Risk Assessment Form

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Scanned signed copy

Areas of identified risk                 

Action to prevent risk to student health and safety

 
1.     Transport to the school itself = driving/public transport. Driving particularly as I will be driving on the other side of the road and car.

2.     Working with young children = care has to be taken to ensure the safety of the children in any given context

3.     Possible Illness & Ailments = Working in a school, the likelihood of catching a cold is high, however, a much more serious flu could occur also

4.     Layout of the school = various levels and stairs could pose risks

5.     Possible trips = the classes have differing schedules that sometimes encounters trips that are beyond the school building

 

 

 

 

 

 1.     Always be cautious and courteous when driving on the roads and make sure to follow directions whether it be by car or public transport

2.     I will make sure whatever I plan to do with the children (whether class or group) it is well thought out with the safety of both the children and myself at the heart of planning (i.e. allergies, special requirements, disabilities etc.)

3.     I will remember to use sanitizer, wash my hands and ensure that if I do catch a cold, I seek the appropriate medication if need be.

4.     Be careful around the stairs and balcony areas

5.     I will need to read up on the health and safety documents for the school and see requirements of any trips or excursions I volunteer within. Also looking up information about the local area would be useful.

 

 

 

 

Aller Anfang ist Schwer – Week 2 in Stuttgart Reflection

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This was taken during the markets in Kirchheim at the weekend.

Second week down and it has been a very busy one.

At the start of the week, I began descending down the grades as I moved from the grade 4 classes down to grade 3 from Monday to Wednesday (19th – 21st of March 2018) and then to the grade 2 classes for Thursday and Friday (22nd and the 23rd of March). This allowed me to see the progression that occurs through the stages and to examine the sort of skills that are being developed across the years.

So, as I stated earlier, I began working at the start of the week between the two grade 3 classes at ISS; grade 3a and grade 3b. Similarities in approaches from grade 4 could be seen in terms of behaviour management with regards to systems in class points, table points and counting down to gain attention. However, an interesting method utilised by the 3b teacher was the usage of the dollar system. Because she was from America, the teacher introduced the dollar system within her class that saw good behaviour being praised with an amount of dollars and a misconduct requiring a student to owe the teacher a dollar. This worked well because the teacher would open a store at the end of the week for the children to spend their earnings, which also taught the students the importance of budgeting and saving. The teacher emphasised to me that this particular class was different from her previous as they really cherished their dollars and saved them up to get better items from the class store, instead of spending the dollars all at once. This approach had a lot of merit for the kids and it kept them on task because they knew that they were working towards earning something as well as progressing in their studies. I think it would be useful to see a practice like this used in a Scottish primary setting, as it would also interlink with the mathematic outcome centred around the importance of money management and budgeting (Education Scotland, 2016, pg. 94).

Also, whilst with grade 3, I attended the planning meetings that the teachers hosted between the grade levels. This structure in planning enables consistency across the teaching of the grades to occur, as the teachers plan in unison with one another. What was particularly evident was the breadth in planning: the teachers were not only looking at the lessons they were doing for that week, they were also very much looking into the future, thus emphasising the importance of mid-term and long-term planning in the profession of teaching, which I have discussed in my comparison of planning post in greater detail.

I worked with a particular group of 3rd graders when they went to either German/EAL, as I believed experiencing the work of specialists would also be beneficial for my practice. Within the EAL class, I saw an almost perfect practical example of the mixed-ability grouping working towards the benefit of learning for all students included. The teacher encouraged the exploration of English (as it is not the students first language). They do this by assigned roles that work towards creating a media product that demonstrates their findings in the language of English. This particular group had already made a 10-minute clip that included various scenes that explored what they had discovered about ancient civilisations (a topic that was also explored by the rest of grade 3 during Unit of Inquiry time): costumes of traditional wear, differing roles of characters (such as slaves, peasants and rulers) and lines of dialogue that linked with the periods they were exploring – ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and ancient Rome – which all culminated towards a product that represented the rich-learning experience of the children. The teacher even emphasised that this method pushed one of the boys, that had hardly any English at the start of the year, had came on leaps and bounds in the acquisition of language. Not only of the acquisition of the English language itself, but also the tone and expressions that came with the acting in the clip.

Now, the group is working through a unit of inquiry that is centred around the importance of endangered animals and the human impact on the environment. I worked with a group of boys that had a wide range of language capabilities, however, they were able to support one another effectively. We produced a soundclip presentation with photographs in an almost timeline fashion on animals that are extinct, to endangered then to vulnerable, whilst also involving the importance of understanding pollution and what we can do to help the planet. The boys took turns in creating their lines in English and aided one another in terms of what they were saying but also how they were expressing their lines. Not only this, but the group also brought forward the very current news story about Sudan, the ‘last man standing’ male of the white rhino population who died (Vitale, 2018). Not only did this evoke a passion within the group, but it also boosted my confidence to take a leap into constructing lessons that centre on the usage of technology to explore a modern topic within a group, especially with students that do not speak fluent English. I can say that the students I had in my class last year that were ESL students would have benefitted greatly from a practice like this because of the open environment created for the exploration of English. The boys were really chuffed with the product that they made, whilst the teacher was also impressed that they explored skills such as writing (for their lines), speaking, listening and reading whilst also working with technology. These skills normally need many separate lessons in other settings however this practitioner has found the perfect balance to ensure the kids in their practice are not only progressing in their language learning, but also having fun doing so.

To unpick this further with imagery proposed by the practitioner within the class itself, I believe the philosophies of Socrates interlinks with this approach well: Socrates’ mother was a midwife and he always saw this profession as an important form of imagery. The midwife is not there to handle the birth alone or to even give birth to the child itself; instead, they are there to guide the soon-to-be mother through the process, making sure they are on the right track. Teaching, in the eyes of the professional within this class, should follow the same method. ISS, as a whole follows this pedagogy also. Gone are the days of the overruling didactic approach to learning. The guide at the side approach is far more effective in the eyes of many of the professionals at ISS, as it spurs students to be far more autonomous within their learning, thus heading towards a clearer definition of what it means to be internationally minded. Midwives also are far more concerned about the on-goings of the labour suite itself and keep complex biological understanding further back in importance. Teachers are the same: students have to first be suitable for learning to occur in the first place before complex learning can be applied. Even then, the child in unison must make more groundwork with their teacher.

