It’s hard to believe that I am officially finished with second year placement and summer is almost here for me! The past six weeks have flown in and I am feeling relieved that i can finally lie in and procrastinate without feeling too guilty about it! I am, however, very sad that is all over already. It seems like no time since I walked into the P2/3 classroom 8 weeks ago. This week has probably been the quickest as I knew the end was coming even though I didn’t want to. The fact Friday was a half day probably helped too. My teacher was also far too kind to me and insisted that I take Wednesday and Thursday off to focus on university work but I told her there was no need as I had kept up to date with blogs and could get everything finished before my VIVA. We met half way and I took Wednesday as a uni work day.
As I was off for a couple of days, I had missed teaching a few lessons I had prepared so my teacher kindly let me teach some of these lessons this week. One of these was the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand people. In ways I felt prepared for this lesson as I had planned it a couple of weeks prior so had the worksheets and extension activities printed but I also felt semi unprepared as I was told on the day that I was teaching it so didn’t have much time to refresh my memory on the plan. However, all things considered I felt the lesson went well for first thing in the morning as they normally do Bible stories on a Thursday afternoon and circle time on a Monday morning instead of this RE lesson. I made use of Twinkl for a powerpoint of the story. The children listened well most of the time and enjoyed the pictures to help them understand the story. The noise level was at an acceptable classroom level and I had good control of the class at all points. I used the usual classroom behaviour management strategies when I required their attention. After the lesson, I felt quite bad as I had worked them rather hard especially for a Monday morning but they really did prove themselves! I felt my explanation of the worksheets and my expectations was clear. 
The main worksheet was a crossword based on the story. As the class had first met crossword puzzles with me during the ‘ai’ phonics lesson, I gave them a reminder of how it works. Most of them remembered it well but a few had forgotten things such as one letter per box. The pace of the lesson was good as pupils were engaged and kept busy. No pupil was left with nothing to do and all pupils achieved a good amount of work. The behaviour was exceptional especially for so early! The only thing I would change about my practice for next time would be I would add a quiz or interactive activity before they begin the worksheet. This is because at one point, a lot of pupils were very distracted and only a few children responded to me. I think they were quite tired and sleepy but think that an interactive activity might help keep them engaged and get them excited.
On Monday, my reading group went well. The children were mostly focused and read clearly. They showed good understanding of the book and were able to discuss the key events. As I missed Wednesday, my reading group had moved onto a new book. Additionally, I missed reading groups on Tuesday as I was observing the P4 class. This meant that the children had only completed one worksheet for reading groups by Thursday. I decided it would be wise to get the group to do the worksheet planned for Tuesday on Thursday. As they had PE before reading groups there was less time for the worksheet. This meant that most children did not get to draw the three witches but all children completed the sentences. I am really happy with the progress that this reading group are making. They are beginning to really grow in confidence and try to sound tricky words out instead of giving up. They are making links between the books as well as links and differences between the books and the online stories.
I was determined to do one more Lighthouse Keeper story with the children before I left as they really engaged with the Lighthouse Keeper’s Picnic. I decided over Easter that I liked the Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch and had some ideas floating in my head for activities. I had prepared a storyboard worksheet to allow children to work on their ordering skills and the days of the week. The children were excited to hear another story involving the Grinlings and most sat quietly whilst I read the story. I felt I explained the activity well as the children knew exactly what they had to do. However, some children did struggle to order the days/story correctly. 
It is evident that more work on the days of the week is required. Perhaps, more repetition of the events in the story might have helped the children but I felt they had grasped the order of the story and instead got mixed up with their days of the week. I ended up being asked to come and observe a P4 child during this lesson so was unable to see children as they did the activity. The end results were amazing though and it was clear that they had worked really hard especially on their drawings.
On Tuesday, I was given the opportunity to observe a child with aspergers in a one to one session with a classroom assistant. This is quite similar to the reading recovery set up but is more focused on words rather than reading books. He started off by spelling words on a whiteboard he had learnt recently such as buzz, fluff and cuff. During this time, his handwriting and how he holds his pen are considered as well as his spelling. Next, he read through page of sounds otherwise known as ‘alien talk’ such as b, p, d, d, b, b, p, b, d. This is to ensure that he knows the difference between similar letters and their sounds. The main focus for this session was the use of double letters in words. A worksheet included paragraphs with several double letter words that he had to circle. 
