An ancient civilization emerged in the Red River delta of what is today northern Vietnam which, by about 500 BCE, was characterized by the production of magnificent bronze drums. The region fully entered recorded history, however, only after Chinese imperial conquests extended into the area beginning in 214 BCE. Soon afterwards the area became part of an independent kingdom called Southern Yue (Nam Viet). In 111 BCE, it was absorbed into the Han Dynasty. The Red River delta then remained loosely part of empires based in China until 938 CE, when a Cantonese invasion fleet was defeated, and the Red River area became an independent state called Dai Viet. In the thirteenth century Dai Viet heroically repulsed three Mongol invasions, and in the fifteenth century Dai Viet began to expand south into the land of Champa (today’s central Vietnam). By the eighteenth century, Viet rule extended to the far southern Mekong delta. Meanwhile, from the sixteenth century Vietnam was divided between northern and southern strongmen. A major rebellion that began in 1771 ended with the unification of the whole of Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty in 1802.

The Conclusion to the book introduces two new metaphors that force readers to consider their own personal and collective responsibility in addressing the relationship between race and the law in the United States. Students should leave the text with a clearer personal understanding of the national dynamics around racial discourse in the United States and, ideally, a better understanding of both the potential and limitations of the law in solving societal problems within a democratic system.

Assessment is a key aspect of teaching and fundamental to student and teacher learning. As a teacher, you will use syllabuses, Australian Curriculum content and the local cultural knowledge that is valued in your community to develop tasks and provide classroom experiences that foster quality learning. You will need to understand that there are a range of assessment types, with different purposes and tools available that you can use to assess student learning and progress. As you grow in your career, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge required to activate a collaborative classroom culture that promotes student ownership of learning and enables students to foster each other’s learning through classroom assessment. You will work in partnerships with students, colleagues and parents/caregivers to curate authentic evidence of learning. In this chapter, we examine forms of assessment, the most effective types of feedback and how teachers use assessment data in teaching, planning and reporting practices.

When we think about ‘becoming’ or ‘being’ a teacher, we often reflect on experiences that positively impacted our learning, or those that reduced our enthusiasm or motivation. The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership emphasises teachers’ significant role and responsibility in preparing children and young people to lead successful and productive lives. Building on Chapter 1, this chapter introduces core skills for the profession of teaching, highlighting communication, organisation, reflective practice and leadership for aspiring teachers. Acknowledging that teaching is a human endeavour, you will explore personal attributes, including confidence, resilience and self-care, and the process of managing, building and sustaining a career, while upholding professional standards.

Once you have finished university and are ready to teach in a classroom, have you finished learning? While you probably have immediate things to learn about – your new school or casual teaching, the syllabuses that you will be working with, the students you will be teaching, your colleagues and the realities of day-to-day behaviour management – there are other ways in which your learning does not stop once you have graduated. The expectation that teachers will not stop learning is realistic, as there will always be changes (social, economic, political and technological) that have to be accommodated. Developing technologies have led to changes not only in what teachers have to learn, but also in how they learn. Formal pathways for professional learning have been supplemented by informal methods. You now begin your journey from graduate to proficient, according to the roadmap through the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) provided by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. You have embarked on an exciting career that offers numerous options for development.

A fundamental task for you, as a teacher, is to get to know and understand the students you teach in the broad context of the school, community and society in which they live. By doing this, you will increase your awareness of the diverse backgrounds, experiences and needs of your students and their families. Knowledge and understanding will shape your teaching philosophy, influence your views and attitudes, and guide you in effectively teaching and supporting your students. This chapter aims to support you in answering the question: Who are my students? We will examine several theories to help you explore ways of viewing, understanding and thinking about teaching for diversity. Australian data and statistics, and teacher and student narratives, will provide you with a snapshot of today’s student cohort. This includes students from diverse family, religious, cultural, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds, and those with a range of abilities, disabilities and orientations. You will gain insight into some of the impacts of mental health and complex trauma on children and young people and consider your role in fostering positive school experiences for all students.

This chapter introduces the concepts of classroom management, routines and procedures, and approaches to inclusive practice through case studies, extracts from theoretical writings and policy documents. The discussion considers differing approaches to classroom management, including practical behaviour management strategies. The role of leadership in developing whole-school practices is highlighted and legal responsibilities, as well as behaviour management options, are included. You will learn about inclusive practice and addressing the needs of diverse learners, which considers the shift from segregation of diverse learners to contemporary practices that have better outcomes for all children. The concept of inclusive practice is contextualised in relation to international developments, the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration, the Australian Curriculum and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). This chapter introduces Universal Design for Learning as a framework to support differentiated learning and reasonable adjustments for the diversity of all students in our classrooms, including diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity, ability, culture and language, social and economic situations, and religious beliefs.