Wednesday was a much shorter day, due to the school closing earlier to host a data protection seminar on campus for teachers to learn more about the safeties of keeping information about themselves and their children safe and secure. A particular point that was very thought provoking was the emphasis that sharing information online is not the only main danger of information leaking. The example of a teacher losing the medical records of students whilst on a field trip was one that was very crucial, as within these documents are medical records, contact details, addresses and much more that could be dangerous within the wrong hands. Furthermore, the example of a report card being left in a printer could also prompt the likes of other staff members, parents and students to come across it and see what has been said about particular students. It is all well and good knowing how to be confidential online, but one must conduct themselves in real life in a confidential manner also.

The various books that are centred around the Grade 2s UOI

Working with the grade 2s Thursday and Friday was also very beneficial for my overall practice, as I have predominately only worked with children that are further up in the primary school. However, I guessed that, before coming to ISS, that grade 2 would be aged similar to the UK as being around six years old. Instead, I was greeted by seven year olds, which made me realise that schooling in Germany does not begin until age six, which contrasts with the UK’s system where children must sit in a classroom environment from as early as four and a half.

I got to teach them about my Scottish heritage as their Unit of Inquiry has been the Middle Ages with a focus around castles. I was able to show the kids some of the famous castles that are across Scotland (with my local castles Broughty Ferry Castle and Claypotts Castle being two I knew a great deal about). Due to it being a grade 2 class, I also assisted in the building of the class’ own models of castles. It was so interesting to see this historical topic really explore and enhance the young children’s fine motor skills as they had to use tools such as scissors, Sellotape, glue, cardboard cutters and their hands. I liked to see a practical task link well with a topic that is also very knowledge-based.

The children’s models are coming along really well!

Overall, this week has been packed with so many interesting events that have sparked areas of professional reflection within me. Even within the This week has also been particularly useful for my development as a practitioner as I have a unique position (which the staff at ISS have agreed and emphasised that I should take as much of the experience in as possible) where I am getting to see across the grade levels, interact with them and make reflections around the practices that I have witnessed, which will no doubt shape my own understanding of what it means to be a successful teacher.

Reference:

Education Scotland (2016) National Numeracy and Mathematics Progression Framework. [pdf] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/documents/numeracy/num1_nnpf/nnmpf_2016.pdf (Accessed 8th February 2018).

Vitale, A. (2018) ‘I Returned to Say Goodbye.’ A Photographer Shares the Final Moments of the Last Male Northern White Rhino [Online] Times Available at: http://time.com/5209390/sudan-rhino-rhinoceros-northern-white/ (Accessed 22nd March 2018)

The Importance of Encompassment in Language-Learning

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On Wednesday (14th of March), I attended my first class of the children’s original mother tongue, as ISS aims to offer lessons that both encourage the development of English, but also maintain and improve their home language. A boy that is in the homeroom class that I am working with this week invited me to come along to his German lesson in order to see the difference in the teaching.

The class was completely in German, emphasising the need for consistent exposure to a language to fully grasp the skills needed to communicate appropriately and effectively.

As soon as I entered the room, I was transported to a world that was entirely in German. The classroom layout emphasised the learning of the language in a fully encompassing manner. Every phrase on the board, every poster and every activity was in German. This, I feel, allowed for the students to become completely tuned into utilising the language for themselves. Although this level was of a mother tongue standard, I believe that we can take the types of approaches towards language-learning as a whole to evaluate the practice in Scottish education.

The specialist teacher spoke to the class entirely in German and expected responses in the language. Furthermore, their capabilities in the language were very strong and they had great confidence in their delivery. Now, although the teacher was German themselves, we can see that the teaching of another language is best established when the practitioner has a great profound understanding of their subject knowledge and how best to explore that knowledge with the children.

Also, the students within the grade I am working with, are getting prepared to start their bicycle training course, which will ensure they are safe when cycling on the roads in Germany. So, the teacher incorporated this topic into her lesson and focused the theme of the vocabulary on road signs, laws of the road and the dangers of cycling. The teacher introduced the topic to the class through and introductory video that was in German, which had humour intertwined with a strong message of the dangers that can occur when cycling. Then, she engaged the class in a discussion about the video itself, which tested their understanding of questioning and competence to respond. The abilities of such young children, that I had only a lesson ago heard them speak in perfect English, were now talking fully and clearly in German. Something that I find both incredible and envious. It also emphasises a point that I began exploring in my school first placement where I had a student that had English as an additional language. Their capability to grasp the language so quickly was astonishing to me, however, ISS has only further emphasised this point for me: children are at a unique position in terms of gaining new language. Furthermore, Hood & Tobutt (2009) have found that this is predominately the case due to children being at a unique advantage in terms of having the capability to grasp the correct pronunciation of another language much quicker than their adult counterparts (however, the age at which a person begins their second language-learning does not determine their entire capabilities within the language).

Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that the teacher used to test the knowledge of the students in the laws of the road that they needed for bicycle training but it was completely in German.

An interesting approach that was undertaken by the teacher was in the usage of technology:

They used a platform known as Kahoot! to test the children’s knowledge of particular vocabulary and sentence structures with the topic of road safety. However, she had given the responsibility of the game to one of the students in the class to prepare prior to the lesson. This, for me, showed a great emphasis on ownership of learning, not only for themselves but also their peers in the class. The children were each given an iPad and they had to complete the quiz that the student had made and try and score the most points in order to win. The task was both engaging and stimulating as the students took great joy in seeing their names on the leaderboard. However, the teacher also used the wrong answers well as she then explored it in detail with the students to clarify any misconceptions – one example being with the Stop sign. One cannot simply just stop to a complete halt, they had to take into consideration their surroundings and look around them to make sure it is safe to stop, but also they need to put their foot on the pavement as cyclists when they stop.

Overall, I have taken away great points for reflection from observing and aiding in this lesson (as much as my German would allow me to!) and it has further emphasised my educational philosophy upon the importance of language-learning as a whole. A practitioner needs to be well equipped in order to get their students fully engaged with another language from the one they are so used to, even if they have had lots of prior knowledge within the language. I hope to take these points, on top of the new vocabulary about road safety, when I am teaching modern languages within the Scottish primary school setting.

Reference:

Hood, P. and Tobutt, K. (2009) Modern languages in the primary school London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Niemand hat gesagt, dass Leben leicht ist – Week 1 in Stuttgart Reflection

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In such a short space of time, so much has happened.

My first week in Stuttgart has come to an end, and I foresee that the rest of my time here will be just as insightful as this week has been; brimming with multiple points for reflection and development.

