Charles Mackenzie-Smith MEd, Grad Dip Teach (Pri/Sec),  B.A, Cert Jap, GradCert IV TESOL

Commitment to Teaching and Learning with Students

I have had a strong affiliation and commitment to St Paul’s School students through teaching and learning.

-At St Paul’s, as evidenced in my Professional Testimonials from parents, associates and direct supervisors, I have been heavily involved in all areas of the school, particularly academic and extra-curricular activities. I have worked closely with the Junior School Supporters 

During the past 15 years, I have taught in 3 sub-schools including the St Paul’s Junior School, Middle School and International School. In this capacity, I have taught up to Year 9 in Japanese and up to Year 12 at the International School. I have been a Year 6 Class Tutor for a number of years, a Year 7 Class Tutor for 3 years, as well as being a Tutor for Stewart House and Tooth House for Year 8 and 9 students.

-By teaching Japanese to all Junior School students as well as working with ESL students, I have close contact with a broad range and number of students. I am responsible for liaising with Heads of Sub-Schools including the International School and Junior School, class teachers, International and English as a Second Language parents and students and registry staff. This involves advanced diplomacy but just as importantly, an intimate knowledge of students and their backgrounds.

-My commitment to teaching and learning can be evidenced by a number of examples : a. My collection of Professional Testimonials from various sources which clearly articulate my dedication to the students of St Paul’s and their learning of Japanese and English as a Second Language, b. My appraisal conducted in 2010 by Mrs Harper and Mrs Connolly,

- The development of a website that is wholly devoted to the learning of Japanese for students of all abilities. The aforementioned website requires regular maintenance, updates and is always being improved for the sake of the students and their parents at home. It brings the most contemporary forms of language-learning technology to the students all contained in the one central site (students are able to download MP3s of example speaking presentations, listen to native speaking animated cartoons that model the correct language for speaking tasks, sit practice test and receive instantaneous feedback and ask questions of me through an online contact form). Through the website I am able to interact with students who complete progress tests, online quizzes and tutorials that give me real time feedback and give the students almost instantaneous feedback at home. The website has a core group of 75 subscribers who receive regular updates and links to new sites and tips for learning Japanese. As well as this, the site receives about 200 hits per week from Junior School students who leave comments and give feedback to me via the website guest sign-in application about how I can improve their experience of learning Japanese.

(EVIDENCE/FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS/ PARENTS)

- I am continually updating my skills as evidenced by my Master of Education degree (2009), my Certificate IV in TESOL (English as a Second Language, 2008) and various professional development pursuits including Differentiation, Pedagogy and Assessment, Implementing ESL Bandscales, English Grammar Workshop and joining the MLTAQ.

- By meeting with other Japanese teachers once per term as part of my coordinator role of Junior School Japanese Teachers in Independent Schools, I am also able to learn new ideas and share new ideas with like-minded colleagues. I aim to be at the forefront of language teaching through devising new and innovative ideas to try in the classroom such as linking class material to outside web access for home use, new and tried methods of enhancing language production in the classroom and varied and innovative ways of teaching the Japanese script.

- I incorporate real-world applications and age-appropriate and relevant material to engage the students to maximize learning potential.

-I have been loyal to St Paul’s School, I have dedicated the majority of my teaching career to working at St Paul’s School and have donated much more time than is required of an average teacher. This can be substantiated again through my testimonials and reading my portfolios which detail my contributions and display a broad selection of certificates awarded to me for same. In addition, consultation with my respective Heads of Sub-Schools, Mrs Marianne Connolly and Ms Deborah Kemish will  substantiate my above statements.

A SNAPSHOT OF MY COMMITMENT TO ST PAUL’S

• 1999-2001 St Paul’s School (Employed as a Japanese / English / Mathematics / Physical Education Teacher with Pastoral Care Tutor of Year 7s)
• 2001- unpaid leave –full time contract for Term 1 at Morayfield East State School (Japanese Teacher for Years 5-7)
• 2001- Term 2- St Paul’s School Year 7 Teacher

• 2001- Term 3 – return to complete remainder of contract at Morayfield East State School (Japanese Teacher- Years 5-7)

• 2001 Term 4 – St Paul’s School - Tutor of Stewart House - Returned as P.E. (Year 7) and Japanese teacher (Years 5-9)
• 2002 Tutor of Stewart House, Year 7; Japanese Teacher Years 1-9
• 2003 Tutor of Stewart House, Year 8 / Year 6 - Team-teaching (Mathematics, Science and Japanese 1-6) with Head of Junior School, Mrs Marianne Connolly (MRC)

• 2004 Year 6 Pastoral Care Teacher - Team-teaching with MRC (Mathematics, Science and Japanese P-6)