Next, he told me how he writes ‘d’ and ‘b’ and the rules he uses to help him- “With b, you need to draw an h first or huffle buffle. With d, you need to draw a c first then make it into a d.” After the pupil left, we discussed the progress they had made since the start of their sessions. For him, it is more of a behaviour thing that is hindering his learning. He is a very capable boy but due to his behaviour he gets less work done and so cannot keep up with the rest of his class and requires this additional help and teaching. He is dyslexic and often takes tantrums if things do not go his way which in turn reduces teaching time. He has made great progress with his behaviour as originally there would be little work done as he would throw tantrums if he got something wrong on the first try. Now he is more willing to give something another try when encouraged to do so. I noticed that he likes to do his own thing e.g. certain stickers and taking a huff if he doesn’t get the one he wanted. According to Lloyd (undated), when children are trying to blend sounds there are two reasons why they might struggle to hear the word when they have said the sounds. These reasons are:
- If they do not know the sounds well enough and have to pause and think, they lose track of the word. To put this right, they need more practice with letter games and regular flash card work.
- The way the letters are emphasised- if the child puts the emphasis on the final letter sounds, they will try and start the word with that sound and fail to hear the word. They must be trained to say the first letter sound loudly and then whisper the others fluently e.g. d-o-g.
The letters you have taught a child should be displayed in front of them. Then they can pick out the letters and lay them out in the correct order instead of giving the child the answer immediately. When the child can pick out the sounds in the word, they understand how writing works (Lloyd, undated).
I was then able to observe the child in the classroom with his teacher and the rest of the class. There is another child with aspergers in this class and I had been told that the teacher has quite a rough time with them but watching this would be a great experience for me. I took the two children with me to photocopy some things and within a few minutes I noticed that their behaviour was different to most pupils. They found it quite hard to follow instructions and act sensibly when walking down the corridor. However, once we reached the photocopying room, they were well behaved. They were interested in the photocopier and couldn’t wait to carry the sheets back. I found that one of the pupils is more out there than the other and his behaviour is a bit more obvious and extreme. It was interesting to watch pupil A in a one to one setting and then in the whole class setting. In the classroom, he struggles to keep up whilst in a one to one setting he is able to work at his own pace without the worry of others being ahead of him. However, I think he can get more frustrated in the one to one setting because he is the only one there to answer questions so he knows if he gets it wrong he has to try again and cannot rely on others to answer. 
He finds it hard to listen for a long time if he isn’t doing anything in both the whole class setting and one to one. The class teacher says that he is manageable but he falls behind due to his behaviour and is struggling to reach the target level for a primary 4 pupil. He makes it clear when he is struggling or if something is not his way whereas child B tends to withdraw. He doesn’t throw tantrums and instead shuts himself off. During his time in the junior school, he would play alone and walk around in a square at break and lunch times. If he can’t do the set work, he will just sit and stare at it; he will not make it known that he is struggling and needs help or needs to try again. I believe that this extra support and teaching that pupils like these two get is so vital as it can really help them to get back on track and achieve the same level as their peers. Sometimes, all it takes is a little one to one time and extra attention that the class teacher cannot give them due to the sheer number of pupils in their class to ensure children can achieve and realise their full potential. These children need to grow in confidence whilst learning to correct their behaviour and take responsibility for their learning efforts. Ultimately, each child is different and therefore has their own routines that help them to learn. According to The National Autistic Society (2017), it is important to maintain a routine with these children and ensure that they are prepared for any changes to this routine. Sometimes, visual aids can help them understand and cope better with routines such as an egg timer. It is suggested that schools use social stories to help those with autism. The school has a session of social stories with those with additional support needs each week. It lasts for about 30 minutes and allows the children to discuss what they would do in various situations to prepare them incase they do happen e.g. someone pushes in front of them in the lunch line. These stories help children to cope better in social situations and act appropriately towards others.
FINALLY the lighthouses are complete! It has taken a lot longer than I expected between pupils being off, me being off and various happenings in the school. The pupils have thoroughly enjoyed making them and have been constantly asking when they could take them home. They have worked really hard on them and asked if we can make the cottage and the Grinlings to go along with their lighthouses. I would definitely do this craft again as they were super engaged and I felt it aided their learning. I think I better start saving the Pringles tubes for next years placement now!
References:
Lloyd, S. (undated) The Phonics Handbook. Jolly Learning.
The National Autistic Society (2017) In the Classroom. Available at: http://www.autism.org.uk/professionals/teachers/classroom.aspx (Accessed: 5 May 2018).
The National Autistic Society (2017) Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations. Available at: http://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips.aspx (Accessed: 5 May 2018).
This week had a rough start between being sick and then spilling coke all over my laptop so I had a broken laptop and a messed up head and stomach- not the best start to the week. Unfortunately, I was in no state to go into school on Monday or Tuesday so that was quite a lot of teaching time out the window for me but there was no way I could have delivered effective lessons.
