An embedded professional paired placement model: “I know I am not an expert, but I am at a point now where I could step into the classroom and be responsible for the learning”

We present a sustainable and innovative model for pre-service teacher paired professional placements called the Teaching School model. The Teaching School model was piloted initially in partnership with a Metropolitan University and a P-12 College located in Melbourne’s northern suburbs in 2013. It was expanded in 2014 to capitalise on an existing university school partnership at a regional campus of the university. We present evidence of success through the voices of pre-service teachers, mentor teachers and school principals to demonstrate the success of professional experience model. The findings clearly show the benefit of this model of professional experience for producing work-ready graduates and for creating authentic learning and teaching environments that, according to the school principals and mentor teachers, contribute to school improvement. Our research demonstrates that this Teaching School model builds relationships and creates a community of learning and teaching educators; however, its ad...