Professional practice notes

Connecting professional practice notes to the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO) (pdf - 77.8kb)

Professional practice notes support schools and their staff to deliver evidence-informed teaching and school improvement initiatives.

Each note is topic specific, and offers the reader a definition, practical tips that can be included in their work, as well as links to further reading and departmental resources.

Teachers and school leaders are encouraged to use the professional practice notes as supporting resources. They can be used for professional reading by individuals and teams of teachers, as they focus on areas of interest.

Note one: professional practice days
Professional practice days for teachers are provided to release teachers from their scheduled duties to focus on the improved delivery of high quality teaching and learning.
Note two: learning specialist
Understand how the learning specialist role can provide a career pathway for highly skilled teachers who want to stay in the classroom and work with other teachers to improve their practice.
Note three: small school access to learning specialists
Small schools face unique and diverse circumstances. Therefore, we want to encourage flexibility in accessing learning specialists and enable small schools to implement the best solutions for them
Note four: peer observation, feedback and reflection
Many schools already use peer observation and feedback. This professional practice note can be a useful reference point for future planning and improvement.
Note five: using data walls to turn data into instruction
Building a data wall is a practical and powerful way to focus the work of every teacher on the growth and achievement of every student.
Note six: formative assessment
This professional practice note provides guidance for teachers and school leaders on formative assessment: what it is and how to build it into regular classroom practice.
Note seven: intellectual rigour
This professional practice note provides a range of high impact strategies to support school leaders and teachers to build intellectual rigour with all students, including those exceeding the expected level.
Note eight: using the practice principles to guide literacy learning
This professional practice note provides advice to support school leaders and teachers in understanding how the practice principles facilitate effective literacy learning across all areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10.
Note nine: using high impact teaching strategies to support literacy learning
This professional practice note provides advice to school leaders and teachers on applying High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) to areas of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 to support effective literacy learning.
Note ten: effective professional learning
Professional learning is most effective when it is identified collaboratively by school leaders and teachers as they reflect on how their work contributes to the school’s improvement goals.
Note 11: enhancing literacy learning with the pedagogical model
The Pedagogical Model resource describes continua of practice across each domain and teachers can use the Model as an instructional reference.
Note 12: amplify literacy learning with student voice
Students who are empowered - through voice, agency and leadership - demonstrate more active participation and deeper engagement in the classroom, school and community.
Note 13: supporting students during the transition from primary to secondary school
In an educational journey, beginning secondary school is one of the most significant growth experiences for a young learner.
Note 14: using metacognitive strategies to support student self-regulation and empowerment
This professional practice note provides advice to support school leaders and teachers in the integration of metacognitive strategies in everyday teaching.
Note 15: assessment moderation
Understanding the process of moderation and how it can be used in schools is a driver for improvement of student learning outcomes.
Note 16: excellence in differentiation to increase engagement and learning outcomes
Differentiated teaching refers to methods teachers use to extend the knowledge and skills of every student in every classroom, regardless of their starting point.
Note 17: purposeful collaboration for excellence
This professional practice note provides school leaders with an insight into purposeful collaboration structures within and across schools.
Note 18: excellence in numeracy through the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model
The VTLM provides a framework to review student achievement, reflect on current teaching practices and put in place effective strategies to extend every student's learning.
Note 19: Koorie cultural inclusion
This professional practice note supports teachers and school leaders to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural inclusion, as an enabling foundation for learning in all Victorian government schools.