On Wednesday, I did a lesson on writing about a character and related it to The Lighthouse Keeper book series. We looked at the character of Mr Grinling. It was important for me to model what I expected the students to do. I did this by gathering all the students up to the front of the classroom and explaining the worksheet in detail. We considered who Mr Grinling is and what family he has and his physical features. We looked at what he does and where he lives to give a more detailed description of the character. By having a word bank at the bottom of the page and going through these words, I think it helped the children to complete the task and know exactly what they were meant to be doing. The children responded well to this activity and were engaged throughout. They couldn’t wait to share their sentences about Mr Grinling with the rest of the class. I believe it is very important to use topics such as The Lighthouse Keeper across several subject areas as it helps the children to dive deeper into the story and adds an element of enjoyment rather than some plain and simple sums. My main learning point from this lesson was to always put the writing part at the top of a worksheet rather than a drawing part.
On Thursday, I was teaching the children about tally charts. They had touched on the topic before but some pupils weren’t sure about tally charts so I took it right back to the basics. I once again modelled how the children should do their work whilst allowing them to have a go on the whiteboard. I think this is important as many children learn by doing something rather than listening to how we do it. This also helped me to see if they were grasping the concept. The worksheet was all about finding out each pupil’s favourite sandwich and recording our results. I decided it would be chaotic for the children to go round and ask each classmate their favourite sandwich plus the results would likely be inaccurate. Instead, I thought we should take it slow and do it together as a class asking each pupil what their favourite sandwich and ensuring each pupil put the tally mark in the correct row. I felt this worked well as pupils were able to help one another and had to listen to one another. No one ever seemed fed up by the slower pace and no one was left behind. By the end, everyone had completed their tally chart and created their own sandwich out of paper for the class tally chart wall display. My time management was really good with everyone getting the work done in the set time. I felt my behaviour management was good with no children talking over one another and no acting up. I would definitely use this activity again in the future as the children were so engaged and so eager to share their favourite sandwiches. Next time, I would consider using pictures to help those who cannot read as this meant it was harder for them to keep up and they required more support. This was a great link to The Lighthouse Keeper’s Picnic and Lunch stories.
This was a great idea as each class raised about £80 gathering more money than a non-uniform day. As a treat on Friday, during play time the children made sandwiches with me in groups of 4 or 5. This was quite funny as they were making sandwiches in their pyjamas and onesies! They really enjoyed this especially with reading all about Mr Grinling’s lunch and picnic and seeing what my perfect picnic would be. These practical and fun cross curricular activities are a great way to link topic learning and bring it to life. Cross curricular learning provides opportunities to further develop skills and values and creates richer learning opportunities (Centre for Global Learning, undated, p.5). It linked in nicely with our data handling on our favourite sandwiches the day before. There were some odd combinations of sandwiches with chocolate spread and cheese sandwiches and chocolate spread and ham!
The lighthouse craft continued this week for me but unfortunately not for the children as the lighthouses needed to be glued onto the cardboard bases which the children had already painted. This involved me using the glue gun which I had used on many occasions before but unfortunately I experienced the joy of getting burnt by it as the glue dripped off a Pringles tube onto my wrist-ouch!
Recently, I have observed the class teacher using primary movement particularly after break or lunch or when the children are unsettled. These are different body movements which require children to focus and give their full attention if they are to do it right. Interestingly, those children who do it right often yawn. These movements allow children to relax and have been shown to improve handwriting. 5-10 minutes with a dyslexic child improves concentration and helps to calm them. Primary movement is all about replicating the movements of the foetus in the womb. This triggers the integration of retained primary reflexes, which contribute to behavioural, educational and emotional difficulties. At the age of one, the primary reflexes system turns off and our movements are controlled more by thought than by reflex. However, problems arise when the primary reflexes continue after their normal time span. If this continues, there can be problems with neuro-development which in turn may affect educational functioning and has been linked to a diverse range of learning difficulties such as dyslexia (The Learning Clinic, undated). It only takes about 10 minutes each day for 6 months for it to be effective and have a significant impact on a child’s learning and behaviour.
It has been a bit of a weird week with being off for two days and then having the ‘Break the Rules’ day as it has thrown me out of routine slightly. I am looking forward to next week as I hope it will be fun between getting the lighthouses finished and doing some more teaching. I hope it doesn’t go too quickly as I want to enjoy it and know that I will be sad when Friday comes especially with it being a half day. I think I am probably the only person who is disappointed that this week is only 4.5 days long!
I found myself in shock the other day as I sat down and counted how many days of placement I had completed and how many I had left. The time is going by in a flash. This week has given me experience and understanding of more elements of teaching.
I have been given the responsibility of taking a reading group. This involves reading two books a week with a group of 7 children and creating a worksheet for each day. We are reading Oxford Reading Tree’s The Magic Key series which brings back memories for me as I read the exact same set of books when I was P2. This shows how some resources, if they are good, can last for many years and only the worksheet and discussion needs to be adapted to suit the needs of the children. I found the first day of reading groups hard as I didn’t have much of a clue how to go about it. I had my worksheet at the ready but still was quite worried about it. The children seemed to enjoy the story and engaged well through asking and answering questions.
