What to expect from your prac: a realistic guide for Education students
What teacher prac in Australia actually involves: how you are assessed, what separates a hard prac from a failing one, what your supervising teacher is paid to do, and what to organise before you arrive.
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Professional experience placements are the part of teacher education where the gap between what universities say and what actually happens is widest. This guide is the one most pre-service teacher content avoids writing: honest about what your supervising teacher is and isn't required to do, how the assessment works, what a difficult placement looks like versus a failing one, and what you do with the relationship afterwards.
1. How professional experience actually works
Every accredited initial teacher education (ITE) degree in Australia requires a minimum number of professional experience days: practical teaching placement in a school, assessed against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). The minimum is set nationally by AITSL, but many programs require more.
| Program level | Minimum professional experience days |
|---|---|
| Primary/secondary (Bachelor's) | 80 days (typically across 4+ placements) |
| Early childhood (Bachelor's) | Up to 95 days |
| Master of Teaching | 65–70 days over 2 years |
Source: AITSL Accreditation Guidelines, 2021; UNE, 2024
Placements are distributed across the degree, usually building in intensity. Early placements involve significant observation and limited solo teaching. The final placement (sometimes called an internship) is the highest-stakes. It is assessed on a binary scale: Met or Not Met. There is no partial credit.
A Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) is also required in the final year, assessed by your ITE provider separately from your placement supervisor. The TPA is a graduation requirement. At least 50% of your total professional experience must occur in an Australian school setting, including your final placement.
When your LANTITE must be passed
NSW students: from 1 August 2026, passing LANTITE is a prerequisite for Conditional accreditation, meaning you must pass before or concurrent with the final placement. If a school has an urgent staffing need, the principal can apply to NESA for an extension. If you are already Conditionally accredited before August 2026, you are not affected. Check with your ITE provider for the current requirement at your institution. [Source: NESA/NSW Government, 2025]
2. How your supervising teacher assesses you
Assessment is conducted against the APST at the Graduate career stage: 7 standards, 37 descriptors. Your supervisor applies professional judgement based on what they observe and the evidence you produce.
The 7 APST standards
Evidence your assessor collects
- Direct classroom observation (usually multiple formal lesson observations with written feedback)
- Lesson plans and unit outlines you prepare
- Assessment strategies and any student work samples where relevant
- Reflective journal entries (submitted via your university)
- Informal daily interactions, conduct, and responsiveness to feedback
What satisfactory performance actually looks like
Passing is not about flawless teaching. It is about:
- Demonstrating that you can plan and sequence learning across multiple lessons (not just individual activities)
- Managing student behaviour consistently enough that learning can occur
- Responding to feedback and trying something different in the next lesson
- Keeping the safety and wellbeing of students central, in practice, not just in language
- Engaging professionally with staff: arriving on time, attending meetings, communicating clearly
The most common causes of a Not Met outcome: persistent classroom management failure that puts student safety at risk; inability to plan coherent lessons after coaching over multiple weeks; refusal to accept or act on feedback; significant unexplained absences or professional conduct issues; zero observable improvement across the entire placement.
A single poor lesson does not constitute failure. Multiple poor lessons with no visible adjustment, combined with resistance to feedback, typically does.
3. What your supervising teacher is (and isn't) paid to do
This is the part most content leaves out. Many pre-service teachers assume their supervising teacher is a dedicated mentor with professional obligations and meaningful compensation. The reality is more complicated.
The Australian Higher Education Practice Teaching Supervision Award 1990 sets minimum rates for supervising teachers across all states and territories. In Victoria (the most transparent jurisdiction), the confirmed 2025 rate is $36.80 per student per day for supervision. At a 20-day placement, that is approximately $736 total. [Source: VIC DoE PAL, January 2025]
Leading Teachers are excluded
In Victoria and equivalent senior teacher roles in other states, the supervising teacher may receive nothing unless the principal chooses to pay them.
Payment can be waived
Entirely in writing if the teacher and principal agree to an alternative arrangement, such as professional development time.
Catholic and independent schools
Many operate under sector-specific enterprise agreements; some make no payment at all.
What this means in practice
Quality of supervision is largely personal — it reflects individual commitment, not a well-resourced professional obligation.
If your supervisor is exceptional, work hard to maintain that relationship (see section 9). If yours is unhelpful or disengaged, your university professional experience coordinator is your actual support system.