Learning is the fundamental process that teachers are seeking to influence in the classroom. But what is learning? And how can we, as teachers, help our students to learn effectively? Learning has been a topic of investigation for centuries. Educators have sought to understand learning through philosophy, observation, experiments and even neuroscience. Learning is a complex human behaviour. As a teacher, you need to understand how your students learn. That means becoming aware of some of the theories people have put forward about how learning works, developing an appreciation for how you can know whether or not learning has occurred in your classroom, and understanding what you can do to maximise the learning possibilities for all of your students. What you will learn in this chapter might surprise you – for example, some of the intuitive ideas we have about learning seem not to be how learning really occurs. This is an important insight for you as a teacher. The students in your classes will often have intuitive ideas about their learning that may not be accurate, particularly when it comes to the use of technology in education. These ideas may come from their home, informal education settings they interact with, from popular media representations, or from elsewhere. It is important to be aware of how learning really works.

This chapter introduces curriculum in schools and the relationship between ideology and ideas as factors shaping education curriculum development. This approach stresses that curriculum is both dynamic and contested, and focuses on the development and implementation of the Australian Curriculum to illustrate how curriculum is shaped at the Commonwealth, state/territory and jurisdictional school levels. The chapter also discusses the key learning areas, cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities. The intention is to examine how curriculum can be an empowering vehicle to frame content areas, and inform teaching, learning programs and assessment instruments. Concepts such as the overt and hidden curriculum are examined to better understand the nature of school curriculum. Further, there is a recognition that curriculum must be interpreted and contextualised so that it meets the needs of learners at different levels and in different ways. Finally, the notion of teachers as curriculum builders and enactors is a central concept in this chapter.

Theory and potential practices learnt during university teacher education degree programs provide pre-service teachers with a foundation for engaging with the teaching profession, teaching practices, students and other key stakeholders, such as parents/caregivers and community members. Professional experience (sometimes called practicum or work integrated learning) is an opportunity for you, as a pre-service teacher, to apply theory and practices to the classroom context under the guidance of an experienced teacher known as a mentor (also supervising teacher or school-based teacher educator). Professional experience is considered to be the cornerstone for learning about teaching, particularly as it provides opportunities for pre-service teachers to practise the skills and apply the knowledge they have learnt during their university program to the classroom context. An important aspect of professional experience is the professional relationship between the pre-service teacher (mentee) and the mentor teacher that helps to facilitate effective teaching experiences. This chapter focuses on understanding professional experience, looking at preparation for professional experience, engaging in teaching practices within the school, and, lastly, post-professional experience considerations.

This chapter will introduce you to the various education systems in Australia. It focuses on the relationship between the Commonwealth and the state and territory governments, outlines the three schooling sectors – public (government), independent and Catholic – and places the Australia education system within a global context. It starts by offering a historical overview of schooling in Australia and finishes with a look at the future of schooling. The education system is examined, especially in relation to educational outcomes, equity issues and funding. You will also be introduced to support mechanisms available for teachers, including professional development requirements and union membership. To gain an understanding of schooling beyond the classroom, key education documents such as the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration will be examined.

This chapter is an introduction to your teaching degree. It provides opportunities to explore different understandings of education as a career and also serves as an introduction to tertiary study with information to prepare you for successful tertiary study and experiences. You can reflect on your learning through activities, and also critically engage with the ideas presented in this chapter. First, we will look at the university experience for pre-service teachers. There is no one, exclusive or all-encompassing university experience that everyone will undergo in the same way; it is impossible to essentialise student experiences.

This chapter delves into the principles of planning, connecting with Chapter 7 to explore essential considerations for effective teaching and learning. It focuses on the processes and preparations of secondary and primary pre-service teachers Hannah and Matthew as they assess students’ learning needs, select a suitable lesson plan template, implement lessons and reflect on practice. Both Hannah and Matthew are dedicated pre-service teachers committed to challenging themselves and their lerners to achieve success. The chapter explores key factors for effective teaching and learning, including a robust curriculum, student understanding, diverse teaching strategies, differentiation and integrating assessment for informative purposes. This chapter invites you to engage in planning activities for a class of learners. While exploring Hannah and Matthew’s experiences, reflect on your own teaching preparation. Consider how you will plan and prepare for lessons, tailor them to meet learners’ needs, employ teaching strategies for engagement, and integrate assessment into the teaching and learning process. The concept of teacher ‘with-it-ness’ will be introduced, prompting further consideration on fostering positive behavior in your classroom to promote a safe and positive learning environment.