Primary Languages Supervisors

Help and Resources / Support Resources

School-based supervisors are crucial to the success of the SIDE Primary Languages Program. Many thanks in advance for your support and cooperation. During the online lessons, SIDE teachers teach the selected language (French, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese or Chinese) to the students. The school supervisor’s role is to support the lessons by:

Communicating with SIDE teachers.
Making available any materials requested for the lessons.
Setting up equipment for Big Screen lessons and/or assisting students to log in to the lessons for Individual Computer lessons.
Encouraging students to participate in lessons and ensuring they stay on task.
Assisting to manage student behaviour.
Supervising assessments and liaising with SIDE staff to send the assessments by email or post.
Troubleshooting ICT problems and notifying teachers of any issues that may affect lessons (eg power failure, internet down).
Collecting and storing language lesson materials.

Contact

We recommend that you maintain regular contact with the SIDE Languages teacher. This can be done through email or by phone. Please contact the SIDE teacher ahead of the lesson to advise them of any planned lesson cancellations due to school activities such as excursions, incursions, camps or swimming lessons.

Workbooks

The SIDE teachers will post out student workbooks to you during the year for you to distribute to the students. Students need to bring their workbook and pencil case to all classes. Sometimes the teacher may also email something through to be printed for the lesson.

The teachers will occasionally ask for student work to be mailed in – either by scan and email, or by post.
Please address the envelope to:

[The SIDE Teacher's Full Name] School of Isolated and Distance Education
PO Box 455
LEEDERVILLE WA 6903

We encourage you to communicate with other Language lesson supervisors. SIDE Languages would like to thank the experienced SIDE supervisors who have agreed to support new supervisors in this role. The current list and contact details of supervisor mentors will be sent as a separate document.

Primary Languages students have two Webex lessons a week. Older primary students (from about Year 3 onwards) usually attend lessons on individual computers. Pre-primary to Year 2 students, and in some circumstances older students, attend lessons as a group in front of an interactive whiteboard or big screen.

Individual Computer lessons

Students access their Webex lessons through Moodle. Lessons commence at the allocated lesson start time, so please allow students some time before the lesson commences to have their equipment ready and log in. The current guide for students to enter the Webex lesson by logging into Moodle will be sent to the supervisor as a separate document. We suggest printing and placing a copy in the lesson room where students and any relief staff can see it.

Each student needs to have access to a computer or laptop, and a USB headset with a fixed microphone, to access Moodle and attend Webex lessons.
The students need to access Moodle using their Department of Education username and password. They will see their Moodle course the next time they log in.

The following points for supervisors will ensure the Languages program runs smoothly, with optimum outcomes for students.

Use a separate room for lessons if possible – away from a classroom where other lessons are taking place.
Students should sit at the same computer for each lesson.
Encourage the students to speak in a loud, clear voice when speaking to the SIDE teacher.
During the lessons there will be opportunities for group and partner work where students may move away from the computer for short periods. Please check the students are doing the tasks set and bring the class back to the computer when required.
Please feel free to check work, add stickers and reward students when you see them working well.
Please let the SIDE teacher know if a student is struggling, has not started working or is scribbling/drawing on their workbook inappropriately.
Where possible, the supervisor should log on to a computer or a tablet and join in the lesson. This allows the supervisor to understand what students are doing and also to speak with the SIDE teacher regarding behaviour and management issues. The SIDE teacher can send you the lesson link.
Have one or two other staff members who are familiar with the log in procedure, in case you are absent.
Please phone your SIDE teacher if any aspect of the lesson is troubling you (student behaviour, class environment etc) so issues can be solved quickly.

Interactive Whiteboard/Big Screen lessons

The current guide for logging onto SIDE Interactive Whiteboard/Big Screen lessons will be sent as a separate document. You must have more than one person listed as a supervisor for the SIDE teacher to add to their Webex session, so that in the event of your absence, another staff member is able to access lessons. Please ensure that staff member is familiar with the log in process.

Tips for Interactive Whiteboard/Big Screen lessons

Due to the nature of the method of delivery the following points will ensure the Languages program runs smoothly, with optimum outcomes for students.

Use a separate room for lessons if possible – away from a classroom where other lessons are taking place.
During the first term, students should sit in the same spot for each lesson. A seating plan would assist the SIDE teacher to learn the students’ names, particularly as the faces can sometimes be a little blurry.
Encourage the students to speak in a loud, clear voice when speaking to the SIDE teacher, and direct their voice toward the microphone.
Please feel free to check work, add stickers and reward students when you see them working well. Tell the SIDE teacher if you see something worth celebrating!
Please let the SIDE teacher know if a student is struggling, has not started working or is scribbling/drawing on their workbook inappropriately.
Inform your SIDE teacher if you have access to a class set of tablets, as they may be able to incorporate them into the lesson.
Using a wireless keyboard and mouse, if available, means the students can take turns to interact on the screen with the teacher.
If any aspect of the lesson is troubling you in any way (student behaviour, seating arrangements etc) please let the SIDE teacher know as soon as you can so you can work together to solve the issue.
Have one or two other staff members who are familiar with what is involved in supervising a lesson. A relief teacher may also need to be taken through the process.

Troubleshooting

A document to assist with troubleshooting Webex audio issues will be sent separately.

If you are experiencing any issues with Webex or Moodle, please contact your SIDE teacher as they may be able to help you to troubleshoot. If they are unable to help, or if there are other ICT issues, please contact the Department of Education ICT Self-Service Hub through Ikon. If your issue is urgent, you can phone the ICT Customer Service Centre on 9264 5555.

Promotion of Languages

Please find below some suggestions for promoting the language to the whole school, and wider school community.

Newsletter items – featuring articles about what is happening in the Language classroom, and visits from the SIDE teacher/s.
Assembly items – a song or simple play in the language.
Display student work and craft somewhere in the school.
Label rooms and items around the school in the language using laminated signs – your SIDE teacher can assist you with this.
Invite the school community for a ‘meet and greet’ morning tea when the SIDE teacher is visiting.
Follow up lessons by using the language learnt with the students. Sing the songs they have been learning in their Language class.