November 2017 – Page 5

Primary Placement Experience: Reflection

The last two weeks I spent at an amazing Primary school for my placement. Before going into the school I was really nervous about whether or not I would enjoy the experience, if the staff would be welcoming and if I’d even be able to do well. Honestly speaking I have never had a previous primary school experience and realising that this could be the placement that shows me whether or not I would enjoy this profession was quite daunting. However, I can happily say that I absolutely loved my experience and this is something I wish to pursue.

My partner and I were paired together to assist P2 where we witnessed a lot of different tasks. Being still in the infant stage a lot of Numeracy and Mathematics was based through songs such as Counting to 100, Counting Robot or 3D shapes I know. These songs not only got all the children involved but allowed the teacher to ask related mathematical questions afterwards. The children then chose which activity to be a part of, for example, playing numeracy games on a chrome book, completing maths question jigsaws, making sums on a white board or with play dough. Since the pupils were still young a “fun factor” was very important in the activities to keep the children engaged.

The subject of Literacy was much more varied as each week the pupils had a list of new words to learn. These words would not only be put into their homework jotters but also sound out loud as a class regularly in preparation for their weekly spelling test on Friday. Activities such as rainbow writing (writing the words three times in three different colours), diamond poems, singing songs, writing words on white boards and using play dough were regularly used. I believe the teacher truly made an enjoyable atmosphere for the pupils while ensuring the learning content was covered and revised.

As I mainly assisted in a P2 class the subject of French was orally done through YouTube songs and recitation of, for example, the months, days of the week and numbers up to 10. Being able to participate and sing a long to encourage all the pupils to participate was something I enjoyed and regularly did.

The class I was primarily in was very well behaved and were lovely to be with. The class consisted of a child with mild autism, a pupil from a different country who was behind in the language and a child with learning difficulties all of whom sometimes did not participate in all tasks as the other pupils. I found that during, for example the spelling test one pupil would instead read a book and the other two would complete a different word sheet. And if the class was using calculators to complete calculation from the white board the pupils would complete another work book with different sums. The children were also regularly taken out of class with different teachers to help their additional needs. Being a part of this environment where I witnessed support for every pupil was very encouraging and something I enjoyed being a part of.

Although I was mainly in P2 I did a assist a P7 trip where they had planned and organised a debate against one another about the importance of bringing in personal devices (I.e. mobile phones, ipads). The trip and watching the pupils present each of their cases was enjoyable to watch but made me realise how different my communication and interaction with P7 is in comparison to P2. When talking to P7 you have to speak to them like adults and give them respect as such, whereas with p2 they are still very much young children where they sometimes still need help to zip up their jackets. I found it interesting how different years require you to change how you act and talk while still maintaining a professional attitude. I won’t lie, I found it hard at first to adjust speaking differently to older children and felt like I had lost my equilibrium. But through time I definitely found my way and realised I could do both well. Although I do personally feel I prefer the infant environment more, it was a good experience none the less.

Finally the staff at the school and in particular the teacher we assisted for the two weeks truly helped make this an enjoyable experience. You hear about students experiencing a bad placement due to unkind staff and that initially made me quite worried before starting. However, the fact that they were all kind and friendly enough to chat to my and my partner and share their own experiences and tell us what the job really entails made us not only very welcomes and comfortable but gave us an idea of how a teachers life really is.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my primary experience and it truly did make me analyse and reflect on my own communication skills and participation, for example in situations when helping individual pupils spell words or singing along with songs or even just having a conversation with staff. I was also very pleased to be surrounded by such kind and supportive staff who made this primary school experience even better and gave me an insight of what it would be like as a teacher.

Reflecting on 1st year placement

My two week placement of first year has quickly come to an end. During my first week I worked within a composite class of primary 3/4. It was very interesting to see how a composite class of 32 pupils worked … Continue reading →

Every morning at 9 o’clock the pupils went out to their local park to do their daily mile. Having volunteered previously in a school which did not do the daily mile, I could see the positive effects it had on the pupils as they were ready to learn and could focus on their work.

I realised during my placement that having two teachers and support staff in and out of the room can be disruptive. However, the teachers were able to split up and focus on each primary, whilst the support staff were able to take away the pupils with additional support needs to give them the help and support they need which is vital to their learning.