However, some children acted up and did not listen when someone else was talking even though they knew the rules of reading group. I had to speak to one child on multiple occasions about their behaviour and respect for others. I felt quite disheartened after this but once I had spoken to the class teacher, I felt more at ease after getting some advice. She told me that I need to just put my foot down and take no nonsense from them. If they are acting up after being given a warning, they should be sent to their seat. This really helped me for day 2 as I felt more confident and had better control over the children. Most of them understood the worksheet however one child wrote the page number of where the sentence is in the book instead of sequencing the sentences. This shows that I did not explain it clearly enough. 
By day 3, the child were more settled and focused and we started a new book. They completed the set task quickly and accurately, showing that the level of the work was appropriate. They understood what they needed to do demonstrating that I had learnt from my error on day 2. I took another reading group due to the class teacher being out of the classroom most of Thursday with the art exhibition. This group were of a lower ability and instead of a worksheet, we discussed the book as we read it. On day 4, all children were able to complete the worksheet with one child requiring a lot of support. I think I made the worksheet too hard for them as they were writing an invite for a pirate party. Instead, I should have included a word bank to help them as a few children struggled with spelling. One pupil clearly rushed the worksheet and did the bare minimum amount of work. This pupil was questioning why they had to do this worksheet and the rest of the class did not. I had informed the pupil that their main worksheet for the lesson was this reading group one and the main language lesson worksheet was only if he finished the first sheet. I think sometimes it can be hard as some pupils do not understand that there are different abilities within the classroom and that sometimes the work will be different.
In a class of little ones, I find it hard to know who actually needs the toilet and who just wants to avoid working! I guess this is something that comes with getting to know your class. I think some of the pupils have been trying to push my boundaries with this and after a chat with the class teacher, I am more aware of who should be allowed to the toilet and who might just be pushing my buttons! She advised me to only allow a couple of pupils to go to the toilet during class time and anyone else can just wait until the lesson is finished unless they look absolutely desperate! Perhaps, the use of toilet passes could be effective and children can only use their pass once a day. I think it would be interesting to see if this would work and whether the children reduced the number of times they ask to go to the toilet or not.
A big aim this week was to get stuck right into the measurement topic in mathematics. We had our starter lesson a while ago on the concept of shorter and longer but this week I really wanted the children to begin measuring objects with their own hands. I started off with something small- cubes. I learned of the importance of demonstration particularly for younger children as without it they will end up doing the wrong thing and the lesson could easily turn into chaos if not corrected. Whilst most children managed to complete the task, some were amused by the cubes and decided to use them for other purposes. This was quickly sorted. I had originally planned that the children would measure using cubes and then paperclips in the same lesson but upon consideration I believed it would be best to do two separate lessons to avoid confusion. The worksheet was already photocopied so I didn’t want to be that annoying student teacher who wastes paper and ink on photocopying so I just stuck with the original sheet. This caused some confusion as children wrote under the paperclips heading instead of the cubes heading.
One of the highlights of my week would be my lesson on Thursday where we used straws and our hands to measure the length of various objects around the classroom. The kids really engaged with this and were so keen to get round the classroom and start measuring. My explanation on how to measure using hands and straws was good as all children were able to accurately measure all sorts of objects. I felt I had good control over the class especially for such an interactive lesson and they knew to quieten down when the noise was breaching on outdoor level. It was so so great to listen to the kids share their learning and get really excited about it. Proof that maths really can be fun!
I had the wonderful opportunity to work with a smaller group- the P3’s and 2 P2’s. We were learning all about money and what coins we use as well as telling the time to the hour and half hour. This was a lesson using the interactive whiteboard and a demonstration of using ready made resources and websites. We used top marks for various games involving money and time. I made a professional judgement and decided that the children were ready to move on to giving change and determining the best coins to give e.g. if an item cost 16p and you used a 20p coin. I am beginning to grow in my confidence in altering an activity if it is too easy/hard for the children and deciding when they are ready to move on.
The lighthouses are all starting to come together with all but one completed, we only need to make our bases. The children are really enjoying this craft and are constantly begging to take them home to show their families. On Thursday, the class spent the morning in creative play which was encouraged to be lighthouse based. This involved children making picnic baskets out of paper, lighthouses out of lego and Mr Grinling out of play dough. I was amazed at one child’s efforts- he had made a whole scene from the book by linking EMIDO plastic rods together. He had made the picnic basket, Mr Grinling, the lighthouse, the cottage and even the zipline from the cottage to the lighthouse that Mrs Grinling sends his lunch down! If only I had taken a picture. Martlew, Stephen and Ellis (2011) discuss the importance of allowing children to shape their own learning. As teachers, we need to provide the resources and watch from a distance what the children decide to do. If children are struggling to come up with an idea then we can intervene and support their thinking. It is unfair to expect children at the age of 5 to go from a play-based nursery environment straight into a formal schooling system with little play based learning. We need to allow children to explore their ideas through play and learn this way alongside some teaching.
