Personal Development Plans of BA(Hons) students of education
Interdependence PDP This week we were lucky enough to get a talk from the soil association and visit a dairy farm where we learned in depth the inner workings of a […]
Interdependence PDP This week we were lucky enough to get a talk from the soil association and visit a dairy farm where we learned in depth the inner workings of a […]
Reflection on Placement While on a one week placement in a primary school I was able to engage and learn from the children and staff at the school while I observed staff teaching and children experiencing lessons which allowed them to experience new activities. I was also able to interact and engage with the children … Continue reading Reflection on Placement →
Reflection on Placement
While on a one week placement in a primary school I was able to engage and learn from the children and staff at the school while I observed staff teaching and children experiencing lessons which allowed them to experience new activities. I was also able to interact and engage with the children during the lessons.
I was placed in a Primary 6 class in the school where I got to know the children and teacher and begin to see the children’s abilities. It was evident throughout the week that the children were very intellectual however some were able to complete tasks to the best of their abilities whereas others struggled to stay on task as easily. I was also able to learn from the teacher during the week who gave me a background into the children’s learning in school and also observed myself to give me feedback on my strengths in communication and also my areas of development. Some children worked better on computers while others were able to work well writing the activities down. During the week the children engaged in many language and mathematics activities where I was able to see the clear benefit of a partner helping another child can allow both children to learn and understand as the child may explain the concept in a different way from the teacher or another adult and this may be easier for the other child to understand and in result grasp the concept.
STRENGTH
Through these experiences I was able to see that a strength of mine is that my pace and structure while speaking with the children is clear and concise which allows the children to fully understand me and take in the information or instructions I am giving them well. I was able to see this through the children’s responses while I was on placement and also with my teacher feeding back to me that while carrying out a group activity I came down to the level of the children and spoke to them in a clear and concise manner which made it easy for the children to understand what it was I was instructing them and asking them to do.
AREA OF DEVELOPMENT
During placement I was able to identify that my main area for development would be maintaining good eye contact when communicating; I was able to identify this as during a group lesson in the IT suite where I was asking the children to log onto their learning websites I was instructing them how to do this and talking them through the steps. However, I recognised that while doing this my back was to some of the children sitting at the group behind me and although they were able to hear my instructions I was not fully engaging and communicating with them by making eye contact with this group of children.
ACTION PLAN
In order to work on this and improve my eye contact while communicating I will work on ensuring to keep my position in the classroom and in the room for the audience I am presenting to that I position myself so that I can see everyone that I am communicating with and am able to make full eye contact with everyone to engage my full audience and communicate well. To conclude, by improving my eye contact and working on my positioning in the classroom I can ensure that I am communicating fully and engaging my audience in the lesson and it will also allow them o engage with myself and the lesson.
The disasters topic allowed an interesting look into a variety of case studies giving me a far greater understanding into the different types of disasters, real life examples of disaster […]
The disasters topic allowed an interesting look into a variety of case studies giving me a far greater understanding into the different types of disasters, real life examples of disaster and the kind of work that goes into preventing these disasters and into recovering from them after they have taken place. I found Andrews practical science workshop particularly interesting as it offered me a wide range of ideas of potential science experiments to take into case rooms. I feel in the future I would definitely like to use the baking soda volcano with a class to show the impact a volcano can have on an area and equally I was very interested in the activity involving looking into the geology of rocks. While it was particularly disaster focused it was still an interesting activity that I feel children would engage with although with that experiment in mind in particular I would have to be mindful of pupil safety certainly where the use hammers or acid was concerned it might be wiser of this experiment was conducted as a demonstration rather than allow the pupils free rein. These experiments are also incredible useful to give children a practical way to engage with task on recording information, note taking and measuring an taking results. The lectures were also very useful for highlighting the importance of showing children these disasters but not doing it in such a way as to scare them. Before these lectures this was not something I had overly considered but I am now aware of the importance of treating the topic with care. It was also very interesting learn via each case study the difference between how an economically developed or a less economically developed country can react to these disasters and then in turn how places such as Japan have such a good infrastructure and ways of dealing with events such as this that it can make these disasters feel far more controlled than perhaps they would in an LEDC.