Support staff also worked closely with several pupils with A.S.D, which were more pupils than I originally anticipated. After school, I took part in an A.S.D session with the staff which was led by a psychologist who specialises in A.S.D. After working closely with pupils that have A.S.D and attending this session I learned about the triads of impairment which was something I found really useful and interesting. This gave me an interesting insight into how their minds work and how we can support them more.

After peer observations I realised that I was not very good at giving constructive criticisms but after discussing feedback with my partner I found it easier and learned that it is crucial to receive feedback for us continue to learn new skills and improve. I also noticed that I have a tendency to slouch when sitting down so this is something that I will keep working on. However, my peers noticed that I was clear, spoke at an appropriate place when giving help and showed a genuine interest in what the pupils had to say. This is something I will continue to maintain, It was also really useful to have the handbook as a guide to refer to throughout placement and kept me on track.

During my second week of placement, I worked in a multi composite class with primary 5/6/7. They also started their day with the daily mile and some toast which set them up for the day. I joined in with the daily mile, which was something I struggled with at first but got used to it throughout the two weeks. I felt a massive difference within myself as I was motivated and less tired. I can now see how this would improve the work that the pupils produce.

Overall, I had a great time at placement and not only learned a lot about the way a classroom works but also learned about the various ways of communication that I need to maintain and develop. I will take on board the skills and feedback I have and use them throughout my time as a student and as a teacher.

BA1 Placement Overview and Reflection

From Monday 30th September through to Friday 10th November I, and the rest of the first year class, went onto our very first student teacher placement. I had no reservations prior to placement other than being to forward with staff. This is just my personality though and the best way to thrive was to be myself. I had heard raving reviews about my assigned school from other teachers and lecturers, so this alone put me in high spirits with high expectations.

Day 1, the biggest thing to remember was to make a lasting first impression over the 8 hour period of the school day. To be perfectly honest I knew that i would be perfectly fine as I had prepared myself to the highest degree the night before ( I had stayed up to an acceptable time and printed off piece of paper after piece of paper until I had my file ready). I walked through the door at the agreed time of 8.30am and I was feeling professional and ready to begin.

My placement mentor was phenomenal, amazing at her job and also very encouraging with myself – in particular when asking questions. So this made me feel very welcomed into the environment of my school. Focusing on what I have learned throughout the two week placement I can hands down say that I retained an exponential amount of knowledge from staff and pupils alike.

I was placed in a multi-composite school setting where there were only two classrooms. Class 1 contained primaries 1 through 4, and class 2 contained primaries 5 through 7. In total the school role is 22 which means that the children get a very attentive and privatised education. In addition to the small pupil role their is also an extremely small staff role, which consists of; head teacher, principle teacher (depute head), classroom assistant, two class teachers, clerical assistant and a janitor (who also is the cleaner and lunch lady).

Whilst on the topic of staffing, the dinner lady for the school actually doesn’t do any of the cooking. All of the school lunches desired by the children and staff are transported into the canteen via courier as there are not enough pupils for there to be a fully functioning kitchen capable of making its own meals. In addition to this fact, staff and pupils sit together in the detached canteen building where they discuss the weekend and act like normal people not students and teachers. This is extremely different to any school I have ever experienced, and this adds to the family environment and atmosphere the school thrives to encourage.

We did go on two trips with the children whilst at the school, personally I had an amazing time getting to know the children in a different light, yet we still managed to conduct some education on these trips. We went to build a bear at silverburn and then to the cook school of Scotland, this was an epic adventure for some of the children who come from small rural villages and had never been to Glasgow before.

The class structure in the school is just like any other, the teacher organises work based on ability which typically results in children being grouped by class. Although like any school some children are more advanced than others. This means that the children are required to work with the higher age group which for some can be an extremely daunting task, however on the other side of the spectrum there are children who have to work with the lower age group.

