Hi, my name is Teneill Knott

I am an aspiring primary school teacher. I am currently in my first year of studying a Bachelor of Education at Curtin University.  I have been working as a Pharmacy Dispensary Assistant for the past ten years and while this has taught me so much, I feel it is time to dive into a new adventure! I am so excited to complete this degree and begin my career educating children.

My most important and fundamental values are reliability, responsibility, honesty, trustworthiness, tolerance, and inclusion. These attributes are important for a teacher to have as they are highly regarded by employees, but they can also benefit students, as my personal traits will be reflected in my teaching style. I believe that every student is unique. Each student will have their own way of learning and processing information. As a teacher, it is my job to bring out the best in each student and provide a safe and nurturing environment for them to develop and learn. By providing an environment that motivates students to learn, they will be able to grow, not only physically but in many other ways such as mentally, emotionally, and socially.

I want to teach because I would like to be a part of creating an inclusive, modern-day, positive classroom where my students can feel safe to be themselves. I believe everyone is entitled to quality education and as an educator, I will do my very best to provide that and support my students’ academic needs. My future students should think of me as someone who cares about their wellbeing as well as their education. My students can expect me to be a firm but fair teacher who maintains high expectations of them, but also someone who is caring and approachable. It will always be at the forefront of my mind to make sure my students feel comfortable enough to ask for help when needed, but also know that I am there to encourage and push them to reach their highest potential. I envisage being part of creating an environment where there is equality amongst everyone in the school community.

At this stage of my undergraduate degree, I believe my professional learning needs are

• To better develop my skills to meet the needs of students with a disability.
• Increase my depth of understanding for topics included in the 8 learning areas
• Become better skilled at adjusting my teaching style to better suit the needs of all students with a range of different abilities.

My responsibilities as an educator to provide a safe and inclusive classroom and adhere to the South Australian code of ethics. I will develop professional relationships with students, parents/caregivers, colleagues and the community.

The 3 main components to the South Australian code of ethics are respect, responsibility and integrity. I will make sure that I have respect, compassion and understanding for students, be an advocate for all students particularly those with diverse backgrounds and acknowledge and value different abilities and behaviours (Teachers Registration Board of South Australia, 2018). To become registered, all teachers must complete the mandatory reporting training. This is a face to face course which usually takes about 7 hours to complete and needs to be renewed every 3 years. Another requirement to become a registered teacher is that you are required to meet the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) standards. According to AITSL (2017), these standards define the elements that are required to deliver the highest quality and most effective ways of te8aching to improve the educational outcomes for all students.     

Teaching students about the safe use of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) helps them to positively and safely participate in the online world either on their own or with friends (South Australian Department for Education, 2020) By teaching students about the safe use of ICT, it gives them a better understanding of the many benefits and also the consequences of the use of ICT (Australian curriculum, 2019).