities and such days would be counted as "prac days".
15. My first professional experience was on Year 2. Can I do my next prac on Year 3?
No. We expect one professional experience in infants/early years (i.e. K/Prep/Reception - 2), and one in primary years (3 - 6/7), but for breadth of experience they should not be done in adjacent years.
16. Should I participate in a school organised excursion and who covers costs?
If the excursion will enhance your professional learning, then it would usually be approved but you should always check with your Professional Experience Director or Subject Co-ordinator (as appropriate). It would be up to you or the school to cover the costs of the excursion.
17. Can I complete my professional experience at the same school my child attends or where I have a family relationship such as parent, aunt, uncle etc?
No, it is CSU's policy that professional experience can not be undertaken within the same school as your child or where you have a close family member on staff, for a range of issues. If you require further clarification on this point please refer to the Director of the Professional Experience Unit.
18. How long is a school day?
Teachers and preservice teachers should arrive at school at least 30 minutes before lessons commence and remain at school 30 minutes after all lessons conclude, even if their lessons start later or finish earlier than other teachers.
19. Can I make use of the CSU Library while on placement?
Yes, there are special arrangements for library access for students on practicum placement. These include longer loan periods, and distance education services for internal students. You can find out more about registering for this service on the Library web site.
Close
Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Distance Education FAQs
- Can I do my professional experience at 2 days a week, as I am working?
- Can I do all my professional experience in the same school?
- Can I do a professional experience at my old school?
- Can I split my professional experience across school holidays?
- How many days professional experience do I need to do?
- What if I have an exam when I want to do professional experience?
- Can I contact schools myself?
- Do I have to do my professional experience this term?
- How late in the year can I start my professional experience?
- Who sends in the reports, me or the teacher?
- There will be a teacher's strike when I am on professional experience. What do I do?
- If I miss a few days due to illness, misadventure etc do I need to make them up?
- What happens if I get sick or suffer a misadventure (eg. death in the family) on professional experience and am unable to complete the program?
- Does a Staff Development Day count as "prac days" and should I attend?
- My first professional experience was on Year 2. Can I do my next professional experience on Year 3?
- Should I participate in a school organised excursion and who covers costs?
- Can I complete my professional experience at the same school my child attends or where I have a family relationship such as parent, aunt, uncle etc?
- How long is a school day?
- Can I make use of the CSU Library while on placement?
1. Can I do my professional experience 2 days a week, as I am working?
The usual pattern would be 5 days per week for the total number of required days. If the school agrees to allow the placement to be 4 days per week then that will be permissible, as well.
2. Can I undertake all my professional experience placements in the same school?
No, you need to experience a range of different school settings, and be exposed to diverse models of teaching & learning and simultaneously demonstrate your capacity to establish and maintain relationships in different contexts. Where a teacher is already employed as a conditionally accredited teacher, she/he will required to undertake one teaching placement in a second context in order to meet these requirements. Supervision by a university-appointed supervisor will undertaken in the usual manner.
3. Can I do a professional experience at my old school?
Yes, but the experience of other students has shown that this is not a really good idea, as some have felt, or are treated, as though they are still students.
4. Can I split my professional experience across school holidays?
This is sometimes possible, but you will need to explain to me why you want to do this, as prac in the final week of one term and the first week of the next term can mean the loss of several teaching days.
5. How many days professional experience do I need to do?
Most courses require 60 days because of accreditation requirements, However the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) course requires 50 days from 201060 onwards.
6. What if I have an exam when I want to do professional experience?
You may have leave to do the exam, but must make up the time.
7. Can I contact schools myself?
You need to apply to us for permission to approach a school, specifying the dates when you wish to do your professional experience. After we have given permission, you may approach the school.
8. Do I have to do my professional experience this term?
It is most sensible to enroll in your professional experience subject when you intend to undertake it. However, it is permissible, if circumstances change and you need to defer the placement, to do so.
9. How late in the year can I start my professional experience?
You should plan to conclude the placement 3 weeks before the end of the school year, so the beginning of November is a sensible cutoff date. It is your responsibility to find out when the school closes for the year. Also bear in mind that your grades are finalised at the end of November, and if a teacher delays in returning your assessment to CSU, you might not receive your report or grade until after schools re-open.
10. Who sends in the reports, me or the teacher?
As the reports have to be signed by the Principal, the school sends them to us. However, you should sight and sign before you leave the school. CSU staff will return the original report to you once it has been verified and copied for the files.
11. There will be a teacher's strike when I am on professional experience. What do I do?
We suggest you do just as your professional associate does. We don't want anyone to be in the position of strike-breaking, and possibly being in charge of children unsupervised.
12. If I miss a few days due to illness, misadventure etc. do I need to make them up?
You must complete the full number of days for your program, so missed days, irrespective of the reason or the course in which you are enrolled, must be made up.
13. What happens if I get sick or suffer a misadventure (eg death in the family) on professional experience and am unable to complete the program?
Typically, you will be awarded a TA grade and be permitted to complete the program at another time. The duration of the deferred placement will be determined by the Professional Experience Co-ordinator.
14. Does a Staff Development Day count as "prac days" and should I attend?
If at all possible, you should attend all staff extra-curricular activities and such days would be counted as "prac days".
15. My first professional experience was on Year 2. Can I do my next prac on Year 3?
No. We expect one professional experience in infants/early years (i.e. K/Prep/Reception - 2), and one in primary years (3 - 6/7), but for breadth of experience they should not be done in adjacent years.
16. Should I participate in a school organised excursion and who covers costs?
If the excursion will enhance your professional learning, then it would usually be approved but you should always check with your Professional Experience Director or Subject Co-ordinator (as appropriate). It would be up to you or the school to cover the costs of the excursion.
17. Can I complete my professional experience at the same school my child attends or where I have a family relationship such as parent, aunt, uncle etc?
No, it is CSU's policy that professional experience can not be undertaken within the same school as your child or where you have a close family member on staff, for a range of issues. If you require further clarification on this point please refer to the Director of the Professional Experience Unit.
18. How long is a school day?
Teachers and preservice teachers should arrive at school at least 30 minutes before lessons commence and remain at school 30 minutes after all lessons conclude, even if their lessons start later or finish earlier than other teachers.
19. Can I make use of the CSU Library while on placement?
Yes, there are special arrangements for library access for students on practicum placement. These include longer loan periods, and distance education services for internal students. You can find out more about registering for this service on the Library web site.