3.4 Professional Reflection and Communication – Page 7

First year placement

During my two week placement I got to explore all areas within a primary school from P1-P6, this giving me great knowledge and experience of working with children of all ages, and I was able to identify a range of different teacher qualities and styles. The main class that I spent most of my placement time at however was one of three primary five classes and with the teacher being newly qualified she was able to help me to the highest degree possible, this making my time at the school very enjoyable. Due to spending a lot of time with this particular class I gained a great bond with all the children and the teacher, this being something I very much had in mind before going out to placement as I think it is very important to be in a happy, friendly environment to get the best outcome from an experience like this.

The different classes that I went in for one hour per day mainly all focused on mathematics and literacy activities, because of this I found it very easy to fill in the work which was required to be done when out on placement. I also found it very rewarding to complete both peer observations and self-evaluations as it was great to see the improvements I made from the first week to the second as I was able to change things that I was doing that I wasn’t fully happy with. However, a main strength that I found I had on placement was that when speaking to the children I was able able to be heard and seen, this being a very important aspect of communication as this leads on to other positive aspects of both verbal and non-verbal skills.

The school’s enthusiasm and interest in the children was great to see and they work with many external agencies to try and make sure the children within the school get the best education and childhood that they possibly can. They work closely with a woman who tackles attendance and children coming into school late, this was very interesting to see as previously I had never known any other school to work with an agency to try and combat this issue. The children also had an area for the children to go to if they were feeling down or wanted someone to talk to, this really opened by eyes to the caring nature that is within primary schools to ensure children always have someone to talk to.

Overall, my first placement was a great experience which I thoroughly enjoyed, due to the warm and welcoming nature of both the children and all staff members, and how the general feel of the school was great to be within. I am also pleased with how well I got on as an individual and how much the children looked up to me as a professional. Due to this I am even more excited about becoming a primary school teacher and the future placements I have to come.

Placement Experience

I have just finished a 2 week placement in a Primary School and I loved it. It was so nice to be in a classroom environment and get the expereince to work with the children and staff in the school. I learned so much in the 2 weeks. I learned about what teaching involves, how … Continue reading Placement Experience →

I went for a pre placement vistit before I started so this helped me to feel more at ease once on placement as I knew my way around the school and had already met the teacher and children I would be working with. I was in a Primary 1 class for the whole placement.

While on placement I was able to get a glimpse into what being a teacher really entails. It definetly isn’t an easy job. The class teacher was in the school at 7 most mornings to prepare resources, put up wall displays and prepare for the school day. All the staff had to attend staff meetings and have regular meetings about planning with the headteacher. While I was there they also had parents nights and one of the teachers had to prepare and present a maths presentation at another Primary School. Seeing this has shown me how much work and time teachers have to put in to their job. There is alot more to it than most people would think.

As I was in a Primary 1 class both weeks I did struggle a bit to complete all the placement tasks. This is because the children were in the early stages of developing their reading and writing skills and in maths were working on recognising and ordering numbers and simple addition. Me and the class teacher talked through my tasks and she did her best to make sure the class showed evidence of everything I needed. The class teacher asked me to plan, prepare and deliver 2 activities with groups of children to show bibliographic knowledge and to incorporate real life experiences into maths. The planning and delivery of these activities helped me to feel more confident and they allowed me to practice teaching with a small group of children.

All the children in the Primary 1 class were lovely but there was some challenging behaviour. In the class there were 2 children with additional support needs whose behaviour was sometimes disruptive and inappropriate. This lead other children in the class to join in with this behaviour. From observing the class teacher I saw lots of strategies to try and stop this unwanted behaviour. I did my best to use this strategies with these children as well to keep the message consistent.

Through placement I was constantly reflecting on my practice, in particular my communication skills. I was aware of my verbal and non verbal communication and the effects these have on the children. I recieved feedback about my communication and I will use this to help me to continue to develop my skills.

Overall I had a fantastic time on placement. I was very lucky to be placed in a brilliant school where all the staff and children made me feel welcome and part of the school. I will use of the skills and knowledge I have learned during this epereince to help me to achieve my goal of becoming a teacher.

BA1 2 Week Placement

Having just embarked upon a placement in my local authority, it was interesting to see the differences in this school was run compared to my placement last year through Ayrshire […]

Having just embarked upon a placement in my local authority, it was interesting to see the differences in this school was run compared to my placement last year through Ayrshire College. During my first couple of days, getting used to how each teacher managed their classroom and their pupils was challenging, as well as getting used to an open learning space as I had been previously used to closed off classrooms.

