Monthly Archives: November 2016

Unit 1: Identifying Skills and Abilities

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Activity 1

Below is a list of skills and qualities. I have rated myself with 1 being “not very well developed” and 3 being “very well developed”.

Skills and Abilities

1

2

3
Personal Skills

·         Flexibility

X
·         Self confidence

X
·         Self-discipline

X
·         Work under pressure

X
·         Set personal goals

X
·         Take risks

X
·         Share opinions confidently

X
Interpersonal Skills

·         Team work

X
·         Take responsibility

X
·         Build social networks

X
·         Manage Time

X
·         Act as a leader

X
·         Negotiation

X
Communication Skills

·         Make presentations

X
·         Listen to others

X
·         Debate formally and informally

X
·         Contribute to discussions

X
·         Converse confidently

X
·         Take notes

X
·         Write for academic purposes

X
Technical Skills

·         Computing Skills

X
·         Be creative

X
·         Use technology

X
Intellectual Skills

·         Problem solve

X
·         Generate new ideas

X
·         Work on own initiative

X
·         Organise and plan

X
·         Think critically

X
·         Evaluate information

X

Activity 2

I have completed the following tables to show what skills I have already developed and skills I need to develop along with evidence and how I will use these skills during my degree and in a classroom setting. As I will continue to develop skills throughout my degree, I will need to update my tables to show my progress.

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How I will use these How do I know (evidence)**
Flexibility Through considering the ideas of others and taking them on board. Considering how to include other’s ideas without compromising all of your own however, sometimes it is important to consider others over your own ideas/methods. I tend to listen to other’s suggestions and consider how I could use them to improve my work or the group’s work.
Work under pressure I will use this skill during times of business e.g. coming up to assignments and work deadlines. During my final year of secondary school, I was faced with many tasks whilst being in charge of the Scripture Union, working towards achieving good A level results, participating in choir and being a prefect. This busy schedule put pressure on me to get school work done but to a high standard.
Team work I will use this skill during the Working Together module with my peer learning group to discuss ideas and prepare our presentation, ensuring each person has a part to play. I can also use it in the classroom through collaborative practice with various professionals such as speech and language therapists, social workers, office staff, janitorial staff and many others. I have been involved in various summer mission teams which have allowed me to develop this skill and ensure that each person feels they have a role. Additionally, through my various roles in my last year of school, I have learnt the importance of working together as a team rather than as individuals.
Listen to others This skill is crucial in the role of a primary school teacher. It is important to listen to both the staff and pupils to ensure that each child is getting the right education for their needs. We can listen to each other during lectures and group discussions to share opinions and ideas. It is important to take other people’s opinions on board to develop your own understanding. I would say that I am a good listener. Through my experience at school, I have learnt of the importance of listening to other’s thoughts to ensure that the organisation or work is the best it can be for the people involved.
Take notes This skill is important particularly during lectures and group discussions to ensure you gain as much knowledge and therefore understanding about the topic. Throughout my time at school and university so far, I have taken detailed notes on what is being said.
Computing skills Computing is becoming more popular in today’s society, making it all the more useful for children to learn about it. It is important that the teacher has computing skills in order to teach children. These skills can include coding, making powerpoint presentations, creating work sheets on Word and producing a simple game. I feel I have quite a high level of ICT as I studied it for GCSE and then studied Applied ICT at A level. Through this, I learned how to design a game, database and website which involved the skill of coding as well as using Word to create reports on my work.
Use technology With the increasing use of iPads, laptops and interactive whiteboards in the classroom, it is important to have ICT competency to keep lessons modern and engage with the children. Through my studies in ICT in school, I have developed a confidence in using technology.
Work on own initiative I will use this skill to ensure I get my work done before the deadline self-reliantly. I tend to work well on my own and get the work completed before the deadline. I usually know what I need to do and how to do it to the best of my ability.