The behaviour in the school was impeccable and the children all got on great, which all relates back to the family environment the school attains. However, there were a few mishaps with the behaviour where children with specific support needs had shown themselves up but had not harmed anyone in any way. The school dealt with the specific children in specialised ways which have been developed over the length of time that the children had attended the school. By doing so most situations were diffused very easily. One child in particular is permitted to leave the school if things reach extreme meltdown for him – this didn’t happen often, only once or twice over the fortnight – but he had also had a day when nobody could console him and he was upset so myself and my student teacher colleague were not allowed to let the children leave the lunch hall. He was not violent or intending to harm anyone but he was emotional and the other children may have been afraid if they had seen him. Overall we learned a great deal from that sudden hands on moment where we had to take charge of all the pupils in the school.

Unlike most of my fellow students I was asked to make a statement to the police considering another event at the school. This statement was taken on the last day of placement and was an eye-opening experience because I was permitted to see that education doesn’t just concern the teaching of pupils but their overall welfare inside and outside of school. I will say upon reflection I was extremely upset by the situation but I am glad I had the chance to learn from it.

In conclusion, I adored my placement and learned a tonne of information. I would rush back in a heartbeat even knowing that its not all sunshine in rainbows, but when you start to see children achieve that is when you know you’ve done a great job. I cannot wait until my next placement and even more so to be out there as a fully qualified teacher.

Integrated Arts – Week 6

Music In today’s workshop, we had a great oppetrunity to learn how to play a string instrument. A group of children from a local primary school in Ayrshire came into the university and taught us a string instrument, something that they get the opportunity to do in school from primary 4 to primary 7. The […]

Music

In today’s workshop, we had a great oppetrunity to learn how to play a string instrument. A group of children from a local primary school in Ayrshire came into the university and taught us a string instrument, something that they get the opportunity to do in school from primary 4 to primary 7. The project that the children take part in is named the String Project. The children get the opportunity to take part in a 45 minute session in school and are only primary school in Scotland that take part in the project. The children have the chance to enter competitions and work as a team. They learn to play together as a class, and this builds many different skills such as team building skills, confidence skils, oral awareness skills and many more. This allows the children to become confident indviduals, successful learner, responsible citizen and an effective contributor( Curriculum for Excellence, 2004).

Through out the session, we had the oppetrunity to learn many different music skills such as learning notes, how to hold a string instrument, how to hold a bow, and many different musical games. It was an enjoyable experience and I think the string project should be a national innovative. Here is a video of me playing the violin pizzicato.

Drama

In this week’s drama workshop, we had the chance to have a microteaching session. This involved teaching our peers for around 15 minutes, and also taking part in our peers lessons. We had the chance to create our own lesson plan and implement this to the class. I found this task challenging as we had to work as a team to create the lesson plan, however in the end we worked as a team very well. Other skills I used throughout this task were team management skills, good organisation skills, time management skills, and creative skills.

When teaching the class I found this very daunting. I often find it easy to stand up in a primary school class, but not a university class. As we were teaching in a team we all split up things to say and we all took control. In the end our lesson was very effective and we got some great feedback.

When taking part in other people’s drama’s I am starting to become more confident. Having an audience can be off putting but I have learned to “just go for it” and have fun. I think I will use this technique when teaching drama in the class room.

Overall, I think it is important that we allow microteaching to happen in the classroom. In both workshops today, we had other people teach us and not a lecturer. In the classroom, the children can learn a lot from one another during music and drama. Other pupils who are more musically talented can always buddy up with someone who needs extra help, and during drama, we can put people in groups who will balance out one another and help one another. For example, a kid who is more confident with a kid who is more shy.

Education Scotland (2017) What is Curriculum for Excellence. [Online] Available : https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/What%20is%20Curriculum%20for%20Excellence? [ Accessed : 13th November 2017]

Reflection on Placement

During my two week placement in a primary school I learnt lots about the many important positive and negative aspects of learning, behaviour and classroom management. The experience as a whole was a very positive one, the teachers were friendly and welcoming, and the pupils were well behaved and polite for the most part. I […]

I feel that through being in a school situated in a poverty stricken and deprived area I learnt how important support at home is, and how much of an impact it has on children if they don’t have that essential support. In primary 1 it was especially evident which children had positive home lives and which didn’t. Through their oral and written language skills I could see, without knowing much about them, that some had much more practice and encouragement than others at speaking and writing.