I started my week in a Primary 1 class where there was a couple of children with learning difficulties and one of these children also had a disability. This child always had one-to-one support be that from a classroom assistant, myself or time permitting, the teacher. Being able to see the strategies used by the teacher in order successfully manage the class and make sure they are all achieving their learning intentions. I was able to take a small group of children and help them learn the phoneme ‘f’. On reflection, this was a valuable lesson as I was able to observe different teaching techniques that I will be able to take forward with me throughout my career.

My second day was spent in with Primary 2. This was a much rowdier class with a few children who again presented learning difficulties. One child had already been placed on an ILP. Due to a health condition, the teachers felt this placed obstacles in the way of their learning, however they also said that without the health condition they would still have been placed on an ILP. I was able to take part in some topic work and put into practice some of the reading strategies, for example, sounding out the word. Having done a lot of this previously on my previous placement as well as with my own child, my prior knowledge allowed me to carry out this part of the lesson with confidence.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was not able to continue the rest of my first week on placement.

First year placement 2017

Today is my first day back at university after two weeks on placement in a primary school. I have been in a small school which has only 42 pupils. There are two teachers, one head teacher and one support assistant within the school. The school operates with two multi-composite classes, primary 1-3 and primary 4-7. I worked mainly within the primary 4-7 class, however I was also able to spend a little time within the primary 1-3 class. It is a rural school but is close to a large town. Only a handful of pupils are from the village the school is in, the rest of the pupils come from placement requests from nearby towns and villages. There is a large percentage of children with different sorts of additional support needs within the school As a Mum of a child that falls within this category I was very interested to see how the children responded to the intimate environment that a small school provides.

Going into my placement, I expected to enjoy myself. I am looking forward to the day that I can lead my own class and this was another step in the right direction towards this. However, I was not prepared for just how much I would enjoy my placement. There was so much I could do to help the teachers to teach their classes. I felt that the time I spent there was not only worthwhile for me but also for the teachers and the children in the school.

Having previously spent time in another school and also having my own children, I know that I enjoy empowering children with knowledge and allowing them to enjoy the freedom that this knowledge brings to them. Over the course of my placement I had several opportunities to do this. In numeracy the Primary 4-7 class were building on their knowledge of place value. One primary 6 pupil was using sums to increase numbers by hundreds of thousands or millions. I sat with the child and asked her about the link between the first number and the resultant number. The child very quickly showed me that they could see the link. I reassured the child that the teacher didn’t need them to do sums but if that was what they needed to do that it was alright. They moved on independently without using the sums and completed their work with more confidence in their own abilities.

Before entering my placement I was paranoid about my verbal communication skills. I have had bad experiences in the past where I have been misunderstood by people and had accusations made against me due to poor communication skills. After these two weeks out on placement I feel that I may have left that part of me behind. I was able to make great communicative connections with the children on the placement. One of my biggest fears was communicating with the staff in the staff room. Small talk is a large weakness of mine. During breaks, we had some insightful conversations in the staff room. I was able to do a lot of learning in those times as well as while in the classroom. Going forward into another placement I will not be so worried about this side of it, I now know that I can maintain appropriate professional conversations with others.

Everyday the primary 4-7 class watch Newsround on BBC iPlayer. The class teacher would compile a quiz on the contents of the programme which would then be asked to the different groups in order for them to build up points for their groups. Towards the end of my placement, the teacher asked my partner and I to devise the quiz and ask the children. This was a good exercise with us. We found it difficult to make sure the questions were challenging to the children – they were very good at it. This is something I would like to take forward with me into my teaching career. It is most suited to older children but could easily be adapted to the age and stage of the children.

One of my main observations in the school was how well behaved the children were. As I previously said there is a high percentage of children with additional support needs in the school. This can bring with it poor behaviour. However, this is not the case in this school. The children are, with very little exception, very well behaved. They are respectful of their teachers and the other adults within the school. The teachers have developed strategies to allow them to keep control of the whole class, even when they are teaching 4 different year groups at once. The professionalism of the teachers enables them to overcome anything that happens in their classroom. They are a good team and clearly support each other very effectively.

I will be returning to the school to help soon. I will also be attending to watch the children take part in their nativity show in December. I really look forward to seeing everyone again.

Placement Reflection

During the two weeks of placement, I was privileged enough to observe within many classes. This allowed me to see many different stages throughout the school environment. I worked with small groups on certain topics such as maths, literacy and art. This meant I could get a better understanding of the things the pupils were struggling with. I was involved throughout all lessons giving assistance to any pupils who needed it which allowed me to get to know the pupils better.

The areas of the curriculum that I observed were maths, literacy, topic, science and outdoor learning. By doing this, it gave me ideas and strategies for the future. Challenging behaviour was an issue in some classes but the class teacher helped to think about ways to help and calm the pupils down. It allowed me to use the communication skills highlighted in Uni to be put to good practice.