• 2005 Year 6 Pastoral Care Teacher - Team-teaching with MRC (Mathematics, Science and Japanese P-6)
• 2006 Year 6 Pastoral Care Teacher - Team-teaching with MRC (Mathematics, Science and Japanese P-6)
• 2007 Junior School Japanese P-6
• 2008 Junior School Japanese, Physical Education
• 2009 Junior School Japanese P-6 / ESL Teacher - Junior School
• 2010 Junior School Japanese P-6 / ESL Teacher - Junior School
• 2011 Junior School Japanese P-6 / ESL Teacher – Junior School
• 2012 Junior School Japanese Pre-Prep-6 / ESL Teacher – Junior School
• 2013 Junior School Japanese Pre-Prep- 6, Pastoral Care Tutor of Year 6
• 2014 Junior School Japanese Pre-Prep- 6, Middle School Japanese, Year 7; Year 8 Pastoral Care Tutor of Tooth House

Marketing and Other Contributions to

St Paul’s School

• Student Tours - 2000, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2014
• Marketing Tours - 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006
• Represented St Paul's School at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo (2002)
• Represented the St Paul's School on a Principals’ Delegation to Japan (1999)
• Represented the school in a QTRADE (Qld. Govt. trade) ‘Road Show’ of Japan (2002)
• Represented the International School at dinners and meetings with Japanese parents of International School Students in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, Japan (2002, 2004 and 2006)
• Represented the school in Marketing Showcases and meetings to agents in Japan (2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010)

Extra-Curricular Contributions to  St Paul’s School 1999- PRESENT

• Coordinator of Cricket (Years 4-7),
• Coach of Cricket (Years 5-7)
• Coach of Kanga Cricket (Year 4)
• Swimming Supervisor (Years 1-6)
• Coach of Soccer (Year 5, Year 7)
• Coach of Rugby (Years 5-7)
• Coach of Walla Rugby (Year 4)
• Coach of Basketball (Years 5 & 6)
• Coach Mini-Basketball (Year 4)

• Touch Football (Years 5 & 7)
• Tournament of Minds (Year 6)
• Opti-Minds (Year 5)
• Supervisor Wakakirri (story dance festival)
• Coordinator - Junior School Dances

• Teacher of Japanese for Parents Lessons (8 lesson courses) Facilitator IMAGEN 8 (St Paul’s Creativity Festival) 2012, 2014

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

• St Paul’s Junior School Trivia Night
• Junior School Fancy Dress Ball
• Junior School Bush Dance
• Swimming Carnival (Announcer)
• Athletics Carnival (Announcer)
• Warren Smith Farewell Dinner
• St Paul’s Fair
• St Paul’s Rugby Dinners (Auctioneer)

Commitment to Analysis and Reflection on Practice and Implementation of Improvement

I have been teaching Japanese for the past 14 years in private and state schools. I have taught children from Pre-Prep age up to Year 9 at St Paul's and up to Year 12 at other Schools and am qualified to teach both Primary and Secondary students. In this time, I have had to consistently reflect and revise, improve and reassess in order to improve outcomes for my students and improve my practice.

To improve practice, I have committed many years to studying my craft at a formal level.

-I have attained a Certificate IV in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) which enables me to teach English to students who have arrived from non-English-speaking backgrounds at St Paul’s. This study has also enabled me to understand the teaching of reading and writing on a deeper level.

- I have completed a Master of Education which has incorporated study about Early Childhood Pedagogy, Inclusivity in the Classroom ( particularly Autism), Reading and Writing Difficulties, Leadership and Management and Educational Counselling . The varied fields of study have helped me in all areas of my teaching from parent interviews, to differentiating content for all types of learners, and teaching children in the Early Years.

By further study, I have had many opportunities to reflect on my teaching practice. I have conducted a functional behavioural analysis on a student for practical applications in the classroom and apply the theory to what I was doing, I have conducted  reading assessments of students at risk and devised measures to remediate their reading problems. I have learned about Autism and other impairments and educated Junior School staff about Indicators can also be seen in the evidence provided by my 2010 appraisal.

I have undertaken the above studies not for any financial gain, but to improve my own practice and to be able to understand and learn more deeply.

Throughout my teaching career I have been involved in many initiatives to improve the pedagogical practice of not only my own teaching but also of other teachers.

- I was a member of the trial pilot programme for the Queensland School Curriculum Council’s Years 1 to 3 LOTE Curriculum Guidelines (1999) which endeavoured to provide quality language instruction to early years’ students. This has given me experience with the process of trialling curriculum documents and given me a deeper knowledge of the best pedagogical practices for students in the early years.

