While Boulez stated on a number of occasions that he had no great interest in teaching or indeed any particular gift for it, he worked nevertheless in the course of his career in a variety of pedagogical contexts. In this chapter, I consider his work as an occasional teacher of composition, with the small number of individual students he accepted in the late 1950s in Paris for private sessions. Second, there is the teaching he transmitted in the body of lectures he delivered primarily at Darmstadt, Harvard and more extensively at the Collège de France. Finally, I explore his arguably more engaged pedagogical work, exemplified by the courses in analysis, composition and conducting he delivered in Basel in the 1960s, as well as his committed interaction with young composers, conductors and performers at the Lucerne Festival Academy from 2003 to 2015.

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 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.

Teacher quality – what teachers do, how they teach and the way they present information – impacts student learning. Effective teaching and learning is a complex human endeavour and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. In your journey as a pre-service teacher, you will aim to learn as much as you can from your university coursework, professional experiences, lecturers and tutors, and the school teachers that supervise you, as well as drawing on your background knowledge and experience. In this way, you will be prepared with a range of pedagogical approaches, strategies, frameworks and theories that will support you to implement effective teaching and learning, and be the best teacher you can be. Australia’s vastness and diverse population mean future classrooms will host students with varying backgrounds, interests, learning preferences and social, cultural and linguistic needs. Igniting learning in your classroom will require you to know your students and how they learn, plan engaging teaching and learning experiences, monitor their progress, and assess their learning to inform future teaching and learning programs.

We have already explored how students learn both individually and socially, and how teachers draw from a range of learning theories to provide opportunities that motivate and engage students by optimising resources in the learning environment. In this chapter, we drill down into specific teaching approaches and strategies that are aligned with constructivist and sociocultural learning theories. You will undertake the groundwork to prepare you with an array of ideas and tools to be well equipped for teaching. We consider how to foster a classroom environment that supports a rich learning culture, implementing different ways of teaching that, used in combination in professional practice, can assist your students to become effective learners. If you are to foster learning partnerships in the classroom where students have ‘voice and choice’, you will need to understand how to promote their active participation. The chapter concludes with an examination of frameworks that promote powerful learning and effective teaching, and enable students to learn how to learn.

Schools are part of a community and, as such, teachers are involved in a range of interactions with colleagues, parents/caregivers and the wider community. Forming and maintaining positive relationships with a range of stakeholders is an integral part of a teacher’s role and can lead to improved outcomes for students. Teachers also have a range of ethical and legislative responsibilities that will guide their interactions with colleagues, families and the wider community. This chapter provides practical advice to guide you through various approaches to forming and maintaining positive relationships, while also gaining knowledge about how to navigate difficulties that may arise during the course of interacting with others.

Chapter 10 takes you to your own professional future. The handy ‘Twelve Principles’ summary enables teachers and school leaders to orient their teaching towards harnessing linguistic diversity for their own professional and personal development, and for the wellbeing and academic achievement of students.

Chapter 16 examines the drawings that Goethe produced throughout his life and places his work in its art-historical context. Over the course of the eighteenth century, drawing had come to be seen as an essential artistic technique; Goethe received instruction in drawing in his early years, and from that time on, he drew wherever he was. The chapter analyses the evolution of his work and the shifting influences on it: Dutch art played an important early role, and the inspiration that he received in Italy, including from contemporaries based there, was crucial.

Gesture is a powerful tool for learning. Gestures reflect a learner’s knowledge and also have the power to change that knowledge. But how early does this ability develop and how might it change over time? Here we discuss the effects of gesture on learning, taking a developmental perspective. We compare how young learners benefit from gesture prior to developing full language skills, as well as how gesture and language work together to support instruction in older children. For both developmental stages, we explore three ways in which gesture can influence learning: (1) by indexing or reflecting a learner’s knowledge, (2) by changing that knowledge through the gestures that learners themselves produce, and (3) by changing that knowledge through the gestures that learners see. Taken together, the evidence suggests that gesture plays a powerful role in learning and education throughout development.