By being in the staff room, it meant I could contribute to discussions and get any of my questions answered. It also made me feel included in the school as a whole. By also staying at the school when the children left meant I could see the structure and organisation a teacher needs and how important is it. I also went with the children to the assembly on both Fridays which showed me the work being produced in many classes. It also became apparent to me how together the school was and how helpful they were to the people around them.

The whole school placement made aware to me the things I need to work on such as trying to find methods to keep all children on task and not spend most time with specific children. Also making sure all children are concentrating by making sure certain pupils don’t dominate. I need to also think about developing the skill in being a reflective practitioner as this is a very important skill to have and use in the teaching profession. Positives to take away from the experience is that I engaged well with the children and adults within the school and remained professional throughout.

Feedback Study Task

The notes Rebecca and I made were very closely aligned as we both agreed on certain strengths and areas for development for the teacher and nothing she’d written surprised me. We both thought that all members of the classroom could see and hear the teacher from the first video which is a crucial factor for a successful lesson. However we both felt that the teacher had the tendency to ramble which could result in the children losing focus. Also we agreed that occasionally his body language was closed off by folding his arms for example.

Something that surprised me from the videos was the clip Bill Gates showed in the final video of the teacher who records all her lessons. The effectiveness of this task surprised me a little as I thought the children may find it distracting or off-putting to constantly be getting filmed. It also seems a rather time consuming technique.

I found these tasks relatively easy as I was under little-to-no pressure to spot everything the first time around. I could pause, rewind, and rewatch the videos to find and development my answers to evaluation points. Completing this task on placement will likely be much harder as it is only one-take and there is a lot to be observing and evaluating at the same time.

One idea I would like to hang on to from these tasks for the forthcoming placement is the use of positive body language. This is because if I display negative body language I could become unapproachable in the classroom.

I’m feeling rather nervous ahead of my placement as I really want to do well. However, I am also extremely excited for the experience and the challenge and hope to develop some great bonds with the pupils and staff at the school.

Situated Communication Study Task – Feedback

Continue reading “Situated Communication Study Task – Feedback”

After watching the video with my partner Julia, we compared our notes which were closely aligned. We observed that the teacher spoke at a suitable volume and pace while using language appropriate to the age and stage of children in the group. We recorded areas of improvement, he struggled to get the class’ attention and lacked positive body language; this could be improved by standing up demonstrating more authority over the class. The teacher therefore has areas of improvement in the non-verbal communication category although he did maintain eye contact with pupils. We both realised how important it is to reflect on personal and peers teaching practice as you can improve from watching back on yourself.

I was surprised that in the video the teacher did not stand up, I felt this gave the class a more relaxed feel and this is possibly why he struggled to gain the children’s attention. My partner had the same notes about the body language of the teacher due to the lack of standing up therefore there was a lack of engagement with the class.

I did not find this study task difficult; I found the task very useful and interesting as the video was a practice to observe a fellow teacher in a classroom environment. I will take this experience of observation forward to placement which will assist personal reflection and peer observation.

I am clear about the difference between feedback and judgement. Feedback is the foundation of improving teaching skills and is more positive than negative. It consists of improvements and suggestions you can take on board to enhance your teaching. Judgement in my opinion is more critical and negative which can lead to the person receiving it having low self-esteem and possibly decreasing their confidence.

The suggestion that I would take from this task to my forthcoming placement would be to ensure that I take feedback constructively to progress my teaching practice and improve my skills.

I am looking forward to placement as I enjoy being in a classroom environment. I have had many positive experiences in schools which I have helped in and all the teachers are very appreciative of assistance. I am looking forward to observing a variety of various aspects of teaching and observing lessons in a wide range of classes.

Reference List:

TED Talks Education (2013) BILL GATES: Teachers need real feedback[Online] Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_teachers_need_real_feedback#t-70065

Behaviour2Learn (2011) Behaving With Cowley – Classroom Routines[Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5UVdyu8Y4&feature=youtu.be

EDCHAT (2013) Relationships for Learning – Effective Feedback [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWBW_cbP86Q&feature=youtu.be

Sit Com- Independent Study

Continue reading “Sit Com- Independent Study”

Both my notes and my partner notes that we took while observing the student teacher were similar. From observing the teacher, we were able to see that they make use of a loud clear voice to engage and address the whole class. He uses a varied range of tone and speaks at an appropriate pace when addressing the children. However, we both suggested that the teacher should stand up and move around the class more to be more involved in the lesson and allow himself to be more available to the children in the class. We also agreed that they should make more use of gestures to allow the children to better contribute to the lesson and use more positive body language so the children see him as approachable when they require help during a task.

