Classroom Teacher

Location Profile

Dandenong Valley SDS is a specialist school located in Narre Warren Victoria.
We cater for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability who may also have physical impairments, medical needs, sensory needs and autism spectrum disorder.
The school was built in 1990 with an addition of a purpose built BER building in 2012 and a new senior school and specialist teaching spaces built in 2024.
School facilities include a PMP room, sensory garden, horticulture centre, bike track, fitness room, engine room and sensory room, generous sized classrooms and stimulating play spaces.
All students participate in weekly water familiarisation, safety and swimming sessions in the Hydrotherapy pool.
Students at our school range in age from 5 -18 years of age and we also have an Early Education Program which caters for children from 2.8 - 4.8 years.
The three year olds attend this program one day a week and the four year olds attend two days a week.
Students in their last two years of schooling participate in senior transition programs.
The aim of these programs is to provide students with a diverse range of age appropriate learning experiences in preparation for post school options and adult life.
School Vision: Our vision for Dandenong Valley SDS is to achieve excellence in learning and teaching and provide the best outcomes for each of its students.
Mission Statement: Dandenong Valley SDS endeavours to equip students with the capacities to manage themselves and their relations with others, understand their world and act effectively in that world.
Our Values are: Integrity, Respect and Responsibility
Dandenong Valley SDS is a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour community.
This Framework is fully embedded across the school and enables us to promote a happy positive learning environment for all.
Our school rules are explicitly taught across all areas of the curriculum and the school.
The rules are;

Be responsible
Be respectful
Be a learner
Be safe

Our Special Education programs are fully supported by a therapy team which consists of speech therapists, occupational therapists, a physiotherapist and music therapist.
The role of the therapy team is to support the students to enable them to access their educational program.
Therapists also work in close collaboration with teachers to ensure individual goals are achieved by all students.
Student Individual learning goals are based on our strategic plan priorities which are;

The need to develop a functional communication system.
The need to develop their independence skills
The need to develop their social and emotional learning competencies.

These areas are the most important for our students and their families.
Without these basic skills our students cannot engage in meaningful activities, nor reach their full potential.
Dandenong Valley SDS is committed to child safety.
Our school actively promotes the safety and wellbeing of all students, including the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities and vulnerable children.
All school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards.
At Dandenong Valley SDS we provide programs that cater for individual needs, interests and abilities of our students.
The school's curriculum is based on The Victorian Curriculum Foundation Levels A-D).
In addition, we offer a range of specialised programs that occur within the school environment or out in the local community.

These include:
Perceptual motor program, swimming (in our purpose built hydrotherapy pool), community access, social emotional learning program, bike education, interschool sports, performing arts, STEM, visual arts, PE and camps.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills.
Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.
SC2 Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.

SC3 Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning.
Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
SC4 Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills.
Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values.
Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.

Role

The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges- range 1 and range 2.
The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes.
The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning.

As the classroom teacher gains experience his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases.
All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.
Classroom teacher Range 2 Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.
A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.
Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning- Supervise and train one or more student teachers- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.
Classroom teacher Range 1 The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes.
These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs.
Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.
At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities.
The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice.
New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.
Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.
Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricula activities.

Responsibilities

The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:
Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students; Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school; Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal; Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions; Undertaking other non-teaching supervisory duties.

Who May Apply

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

EEO AND OHS Commitment

Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction.
Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.
The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all.
We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department.
The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces.
It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via *******@education.vic.gov.au

Child Safe Standards

Victorian government schools are child safe environments.
Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards.
All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

DE Values

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights.
The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools.
Information on the department values is available at:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

Other Information

Where an ongoing teaching position in a special school or setting (or a visiting teacher position) is advertised:

an ongoing teacher who does not hold an approved special education qualification may be offered permanent transfer to the school if the teacher has completed 3 or more years continuous employment in the teaching service in a special setting, and is assessed by the principal (in respect of positions in special settings) or regional director (in respect of visiting teacher positions) as suitable for ongoing employment in a special setting.
an external applicant, including an existing fixed term employee, who does not hold an approved special education qualification, but who holds provisional or full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, may be offered ongoing employment if the teacher has completed 3 or more years of continuous employment as a teacher in the teaching service in a special setting and is assessed by the principal (in respect of positions in special settings) or regional director (in respect of visiting teacher positions) as suitable for ongoing employment in a special setting.

Other than set out above, a teacher who does not have an approved special education qualification can only be offered:

temporary transfer for a period not exceeding 3 years where the successful applicant is an ongoing employee, or
fixed term employment for a period not exceeding 3 years where the successful applicant is not an ongoing employee

Conditions of Employment

All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

Program Benefits

No job description available

VIT LANTITE

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements.
This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.

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