Even before I started my work at ISS, I was expanding my knowledge of both the culture of Germany and the language of German, with great assistance from the host family who have welcomed me with open arms. During my stay, I will be working with the family’s youngest son in order to improve his English skills, which will both improve his language skills, due to the exposure to a mother tongue speaker, but also enhance my teaching practice as I will need to work one-to-one with the child to respond to his particular needs in terms of enhancing his English as an additional language skills. Even just day-to-day conversations will no doubt have great impact on the progress of his English knowledge. These skills will no doubt be beneficial when I return to Scottish education, as there will be students that do not speak perfect English at some point in my professional career (which I had last year during 1PP1). This experience will allow me to utilise various professional skills, with setting professional goals being a core area, as I will need to set out goals for both the child and me to progress cohesively.

The view of the garden from where I will be writing most of my blog posts.

My first introduction to Stuttgart was with the family that provided a massive culture shock. My first full day consisted of portfolio planning that was surrounded by the on-goings of George Michael’s “Older” album playing over speakers, to then change into the likes of Debussy and Bach, as the German news was playing in the next room. Alongside this during the first evening meal, the family was communicating across the dinner table in French, German and English, with conversations flowing with ease across the triad of linguistic frameworks that somehow worked seamlessly, as if it was meant for the languages to be experienced together. Opening oneself to different languages and cultures can bring great benefits in my opinion, as this family is proof of it: their children are well above their expected grade levels for their ages and they have gained the necessary skills to examine more languages. The freedom to be able to express oneself in any given language is something that I envy, I wish that much of the UK’s culture and societal view upon language as a whole would be more open to going beyond relying on English as their go-to language (even in countries that do not speak English as a first language). Particularly, when we view it in an educational lens, as the 1+2 scheme in Scotland hopes to fix this issue. However, I believe we need to unpick the societal problem that has a bigger lasting impact on our perception of language as a whole.

However, I must examine my work that I conducted during the first full week at ISS, the International School of Stuttgart, also. For this week, I worked with a grade 4 class, whose teacher has a rich background in working within International schools. This served as a great basis for me to get to understand the IB PYP (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program). In short, the predominant feature of PYP is that the children are heavily involved in their own inquiry-based learning. A key feature in the timetable is a specific slot time for the children’s unit of inquiry, which is a core area within IB.

Furthermore, The teachers plan collaboratively for their whole year of teaching in terms of the specific areas within a subject through an application called Rubicon Atlas, with the example of mathematics being shown here:

The whole grade’s plan for the teaching of mathematics depending on the time frame

They also use a portal known as Veracross to take attendance, track students progress in learning, and make themselves aware of any allergies or health points that a teacher needs to know. This is to coincide with the platform of Atlas.

“Central to the philosophy of the PYP is the principle that purposeful, structured inquiry is a powerful vehicle for learning that promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage with significant ideas.” (ISS, 2017, pg.5).

Much of the learning within ISS is facilitated through a constructivist approach towards learning, wherein that students will focus on building their learning themselves alongside support from practitioners that will guide them towards the correct avenues of learning, thus the inquiry-based approach is utilised. Within this, topics such as stereotypes, Internet safety, and societal issues coincide with the learning required in research skills – how do I go about making this project? How do I find appropriate sources? How will I know they are appropriate? Why is this important? These are but a few questions that arise with students within their inquiry that is focused towards a particular interest within the child.

The paperwork that I will be familiarising myself with over the 8 week placement.

Within my specific class for this week, we worked through their unity of inquiry through collaborative groups, which were constructed across the entire grade. This meant that teachers were facilitating learning aids and prompts across various classrooms at one time with students working with different mediums within their group, an approach I have never seen in practice until now. What I really gained from this work was that I was able to see that students really had a passion towards the learning that they were doing, it was learning for the joy of learning. I also witnessed some groups following the trends of Tuckman’s group theory of forming, storming, norming and performing (1965), which believed that people working within small groups that need to work towards similar goals, go through different stages of coming together, having conflict, working through conflicts and then going on to meet the aims of their tasks. This is particularly challenging for teachers. I had to work with a particular group that were disputing over the assigned roles within the team (which were required to bring their ideas together to create a presentation) and it was tricky to try and diffuse the situation somewhat, however, it was also even harder to not try and solve the problems myself, as the group dynamics were learning points for the students as well, which IB outlines is a core aspect of learning. This is a massive area for forming internationally-minded students, as people need to understand they will experience challenging group situations within life, and IB is preparing students for them. Furthermore, the types of collaborative projects have been very thought-provoking.

An example of the work I was doing with my class in mathematics – an emphasis on the actual “hows” and “whys” of mathematics rather than just knowing the answer is emphasised in the IB curriculum.

This particular unit of inquiry (UOI) was centred around the whole grade level being sectioned into groups to conduct tasks that interlink with the outcomes required in the IB curriculum around the topic of our lives being so heavily influenced by media in the global world. The central idea is concerned about our understanding that we are both producers and consumers in media-rich societies. Issues like phishing, cyber bullying, photoshop editing, continuing stereotypes through advertisement, social media’s impact on body image and self-esteem issues were split amongst the groups who were assigned different media outlets to express their findings and opinions on the topic. Skits, presentations, animations and news reports all have been created to highlight the precautions needed with media in the global world; we are all consumers of a consumerist world and must be forever mindful of that. Not only that, but we need to be safe online. These groups will come together to form a whole grade project of inquiry that has been predominately student-led. The grade 4s hope to bring together their findings as one informative assembly presentation that will showcase the inquiry they have done.

Also, due to the business being a school, I knew to expect the unexpected in terms of what can happen within a school day and week. However, I ended up being able to go on a school field trip on only my second day of being at ISS. The field trip was to the the Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart (the giant library in the centre of Stuttgart), which allowed me to see the centre of Stuttgart for a short while, also. This field trip was different from the ones I have experienced in Scotland where most of the transport is planned out, timings are crucial and the whole day is set out, with children having little freedom in the sense that they are always accounted for within a teacher’s schedule. Instead, we used public transport with the kids, we planned what we did with the children according to the plans of the tour (for example, we originally hoped to have a picnic lunch outside, however, were able to have lunch at the library itself instead due to it being cold). The kids even got some free play time outside the library before having to get the train back to school, which showed a more relaxed approach to trips with a large group of children, which gave me areas to reflect upon in terms of the health and safety obsessed approaches the majority of the UK maintains.

