Overview of teaching placement roles

The Professional Experience Office (PEO) is the first point of contact for any questions relating to Professional Experience placements. The PEO team is the critical link between the placement setting and UniSA.

The PEO facilitates Preservice Teacher (PST) placements and internships by:

• fostering partnerships with early learning and childcare centres and state, Catholic, independent and international sites
• sourcing and delivering high quality placement and internship opportunities that enhance outcomes for PSTs
• ensuring all PSTs meet placement prerequisite requirements, including those of the University, Teachers Registration Board and State and Federal Governments
• managing the PST placement systems
• managing prerequisite requirements and providing placement details to PSTs
• managing the interim report, action plan, moderated teaching observation and assessment report processes for PSTs
• managing University Supervisors to support PSTs on placement
• executing placement agreements with placement hosts that ensure all PSTs undertaking placement are covered for insurance.

Preservice Teachers (PSTs) are responsible for accelerating their learning by putting theory into practice in different teaching settings. They must foster collaborative and reciprocal relationships with site personnel and university colleagues. To enable these relationships to develop, preservice teachers are expected to act professionally at all times.

Preservice Teachers:

• uphold the expectations of the university
• keep the PEO informed of all PST circumstances
• take responsibility and meet their prerequisites and requirements
• engage with others as co-constructors of knowledge.

The Site Coordinator is responsible for the overall coordination of each PST’s program at a designated site. It is their responsibility to encourage effective interactions between the PST, the supervising teacher, the site and the University program. An effective Site Coordinator is paramount to maximising the success of the professional experience.

Site Coordinators:

• negotiate with the university coordinators
• ensure PSTs are aware of the school’s contexts and functions.

The Supervising Teacher provides guidance and support to the PST and maintains a critical relationship between themselves and the PST.

Supervising Teachers:

• meet and greet the PSTs placed at the school
• write interim and final reports for PSTs
• send reports to the PEO in a timely manner
• ensure PSTs fulfil their teaching role and plan lessons accordingly.

The University Supervisor supports the PST in undertaking placement requirements by maintaining and strengthening the partnership between the university and the site. One University Supervisor is appointed to each site.

Resposibilities of the University Supervisor:

• Liaises with the PSTs, university and the supervising teacher
• Arranges visits to the allocated placement schools
• Ensures PSTs carry out their responsibilities
• Visits placement schools and observes the allocated PSTs.

Download the UniSA Professional Experience Moderation Statement form (docx, 252kb)

How to become a University Supervisor

Please submit your application via the UniSA job vacancy ‘UniSA STEM Academic & Technical Casual Staff Register’ and follow the instructions.

The Course Coordinator provides the course work and prepares PSTs for placement. The Course Coordinator also oversees the management of the placement and PSTs.

Responsibilities of Course Coordinators:

• organise the course structure 
• arrange workshops and lectures
• recruit and support teaching staff
• liaise with PSTs
• organise, write and publish the course outline.