4. The difference between a hard prac and a failing prac
This distinction is undersupported in most pre-service teacher content, so it gets a full section.
A hard prac typically involves:
- A supervising teacher with very high expectations and a direct feedback style
- A challenging class, with high behaviour needs, or significant disengagement
- A school culture that is unfamiliar or at odds with your values
- A poor personality match with your supervisor
- Exhaustion from the workload, particularly during a final placement
Hard pracs are common. They feel awful. They often produce the most professional growth. They do not, by themselves, constitute failure.
A failing prac involves:
- Repeated inability to demonstrate the Graduate Standards after receiving coaching
- Professional conduct concerns (punctuality, communication, conduct with students)
- Formal documentation of concerns by the supervising teacher or school
- An at-risk process that you have not been able to address
The formal sequence before a fail is recorded
Concern raised
Supervising teacher raises concerns verbally or in a written observation report.
Coordinator notified
University professional experience coordinator is notified.
At-risk action plan
Specific, observable targets to meet in a defined time are developed.
Not Met outcome
If the student cannot meet the plan, or if there is a serious conduct breach, a Not Met outcome is recorded.
If you think your prac is heading toward failing
- Contact your university professional experience coordinator first — not your supervising teacher. The coordinator has the formal authority to intervene, pause the placement, arrange mediation, or document your perspective.
- Do not wait until the final assessment meeting to raise concerns.
- Keep brief dated notes of what feedback you received and what you attempted in response.
- If a Not Met outcome is recorded and you believe it was unjust, every university has a formal academic review or appeals process.
5. Navigating a school whose values don't align with yours
You will not always be placed in a school that matches your values, pedagogy, or cultural background. Common situations:
- A school with a strict punitive behaviour management culture when you value restorative practice
- A school with limited visible Indigenous cultural inclusion
- A school where the prevailing teaching style is highly traditional and teacher-centred
- A religious school with overt faith culture you do not share
The productive frame: your placement is a professional learning opportunity regardless of whether you would choose this school as an employer. You do not need to endorse the school's practices; you need to demonstrate your practice within their context.
Worth raising with your coordinator
If you are asked to implement discipline or conduct practices that constitute a professional safety issue, or if the placement creates a genuine ethical conflict you cannot navigate. Document these concerns.
Not worth raising
Preferences about teaching style, minor cultural differences, a supervising teacher whose approach differs from what you learned at university. Misalignment of preference is not typically grounds for transfer.
6. Pre-prac admin: what to organise before you arrive
Most universities provide a compliance checklist. Complete everything well before the placement. Do not leave clearances to the last week.
Pre-prac checklist
At least 8–10 weeks before placement
At least 4 weeks before placement
NSW students specifically
Working with children clearances by state
| State | Name | Fee | Processing time |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | WWCC (Working with Children Check) | Free (volunteer) | 10+ days; valid 5 years |
| VIC | Working with Children Check | $130 (employee rate) | Varies |
| QLD | Blue Card | Free (students/volunteers) | 6–8 weeks. Apply early. |
| WA | Working with Children Check | $11 (volunteer) | Varies |
| SA | Child-Related Employment Screening | Free (volunteer) | Varies |
| TAS | Working with Vulnerable People (Registration) | $116.70 | Varies |
| ACT | Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) | Free (volunteer) | Varies |
| NT | Ochre Card | Free (volunteer) | Varies |
7. Financial support during prac
Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP)
From 1 July 2025, eligible domestic students receive the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) during mandatory placements.
CPP eligibility and rates
State grants (on top of CPP)
| State | Grant | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | Teach QLD Prac Placement Grant | Up to $5,000 | Final year; QLD state schools only; ≥15 consecutive days; international students eligible |
| QLD | Beyond the Range Grant | Up to $5,000 | Rural/remote QLD state schools; final placement |
| QLD | Regional Professional Experience Grant | Up to $3,400 | Regional QLD state schools |
| VIC | Pre-service Teacher Placement Grant | $100–$200/day | Rural/regional VIC government schools; $150/day small rural mainstream; $100/day medium rural |
| WA | Rural/remote grant | Up to ~$250/week | Verify at teaching.wa.edu.au |
8. Reflective journals: how to write one that works
Most ITE programs require weekly reflective journal entries during placement. The purpose is to demonstrate professional learning — not to document the school's practices or record your observations of other teachers.
