Professional placements - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What happens if I miss a day of placement?

It is not anticipated that any pre-service teacher will miss any days of their assigned placement; pre-service teachers are expected to attend all days assigned.

If for extreme reasons a day of placement is missed, pre-service teachers should:

• Contact the school/centre first thing in the morning (by 9.00am) to advise them of the absence
• Inform the Professional Placements Office of their inability to attend placement
• Be responsible for any days missed and make these up at a time deemed convenient by the supervisor; the pre-service teacher must inform the Professional Placements Office of these arrangements.

NB: All pre-service teachers enrolled with Monash University will be required to complete a minimum number of placement days in order to be eligible for course completion and professional registration.

What should I do if I start to experience difficulties while on placement?

It is important to address difficulties as they arise as this will allow for the best outcome and resolution to be reached. When a difficulty arises, pre-service teachers are encouraged to talk through the issues with their supervisor in the first instance. If it is not possible for a pre-service teacher to discuss the matter with their supervisor, then they should consider approaching the Organiser of Teaching Practice. It is anticipated that the pre-service teacher will be proactive in talking through the issues and seeking a resolution.

If a pre-service teacher feels they are being treated unfairly or that their placement is not going according to plan, they should contact the Professional Placements Office or an academic member of staff (i.e. Unit Leader, Course Advisor etc). Often talking through the issues and gaining advice will yield a solution to the problem.

In some cases where there are serious concerns, a placement may be terminated by the University.

I’ve injured myself while on placement, what do I do?

All pre-service teachers are covered by the Monash University Student Personal Accident Insurance scheme, and will need to make any claims via this scheme.

Should an injury occur, the pre-service teacher should advise their supervisor so that the school/centre can complete their necessary paperwork. The pre-service teacher should also report the incident to the Professional Placements Office.

What happens if my placement is deemed to be unsuccessful?

Sometimes placements just do not go to plan and a pre-service teacher may find that they have been deemed unsuccessful in their placement attempt. Should this occur, a further placement may be organised by the Professional Placements Office at the assigned designated time.

How many classes do I need to teach and observe?

Pre-service Secondary teachers need to teach an average of 2 classes per day and observe a further 2 classes per day. As the average lesson time is 50 minutes this works out to approximately 500 minutes of teaching and 500 minutes of observation per week. As the length of each lesson will vary from school to school, this figure should be used as a guide only, it is not prescriptive. If lesson times are shorter than 50 minutes, then pre-service teachers should ask supervisors to take on an extra class or two.