- Posted on 9 Apr 2025
- 4-minute read
Robust school partnerships are a crucial part of initial teacher education at UTS.
These partnerships continue to develop from ‘strength to strength’ as we provide preservice teachers with the authentic learning experiences required to build a solid professional foundation.
In 2023, UTS staff took 100 UTS secondary teacher education students to Macquarie Fields High School (MFHS) for professional development. Over the past three years, the numbers have grown by 60 percent!
“Yes, what could go wrong when taking 160 UTS students to MFHS in the third week of class?” Nothing!
“What could go right?” Everything!
UTS and MFHS staff worked together to develop invaluable learning experience that involved microteaching, lesson observation and professional learning in embedding literacy and numeracy across the curriculum. This immersive school visit was connected to two core MTeach subjects ‘Professional Learning’ and ‘Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum,’ illustrating how work-integrated learning can be embedded effectively into coursework to strengthen learning and to build industry partnerships.
After a very warm welcome by Deputy Principal Heather Costa, Sangeeta Hegde, MFHS’s PEX Coordinator, described MFHS's whole-school approach to analysing NAPLAN data to assess students’ literacy and numeracy skills, as well as whole-of-school approaches cultivating these fundamental skills.
Nicole Boyles, the Head Teacher of PDHPE, also shared how developing students’ literacy and numeracy is every teacher’s responsibility. She demonstrated the process of scaffolding these skills through unpacking the literacy and numeracy demands in the syllabus and through explicitly teaching subject specific terminology.
Afterwards, two very talent students, Japneet Saini and Samyu Vijayasarathi, taught UTS students some very cool Bollywood dance moves.
This was followed by rich classroom observations, where UTS students could observe the complex skills of teaching. Their learning was accelerated through watching teachers demonstrate the skills of delivering a clear explanation, managing a positive learning environment and differentiating activities to engage all learners.
One beginner teacher caught the eye of one preservice teacher, who exclaimed that she saw the most awesome lesson by an early career teacher who gave her hope that she could also have such a strong impact on her students.
This teacher was none other than - Emma Sanchez - who had just graduated from UTS as an MTeach student last year!
UTS students also taught small groups of MFHS Year 7 and Year 8 students in a literacy and numeracy microteaching activity to practise their teaching skills. They learnt how to develop rapport with students and to extend their knowledge in literacy and numeracy skills.
Thank you to Macquarie Fields High School staff and students. A special shout out to Sangeeta Hegde, Sheridan Georgiou, Bill He, and Nathan Cox, who made the day an unforgettable experience! And thank you to our UTS preservice teachers who made the most of every opportunity they were given.
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