-I  presented at the 2012 and 2013 'Japanese Language Seminar' conducted by ISQ and Catholic Education where I was a guest speaker about ‘Effective Teaching Strategies in the Language Classroom Incorporating Technology”

-From the feedback given by Seminar attendees, I realised that other teachers have learnt much from my presentation and that some of my ideas and strategies go beyond the usual repertoire or the general language teacher. 

For the past two years, I have been the Independent Schools’ Coordinator of the Junior Japanese Teacher Network which is a group of like-minded teachers who meet to discuss ways of improving pedagogical practice and methodology in the language classroom. It involves conducting seminars and presenting to the teachers about language teaching methodology, technology use in languages and enhancing the use of the target language in language teaching. Coupled with that, I present to other teachers about my passion for the seamless integration of technology in the language learning environment for students to use at school and at home.

As an educator, I am constantly reflecting on my own work and that of my students. As a Junior School ESL and Japanese teacher I have tried to improve the learning environment both physically and in a pedagogical sense to try and strive for a deeper understanding of the language by the students. This can only happen when students are motivated and engaged and there are the appropriate pedagogical practices happening in the classroom in order to maximize learning. To ensure that this is most likely to happen, I have reflected and analysed some key factors that I needed to either improve along the way or change.

Appropriate physical learning environment

– In order for students to really ‘switch on’ to a language, it helps greatly to have a physical learning environment that embodies the culture and language of Japan. This was not an easy thing to create when travelling from classroom to classroom. It was not practical to display students’ Japanese work in their own classrooms to full-effect nor were students readily able to make the cognitive switch to Japanese as readily in their own classroom. Having only a small tidy tray, it was difficult to have all of my resources at hand and this led me to reflect and lobby for a room that could be seen as a Japanese learning space and generate an improvement in student outcomes. This change was initiated by Marianne Connolly, Warren Smith and me after years of consultation. Since this room has been allocated, students are more engaged in Japanese and the student outcommes appear to be improving in most areas.

Language teaching time per week.

-Currently each child in the Junior School receives 50 minutes to 1hour per week Japanese tuition. Formerly students had to change with Music after 20-30 minutes which lead to disruption and a sense in both teacher and students that not much was achieved in that time. After reflection about what would be best for students learning languages and consultation with other teachers and Head of Learning, Mrs Harper, it was decided that 1 hour blocks were much better for the learning outcomes of students. (Lessons were more easily sequenced, planning was more concise and students were able to settle into a solid period of engaging work without imminent disruption).

Ability to consolidate and extend work from class via home computer.

-One hour per week is still not very much time to learn a complex language like Japanese. It was because of this that I decided to develop a website that students could use at home to consolidate the material that they have learned in their weekly Japanese lessons. As formerly mentioned, students are able to sit practice tests, listen to speaking tasks, download worksheets and follow steps to read and write the Japanese script all in one site. Moreover, they are able to delve into the Japanese culture through music videos, popular culture materials and interactive, educational computer games. New students to St Paul’s are able to log on and go straight to a ‘New Students’ Help Button’ which takes them to a page specifically devoted to starting students form the very beginning with little or no assistance from outside parties. Students in different levels are also able to access a Year Level ‘Help Button’ which takes them right back to the beginning of the year’s work and leads them through the process step by step. Each page is age appropriate in language and tone.

I also use the following ways to regulate and improve my pedagogical practice:

-I read the class moods. Each class has a different feel and not all classes in a year level are the same. What works for one group of students may not work for another. I react to the class responses and adjust my teaching accordingly.

-I try to recognise children’s growth and improvement and endeavor to provide continual contact to parents about their child’s progress through informal meetings, formal meetings, sneak peek material, e-mails, awards and class competitions, etc. I have provided items of assessment for each child at each ‘sneak peek’ since the inception of the concept and I believe this sets me apart from other specialist teachers in the junior school. I circulate throughout the classrooms at these events to make myself available to parents who may have queries.

-I have a commitment to life-long learning am always striving to improve my skills and expand my knowledge-base and repertoire. I seek to take advantage of professional development opportunities, school-based appraisal and improvement procedures and engagement and collaboration with those with whom I can learn and those that I can mentor.

Quality Engagement with School’s Learning Community

From my initial days at St Paul’s until the present, I have whole-heartedly thrown myself into engaging with the school’s learning community. Initially, I participated and learned from others but as time has progressed and my confidence has grown in my own subject area and also in more generalised areas, I have become a mentor to others and facilitated discussions with the staff .

-In the Junior School I have conducted presentations about understanding ESL learners and how to provide the best possible learning environment for them

- I have also chaired and conducted a debate about ‘play-based versus formal academic- based teaching of early childhood students to help educate and raise awareness of issues in early childhood pedagogy.