An example of one of the classrooms in ISS

I have also been able, in my time with the class, to work within small group lessons and conduct one short whole class lesson within mathematics (which, by following the Atlas, you can see that we are focusing on multiplication and division). I was tasked with exploring worded problems that emphasised the exploration of the hows and whys of mathematics. I took great confidence in leading this topic as there was one particular boy in the class that struggled with working with division, however, using the skills that I have gained in the STEM subject at the university from the likes of Eddie Valentine, I was able to break down particular areas that were tricky for the child (especially their understanding of place value) in a far more effective manner than I would have this time last year, which proves to me that I am already boosting in my confidence, particularly within mathematics.

I have also met with the Head teacher and we have mapped out my plans and aims for the placement: I will work my way down the grades, helping and aiding in classes and teaching in some, to experience the differences in the years across a school (4, 3, 2, 1, kindergarden). Then, when it is time for the huge project of the grade 5 exhibitions, I will assist in teaching and aiding the grade 5 students and teachers (something I will blog about more closer to the time!). Thus, concluding my placement with a wider scope of the whole process of learning that goes on in the primary stages of an IB school, but also get to know the school and staff members more whilst gaining experience teaching in an international school environment.

Beyond the school, I’ve been learning more about the culture of Germany and the German language. I’ve also been driving on the Autobahn to get to and from the school!

Looking ahead to the rest of placement, I hope to be able to take more control in terms of teaching points within the school, but also reach out more to the other staff members, as I have already received such a warm welcome from everyone at the school.

Reference:

ISS (2017) ISS PYP Handbook Degerloch: International School of Stuttgart

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-399.

Multi-Cultural Assembly – Understanding the Background of Our Peers at ISS

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On Friday, the lower school of the International School of Stuttgart held an assembly that aimed to showcase and celebrate the various heritages and backgrounds that are evident within ISS.

The children at ISS all come from different backgrounds and ISS believe that it is their mission to not only celebrate their development in the languages of English and German, but also enthuse and develop the home language that a child brings to the school.

Stuttgart Airport – A fitting representation of what ISS must represent in terms of being internationally mindful of the different cultures that will walk through their doors on a daily basis, which also interlinks with the SPR (image sourced from wikimedia)

Particularly within the staffroom, one teacher believed that as an international school they must hold the same stance as airports do; be fully encompassing of all the various types of people that come through whilst still holding neutral ground. So many different beliefs will walk through their doors and they need to consider all of them and allow the cultures to be heard and showcased. This also, for the portfolio, relates well with the concept of being socially just in the guidelines for Scottish education:

“Embracing locally and globally the educational and social values of sustainability, equality and justice and recognising the rights and responsibilities of future as well as current generations.” (GTCS, 2012, pg. 5) – we need to be mindful of not only the local cultures but also the global cultures that exist around us as practitioners. Something that ISS is very strong at, I believe. Linking further with Scottish education, I think this also links with the outcome of social wellbeing, as the Scottish government (2009) Curriculum for Excellence document outlines that to reach a satisfactory level of social wellbeing, one will develop a young person’s awareness, understanding and experience of participation in consultation, citizenship and volunteering activities within the formal and informal curriculum. (pg.18)

Firstly, we were introduced to head, shoulders, knees and toes in Japanese. Students that were from Japan guided the audience through the body parts, emphasising the key sounds of the words that were needed to be able to sing the song. Then, the students got the audience to join in with the accompaniment of a YouTube clip.

After this, students that had Birthdays in the months of February and March were invited to come to the front to be sang “Happy Birthday” in various languages. Students that spoke Croatian, Chinese and Arabic were brought up to showcase their language and then engage the audience in a singalong, which was easy to pick up due to the song maintaining the same rhythm. Thus making it much easier for people to keep with the song.

Then, to finish off the assembly, students that from Indian descent came onto the stage to perform a Bollywood dance. This, for me, was the highlight of the assembly as the students had clearly rehearsed the dance for a long time and knew how to put on a show whilst being accompanied by modern Bollywood music. The group then invited a few students up to the stage to try out some of the moves themselves, which I thought was a great idea as it got the students to really be engrossed in the celebrations of varying backgrounds. This, can then allow for the students to not only consider the heritage of different students, but also sparks points of reflection upon their own background.

Furthermore, beyond the capabilities to actually perform a fast-paced dance, the students had great courage to be able to stand up on a stage and perform in front of the grades from 1 to 5 and the staff and parents that came along to watch.

Looking at this event with a critical lens, I can see that teachers have a great say on their students (and parents) perceptions on the world around them. This one assembly alone exposed people to different cultures, different languages and different backgrounds all through an equal platform. Returning to the teacher’s simile that international schools must carry themselves as if they were airports, I find that this holds strongly with this assembly and with me as a future practitioner as a whole:

As teachers, we do not know, at first, what factors our students bring to the classroom. It is our jobs to find out about our children and understand what world they have came from in order to, not only expose the rest of the students to differing ways of life, but also allow questioning and acceptance of traditions. Teachers at ISS clearly spent a great deal of time with the particular students that participated in the assembly to encourage their self-celebration to be showcased properly and to be proud of where they have come from in the world.

To facilitate the confidence within children to share where they have came from in the world has only positives as showcased by this assembly. The fact that ISS celebrates all the differences under one roof also establishes an educational philosophy that we can all co-exist even when we have different beliefs and values in the world.

Looking at the requirements of the portfolio, I can see that this covers section 3 very well, as ISS needs to understand their stakeholders values. Their stakeholders (the students in this case) are from all across the globe, therefore they will come with varying past experiences and customs that their families are used to. ISS needs to consider this when facilitating both the learning for the students but also when they are mapping out the entire school ethos.

Reference:

GTCS (2012) The General Teaching Council for Scotland: The Standards for Registration: mandatory requirements for Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland [pdf] Available at: http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/standards-for-registration-1212.pdf (Accessed 18th of March 2018)

Scottish government (2009) Curriculum for Excellence: all experiences and outcomes [pdf] Available at: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf (Accessed 18th of March 2018)

Image sourced from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stuttgart_Flughafen_Terminal_1.jpg

Planning – IB vs. CfE

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Within the “Making the PYP happen at ISS” document (2009), a key area that I found interesting to examine in a separate blog post was the difference in lesson planning for teachers in comparison to the traditional lesson planning format that we are used to at the University of Dundee.  I felt a separate blog post was needed to take into consideration its implications on the teachers at ISS in facilitating the learning for their clients (both the students and their teachers) was the PYP lesson planner.

