Composite Class Curriculum Grades 5 & 6: Part 'B' FLEX Homeschool & After School

Learners will complete the required curriculum for their year level in their jurisdiction in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science.

I am a native English speaker with a 150-hour TESOL qualification from Arizona State University, a 12-hour Certificate in "Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Curriculum" from The Commonwealth Education Trust, and post-graduate qualifications in Applied Linguistics from Monash University. 

I have been homeschooling my own children for 8 years so far (and counting!) which involves reporting to the Home Education Unit in Queensland, Australia. These reports require both curriculum and results reporting. I have successfully individualised the curriculum that I have used for each of my children in order to meet their individual needs, and this skill is transferrable to meeting the needs of all of my students. 

I have been successfully teaching these core subjects on Outschool as separate classes to many students, and now this course will be the result of the culmination of all of this knowledge and these skills. I have also been teaching these separate subjects in composite classes, meaning that there is a range of ages and abilities amongst my students in these classes, and this works in much the same way as homeschooling children of different ages does; the older and more capable students lead the way, which promotes leadership qualities, and as they are called on to explain concepts to the younger students, this repetition reinforces their own learning. The younger students rise to the challenge as they want to try some of the work that might be considered to be above their level, in addition to their own level of work, and this ensures that advanced younger learners are not bored and disengaged. 

This "family" approach to my classroom works in both my home and here on Outschool. As my own children are usually in my classes, this family approach is both figurative and literal. 

I am also a lawyer in Australia, therefore speaking and teaching clearly have been a part of my life for many years, and now I am also applying these skills to teaching others.

We have always homeschooled and participated in distance education. We came to Outschool in 2018 as learners, and now I am excited to also teach on this platform. I understand the needs of parents of learners here as I am one myself. 

I have degrees, post-graduate, and professional qualifications in the following - only those relevant to this class are listed here, for a complete list please visit my teacher profile page:

- Law - Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Admission as a Lawyer;
- TESOL - I have completed 8 out of 8 units towards the 150-hour qualification. When I receive my official professional certificate from Arizona State University I will update this here;
- 12-hour Certificate in "Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Curriculum" from The Commonwealth Education Trust;
- Criminology;
- I.T. Security;
- Applied Linguistics;
- Investigative Services;

- Bachelor of Arts in Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism from Murdoch University which covered the following topics:
Ethnic Conflict and Multiculturalism
Ethnic Questions in East and South-East Asia
Chinese Political Economy and Business
Islam: Past and Present
Power and Legitimacy in Modern Political Thought
Practical Ethics
Politics in Contemporary China
Terrorism in a Globalised World
War and Peace in World History
Body and Mind
Crime, Business and Politics in Asia
News and Politics
Australian Foreign Policy
Authoritarianism and Democracy
Terrorism: Its Causes and Consequences
International Security Studies
Knowledge and Information Security
Spies, Saboteurs and Secret Agents
Structure Thought and Reality
Introduction to University Learning
Globalisation: The Asia Pacific
Perspectives on Security and Terrorism
Introduction to Global Politics

Other applicable courses that I have completed that pertain to this class include:

- How Forensic Science should speak to the Court;
- Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases (USA);
- An Introduction to American Law (USA);
- English Common Law: Structure and Principles (UK);
- Economic Growth and Distributive Justice;
- Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues By Plato;
- Technology and Ethics;
- ADHD: Everyday Strategies for Elementary Students;
- The Clinical Psychology of Children and Young People;
- Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing.

- Learners will be given tasks daily to be completed before the next class.
- The different grades will have different expectations. 

Learners will be tested weekly and they will have regular assignments/projects/essays to complete in order to be graded throughout the year.

No live meetings, and an estimated 4+ hours per week outside of class.