-I have spoken to the whole staff about the benefits of the appraisal system.

-I have completed one practicum component of my TESOL (ESL) studies at the International School and was able to interact and learn from the experienced teachers in that department.

-I have been involved in many of the CRIFD’s professional development programs including Differentiation, Pedagogy and Assessment, One Note and Technology integration professional development series. In these sessions, I have taken a very active role providing examples of my work for critiquing purposes, raised pertinent issues and contributed beyond what was required. I believe Dr Annette Kazakoff and Mrs Leisa Harper can substantiate the above.

-I have been involved in a number of one-on-one professional conversations with Mrs Leisa Harper since she arrived at St Paul’s to discuss my role at St Paul’s, my ideas for teaching and learning and my goals for teaching and learning and professional development.

- I was a facilitator of St Paul’s Inaugural Creativity Festival, ‘IMAGEN8’ (July 2012) to impart my knowledge and facilitate and help to inspire some of Brisbane’s most creative young minds to create their own websites in Japanese or Chinese languages. I helped students with the intricacies of web design and then they were given free time to create their own technological showpiece. I worked with students between the ages of 10 and 12. Their creations helped to affirm my commitment to teaching and life-long learning.

I have been involved in three project briefs to date:

 1. ESL in Junior School (project brief)

-Involved discussion and offering my professional opinion to determine the most effective way to manage the ESL Junior School Program within the available teaching resources.

2. Capabilities and Competencies Framework (project brief)

-I was nominated by one or more of my peers and ultimately selected by Senior Leaders to be on the panel to develop a rubric or framework to help with the process of determining what constitutes an Exemplary Teacher and also support the appraisal system. Teaching and support staff were asked to “nominate a person whom you think exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding member of the St Paul’s staff, exemplifying not only good teaching but also espousing our ethos and values.” (Paul Browning, ‘all-staff’ e-mail 03/05/2012).

3. Transitions in Languages (project brief)

-I have been asked by Mrs Maureen Noakes (Learning Manager Languages) to contribute to discussion regarding Languages and the transition process between sub-schools.

- I meet with many different Heads and Learning Managers across the school on a formal and informal basis to discuss best practice and learning outcomes. These include Terese Reece (Acting Director of International School), Ms Debbie Kemish (Director of International School) , Ms Maureen Noakes (Head of Languages), Mrs Marianne Connolly (Director of Junior School), Mrs Cheryl Wegener (Head of Learning- Junior School)

-I believe that I have become a role-model to many of my peers in the school community and in the wider community in my area of Japanese teaching and that my actions are indicative and reflective of my passion and enthusiasm for teaching. I have mentored and counseled many teachers . 

Quality Engagement with External Education Community

Lifelong learning is something that I believe in and I try to set the best example possible to students by engaging with others, reflecting and learning from others. I have been able to engage with the external education community through the study of a Master of Education, Cetificate IV in TESOL and other important interactions.

-I am a member of the Modern Language Teachers Association of Queensland. This gives me updates on the most relevant professional development, networking opportunities, access to the latest research and articles and contact with peers and like-minded teachers across the state.

-My students and I have received awards from the Japan Foundation. I facilitated, edited and produced videos which have received awards for the Best Nihongo( Japanese) in the 2010 Japan Foundation Video Matsuri (Festival)

-I created, edited, and distributed a video for the people of Japan after the Great Tohoku Earthquake of March, 2011.

The video involved a wide representation of Junior School Students with messages of hope, inspiration and compassion for the people of Japan. The video was gratefully received by a wide cross-section of Japanese people who were overwhelmed by our message. This included a message from the original song’s artist in Japan, the Australian Embassy in Japan, our sister school, and Kanto International Senior School . In Australia, we were acknowledged by Independent Schools Queensland, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Consulate General of Japan in Brisbane, the Japanese Embassy in Canberra and the former Premier of Queensland, Ms. Anna Bligh MP. Because of our contribution, Mr Browning, a student representative and I were invited to the residence of the Japanese Consul-General for a reception of gratitude.

–In class, I have hosted students and teachers from many different countries including Hong Kong and Japan to showcase our use of differentiated instruction and innovative ways of teaching a foreign language. Evidence can be found from my Professional Testimonial letter from Mr Daryoosh Matsudaira (Kanto International Senior High School) and e-mails requesting my assistance and thanking me for assistance.

-I was the Coordinator of the Junior Japanese Teacher Network in Independent Schools (ISQ) which was a group of like-minded teachers who meet to discuss ways of improving pedagogical practice and methodology in the language classroom.