Now, reflecting firstly upon the lesson plans that we were provided last year for 1PP1, I see that these were focused more on individual lessons that were centred around the planning of focused areas of learning objectives and success criteria, which does not fully represent the entirety of planning that a teacher must do in their practice, however, it served as an excellent basis for introductory planning for us as first-year practitioners.

Coming to ISS, I believe that I am at an excellent advantage to try and see the wider importance of teacher planning, as it will enable me to hone my skills within self-discipline, working under pressure and setting professional goals as I explore the different grades at ISS and see the planning that each teacher does to facilitate learning (and even just plan towards maintaining structure of their classroom). Teachers need to think beyond the days and weeks of their teaching time.

Cremin and Arthur (2014, p.148) believe that a practitioner that does not consider the greater importance in long-term planning will go into their in teaching that has been provided to them instead of engaging in a whole-staff base critically examining the practice that is being provided to their students, which in term formulates teachers that are not autonomous in their educational philosophy. If ISS wants to instil the values of autonomous learners within the classroom, they also need autonomous practitioners setting an example.

Whilst the grade 3s were with their specialist on Monday, I stayed with their homeroom teachers as they had a grade level meeting for planning. I gained a lot of insight in the depth of planning that the teachers go into. The consideration of even planning meetings for parents to get information of the class’ trips (that are months away still) showed me that looking ahead is just as important as planning for the learning now at ISS, particularly with the amount of time homeroom teachers get when their class is with specialist in PE, Art/Music and German/EAL.

This contrast with the landscape of teaching in Scotland as us primary teachers must also be the specialist teacher in today’s educational climate. The required balance between teaching and planning, I think, has a great say in the quality of teaching that the teachers provide. Teachers at ISS have adequate amounts of time to acquire the appropriate resources, plan out what learning needs to take place and consult their peers for feedback. A downside to this I heard from one of the teachers is that the amount of time spent with the children might not be enough to cover everything they hope to cover.

The teachers first spoke about the mathematics lessons they hoped to do that week, what that would lead to in the future and then they looked at their calendars to explore the events that were coming up in the future (such as the multi-cultural evening and the class trips). Also, the teachers talked in-depth about their Unit of Inquiry for their grade, which focuses on the categorisation of living things.

As these teachers are well aware of the layout of IB, they knew that their planning had to be in line with the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which also has its own PYP planner, which I received a copy of.

Examining the two frameworks for lesson planning, I can see there are areas of similarities and differences that I hope to deconstruct further below.

Firstly, The IB PYP Planner, which is used when planning towards learning in UOI (Unit of Inquiry), begins in a similar fashion as the lesson plans that we used. Information such as grade level, age group, title and proposed duration. Then, it leads a practitioner on to examine what planning must go into the inquiry they want their students to explore.

1. What is our purpose?

Teachers must choose a transdisciplinary theme and a central idea when planning towards a unit of inquiry and then they must also question how they will evidence this and assess the students, particularly when UOI is predominately student-led – “If there is no effective way that students can demonstrate their understanding of the central idea, the central idea will need to be revised so that students’ understanding of it can be shown. The articulation between the central idea and the summative assessment task(s) needs to be resolved before further planning takes place” (International Baccalaureate, 2009, p. 37). So, it is vital for teachers to not only know what skills they want to build upon or begin establishing through the outlet of a core idea, but also how to evidence this and see it within their students, otherwise they will need to re-assess their plans.

Grade 3s central idea was around living things and Grade 4s was centred around the impact of humans being both suppliers and consumers in a media-rich world (which then branched into the themes of internet safety, stereotypes being emphasised through advertisement and the problems of photoshop on body image).

2. What do we want to learn? 

This concerns the key ideas (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) that will be focused upon in the inquiry. the guidance is that no more than three of the key concepts should be selected to focus on.

Now, the UOI may be student-led, however, teachers have the responsibility to frame the areas of inquiry in the beginning of the unit through provocations they provide. They also need to provide open-ended questions that are interlinked with the central idea that needs to be explored so that students will be prompted to investigate further.

This relates to our format of planning, however, we must relate our areas of inquiry with the experiences and outcomes. However, the philosophy towards education is greatly different between Curriculum for Excellence and the International Baccalaureate, as there is more focus on the students going out to source their own learning with teachers being their to guide them; CfE instead is more linear in the sense that teachers to make sure that students have met the outcomes and success criteria at the end of how many lessons they believe are necessary for any given topic.

3. How might we know what we have learned? 

This section deals with the prior knowledge that students will bring to the table (something we also need to consider with CfE). IB emphasises that regular feedback needs to be given to students in order to identify progress and areas for growth that they can explore though self and peer assessment. Teachers need to make sure they have proof of each student’s learning in a format that the student can then reflect on their work. “a well-designed assessment task becomes, in and of itself, a learning experience because it provides opportunities to reinforce or extend the learning” (International Baccalaureate, 2009, p. 38)

4. How best might we learn? 

This section must be referred to in unison with question 3 as the two are interrelated. One cannot really know how they can best learn without knowing what they already know. Both teachers and students alike should be able to propose ways that people can go about learning their unit of inquiry. This will allow students to then make connections between the key concepts proposed.

5. What resources need to be gathered? 

Another key area that relates with the planning that I am familiar with. Teachers need to know prior to the learning occurring, what materials they and their students will need to ensure that the best quality of learning occurs. Furthermore, additional technological resources need to be organised effectively in a school where many other staff members will also want to use similar resources for their learning.

6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose? 

Reflection is at the core of all formats of teaching, as a post-reflection is also necessary when planning in Scotland so that teachers can see where they have areas that were strong and where they have areas that need refinement in the future. IB states that examples of work should be attached to this also. It is not enough either just to question the success of the UOI as a whole, specific areas such as the assessment tasks and the connections between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme must also be evident.

7. To what extent did we include the element of the PYP? 

This section is to explore the learning experiences that really enabled students to be able to fully comprehend what they were learning in the unit of inquiry and how the UOI developed particular attributes of the learner profile (the core concept that is evident throughout IB in shaping internationally minded students).

8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning? 

I feel this is an area that the Scottish format of planning towards learning could take note from. This is where a record of the areas that the students really picked apart or brought up themselves during the inquiry process. Some student-initiated inquiries will be particularly influential in determining the nature of the inquiry and therefore should be evidenced by the teacher, as they can have a great influence informing planning when the inquiry is next visited.