Behaviour was a major issue within the school, I was impressed at how well the teachers and classroom assistants were equipped to cope with very difficult situations. I learnt lots about the need to stay calm in the midst of pupils outbursts and constant disruptions. The school teachers used many effective strategies to combat children’s behaviour, but always handled issues sensitively as many of the children had serious issues beyond what they showed.

There were also many things I learned about literacy and numeracy lessons within the Curriculum for Excellence and how they are embedded in all aspects of learning. I got many ideas from teachers about lesson plans and different programs they use throughout the school, for example Big Maths, Number talks and North Lanarkshire’s Elkonin boxes. The teachers all seemed enthusiastic and eager to help the children extend their knowledge. To do this they used different and innovative lessons to engage the pupils. Through this It was clear to me that active learning is essential within the classroom, specifically in the infants lessons as they often don’t have the attention span to listen and write for too long.

Also, I enjoyed working with small groups in different classes across the school and it taught me how beneficial one to one attention can be for children who are struggling in some curricular areas.

After reflecting on my time on Placement I have realised how much I have learnt from the experience, and how important it was for me. I am glad I got to engage with teachers and learners throughout the school when I visited all of the classes. I feel I realised how different all of the stages can be for the teacher. Overall it was a very positive experience and I am really looking forward to next years Placement.

Reflection on Placement

Throughout the last two weeks, being on placement has been a great experience to my teaching degree that I am currently studying. I believe that putting everything I had learned to practise made me feel proud and very well achieved. My knowledge and understand has widened throughout my time there and I believe that just by observing made me sit back and see what to do and what not to do. During the placement, the school had different events on so on the first week of me arriving it was the beginning of science week and then the second week was financial education week where we learned and took an insight into saving and spending money. It also showed the children the difference between we what we want and what we need. My class was lovely and I had a good professional relationship with my teacher and she shared that she was happy with my progress over the two weeks and think I would make a great teacher, and she wished me luck over the near future. Overall, I loved it and it made me want to just get out there and just begin my journey of growing into a teacher and becoming a role model to children’s education.

Reflection of my BA1 Placement

During my two week placement I was placed in the Primary 7 class where there was 23 pupils. The experience was very enjoyable and educational for me. At the start of the week I was nervous to go into the school and meet the teacher and the class. After the first day I felt better … Continue reading Reflection of my BA1 Placement →

During my two week placement I was placed in the Primary 7 class where there was 23 pupils. The experience was very enjoyable and educational for me. At the start of the week I was nervous to go into the school and meet the teacher and the class. After the first day I felt better and more comfortable in the school, and in the class.

The school I was in was a catholic school which was a great experience for me to see how these types of schools differ from non catholic school and see how there daily routines are different from the primary school I went to. I found out that the classes pray at the start of the day, before lunch and at the end of the day. I also got the opportunity to go to mass with the school for all saints day, where I got to see all the traditions they do when they are there, including receiving communion

While I was in the class I got to observe the many different lessons and teaching styles the teacher I was working with used. I also got to experience how she dealt with pupils with behaviour problems and other problems that cause them to loose concentration easily. I also got to see how she deals with and separates the less able children and the more able children. Also how she prepares different level of difficulty but same topic of tasks.

The pupils in my class were very welcoming and helped me a lot in developing my confidence over the two weeks. I made some strong connections with some of the pupils in the class mainly a few of the less able children who I was working with to help them develop further but also a lot of the other children who liked to talk to me and bond a relationship.

The children responded well to me teaching them when they were in the group I was taking. They automatically seen me as a professional and as a person they had to listen to and behave for. I enjoyed being the teacher in the classroom and being helpful to the children. I really liked when the children were asking me for help and when I was able to give advice to the pupils about their work.

I also got to work with other professionals such as the other teachers in the staff room. I also got to work with other classroom assistants in the class and got to see what their role is in the school on a daily basis. One of the days I went along with Primary 7 and the teacher to Queen Margaret Academy for a transition day, getting the children ready to move to secondary. On this day I got to meet and talk to loads of teachers from different primaries and the secondary school. I also got to talk to some of the pupils from different schools. I was put with one of the groups as the teacher leader to go around and supervise the group along with the 6th years that were running the day.