Unfortunately, this week I learned the lesson of knowing when you are pushing yourself too far. I hadn’t been feeling well from Wednesday (possibly due to trying mac and cheese on Tuesday night- probably not the best idea when you might have coeliac disease and are on placement!). I just braved it and dealt with the pain whilst teaching on Wednesday. However, on Thursday I could hardly touch any food by lunch time and was keeling over but again I was determined to keep going and teach the little ones all about Jesus feeding the five thousand. My worksheets were photocopied, powerpoint made and waiting but my teacher insisted I go home and rest up. Little did my mum know that her days of picking up her sick child from school were not quite over!
I went back in on Friday as I had been asked to be another adult for the P5/6 forest schools trip to Downhill. My teacher insisted that I go home if I was not feeling well and did not want me to feel under any pressure to go on the trip. The trip was all for this new project the school are getting involved with to become a forest school. I have worked with this class on a couple of occasions now which is nice as I am starting to get to know them. It was 9.45am, we were all ready with our coats and hi-vis vests on. We set off on our trek from school to Downhill Demesne. To our surprise, we were greeted by some fires although not really what you need when it is sunny and 15 degrees out!
We started our session by using flint to make sparks and learning about how they used flint to light fires years ago. Next was my favourite part- toasting marshmallows on the fires- YUM! The National Trust had made some hot chocolate for the children to sip on while they ate their marshmallows. Oh no! The fires were starting to go out- we needed to find some materials to keep the fire going. Phew- we saved the fires! Next up was a dander around the forest and garden area in groups looking for various things such as mushrooms and animal tracks. My group were super speedy- within minutes it was “Miss Gibson, I see some pinecones!” “Miss Gibson, there’s a hole in a tree!” “I see some colourful flowers!”. Next each group was told to find a tree and measure it. “What!? How do we measure a tree without a ruler or tape measure? We aren’t tall enough to reach the top!” the children exclaimed. “That’s where your hands are needed! You are going to measure the tree in hands not centimetres and to measure the height we will use out thumbs. You will need one person to stand against the tree and the rest of you will step back until they are the size of your thumb. Then, you will count how many thumbs tall the tree is.” the staff member explained. The children worked really well together for this activity, however, a few pupils in my group acted up but I felt I dealt with them well.
As a whole class, we walked down to the play area. The fun was about to begin. We walked over the bridge, balanced on some planks and clambered to the other side into the main play trail area. This was where we built a den per group. Unfortunately, we had been assigned a tree which was on a slope, a muddy slope at that. We were sliding everywhere, there was no way we were going to be able to build a den when we could just about stand up! I decided we should just go elsewhere and use a different tree in a safer location. We found our spot and got to work. It turns out it is a lot harder to make a den when all you have around you is a bunch of branches which won’t prop up against a tree nicely. We managed to eventually have something that like somewhat like a den but I don’t think I’d want to spend much time in there! The trek back up to school seemed to go on forever as 21 tired and hungry children don’t tend to make fun company! We were glad to get back into school and get some lunch after a long but exciting morning!
According to the Early Years Interboard Panel (undated, pp.11), outdoors and indoors need to be viewed as one combined environment. Outdoor learning is just as key as indoor and so requires the same detail of planning and evaluation. It is important to develop outdoor play especially in the early years as it allows children to relive their experiences through their most natural channel-movement. It is one of the four vehicles through which children learn. The others are play, sensory and talk (Early Years Interboard Panel, undated, pp.15). The Early Years Interboard Panel (undated, pp.35-78) suggest having various areas of learning:
These kinds of projects are a great way to get children into the outdoors and show them just how much fun it can be. Forest schools were initiated in Denmark as a way of encouraging regular outdoor learning for children. The key principles focus on ensuring the outdoors are enjoyable, using natural resources for learning and building an awareness of their senses to enhance natural curiosity (Early Years Interboard Panel, undated, pp.169). In today’s society, it seems that children are glued to technology and spend less time outdoors than I did at their age. I think this is really sad as they are in a sense brainwashed by technology and just don’t realise the opportunities the outdoors has to offer. As teachers, I believe we have a responsibility to introduce and encourage these children to the wonders of the world and provide opportunities for children to explore the great outdoors during school hours. For some pupils, this may be the only time they get outside to play. Outdoor play not only benefits children educationally but also physically. Children benefit from being exposed to sunlight, natural elements, and open air, which contributes to bone development and a stronger immune system. It seems that some parents’ fear of their child getting hurt when they are not with them is taking over and they are bubble wrapping their children by keeping them indoors (Bento and Dias, 2017). I think it is important for children to explore independently as this is a way in which they can learn from their mistakes e.g. if they fall over they know not to do that again or be more cautious.