What assessors are looking for
What did you attempt?
Name the specific strategy or approach.
What happened?
Describe the observable student response, not your impression of the school.
What would you do differently?
Be specific about what you would change and why.
Which APST descriptors?
Link your practice to the Graduate Standards explicitly.
Reflective journals are not private. They are submitted to your university supervisor, may be discussed in three-way conferences with your supervising teacher present, and in some programs are shared with the school. Write honestly about your own practice. Do not write about staff competence, school management decisions, or your views on the school's culture. A useful rule: if you would not say it directly to the person, do not put it in your journal.
Reflection template
Date:
Lesson/context:
What I attempted:
What students did (observable response):
What I would change and why:
Relevant APST standard(s):
Question for my supervisor or university supervisor:
9. After prac: using the experience professionally
Thank-you protocol
Within 48 hours of finishing your placement: send a thank-you email or a handwritten card. Cards are remembered longer than emails. Be specific about one thing you learned from this supervisor's approach — not just "thank you for everything."
Maintaining the referee relationship
The supervising teacher is typically the most credible referee a graduate teacher can have. Before listing them:
- Contact them first — do not list anyone without asking
- Give at least 2 weeks' notice
- Brief them on the specific role and school you are applying for
- Keep a personal record of their contact details — not just their school email, as teachers change schools and institutional addresses expire
If they hesitate when asked: accept it gracefully. A reluctant referee is a liability. Keep them updated when you accept a position — a short email closing the loop is good professional practice.
Prac experience on your resume
List each placement as a work experience entry: school name, suburb, sector (government/Catholic/independent); year level(s) and subjects taught; dates; 2–3 line description using outcome-focused language.
Use APST-aligned vocabulary without quoting the standards verbatim. "Designed and delivered differentiated unit plans across mixed-ability Year 9 English classes" is more useful than "demonstrated Standard 3.3."
Keep a record of 4–5 specific teaching episodes you can draw on for selection criteria: what you did, what students did, what the outcome was, and what you would do differently. These are the raw material for every criteria response you will write in the first two years. Browse graduate teaching jobs to see what employers ask for.
? Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail teacher prac in Australia?
Consequences depend on your university's policy. Some programs allow one repeat placement under defined conditions; others exclude students who fail a final placement. Failing the final placement typically means you cannot graduate without completing a successful repeat. If you believe the outcome was unjust, every university has a formal academic review or appeals process. Check your institution's professional experience policy document, which should be publicly available.
What does my supervising teacher actually assess during prac?
Your supervisor assesses whether you have demonstrated the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Graduate career stage: 7 standards, 37 descriptors. Evidence includes formal lesson observations, lesson plans, your assessment strategies, and reflective journals. On a final placement, the scale is binary: Met or Not Met.
What do I need to organise before my placement starts?
At minimum: working with children clearance for your state (apply 8–10 weeks early; QLD Blue Card alone takes 6–8 weeks); first aid certification (HLTAID009 and HLTAID010); Asthma and Anaphylaxis training; and any university-specific compliance requirements. NSW students also need to complete mandatory online training modules and the Pre-service Teacher Registration Form.
Am I entitled to financial support during my teaching practicum?
From July 2025, eligible domestic students can receive the Commonwealth Prac Payment: $338.60 per week in 2026. Eligibility requires meeting a Need to Work Test and Income Test, and placement must average 30+ hours per week. International students are not eligible. Several states offer additional grants stacked on top of the CPP; QLD offers up to $5,000 for final placements in state schools.
How do I write a reflective journal that meets requirements?
Structure each entry around four questions: What did you attempt? What happened (observable student response)? What would you do differently? Which APST descriptors does this connect to? Do not write about school staff, management, or school culture — journals are not private and are often shared with supervisors or discussed in three-way conferences.
What is the difference between a hard prac and one I might fail?
A hard prac involves a demanding supervisor, a challenging class, or an unfamiliar school culture — these are common and often produce the most growth. A failing prac involves repeated inability to demonstrate the Graduate Standards after receiving coaching, professional conduct concerns, or a formal at-risk process you were unable to complete. A single poor lesson does not constitute failure. If you are genuinely worried, contact your university professional experience coordinator, not your supervising teacher.
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