I feel that experiencing a different curriculum from the one I am used to in Scotland has really extended my view upon planning towards learning. It is crucial that we see beyond the boxes that are put in front of us as students in terms of “we must complete this, this and this, and that is it”. Planning should be viewed in a less clinical format, which I think IB has focused on this well with their inquiry-based format of planning. The learning is thought about before, during and well-after a unit of inquiry has been explored. This also shows me an example of what sort of questions are needed in a longer term planner, as we have only used the daily lesson planner.

Reference:

Cremin, T. and Arthur, J. (2014) Learning to Teach in the Primary School. New York: Routledge.

International Baccalaureate (2009) Making the PYP happen at ISS: A curriculum framework for international primary education. International Baccalaureate: Cardiff.

Ich fahre mit dem Auto – Experiencing the Roads of Germany (LfL)

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A skill that I did not know that would come in handy when I thought about coming to Germany for my placement was my ability to drive a car…

The German family that I am living with during my time in Stuttgart stay some distance away from the school and the autobahn (highway) has to be taken in order to reach it in the morning. So, when the parents of the children that go to ISS told me they would be leaving for a few days for business, I was somewhat apprehensive at the thought of driving myself in a foreign country that I’m not used to.

This is the road I take everyday to get to ISS (image sourced from wikimedia)

A big difference between the roads in the UK and Germany is the difference in the sides in which cars travel down. In the UK, we drive on the left side of the road and on the right side within the car. In the rest of Europe, they travel on the right side and their steering wheels and mechanics for operation are on the left. This took a lot of getting used to when it was my time to get behind the wheel.

I was interested to find out why this difference came about, in order to establish a wider cultural understanding of the phenomenon, thus covering section 3 of the portfolio.

According to World Standards (2017), around 35% of the world’s inhabitants drives on the left side (with the UK being included). This is, historically, linked with medieval-principles wherein people needed to be able to attack on the right (due to people predominately being right-handed). However, it also linked with right-handed people finding that mounting a horse from the left is far easier than from the right, as they used their more dominant hand to pull themselves up. So, one would think to mount from the side of the road rather than from the middle of traffic, thus the passing of centuries enforced the premise of driving on the left side.

Countries that were former British colonies are found to follow this trend also, due to the transfer of beliefs and British traditions, as India still drives on the left.

Other countries changed this, however, with the 1920 Paris Convention within Europe starting a wave of change that favoured right-hand drive to harmonise the bordering countries within a continent that has many bordering countries.

It was actually, at one time, considered a possibility that the UK would follow suit and also change their roads to the right. However, the UK decided against a switch to right hand drive mainly because it would cost far too much and that many of the systems in place already were far too old to try and re-modernise to a state of total reinvention (Geoghegan, 2009).

A map showing the countries that travel on the right hand side (red) and the left hand side (blue). As you can see, that it is predominantly former British colonies that still drive on the left. (image sourced from wikimedia)

Now, I believe that this contrast in fundamental traffic flow serves as a perfect form of imagery for my learning from life placement. Working within an IB school, I will be using the skills I have already established through my previous professional practices from Scotland, but within a completely new context, just like I will be using my knowledge and skills within driving but on the opposite ends of the car and the roads. Both practices will allow for great learning and reflection opportunities for when I return back to Scotland (I hope that I do not try and drive on the right, however!)

Furthermore, I believe that I will have a similar reflective experience with the two.

I was, at first, wary of driving in an unknown situation as I was unsure of the changes that I was faced with. However, through time and practice I was able to get the hang of it and build up confidence with my pre-existing skills meshing with the new environment of the autobahn. Not only this, but the fact the car had automatic transmission instead of manual, the speed was being measured in km/h instead of mph and that the car was a completely different shape than my own also had huge implications for my adjustments.

I’m only in my first week at ISS, however, I can feel that I am learning so much about a new format of teaching through a different curriculum from the one I know in Scotland. It has been tricky for the first couple of days understanding the differences, but I know that I will come to know it through critical research and practical development with working with both the staff and the children. Whilst also using the materials about the IB pathway to guide my studies and practice as a whole.

Reference:

Geoghegan, T. (2009) Could the UK Drive on the Right? [Online] BBC. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8239048.stm (Accessed 15th of March 2018)

Word Standards (2017) Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right? [Article] Available at: https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/driving-on-the-left/ (Accessed 15th of March 2018)

Images sourced from wikimedia – allowed for re-usage purposes

 

International School of Stuttgart – Structure of Placement Provider (Section 2)

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The International School of Stuttgart is an educational institute that aims to create and shape globally-minded students that strive to see their prospects in life with a wide scope. The school follows the international baccalaureate diploma and provides education from Kindergarten through to grade 12:

“ISS is a vibrant, student-centered learning community where both subject rigor and character development are fostered, where tradition is valued and innovation embraced and where partnership with parents is a fundamental part of our philosophy.” (ISS, no date)

Particularly, within the “Making the Primary Year Program Happen” Document (2009), it finds that education that is international needs to be both inclusive and challenging to be able to shape a globally-minded being. A key area that I find relevant that interlinks with CfE is that International Schools aim to utilise the transdisciplinary model “whereby themes of global significance that transcend the confines of the traditional subject areas frame the learning throughout the primary years, including the early years.” (ISS, 2009, pg. 6).

International Baccalaureate, in a similar fashion to Curriculum for Excellence, strives IB learners  to be:

Inquirers – Ensuring students are independent in their studies and are studying for the sake of learning and to enjoy the process of learning itself

Thinkers – Critical and creative thinking are needed in order to both understand problems that one faces on an academic level, but also beyond in real-life situations.

Principled – Thinking and acting with respect and taking into consideration of fairness and justice (which resembles the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s SPR 1)

Knowledgeable – Exploring knowledge in an interdisciplinary manner that allows

Communicators – Being able to communicate and express oneself in more than one language

Open-Minded – Having integrity to understand and value ones’s own historical heritage whilst also seeking the stories and beliefs of others to mould our perceptions and thoughts on the world around us.

Caring – Having compassion towards others and striving towards doing the most that we can to support one another.

Risk-Takers – learners must see challenges within their lives as areas for great development and critical reflection to occur when learning takes place.

Balanced – understanding the importance of balancing and juggling the aspects of our lives – physical,

Reflective – Being mindful of our strengths and weaknesses in life and being able to see where we need to go in life in order to achieve our goals.