On Friday morning, I decided I was fine to go on the trip and stay in school as I thought what more could a bit of gluten do to me!? Bad idea, Clare- I’m not sure if it has been the gluten or if I caught a bug on Friday but I have ended up feeling rotten all weekend and don’t know if I will be well enough for school tomorrow. I think as a teacher it can be hard to be sick as you obviously want to go in and just brave it so you see your class and can teach them. However, you also need to remember that you could end up making them sick or not be able to teach them effectively and would be better just resting up. Ultimately, if you cannot focus on the children and their learning, it is unfair on them and yourself to be in that classroom. Children deserve teachers who can be focused and think clearly to provide them with the best educational experience possible. Of course, we as teachers also get sick. How could we avoid it when we work with kids!? Half of which don’t wash their hands after using the toilet! Sometimes, we just need to take some time to recover and reenergise ourselves when we are under the weather. Maybe, just don’t make it too often!
9am- All pupils should be in school. Collection of bus, dinner, snack and cabin club money. The snack helpers then go round the other classes. On a Monday, the class look at the Road Safety Calendar and discuss how they can be safe in the environment shown e.g. supermarket car park. Helpers are also chosen for the week. Each day the calendar and weather chart is updated by the assigned person for the week. Homework books are collected on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Dinner numbers are taken by table colour e.g. 4 red pegs for 4 people at the red table.
Helpers:
This week has allowed me to see the aspects of teaching we don’t always focus on. I have experience parts of being a true teacher including marking homework books and various worksheets from my lessons. Taking down wall displays is another job which teachers don’t tend to find enjoyable but it has to be done. I believe wall displays are a good way to increase self esteem as children take pride in their work and can show it to their families during parent/teacher interviews or school events. According to Education World (2015), “Visibility leads to value”.
The second child was a P2 for their 3rd lesson. Once again, the lesson started by reading familiar books. This child was looking at the letters ‘c’, ‘d’ and ‘u’. She began by grouping the letters and then the teacher said words beginning with the letter or the letter name or sound e.g. umbrella. The pupil had to place the correct letter in the teacher’s hand. I found this activity beneficial as the child becomes familiar with words beginning with that letter whilst practicing the sound. A letter book is used to write the letter and think of a word which starts with it e.g. j-jelly. The child can then draw the word and completes 2 letters per session. This pupil also completed a sentence- “I have a dog.” Once again, the features of a sentence are considered and the child starts a new book. The pictures were used by the child to help them figure out the words.
I experienced something quite random and different on Wednesday afternoon when the class teacher led the children outside and told them to follow her and do as she did. It turns out we were going for a wee run around the playground-what fun! This was a reminder of how sometimes as teachers we need to loosen up and have some fun with the kids. The fresh air can do not only the children good but also stressed teachers!
Sometimes, a quick 10 minute lesson can be the most effective. I took a mental maths lesson which involved using cubes to demonstrate understanding of addition and subtraction. It was important to use a range of vocabulary to show that ‘plus’ and ‘and’ are the same and ‘minus’ and ‘take away’ mean the same. All children responded well to this and show a good level of understanding. The next step would be to work with bigger numbers. This will help develop children’s confidence in their mental mathematics ability.
I started the topic of length with the class this week. As they haven’t met this topic before, I need to introduce the topic using non standard units of measurement. Due to the business of school life and things cropping up, I only managed to teach one lesson on length. It was important to make the lesson as interactive as I could to ensure the children were engaged from the start of the topic and took an interest in it. During this lesson I had a cutting and sticking activity for the class, this involved 5 different coloured strips of paper per child meaning a lot of handing out. Instead, I should have grouped the paper with a strip of each colour in a pile for each child. Additionally, some pupils finished the activity much quicker than I expected. This meant I had to think on the spot for an extension activity but thankfully my brain was working that day and they were able to do more work! I will continue this topic next week by asking pupils to measure using cubes.
I was asked to plan a series of lessons on The Lighthouse Keeper series. I cannot quite believe I’d never came across these books before as they are brilliant and can be linked to many topics. I decided to start with The Lighthouse Keeper’s Picnic as my head began buzzing with ideas when I read the story. Unfortunately, the teacher decided my worksheet idea was too difficult for most pupils which is all a part of the learning curve in the life of a teacher. At least I can use the worksheet another year! A chat with her helped me to understand the level that children are working at better but I still struggle at times. As the class had been working on phonics ‘ee’ sound before Easter I decided it would be a good idea to refresh their memory and do a phonics worksheet based on ‘ee’ and ‘ea’. Some pupils found this worksheet quite tricky in places as they make the same sound but most pupils managed to complete the worksheet with little or no mistakes. This activity was a good way for the pupils to work on their recalling key events in a story and sounding words out skills.