I found the micro-teaching and presenting task particularly useful as it sourced me to engage with one specific disaster far more than I would have other wise and then via the presenting process allowed us to share our research and learn far more about each individual kind of disaster than we would have other wise. I particularly now have a wide knowledge of case study on the typhoon Hiayan which hit the Philippines with a diameter of 300 miles and caused major storm surges along the coast line some reaching as high as 15 meters. I also felt this task had particular benefit as it wasn’t assessed so it felt as though we had more free rein to experiment with different ways of presenting and different ideas with out having to worry as much about having to get a good grade out of it. It was good to have a chance to present with out the pressure of it being an assessment.
As part of the topic on interdependence we visited a farm and had a lecture from the Scottish soil association. During the farm visit we were able to see the […]
As part of the topic on interdependence we visited a farm and had a lecture from the Scottish soil association. During the farm visit we were able to see the benefits of getting to know your food and seeing the conditions in which the animals in which we depend on for our milk at breakfast are currently being reared in. Personally I was very impressed and surprised by how modern the farm was and by how happy all the cows seemed to be. Interdependence was shown through the cows need of grass, hay or other sources of food to survive but then our own need of the cows for milk and beef. Although at first keeping the cows permanently inside seemed slightly cruel however having had it explained that it kept the cows at an ideal temperature and allowed them to regulate their feed to ensure each animal was eating the correct amount it did make a lot of sense and in many ways it makes more sense that they would be happier inside as we have spent many years perfecting inside for ourselves as humans why wouldn’t other animals appreciate the same change. It is definitely the sort of trip I would consider doing with pupils in the future as it really would help them open their eyes to wear their food comes from, the effort that goes into farming it and allow them to get to ask a lot of questions they might have about the process first hand. I know this was certainly very useful for us as university students so I can only begin to imagine how questions pupils would have.
The talk from the soil association was fantastic from a teachers point of view it allowed me to see the variety of ways soil can be incorporated into learning from showing me how to identify different types of soil which could be used to get pupils used to reading charts and graphs and recording information. To the different studies and research task thats could be conducted into the large varieties of soil, how it is formed and the variety of life that it supports. It also helped build on them of interdependence as soil is in many ways one of the building blocks for all life being what allows plants the support and nutrients they need to grow it is many ways the start of the food chain as the the base for all primary organisms. I feel pupils would also really engage with the hands on learning of getting to go and out and feel and mold different types of soil in order to be able to gage what its consistency and colour is and ergo find its type.
Moving into talking about the group study task on building an infographic this helped bring to light the significance of interdependence mainly via the fishing industry and how dependent a lot of countries are on fish to feed their people. I also felt I learned more about the political aspects and economic aspects of fishing and the amount of work that goes into mapping out fishing arrears to protect areas and different types of sea life. It also gave an excellent opportunity to work with peers and share our learning and findings as we created the infographic and allowed me to gain a wider overall knowledge on the subject.
reflections-on-placement
After having completed a one-week placement in a primary school, observing and interacting with staff and pupils I have acknowledged and learned many new aspects about the teaching world. I […]
After having completed a one-week placement in a primary school, observing and interacting with staff and pupils I have acknowledged and learned many new aspects about the teaching world.
I completed my one-week BA1 placement in a small, underprivileged school, where it held 110 pupils and around 10-12 teaching staff. All classes at consist of composite classes and I was lucky enough to be placed in the primary 1 and 2 class. The class consisted of four primary 2 boys as well as fifteen primary ones. By being placed in this class for the week I was able to interact fully with the class teacher and the pupils. During my time at placement I engaged well with the pupils by taking small groups of pupils to complete several literacy and mathematics tasks. At one point in my placement I was allowed to prepare an art lesson for the full class that would tie in with the celebration of ‘Guy Fawkes night’ I used paint, marbles and black paper for the pupils to create a firework display picture that the teacher then made a display wall with. I felt a sense of achievement as this was the first teacher to pupil lesson I had ever done with no guidance or support from fellow members of staff. I used this lesson to self observe my verbal and non-verbal communication which has allowed me to view my strengths and weaknesses to develop in time for my next placement.