All of these attributes culminate towards creating an IB learning profile that is fit for being a responsible citizen that can contribute both locally and globally with compassion and wisdom (International Baccalaureate, 2013, pg. 5).A key area that I find relevant that interlinks with CfE is that International Schools aim to utilise the transdisciplinary model “whereby themes of global significance that transcend the confines of the traditional subject areas frame the learning throughout the primary years, including the early years.” (ISS, 2009, pg. 6).

Furthermore, the transdisciplinary model, particularly within the development of skills, is seeped in pedagogical findings, particularly within the development of gross and fine motor skills (ISS, 2009, pg. 23), which Boyd & Bee (2014) emphasises that is core in the overall physical, mental and perceptual development of a child, ensuring that they are adequately equipped for their futures ahead. The international baccalaureate emphasises that the utilisation of large muscles alongside delicate muscles for precision need to be development (this is within the branch of Self-management skills.

Now, looking at ISS in a deeper lens, we can see that there are various stakeholders that impact the school but are also who are impacted by the institution itself. I will explore these within this post below.

Stakeholders:

“Our parents, as key stakeholders in the school, are an essential part in the education of children and an active Parent Teacher Association also helps relocating families to settle in, make new friends, find their way around and to feel part of the school and the local community.” (How to Germany, 2018)

Looking through the website and speaking to staff members, I have found that the school has a deep connection between staff members, students and their parents, as they are all stakeholders within the school. Particularly, the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees comprise the ISS Supervisory Board and members are elected to serve a four-year term of office and devote their time and energies on a voluntary basis. Those elected serve as being advisors for the School Director. Due to the school being a private non-profit organisation, the stakeholders, whom invest money into the school in order to see that students are adequately educated, have the right to have their voices heard in terms of the practices used within the school. Also, a predominate feature of the board of trustees is that they have children at the school of ISS, which also factors in the great deal of importance they place on their hopes for education. They will consider necessary funding and initiatives through a parental lens but also within a business lens – how will this improve/benefits the students/teachers at ISS?

I have also been told that the board meet on a regular basis (a minimum of once a year) with staff members in order to discuss the school.

Furthermore, the core stakeholders that are evident with every school are obviously the parents, the teachers, the staff members and, of course, the children. These are then interlinked with those affiliated with the school itself – finance providers, large resource companies (with the example of Michael Schmitt Gastro, who supplies the food in the canteen), and the International Baccalaureate as a whole. Not only does the school need to adhere to the laws of education for Germany, they must also cover the guidelines established by the IB pathway.

Leadership Team (Chief Roles): 

There are many people involved within the International School of Stuttgart that go beyond just educating the children. Teachers are supported by both a leadership team and a human resources branch within the school, with various receptionists, support staff and involved parents participating in implementing the International Baccalaureate education.

The main responsibility within ISS lies with the School Director, who shares strategic and pastoral initiatives, as well as operational review, amongst the leadership teams, which “consists of the Business Manager, the Division Principals, the Head of Campus in Sindelfingen and the Director of Admissions and Enrolment.” (ISS – Leadership Team)

Beyond this, there are two principals for the lower and upper stages of the school (this is also due to the buildings being separate for the lower grades and upper grades). There is also a Business Manager who’s main role is focusing on the finances of the school. Human Resources Manager, Directors of Administrations and Enrolment, and even a head of another campus are some of the leaders that command the ongoings of the school. Also, working within the school I have seen that there are various other staff members that work with the children in differing formats. There are specialist teachers whose role it is to facilitate the education of a particular subject area (for example, students will go to art lessons in the art room that has a specialist, the same can be said with P.E and Music). This also allows teachers to have non-contact time to plan lessons and seek the required resources that are necessary to meet the learning intentions of their students.

My main points of contact are with the Lower School Principal, who needs to ensure that the school is running smoothly and accordingly as possible but also ensure the safety of the children within the school (a key example I saw on placement was a child was unable to eat and the head teacher had to make the executive decision to send them home because it impacted their capabilities to learn) and the Lower school assistant principal, who orchestrates much of the meetings for teacher planning. The assistant principal will meet with the teachers from each grade level to plan out the learning they hope to achieve, highlight any concerns or questions they have and make goals towards what they hope to achieve in their practice. I can see this being a massive job to undertake, but one of massive importance as it allows management staff and teachers to be on the same page in terms of the progression of learning.

Furthermore, the class teacher I was placed with first indicated to me that as an international school teacher she was able to source continual professional development workshops or courses, bring them up to management and possibly have the course paid for. So long as it was meaningful for the practitioner and the school could gain benefits from it. This can also be found on the school’s website amongst its Erasmus+ information, as a teacher can take part in training in any European country.ISS state that between the years of 2014 and 2017, 65 teachers and staff members benefitted from professional development that was funded through Erasmus+. Also, from discussions in the school, I have found that the school is in partnership with other schools across the EU (Poland, Italy and the UK being three examples of links that the staff have mentioned to me) to host students to come and learn about the school and also share their background, showing that the stakeholders are global.

Reference:

Boyd, D.R. & Bee, H.L. (2014) The Developing Child 13th edn. Essex: Pearson Education

How to Germany (2018) International School of Stuttgart Storefront [Website] Available at: https://www.howtogermany.com/storefronts/iss.html (Accessed 9th of March 2018)

International Baccalaureate (2013) What is an IB Education? [pdf] Available at: http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-tookit/brochures/what-is-an-ib-education-en.pdf (Accessed 10th of March 2018)

International Baccalaureate (2012) The IB Primary Years Programme: Education for a better world Cardiff: International Baccalaureate.

ISS (no date) About ISS [Website] Available: http://www.issev.de/about-iss (Accessed 10th of March 2018)

ISS (2009) Making the PYP happen at ISS: A curriculum framework for international primary education Cardiff: International Baccalaureate.

LfL – Section 1

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This post contains the information needed in section 1 of the portfolio.

This section of the Learning from Life portfolio should be completed prior to going on placement, which will allow a strong basis for continual reflection points during the placement.

Audit of Skills

Rating of skills (1=Not very developed; 3= very developed)

Skills and Abilities 1 2 3
 Flexibility *
 Confidence *
 Self Discipline *
 Working Under Pressure  *
Setting Professional Goals  *
 Taking Risks *
 Sharing Opinions Confidently  *
 Teamwork *
 Acting as a Leader *

Personal Attributes

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How will I use these How do I know (evidence)**
 Teamwork Working within ISS, I will be in contact with various staff members and will have to work alongside them in a collaborative manner. Forming strong bonds with the staff at the International school of Stuttgart.