As my one and a half years as a student teacher I’ve been made aware of the importance of collecting resources- it’s a shame I don’t have enough space to keep everything I think might one day be useful even if it is just a random piece of ‘junk’. Thankfully, my teacher head was on during Christmas when my Dad received a hamper in a lovely basket i.e. a lovely PICNIC basket. Yes, that’s right- the PERFECT resource for The Lighthouse Keeper’s Picnic. I was so excited for this lesson as I felt the kids would really engage with it and have some fun. Thankfully I was correct- they loved it, they were squeezing past to get a view of what was in my basket (probably not my best behaviour management during this lesson but hey they were excited and had just finished a lively session of PE)! The pupils loved guessing and then seeing what would be in my perfect picnic basket. They were keen to share their own ideas leading perfectly into the worksheet on where their perfect picnic would be, who they would invite and what they would do and have in their picnic basket.
I felt I was quite stressed during this lesson as it was to be about an hour but due to PE it got cut to 25 minutes. This meant I was worried about not achieving much during the lesson but the timing worked well in the end. We recapped the story and looked at my picnic basket before lunch (which ended up being a picnic outside-perfect timing or what!?) and then the children discussed their perfect picnic and completed a worksheet on it. This lesson was an example of having to change plans to suit unforeseen events. Overall, I think this lesson really taught me the impact that having two very engaging and lively lessons can have on the class. Next time, I would possibly consider doing a different lesson which isn’t quite as interactive but I felt I managed the situation quite well. There were a few children who acted up and I feel I wasn’t firm enough with them. I need to work on ensuring the whole class’ experience is not affected by a few children and instead move those who are misbehaving or consider making them go to their seat and miss the fun until they can behave. I felt my worksheet was well made to suit all children’s needs as there were words to help those who struggled and those who were confident enough to think of their own words tried very hard with their spelling.
I’ve had very little experience in observing PE lessons and only taught one last year on placement. As I am with P2/3 this year, PE lessons are very different compared to P6. The first lesson was taken by the class teacher and focused on looking around you for other people to ensure you do not crash into them. Something as simple as a bean bag works great for younger ones. The other lesson this week was taken by a football coach from outside of the school. Once again, a focus was watching for those around us. He was looking for children who were keeping control over their football. I like how the children receive PE lessons from both the class teacher and someone from outside of the school as I believe that having a different face can sometimes add a bit more excitement for the class. It can also minimise any anxiety the teacher may have if PE is not a strong point or major interest for them.
I decided it would be a nice idea to link the literacy topic of The Lighthouse Keeper to a craft by allowing the children to make their own lighthouses. This idea proved a little more difficult than expected- how on earth does one student teacher get 28 Pringles tubes to make lighthouses!? That’s where you just have to ask people and show your desperation on social media. I even had my parents ask their friends and I still only have 15 Pringles tubes. I was unsure if in this day and age I would be allowed to ask the children to bring in their own tubes considering Pringles probably aren’t the healthiest snack to be promoting to a class of 27 6/7 year olds. Thankfully a few staff members and a couple of children might be able to help me and bring a few tubes in next week. As I didn’t have enough tubes for the whole class and the task is quite hands on, I took the children out of the classroom in groups of 4. The children required quite a lot of help with sticking the strips of paper on the tubes so that they sat in the correct order and didn’t slip down. To stick the little tea light and cup onto the lid of the Pringles tube I needed to use the glue gun. This meant the children has less to do for the craft but next week they will paint a base and put rocks using tissue paper on it. I am glad I am doing this craft with them even if it takes quite a bit of preparation time as the children are really excited about it and responding well.
This week has been quite a mixture of things but I have enjoyed it overall. There have been ups and downs but I think once I am back into routine and teaching more, I will enjoy it more. Getting to see this huge selection of school events and teaching will help me in the future as I will hopefully be more prepared for the unexpected and elements which aren’t always focused on. Over the next few weeks, I really need to put my foot down when it comes to behaviour management and ensure there are consequences for pupils who consistently misbehave whilst ensuring there isn’t something deeper going on. My confidence is growing but I still have a long way to go- perhaps I won’t have that confidence in myself until I am left with my own class in probation year but I hope I will begin to believe in my ability and judgement soon. I find it hard to believe just how quickly this placement is going. 3 weeks down, 3 to go!
Thankfully, I managed to get some teaching fitted into this busy week! The usual Monday morning routine circle time proved rather successful on the theme of ‘Friends Letting Us Down’ to link to the Easter story when Judas betrays Jesus. I took a risk through introducing a new and quite complicated game which focused on lying. This risk proved worthwhile as the children seemed to really enjoy it and it got the message across. 