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills to be developed How I will develop these How do I know (evidence)**
Share opinions confidently Try to always give my point of view and not be afraid of others disagreeing as this is how discussions come about. It is important that all opinions are considered therefore I need to share mine more often.  
Act as a leader A leader is usually needed to ensure a task gets done properly and on time therefore I need to try to step up every once in a while if there seems to be a lack of effort or determination in group work. In the classroom I will need to be a leader. Through my leadership in Scripture Union, I had to delegate tasks whilst supporting each member of the committee and helping them with any problems they faced.
Converse confidently Similar to sharing my opinions confidently, it is important that I can engage in conversation to ensure that any issues are resolved and ideas are considered from all points of view.  
Self confidence By sharing my opinion with others and not placing too much pressure on myself to get the top grade. By reading around various topics to increase my level of understanding. It is important that as a teacher, I have confidence so that the pupils can have confidence in me.  
Self-discipline By ensuring I meet my goals and get things done on time and not last minute.  
Set personal goals Through planning when I will have a certain task completed by and working towards that goal. I need to ensure that I set realistic goals that push me but are also achievable. During my A levels, I set targets of when I would have tasks such as revision notes completed by. I also use timetabling and to do lists to ensure I know what I need to do, how long it should take and by when it needs to be completed.
Take risks I will need to develop a confidence to feel comfortable with risk taking. I need to be confident with trying new ideas to ensure variety in the classroom to keep children engaged and to help them enjoy the learning experience.  
Take responsibility I will take responsibility for my part in the group work as well as taking up roles of responsibility in the work place. I have taken responsibility during group tasks to ensure I have completed my part within the time limit. Through being a Rainbow leader, I have increased my understanding of leadership with young children and having initiative in situations.
Build social networks By talking to people from different disciples to ensure a multi-disciplinary environment whilst also sharing ideas on social media apps such as Twitter and Pinterest.  
Manage time I will plan my work to ensure it is done within the required time scale. I will also plan my lessons to ensure that each activity can be scheduled into the day. I do however realise that sometimes the unexpected happens therefore it is important to not have too tight a time plan especially when working with children. As my final year of school was busy with school work and responsibilities as well as being a Rainbow leader, volunteering at a local youth club and participating in weekly team meetings, I had to manage my time wisely to ensure I got my work done as well as gaining social skills.
Negotiation Through sharing ideas, it is likely that a difference of opinion will occur. It is therefore important to be able to come to a joint decision through working together.  
Make presentations Through giving presentations. The more presentations I do, the more confident I will feel as I will have been able to learn from my mistakes and improve upon them.  
Debate formally and informally By working with people from different backgrounds and disciplines to discuss their opinions and understanding as well as my own.  
Contribute to discussions Through collaborative practice and discussing various tasks and issues with course mates as well as other staff members. The more discussions I am involved in, the more my confidence and participation will grow.  
Write for academic purposes By completing more tasks such as essays, I will grow in confidence in what is expected of me.  
Be creative By sharing ideas with others and asking for other’s opinions on how I could improve upon my ideas. By practicing new techniques which can be used to teach children and by being open to new ideas and constructive criticism.  
Problem solve Through group work as well as individual tasks which we are given to complete. By doing research into how to go about looking at issues and being open to other’s ideas as well as my own.  
Generate new ideas By considering other people’s ideas and doing research into teaching methods and how to go about completing an assignment.  
Organise and plan By using a diary/planner to schedule when I will do tasks and giving myself deadlines to ensure nothing is left until the last minute. By checking reading lists to ensure I have read the required material before the lecture.  
Think critically By taking time to consider why things have been done a certain way and looking at how I could improve upon my methods.  
Evaluate information By considering the reasoning behind information and how I can use that information to improve upon my own work and assess the validity of information.  

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

Professional Standards Workshop

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On Tuesday 1st November, we took part in a workshop which encouraged us to look at the standards for teaching which can be found on the General Teaching Council Scotland website. Firstly, we looked at the four main areas:

  1. Social Justice
  2. Integrity
  3. Trust and Respect
  4. Professional Commitment

We sorted a variety of statements from the standards into these four headings in our groups. As there were four groups, each heading was then given to a group to give ideas of what this actually involves as a teacher. My group were given the Integrity heading. At first we were unsure what that actually meant for a teacher as we felt it was very similar to the Trust and Respect category. However, we came up with a few ideas including:

  • Sticking to your core values
  • Respect
  • Encouragement
  • Wisdom
  • Reflection

We then had to make our way around the other groups pages and write down any ideas they hadn’t yet thought of. As we went round it got harder and harder to think of new ideas as most things had already been written down by previous groups. Finally, we had to gather the main points from the task for Integrity in teaching and present these to the class along with practical ideas. We compiled the following list:

  1. Reflection- It is important to reflect not only during but after activities with your class. It is important to look at both the areas you did well in and the areas where you maybe weren’t just as effective in e.g. if nobody in the class gained knowledge or understanding in an activity, it would be a wise idea to change how you present that information in the future to ensure the children are learning whilst having fun. This helps to improve your practice.
  2. Courage/Confidence– It is crucial that you as the teacher have confidence in what you know and in yourself. If you don’t come across confident whilst teaching, pupils may pick on this and not feel confident in you. Additionally, if children see your confidence, this can encourage them to be confident too.
  3. Openness/Honesty– By letting your pupils get to know you as a person, you are allowing them into your life. You become more than just a figure of authority to them and they begin to feel that they can be open and honest with you. As a teacher you are setting an example.
  4. Wisdom– It is important to have a good understanding of the world and the different backgrounds people come from. By having a sound knowledge of different cultures, you are able to teach these and apply them in the classroom, allowing pupils to gain a better understanding of equality in a culturally diverse classroom.
  5. Link between personal and professional values– It can be easy to let your personal values slip into classroom conversation. Sometimes this can be beneficial, however, teachers must be careful to ensure their personal values don’t come into the classroom especially in incidences when the values are likely to offend or encourage pupils negatively. Carrie gave us an example of a student teacher who didn’t agree with a culturally diverse classroom. This is not an example to set to children in the classroom and should be kept to yourself.
  6. Challenging Assumptions– Within society today there are many stereotypes regarding race, gender and social class among many things. It is important not to believe these negative stereotypes and to be open minded as to what each pupil in the classroom can achieve and has to offer.
  7. Adaptable– As children have different learning styles, a teacher needs to be able to adapt for all pupils’ needs to ensure each child gets the education they deserve and require. It is important to be diverse and able to adapt to different professional settings e.g. some learning activities may be best completed outside the classroom to increase variety in learning environments for children.
  8. Challenging Yourself– You should not be afraid to take risks as they either work or don’t which means you can then reflect and improve upon it. As teachers, we should always strive for excellence and to do better. We want to ensure that we get it right for every child and need to include a variety of methods, we shouldn’t just settle for one that does the job. We need to go above and beyond for our pupils.

learning-styles-mindmap1I found this workshop useful as it helped me to practically think of how to apply the standards from the GTCS into the classroom during placement and after university.