Resources will be from and recommended by: 
- Australian Curriculum - https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
- The Commonwealth Education Trust - https://commonwealtheducationtrust.org/
- Pedagogy In Action - SERC - Carleton College - https://serc.carleton.edu/sp/index.html
- Teach2030 - https://teach2030.com/
- HundrED - https://hundred.org/en
- The Center for American Progress - https://www.americanprogress.org/
- Arizona State University - https://www.asu.edu/

Resources will include but not be limited to:
- Book: “Teaching Literacy in Fourth Grade (Tools for Teaching Literacy)”
- Book: “Reclaiming the Curriculum: Specialist and creative teaching in primary schools”
- Book: “Teaching Literacy in Third Grade (Tools for Teaching Literacy)”
- Book: “Engaging Learners Through Artmaking: Choice-Based Art Education in the Classroom”
- Book: “Literacy in Multimedia America: Integrating Media Education Across the Curriculum”
- Book: “Teaching Critical Thinking Skills: An Introduction for Children Aged 9–12”
- Book: “Poems Aloud: An anthology of poems to read out loud”
- Book: “Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, Global Edition”
- Book: “Teacher Rescue: Quality lessons and games for grades K to 6”
- Book: “From STEM to STEAM: Brain-Compatible Strategies and Lessons That Integrate the Arts”
- Book: “How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction, Second Edition: Resources for Grades K to 3”
- Book: "The Really Useful Primary Design and Technology Book: Subject knowledge and lesson ideas"
- Book: "The Primary STEM Ideas Book: Engaging Classroom Activities Combining Mathematics, Science and D&T"
- Book: "Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies, Grades K to 5, Common Core"
- Book: "Mastering Primary Design and Technology"
- Book: "Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, Grades 3 to 5: Using Children’s Books to Inspire STEM Learning"
- Book: "Essentials of Elementary Social Studies"
- Book: "Computing & ICT Lesson Plans for the Primary School"
- Book: "Teaching in a Networked Classroom"
- Book: "100 Brain-Friendly Lessons for Unforgettable Teaching and Learning (K-8)"
- Book: "43 Team Building Activities for Key Stage 1 (A Brilliant Education)"
- Book: "Elementary Science Education: Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, Vol. II, Grades 3 to 5"
- Book: "School games that use Little or No Equipment"
- Book: "Visual Knowing: Connecting Art and Ideas Across the Curriculum"
- Book: "Moving With Words & Actions: Physical Literacy for Preschool and Primary Children"
- Book: "Lesson Planning for Elementary Physical Education: Meeting the National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes" 
- Book: "Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children"
- Book: "Dance Integration: 36 Dance Lessons for Science and Mathematics"
- Book: "Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook"
- Book: "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons"
- Book: "100 TESOL activities for teachers"
- Book: "100 ways to teach language online"
- Book: "50 ways to teach life skills"
- Book: "50 ways to practice writing"
- Book: "50 ways to teach writing"
- Book: "50 ways to practice vocabulary"
- Book: "50 ways to teach vocabulary"
- Book: "50 ways to practice reading"
- Book: "50 ways to teach reading"
- Book: "50 ways to be a better student"
- Book: "50 ways to be a better teacher"
- Book: "50 ways to be a greener teacher"
- Book: "50 ways to practice grammar"
- Book: "50 ways to teach grammar"
- Book: "50 ways to teach online"
- Book: "50 ways to teach with technology"
- Book: "50 ways to practice listening"
- Book: "50 ways to teach listening"
- Book: "50 ways to practice speaking"
- Book: "50 ways to teach speaking"
- Book: "50 ways to learn a language"
- Book: "50 ways to teach teenagers"
- Book: "50 ways to teach young learners"
- Book: "50 ways to teach pronunciation"
- Website: "Breaking News English"
- Website: "Story Jumper"
- Website: eslfast.com 
- Website: eslwriting.org
- Website: tefl.net
- Website: sparklebox.co.uk
- Website: ellii.com
- Website: onestopenglish.com
- Website: englishclub.com
- Website: eslvideo.com
- Website: itelsj.org
- Website: film-english.com
- Website: atama-ii.com
- Website: "Story Bird"
- Website: twinery.org
- Website: ifdb.org
- Website: positiveaction.net