 

Also, being approachable to the children that will be from vast spectrums of backgrounds due to it being an international school will ensure that I can work collaboratively with the children in a successful manner.
 Sharing Opinions Confidently  In order to gain the most from the placement, I will need to be able to contribute my own opinion, which will need to be backed up with factual understanding in order for my opinions to be taken into real consideration. When my opinion has been put forward and been fully considered by my peers.
 Working Under Pressure  Not only will I be working in a different country that speaks a different main language from my own, I will also be working within a school that follows a different curriculum. Therefore, I will need to push myself beyond my limits in order to surpass the various pressures so that I can be successful.  I will have gained self-resilience alongside working under pressure and will be able to have sustained the expectations and workloads of the internship within the school.
 Setting Professional Goals  Making goals prior to the placement and whilst working within the school in order to succeed in my VIVA at the end of the placement.  My continuing assessment of on going goals will ensure that I will have a successful VIVA.
 Confidence  Being confident to express thoughts and opinions, which will be needed in both English and German  I will increase my confidence in both English and German.
 Flexibility  Being open to change and being adaptable to the varying factors that affect the day-to-day workings of a school  When I can think on my feet when adjustment is needed to be made to practice whilst in the International school

Knowledge

I will be basing much of my knowledge on my first year placement and my previous experiences within working in primary schools prior to university, however, due to this being an international school in a different country, I will need to look at the placement through a different lens. Furthermore, I have learned the language of German up to an advanced level (advanced higher in school and an advanced level as an elective last year at the university) however, I will be experiencing the language in its natural environment. Also, due to the school being part of the International Baccalaureate, I will need to increase my knowledge in the differences in curriculum between that of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and that of ISS. Particularly as the International Baccalaureate strives for creating “internationally minded people” (International Baccalaureate, 2013, pg. 5)

Personal Attributes

I believe that I am a person that strives in challenging situations and I like to be pushed beyond my limits academically and within practice, and I believe that ISS is the perfect place for me to be able to, not only increase my professional development as a teacher, but also see beyond the teaching experience that I gained in Scotland. I want to also use my team working skills to form cohesive bonds with the staff and students at the school, as this will ensure that I will get the best results for my placement. Approachability, resilience and creativity are also attributes I hope to hone.

Professional Values and Personal Commitment (SPR 1) – Pre-Placement Reflections (General Teaching Council for Scotland, 2012)

1.1 Social Justice

  • I will need to embrace the different culture of the surrounding area of the school (Stuttgart, Germany) and take into consideration the various backgrounds of both the staff and the children that I will be working alongside in order to show a real dedication to aiming for social justice, particularly as the school will have people from across the globe under one cohort and student base.

1.2 Integrity

  • Criticality must be at the forefront of my practice, as this opportunity will allow me to see a completely different curriculum, which will allow for a real critical reflection upon my own educational philosophy.

1.3 Trust and Respect

  • Acting in a professional manner to be able to create an inclusive and accepting aura will ensure that both students and staff will feel respected and well encompassed from the get-go of my arrival. I want to be able to be seen in a similar fashion as the pre-existing staff members at ISS in that, I will be there to support all students and staff members.

1.4 Professional Commitment

  • Lifelong learning coinciding with continual collaborative practice will mean that I need to reach out as much as possible when opportunities arise for my services to be put to the test, for example, extra-curricular activities, staff meetings and CPD events, which will probably differ in comparison to those in Scotland, will be very beneficial for me so I should put myself forward for them when possible.

Identification of Skills and Knowledge 

I have a strong understanding in terms of the environment of Scottish education due to placement and the multiple workshops during the 2 years of being in university, however, have limited knowledge in terms of the differing curriculum and philosophical approach towards education as a whole, thus making it an area that I will need to work on. This placement will play well into to the skills that I was able to develop during my first year placement in that I will be returning to the environment of a primary school. During the placement, i will be staying with a Germany family, which will require my skills in the German language being tested and explored within its naturally spoken environment. I will need to use my people skills in order to overcome the language barrier that will no doubt be a challenge at first, as it has been some time since I have utilised the language. Furthermore, I feel that much of my education in the language has been centred around the written format of language, which will be trickier to formulate into speech and to also be able to engage with spoken German that is being said to me, at first.

Reflection of Experience to Date

UK-German Connection

UK-German Connections Logo

Reflecting upon my experiences as a whole, I can utilise my pre-university experiences that I gained as a UK-German Youth Ambassador for the government-funded organisation that aimed to bring young people together to promote the learning of languages and my current university experiences to show my passion for both language and education. Dana and Yendol-Hoppey (2009) find that teachers need to be flexible to any given context they are put into, and that a welcoming attitude will serve any teacher well, thus meaning that I should be open to change, especially within a situation that is very abstract from my usual experiences. 

What I hope to Achieve

  • I hope to improve both my understanding of the language of German and the culture of Germany, which will be best achieved through participation with my host family and any events at the school (Interlinks with Social Justice – SPR 1 as I will need to consider the local and global values that surround the school and my host family).
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the International Baccalaureate system, particularly the progression of the Primary Years Programme – I will be coming with a good knowledge in the Scottish education system, however, I feel it is necessary for me to learn as much as possible about the IB system, as it will give me more areas for reflection in terms of my educational philosophy when being faced with an entirely knew format to teach towards (Interlinks with Professional Commitment – SPR 1 as I need to be dedicated to continually learning new ways to hone my professional practice) – I also feel it would be beneficial to make contrasts and links between the two where possible.
  • Expand my professional knowledge in terms of strategies, teaching methods and approaches towards teaching through both observation and teaching of my own. I would also like to see more than one class levels to see a full scope in a child’s education within the International School of Stuttgart (and, in turn, understand the differing levels in education as a whole some more).

Reference:

Dana, N.F. and Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2009) The Reflective Educator’s guide to Classroom Research: learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry, California: Corwin Press.

General Teaching Council for Scotland (2012) The Standards for Registration: mandatory requirements for Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland [pdf] Available at: http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/standards-for-registration-1212.pdf (Accessed: 20 February 2018).

International Baccalaureate (2013) What is an IB Education? [pdf] Available at: http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-tookit/brochures/what-is-an-ib-education-en.pdf (Accessed: 27 February 2018).

IB logo image sourced from wikimedia and UK-German Connection logo sourced from: http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/home