Overall my placement experience was very enjoyable and memorable. I also feel I have learnt a lot and everything I have done over the last two weeks is going to help me in my time at University.

Disasters Learning Log

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/hannahfernspdp/sustainable-development/disasters-learning-log/ ‎

My Placement Experience

My two week placement was a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting experience. For the entirety of the fortnight I was placed in a Primary 2 class of 19 pupils. I gained a great amount of knowledge from overseeing the teacher at work, but also from helping the children while they worked. I achieved a great deal of insight into life as a teacher through shadowing, where I saw the real stress of the job and how the workload never really stops. However the positives that come with the job were constant as it was clear to see the pride and pleasure the teacher took from the success of the pupils in her classroom.

The teacher I was placed with for my observation was extremely kind and helped to ensure I was getting the most out of the two weeks as possible. She bestowed great trust and responsibility on me from day one which seriously boosted my confidence to confide and ask her questions as I, understandably, was very nervous about the placement on that first Monday. She set out time after school to look over my placement tasks with me so she could see where she could further assist me. She also then consistently asked me over the course of the rest of the placement how I was managing and if she could help in any way. She always kept me busy with either tasks to do for her or activities to carry out with the pupils.

The pupils of the class I was placed with were an absolute delight to be around. They took me in straight away and treated me with the utmost respect which was incredible for my confidence. They really helped me to feel like part of the Primary 2 family when they listened, talked, read etc to me. The interaction with pupils was where I found the most enjoyment from, however it did also give me an insight into the challenges of understanding some pupils whose oral language is a struggle. For example there was one pupil who got his letter sounds mixed up such as f and s, as well as r and w, which I found difficult to translate sometimes.

Overall the experience was fantastic and very worthwhile. I feel like I’ve taken a lot from it which I can apply to my future learning. It was truly devastating to leave the school on Friday and I now can’t wait until the next placement.

Reflection on Placement

I thoroughly enjoyed my two week placement experience; I gained a lot of insight into the teaching profession and learned all different aspects of the job. I was placed in Primary 1, where i spent the duration of the two weeks. The class was filled with twenty pupils; each different in terms of skill and personality. The pupils were a joy to work with; they made me laugh and surprised me with their abilities. Everyday was a learning day, not only for the pupils but for me too! I enjoyed asking the classroom teacher questions about things I was interested in or wanted to clarify. The teacher was a great inspiration to me; she was kind and approachable and all of the children in her class looked up to her. The classroom teacher was extremely understanding and patient; children with oral language problems and behavioural problems were treated fairly and were always offered extra assistance.

I was warned from the beginning that Primary 1 involved a lot of arts and crafts – this definitely was the case! I helped the children create a carriage out of paper mache; I painted a castle made out of cardboard; I even had to squish my hands into the smallest of scissors to cut out various different activities. These may seem like easy jobs, however it became apparent just how heavy the workload is. I witnessed the endless planning for weeks in advance – often my classroom teacher was stressed at the idea of being slightly unprepared. The teachers regularly had staff meetings after school hours which meant a lot of their marking and preparing had to be done at home. I realised that organisation is truly a key skill to become a successful teacher. On the other hand, the positives definitely outweighed the negatives. From only observing a snippet of classroom life, I seen how rewarding the job is. There seems like no greater feeling than knowing what you have taught has made sense to classroom full of five year olds.

In my school, the infant area had recently adopted a new teaching method. The Primary 1s would come in sharp at 8.50AM for a ‘soft start’ – this meant that the children would play for the first twenty minutes of the day. After this, the children would be split into their zones where they would learn through play. This approach seemed very odd to me – the children had no writing books and rarely ever sat on their seats to do work. Most of the time they were playing games which did involve the use of some literacy and numeracy skills, but not many. Due to this, I found it increasingly difficult to complete a few of the placement tasks as the levels of literacy and maths were quite limited and basic.

Overall, i thought that placement was fantastic. Each day was exciting and enjoyable. It has made me feel driven to be successful in this course. It was devastating to leave on Friday, the experience was amazing and I cannot wait to do it again!