While watching the video I was surprised that more teachers do not make use of recordings during their lessons as they have a great deal of advantages. This approach is seen as effective as it allows reflection to be made and points to specific areas where improvement can be made. A lot can be learned from the recording itself, as it offers a degree of reality as it is a source of visual feedback. I was surprised that my partner and I were able to identify similar strengths and areas for improvement for the teacher which showed that these areas were noticeable for both of us.

I didn’t find the tasks very challenging as me and my partner managed to identify notes and observations that had a great deal of similarity so it made the tasks easier to complete as we were on the same page.

I believe that I am clear about the difference between feedback and judgement. Feedback is normally given in a positive nature and allows for improvement to be made. Constructive criticism can be given by pointing out the strengths of the individual as well as what needs to be improved upon. This is beneficial as it encourages the individual in the right direction while also building their confidence as they are aware of their strengths. Whereas judgement is of a negative nature and is based solely on criticism which doesn’t allow for progress or improvement to be made.

If I could take one idea to placement with me from these tasks it would be the importance of giving and receiving feedback in order to allow for progress and improvement being made. During placement, it is essential to give your partner detailed feedback which will allow them to grow and improve on their skills while also providing information on their strengths which therefore will help build their self-esteem as they know they are doing a good job.

I am quite nervous about the upcoming placement as it is a daunting experience however I am also excited as I will be able to gain a lot of insight and knowledge from observing teachers in action. The placement is an important part of the year and I want to make the most of the experience. I hope that my partner and I are able to work well together and allow for effective feedback to be given to help us both identify our strengths and the areas in which we could improve upon.

Situated Communication: Self-evaluation

After viewing the video myself and my partner produced notes which were very closely aligned. We picked up on the positive fact that the teacher always spoke in a loud, clear voice when addressing the whole class. This ensured that the whole class would be able to hear any instructions and were able to hear all parts of the lesson. It would then be easy for the teacher to identify who was and was not listening. Myself and my partner also noticed prominent areas for improvement for the teacher to make. Firstly, we noted that he could improve class engagement by standing up and moving around more often. It was seen in the video that the teacher often had trouble with getting the class to pay attention. If he were to stand up and show authority when teaching the class there could be a possibility of solving this issue. It would also make himself more engaged with the class. Linking to this, me and my partner noticed there was a lack of open body language and hand gestures used by the teacher. Similarly, if more of this was done in the classroom the teacher would engage the class more easily.

I was surprised in the video that the teacher did not stand up very often and spent most of the lesson sitting down. I think I was surprised by this as with my experience of being at school, I always remember the teacher standing up to deliver a lesson. I was not surprised with my partners notes as I believe that the notes we took were very prominent and noticeable within the video.

I did not think this study task was overly difficult, however it was a very useful task to complete in order to prepare me for placement and get into the habit of evaluating and assessing ourselves as well as others. After watching the videos I can also say I am clear on identifying the difference between judgement and feedback.

The idea that I will be sure to take with me on placement and further is that it is extremely useful to video a lesson in order to pick up things you are good at that you may not notice due to focusing on the negatives. This is also applicable to noticing things that need improvement or things that need changed in order to benefit yourself and/or the class.

Overall, I am looking forward to going on placement in the next few weeks. I am excited to see what goes on in within every classroom and to put my skills of self and peer assessing to the test. I am slightly anxious about completing the placement incase I do not pick everything up. However I will be sure to keep on top of them and take detailed notes in relation to each task.

Reference list:

TED Talks Education (2013) BILL GATES: Teachers need real feedback[Online] Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_teachers_need_real_feedback#t-70065

Behaviour2Learn (2011) Behaving With Cowley – Classroom Routines[Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5UVdyu8Y4&feature=youtu.be

EDCHAT (2013) Relationships for Learning – Effective Feedback [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWBW_cbP86Q&feature=youtu.be

Observation on Videos

My partner and I had very similar notes while watching the videos and check list. We both pointed out were the student teacher went wrong while using both verbal and non verbal communication behaviours and when his interaction with the pupils lacked. The videos surprised me as I did not realise that teachers sometimes use body language that comes across as if they are not interested or angry. Also through the student teachers verbal communication he often used a monotone voice when he was talking about a lesson and the way in which he spoke to the children. I found the tasks relatively easy. While watching the videos I realised the importance of feedback because receiving feedback will give you a self esteem boost. Feedback also allows you to learn what to improve, also what went well during your time in placement or a lesson that you have taught. The idea I will take to placement will be to take feedback through observation as a positive point as it will show areas that do not need to be changed but also areas that may need to improve but does not need to be disheartening.

I feel nervous but very excited for placement on the 30th of October as I will have a chance to work within a school environment not just as a visitor or practitioner but as a student teacher. I am looking forward to observe the teachers techniques through teaching and my peers techniques while working with a group. Then I will be able to take that on as I go through my four years of university.