JOELLE​PETERS

Attribute One

 

Graduates must articulate and implement their personal theory of practice and its evidence base, including what it means to be a dual professional as both a tertiary educator and an expert practioner in the workplace

 

Learning for the future, learning from each other, learning within a community.

 

I believe an effective teacher is one who equips students for future learning. They work as a facilitator of learning and scaffold students to be able to control their own learning. They use collaborative and cooperative learning strategies and encourage students to learn with and from each other. By using cooperative learning techniques  they encourage students to value each other’s ideas, prior knowledge and to work as a team. They facilitate learning and the idea of Whanaungatanga within a community. They make an effort to get to know their students and actively seek opportunities to incorporate the wider community in their teaching. Please refer to the linked PDF 'Personal Theory of Practice' for a more in depth discussion of my theory of practice and its evidence base. 

 

I believe as an expert practioner in the work place it is important to remain engaged and up to date with the profession/s it is you are representing in the learning environment. Being up to date means you are able to help students grasp current methods of practice and developments in their fields. As a dual professional as a lecturer and communicator I work to enhance and balance both of my roles. As a tertiary educator I develop my teaching through reflective practice, engaging in discussions with colleagues, researching and attending conferences. As an expert communicator I continue to develop my skills by remaining actively involved in Dunedin theatre as an actor, executive member of Improsaurus, stage manager and occasionally as a technical operator. I take time to learn new software for communication and presentations and watch and engage with presentations from beyond my work environment to make sure I'm aware of any changing trends. I am currently using my professional development opportunities to develop as a communicator and tertiary educator through learning Te Reo and developing an understanding of Maori world views. 

 

It is important to acknowledge that my formal training has been as a secondary educator but that the bulk of my teaching experiences have taken place within the tertiary environment of the Otago Polytechnic. While at the Polytechnic I have mostly worked with foundation and certificate level students, so my work has often been very student centered. I believe that as students develop as learners they should be in control of their own learning, and so I develop my classes and content in a way that allows students to self-differentiate and choose areas of interest to focus on while applying the skills we cover in class. Having been a part or full time teacher at the Polytechnic for the past five years means I am aware of the Maori Strategic Framework and our commitment to supporting Maori and Pacifica students. I have also been present for the directional shifts from whole schools to self managing teams, and am now involved in the first team undertaking the tasking of rethinking our delivery through the process of 'Designing for Learner Success.' This means that while I am secondary trained I also have an understanding of how our tertiary institute works, and the sorts of learners we have.