Strength
After analysing my self-observation checklist, and my peer observation checklist it highlighted in both that my strongest aspect of communication is being able to give the pupils a clear understanding of how to carry out tasks. I managed to do this by having a good pace and adequate volume when delivering instructions to pupils; I used appropriate language and used repetition to ensure that the pupils had a clear understanding of the task they needed to carry out. For example when carrying out a mathematics task with four primary two boys I was able to maintain eye contact with the pupils and regularly asked questions about the task to keep them engaged through the explanation. Furthermore, when a mistake was made I did not raise my voice or get angry with the pupil I simply explained to the pupil in an appropriate tone what he did wrong and how he could fix it for himself to make the pupil feel more relaxed and confident. I then ensured he could do the task by getting him to do a couple more sums.
Area of Development
I also noticed many areas of developments throughout my time at Dalmellington primary. One of my main areas of development would be to ensure I use appropriate body language at the appropriate times and avoid sitting next to pupils with my arm closed. For example, again when working with the primary two’s carrying out a mathematics tasks I tend to sit next to the pupils with my arms folded when explaining the task. When the pupils began the task I made my way round the group helping everyone however when I helped one pupil and had my attention away from the rest they seemed to become very unfocused quickly. I found that they wouldn’t complete the task when I had my back turned as they started carrying on and talking.
Action Plan
Before starting my lesson I should prepare a stance that I can go back to when teaching the lesson to pupils this will show that I am more confident and open and the pupils will take me more serious as I don’t look as laid back by doing this. I should practice using body language when teaching as this will keep pupils focused and they will be less likely to get distracted when I am just talking. Overall when dealing with a small group when a pupil asks me a question I should lower myself to their level and make sure all the pupils can see me and ask the pupils if anyone else is struggling with this particular aspect. This allows me to keep all the pupils engaged in conversation instead of them becoming unfocused when I turn my back to discuss a question with just one pupil. In conclusion this will allow me to complete a lesson that will run smoothly throughout, after all practice makes perfect.
Despite actually missing this lecture and workshop, by engaging with the material on module regarding this topic such as the prezi presentation by Louise, I have a good understanding of what interdependence is. What is interdependence? – The way in … Continue reading →
Despite actually missing this lecture and workshop, by engaging with the material on module regarding this topic such as the prezi presentation by Louise, I have a good understanding of what interdependence is. What is interdependence? – The way in which two or more living things depend on each other to grow and remain healthy. There are three key ways in which we are interdependent: economic, social and environmental interdependence. There are also various key concepts that are related to interdependence such as food supply and security, plant and animal breeding, crop protection, animal welfare and biodiversity.
As part of the study task for this week we had to, in small groups, create an infographic which synthesised the information we found from various readings regarding interdependence. The infographic focused on aspects such as biodiversity, economy and industry, community impact and political elements.
Key Learning: During Andrew’s workshop we focused mainly on the science investigative skills in relation to natural disasters. This workshop was practical and engaging and successfully illustrated a wide range of different science experiments that you could easily use with … Continue reading →
Key Learning:
During Andrew’s workshop we focused mainly on the science investigative skills in relation to natural disasters. This workshop was practical and engaging and successfully illustrated a wide range of different science experiments that you could easily use with children.
This video illustrates our baking soda and vinegar volcano experiment. This was a very simple and effect experiment to demonstrate how a volcano reacts.
