Knowledge of concepts and substance

A graduate teacher reflects on how important it is for her to 'know the content' during a teaching placement. Such content knowledge involves a detailed knowledge of the texts the students have been studying in their Year 9 English class, as well as the ability to contextualise these thematically and philosophically. The teacher has had to undertake additional research to gain the knowledge that she believes the students expect of her. Her supervisor is supportive of her delivery of the knowledge of the concepts and substance of the content area.

MacRobertson Girls’ High School is a select entry government school in Melbourne. In a teaching placement at Year 9, a graduate teacher has observed her supervisor's ability to link the study of a text to other texts that the students have studied, as well as to philosophical ideas. Because the Year 9 learning environment created by her supervisor seems similar to a university tutorial she feels that she can use many of the attributes of the latter in engaging the learners.