Part 1
General Information
There are approximately 900 students in the Mudgeeraba State School (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). They are all from the Prep level to year 6. There are many cultural and sporting events that all school’s attendees as well as staff are extremely proud of (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). The partnership among community, school and home is cherished and considered extremely important for the children’s development. In order to apply to the school, the following process is conducted:
Filling in of the enrolment form downloaded from the website
Local students are given priority, so residence documents are needed
There is also an Education Queensland consent form that has to be presented along with the application
Applications will be saved in the same order as they are received (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016).
The school is staffed with a large number of professionals who are ready to cater for the individual needs of every student (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). Student learning is guaranteed by staff’s specialization in such fields as health and physical education, Information Communication Technologies (ICT's), Japanese language, science, technology, visual arts, drama, dancing and music.
History
Mudgeeraba State School was initially opened in 1981 (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). After its inception, it has drastically changed and developed with the help of community. Along with the Mudgeeraba community, its traditions have remained, but its innovational and cultural spirit has been profound. Mudgeeraba State School has a very strong link with the local community, and it is considered to be of vital importance (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). Every year since its establishment the school has been involved into the activities of its community. It has become a ritual for local people as well as school attendees. The school had to change its rules of enrolment that had been established along with its inception 34 years ago. Due to reaching its capacity of 933 students in recent years, only local applicants will now be given preference (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016).
Structure
System: Students who attend Mudgeeraba State School are flow Prep level until year 6. The school is very focused on providing the best experts in education who will teach children about the values of community. Additionally, the school aims to foster reliable relationships with its students’ parent, local amenities, as well as a broader community (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). Many cultural and social events happen in the school on the constant basis.
Governance: Mudgeeraba State School is located in Mudgeeraba, Queensland. It was established for many neighboring communities, but with its growing popularity now it has to handpick only local students. There is a limited chance for applicants outside of the isMudgeeraba State School’s catchment area to attend this educational facility (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016).
Parent Bodies & Funding: the school is funded by The State of Queensland, but it is still heavily reliant on the donations and financial assistance of parents as well as local non-governmental institutions. Parents are encouraged to organize their own fundraising events and programs. The Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) is a group joined by parents who care about the future of the school and are ready to devote their personal time to its prosperity within the local community. It would be extremely hard for Mudgeeraba State School to expand and for the students to enjoy modern facilities without the help of P&C team.
Biography
Community, Entertainment and Local Events: The Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) is dedicated to organizing multiple events both for children and school as well as community representatives in order to raise awareness about and popularity of Mudgeeraba State School. For example, in the past months there were the following events organized jointly by the school and the local community (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016):
Celebration Assembly – awards for excellence in Mathematics, English and Science are awarded to the students at this event.
Book Fair – with the help of the book sale, library staff raises money for the school. Generous parents also usually donate by purchasing books during this event.
Harmony Day – during this event, students are encouraged to attend school in their cultural clothes. Cultural diversity and inclusiveness are celebrated during this day.
Mudgee’s Got Talent (MGT) – students sign up and showcase their varying talents at this show.
National Day of Action against Bullying – this annual event motivates students and parents to reflect on supportive and safe environments that are created for all students.
Commonwealth Day – this is an annual celebration. This year the school adopted Commonwealth Country for the Gold Coast Games in Kiribati (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016).
Socio Cultural Analysis
The culture at Mudgeeraba State School is based on the sense of community, inclusivity, challenging curricula, flexible environments, differentiation, life-long learning, professionalism and active citizenship (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016).
Cultural influence: the school is greatly affected by the ANZAC event as it commemorates ANZAC art with the artworks of students and teachers (The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training, 2016). The school also participates in the ANZAC march.
Religions: diversity of cultures as well as religions is celebrated and welcomed at Mudgeeraba State School. There is no single religions denomination at the school and the children are free to express themselves and develop spiritually as well as religiously.
Part 2
Teaching Philosophy
I strive to be an expert teacher focused on engaging, enthusing, and encouraging young learners. I will always try to be humane and establish relationships with young learners. My motto would be letting young learners learn from each other (Wartenberg, 2014, p. 15). I am also making a life-long commitment to grow professionally and never stop at my achievements. As my skills will be developing, I will be becoming a more flexible expert ready to accommodate the needs and make students’ academic lives the best they can be.
My teaching strategies will involve both group and individual work to make sure that learning experiences of students develop from relevant curricula and learning objectives. If I had to formulate my teaching philosophy in one word, I would choose “engagement” (Morris, 2015). No matter what the subject is, the students have to be alert and actively engaged. It is the task of the teacher to find the means and tools to engage them.
The policies I will use to make judgments about students’ learning will be based only on objective and professional sources. I am committed to acknowledging equality and skills of all students based on equal grounds. I will also strive to promote supportive and safe learning environments where students will feel creative and respected.
It is important for me as a teaching professional to ensure that in the future my students gain a positive self-image. For this aim, I will need to engage communities and parents into the learning processes of youngsters. I will respect the fact that children are going through the same important experiences as adults, but they are often philosophizing about life without even realizing it (Lone & Green, 2013, p. 213). I will prioritize participation in the local community and contribution to the expert team around me. With the help of other teaching professionals, I hope to augment student learning, help the school achieve its objectives, and improve the whole process of teaching with the help of a student-focused approach.
References
Lone, J. M., & Green, M. (2013). Philosophy in high schools: Guest editor’s introduction to a special issue of Teaching Philosophy. Teaching Philosophy, 36(3), 213-215.
Morris, L. V. (2015). Celebration of excellence in teaching: What is your philosophy? Innovative Higher Education, 40(1), 1-3.
The State of Queensland: Department of Education and Training. (2016). Mudgeeraba State School: Simply the best. Retrieved on May 5, 2016, from https://mudgeerass.eq.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx
Wartenberg, T. E. (2014). Big ideas for little kids (2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