Several of my class attend ‘Cabin Club’ after school each day. This is for children who finish school at 2pm and cannot be collected until 3pm, perhaps due to older siblings in the school who only finish at 3pm. This takes place in the mobile classroom which is a play based learning classroom with an outdoor area including a shed, kitchen area and various outdoor equipment. It is not a homework club but instead a space for children to explore through play. I helped out with Cabin Club on Wednesday afternoon. As the weather was nice, the children played outside. I think this is a great idea as it allows children to get some fresh air and exercise after a day at school whilst also providing them with learning opportunities, often, without them even realising they are learning showing that learning can indeed be fun!
Whilst this week has been busy, I have enjoyed it and it has allowed me to see that sometimes things do not run as smoothly as we like and timetables are interrupted. As a teacher, I need to be prepared to change the plan for the day when something else crops up. It is good as a student to get out of the classroom and get involved with sports outings without the pressure of organising it. This prepares me for the future if I ever end up as the coach for a sport. It has been a speedy but hectic week with nose bleeds, sick children and tired teachers but hey I guess that’s the life of a teacher!
My main learning point in first year was that implementing behaviour management strategies is crucial. I had a rather difficult class last year who tested the patience of myself along with many staff. I found it extremely difficult to gain their respect and ensure their behaviour did not affect their learning. It felt like no matter what I tried, some pupils just refused to listen to anyone. This year, behaviour isn’t a major issue. Whilst I still need to use behaviour management strategies, I don’t believe it will be as difficult to maintain pupils’ attention and already think they have more respect when they are asked to do something. As it is getting closer to Easter, they are beginning to get tired and less willing to do work but they have still got on with their work when prompted. Last year, several pupils questioned the class teacher and myself on what the point was in what they were doing and refused to complete the work.
The behaviour management strategies are quite familiar to me from placement last year and attending this school as a child. The methods used include the class teacher raising her hand and the child must raise their hands too. Once they have their hand in the air, they know they should zip the lips and listen and look at the teacher. This was used in my placement school last year. Sometimes the class teacher claps twice and the pupils know to look at her and be quiet. A new technique for me is the use of an egg shaker to quieten the children down.
A whole school reward system that has been used for years is House Points. There are four houses: Exorna, Dunboe, Benone and Mussenden. Pupils can earn house points through excellent work, sporting and academic achievements and good behaviour. Each month there is a focus on what children can do to earn house points e.g. March is all about good behaviour. I have tried to use as many of these strategies whilst teaching. Thankfully, I have not needed to use the Yellow and Red Card system as pupils have considered their behaviour and changed their actions when prompted.
The class have circle time every Monday morning which has been a new experience for me as P6 did not do circle time last year. 
This week has involved a lot of observation and supporting pupils as I am new and don’t know the pupils’ needs and routines well enough just yet to teach them as a whole class too often. I have led group work outside of the classroom such as spellings with Primary 3’s which has allowed me to see what level they are at and ensure they all get a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. One thing I realised during this was that I was forgetting just how young pupils are compared to my 11 year olds last year. I asked pupils to write the sentence “The cloud looked like candyfloss”. This was rather silly of me! They attempted the word ‘candyfloss’ but some struggled significantly. I need to remember to match the pupils’ level and needs. I have taken reading groups which has been interesting as some pupils are working at a Primary 1 level whilst some are exceeding expectations. It has been a great chance to relive my childhood as they still read The Magic Key books! One thing I have noticed through these reading groups and spellings is that it is important that pupils who are off sick are given the appropriate support to catch up when they return. We must ensure that they receive the same level of support as the pupils who were there during the initial teaching of a topic. Additionally, I was reminded of how much children can surprise us. I was reading with a girl who had been off on Monday and she was struggling with words such as ‘put’ at the start of the book and by the end she was able to say ‘water’ without any help. Children can really take us by surprise!
I have had opportunities to work with pupils in the Primary 5/6 class as 3 of them were sent to my classroom as their teacher was preparing for ITV news and the Mayor of Coleraine’s visit on Thursday for our Plastic Smart Campaign (You can read a bit about it here- 
Our class went to the computer suite to use a program similar to paint to draw an Easter bunny. Interestingly, it seemed that although many children are familiar with technology, many struggled with using a mouse. This may be due to the increased use of touch screens rather than a mouse. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for specialists to come into the school for subjects such as Physical Education. This was the case for my class when they played football in PE on Thursday. I quite like the idea of this because I believe that as primary teachers, it is important for us to be interested in all aspects of the curriculum, however, we cannot be experts in all aspects. By bringing in a specialist, it takes some pressure off the teacher and allows them to have some marking time or build a rapport with their pupils by joining in and having some fun with them.