Activity 1

1. Below are a list of skills and abilities. Complete an audit of where you are now. Record this in your learning journal/portfolio.

Rate yourself (1=Not very well developed; 3=very well developed)

Skills and Abilities	1	2	3
Self-confidence	X
Take risks		X
Organise and plan		X
Manage Time		X
Make presentations		X
Act as a leader		X
Listen to others		X
Debate formally and informally	X
Take notes		X

Although it is important to identify where we are now, it is not enough to stop there. We need to reflect upon how we can develop the skills where we are less confident and how we can transfer the skills in which we are confident and competent.

Activity 2

Complete the audit below, using the information from the table above.

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills already developed	How will I use these	How do I know (evidence)**

** This section should be completed as you identify when/where/how you have used/developed these skills.

Part B – Activity 1

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills not yet developed	How will I develop these	How do I know (evidence)**
Self-confidence	Give myself opportunities to lead. Self evaluate my performance, gaining feedback from peers, pupils and teachers on lesson content and what they learnt.
Take risks	Try new things that I feel less comfortable teaching. Give new ways of teaching a go, rather than sticking to what i feel comfortable with e.g be creative with art lessons or get pupils to create games. Decide if the risk is worth taking and always have back up plans incase things go wrong.
Organise and plan	Make sure what I teach relates to lesson aims. Know what I am teaching and be flexible to adapt for varying abilities. Begin planning for events, classes etc well in advance so you are prepared and know all the information required.
Manage time	Keep track of time and always keep an eye on the clock. Use fun ways on timing children such as music or online timers so they know how long they have. Start assignments well in advance and don’t leave things until the last minute.
Make Presentations	Practice designing presentations in several formats and see which works best. Prepare these in advance so you don’t miss important information out. Make sure they are exciting but do not include too much information, focus on the things you want the children to get from it.
Act as a leader	Inspire others and take into account everyones opinion. Take control of projects/tasks and ensure everyone is involved/taking part.
Listen to others	Whenever possible take on board what pupils are saying, make notes if needed and use these for future lessons and discussions.
Debate formally and informally	Take the time to question pupils decisions. Make notes of what they say in small groups and use this to discuss at the end of a lesson.
Take notes	Reflect on my teaching to develop my confidence. In lectures try to note important information which you can later go back to look at later. Don’t write long paragraphs of notes keep it short and simple. Colour code notes to make them easier to understand.