Louise’s workshop highlighted the political factors, and also the economic factors, of disasters. We also discussed the impact/role that international agencies- such as World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO), have in disaster relief. We also touched upon the help from non-governmental organisations (NGO’S) for example the Red Cross and their influence when disasters strike. Furthermore i was made aware through this workshop that an event can only be categorised as a disaster when human society is impacted for example loss of life, social disruption or material damage. We then in small groups revised and presented our thoughts on what is required from the government in regards to local, national and international level before, during and after a disaster.
Impact on my views/lifestyle/practice:
Prior to this input I was aware of disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes are always occurring in the world but never been fully engaged in learning about how they actually occur, however this has changed as now after the workshops I am eager to further research into the different types of disasters and the impact of these disasters on countries/communities.
By participating in the micro-teaching task I now have a better understanding of how this type of topic can be taught in the classroom and what CFE outcomes and experiences can be met through this topic.
Areas of interest to explore further/develop:
Placement was a time for me to get a real insight into every small step that goes into teaching a child. It clarified to me that this is something that I am very passionate about pursuing. Although not all aspects of my placement were positive I learned a lot and it was a great experience. While on …
Placement was a time for me to get a real insight into every small step that goes into teaching a child. It clarified to me that this is something that I am very passionate about pursuing. Although not all aspects of my placement were positive I learned a lot and it was a great experience. While on …
Now that my BA1 one week placement is over, I can now look back and reflect. I had an extraordinary week with many learning curves which I will take on board with me through my whole teaching career. As Monday, … Continue reading →
Now that my BA1 one week placement is over, I can now look back and reflect. I had an extraordinary week with many learning curves which I will take on board with me through my whole teaching career.
As Monday, the 31st was quickly approaching, my nerves were starting to kick in. I was anxious to begin my first day as a student teacher and worried I wasn’t going to make the impression I needing to make. After all, first impressions are cruical. It was like going for a job interview only this time 100 times more nerve wracking. As I prepared my tasks the night before, I remined myself that to succeed I must fling myself into the deep end I give everything I have. I knew the week ahead will be an experience I will never forget and one I had to grasp with both hands to gain the experience I needed.
Strength
One area of strength I identified through my self-evaluation check list was an element of communication which was the pitch and tone of my voice. I had the opportunity to work with a small group of primary one children during literacy. The task I had was to introduce a new book to the children, ask them to identify the pictures in the book to describe the story. All children seemed to be engaged throughout the lesson and they also seemed to be following the lesson. I tried to make the instructions as clear as possible throughout the lesson. I encouraged turn taking and no shouting out. I also encouraged the children to ask questions to help further their learning. My peer mentioned that I had a “soft tone” when working with the children and commented that I spoke clearly at an adequate volume to suit the size of the group.
Area of most progress
I think the area I made a lot of progress was communicating with parents. This is something I have hardly had an opportunity to do, and I would like to have more experience in. However, placement allowed me to further this skill. I took part in an after-school session which was linked to the Scottish Attainment Challenge. This session invited parents to come into the school to work on maths with their children. This furthered the parent’s knowledge on what their children were learning in the classroom and helped the parents assist their child with their homework. I had the chance to interact with some parents and ask them questions about their involvement in the school. Some parents commented that they weren’t too great at maths their selves so these sessions helped their learning as well as their child. I enjoyed working with the parents as this was a different insight to the child’s learning at home
Areas Requiring Progress
One area requiring progress would be my nonverbal communication. When working with the primary sevens I realised that I was very standoffish and not that confident. I also found myself not sitting in the correct place when I took a group lesson in literacy. The class teacher gave me some informal feedback on how to correct this and ensured me that I don’t have to be nervous.
Action Plan
Throughout my years of being a student teacher I aim striving to gain as many experiences as I can to further my skills, knowledge and communication skills. I am a strong believer in no matter how old we are, we are still learning every step of the way. I will take guidance from the informal feedback I received and I will also take guidance from the peer observation. I will research and keep on top of how to communicate positively and effectively and I will also practice. I will aim to be a reflective practitioner.
Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy.