Tag Archives: learningfromlife

The Final Wrap Up

This placement has provided me with several learning opportunities and I am developing my own educational philosophy and teacher style. I was fortunate to have such a wide range of experiences during the six weeks with school trips, sports competitions and one to one observations. Gaining insight into these aspects has allowed me to grow in confidence of what is to face me as a teacher. I think by going on school trips as a student, I will be better prepared for when I need to plan one as a qualified teacher.

At the beginning of placement, I was not feeling confident in my ability to be a teacher. I think my tough placement last year made me really doubt myself and wonder if this career is the one for me. I now feel more confident in my ability to deliver a lesson. Last year, I was constantly feeling I needed to refer to my lesson plan and stick to it. Whereas, this year I was confident enough to teach the lesson without looking at my plan and was able to take the learning wherever the children led it (within reason!).

I have found lesson plans are coming more naturally to me and I am getting the learning intentions and success criteria are appropriate. Clarke (2001, pp. 19) believes that sharing the learning intentions is the first step to formative assessment. Research has found that children are more motivated and focused when they know what the objective of the task is. I have developed an ability and understanding of how to gauge a lesson right for each child and differentiate accordingly. I know that I still have a long way to go with my confidence and just trust my own judgement as if I act confident the children will trust me. Whilst I have taken some risks on this placement, I think it is important for me to challenge myself to continue taking them as I need to build up my confidence by seeing that risks sometimes do pay off. 

As a student who was educated in Northern Ireland until coming to Dundee for university where I have experienced 6 weeks of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, I have found it interesting to compare the two systems. I would say that the aims of each subject area are more specific in the Experiences and Outcomes. With NI, it is less specific on what topic the learning would be on and is instead about developing the skills. Additionally, whilst Scotland has standardised testing at the end of P1, P4 and P7 in primary school, Northern Irish children are assessed every year through teacher assessment and planned tasks and activities. Formal results, in the form of levels, are reported to parents at the end of primary 4 and 7. Certainly, from this experience I would say that Northern Ireland schools are more open to expressing and exploring Christian values. This, however, may just be the case for a few schools rather than the majority in NI.

Last year, my class were extremely difficult for all staff and myself to manage. This meant that my tutor’s feedback on my behaviour management was poor, decreasing my confidence in myself. This placement has really helped me to build this confidence up as the class have been well settled I adapted a firm but fair approach with the pupils which appeared to work as they respected me whilst we also had fun together. Pitt (2001, pp.155) believes that the best ways to support good class management are to vary the type of activity to cater for different learning styles, link learning to children’s interests and maximise the time spent on direct teaching. I tried to incorporate this into my lessons. During my time on placement, I tried to minimise interruptions, however, it is not always possible to avoid interruptions e.g. children from another class with a message. I felt my expectations were clear so the children were not distracted or likely to interrupt e.g. talking or playing with pencils. The class teacher was very impressed with my control over the class and didn’t see any cause for concern.

I really appreciated getting to see some work with children who have additional support needs as this wasn’t something that I experienced on placement last year yet is likely to be extremely common in my future classes. I feel better equipped to deal with these situations, however, each situation and how I approach it will be unique to each child.

I tried to work on cross curricular learning during this placement. My main literacy topic of the Lighthouse Keeper provided many opportunities to link learning to crafts, RE and even data handling. I planned to read Jack and the Beanstalk to lead into measuring and planting beans but unfortunately as I learned there can be interruptions during the school day. I developed a confidence and ability to deal with change and take over from the class teacher without notice.

Finally, the types of assessment I saw in action have helped to inform my practice and consider how I might assess future learning. Clarke (2001, pp.40) suggests training children to self evaluate e.g. what made you really think? What helped you (e.g. a friend, a teacher, wall display) when you found something tricky? What are you most pleased with about this lesson? This helps improve self esteem as pupils feel more confident with admitting they were wrong and what they did to try and help themselves. The school has adopted the following assessment for learning strategies:

  • “No hands up, its thinking time” – this means that all children need to think as the teacher could ask anyone. Children cannot hide and not make an effort, everyone needs to try.
  • Positive discipline- rewarded or praised for good work in the hope that others will change their behaviour to follow the example of the hard working pupil
  • Traffic lights- red “I need help”, amber “It’s making me think but I can manage on my own.” And green “I understand this well”
  • Response partners- In pairs the children read each others work and write some comments about it. For younger children, this could be an oral activity.
  • 2 stars and a wish
  • Self assessment at the end of a topic using traffic light colours

Overall, this placement has been a great success and I am feeling more content with teaching as my chosen profession.

References:

Clarke, S. (2001) Unlocking Formative Assessment. Bristol: Hodder Headline Group.

Pitt, E. (2001) Ready, Set, Go – Maths. Interboard Numeracy Group.

Jump Rope for Heart

During my placement, I was given a teacher’s handbook on the introduction and use of skipping to improve and inform pupils of how to keep their heart healthy. It was put together by the British Heart Foundation and discusses the benefits to the heart as well as additional pros such as boosting self esteem (British Heart Foundation, 1999).

All of the citations in this blog post are from the British Heart Foundation’s Teacher Handbook (1999).

The Jump Rope for Heart initiative is all about getting children exercising and keeping healthy whilst having fun.through skipping. It is a whole body activity that uses the large muscle groups in the legs, helping to improve overall co-ordination and body streng

th. As it is a weight-bearing activity, it helps with bone density and the management of weight along with a balanced diet. This is important as there is a rise in childhood obesity. Additionally, skipping has the potential to enhance self esteem and self image as well as improve timing and rhythm (pp.5).

 

 

Jump Rope for Heart fits well into the curriculum of both NI and Scotland with teaching requirements including encourage pupils to be physically active and engagement in physical activities that develop cardiovascular health, flexibility and muscular strength and endurance (pp.7.

Skipping is nto limited to physical education lessons. It could be incorporated into creative writing, music or mathematical experiments. It allows for exploration of the effects on exercise on the body for older pupils (pp.11).

Teachers should start right at the basics i.e. without the rope. This sounds a bit strange for a skipping programme but it is important pupils know how to land correctly and safely when they jump. Next is keeping to a rhythm, perhaps by putting some music on as pupils skip. Some pupils may benefit from group or partner skipping in order to further develop their skills and increase their confidence. Once pupils are ready they could move onto more complex techniques such as spinning around or side swings with the rope. Skipping rhymes could be introduced for children to jump along too. This will help challenge children to keep in time to a song (pp. 84-100).

I would definitely consider using this programme with future classes as there are so many benefits to it. Children can work at whatever level they feel most comfortable at allowing for differentiation. Everyone is able to join in, no matter their age, gender or ability. I think this could be a really enjoyable project for pupils. It does not have to be limited to PE classes and can be adapted to suit the interests and needs of the class e.g. if they have a great interest in maths, they could do experiments involving the length of rope and the time taken to jump 15 times.

References:

British Heart Foundation (1999) Jump Rope for Heart: Teacher’s Manual. 

The Lighthouse Keeper- Cross Curricular Learning

The Lighthouse Keeper book series allowed us to explore lighthouses through craft, play, mathematics and RE. We made our very own lighthouses which are now being used a night lights in the children’s bedrooms. We also had some play sessions focussing on lighthouses and the Grinlings. This featured some lovely paper basket making, lighthouses made from Lego and even a lighthouse inspired marble run. We linked Mr Grinling’s sandwiches into our own sandwich making and even used our mathematical brains to complete a tally chart and a pictograph. We even looked at a very special person’s own picnic when we learned all about Jesus feeding the five thousand. Below are some videos and pictures of the things we got up to:

A pictograph showing the class’ favourite sandwiches.

The pupils were very proud of their hard work.

One pupil created a marble run inspired by the lighthouses we were learning about.

The pupils were able to practice their social and numeracy skills whilst running the beach hut.

Transferrable Skills Record

At the start of placement I really wanted to work on the following skills:

Skill Halfway Through Placement End of Placement
Effective relationships with others I feel I have developed a good relationship with both staff and pupils. I do think I am quite quiet in the staff room but I believe this is partly due to feeling weird about being in a staff room with teachers who taught me. Hopefully, over the final weeks I will feel more comfortable with all staff members. I believe I have integrated well into the staff team and staff members are aware that I am willing to help them. Throughout my placement, I tried to chat with each staff member and ensure that they knew who I was and saw me showing an interest in them. Whilst I have been quiet in the staff, I think I have integrated well into the team. I definitely feel I have developed a good relationship with my class teacher and classroom assistant which is extremely important as a teacher. A good relationship between the class teacher and classroom assistant makes the classroom run more smoothly. The children and I got on really well and they were always very excited to tell me about the various things going on in their lives such as wobbly teeth. They were also very sad when they heard I was leaving and said I better come back! I think I had a fun but fair relationship with the children and put my foot down when required.
Effective communication with others  I think I am doing quite well at this as anything my class teacher or classroom assistant has needed to know I have told them e.g. child leaving money or any cause for concern. My communication with the children has been clear as they usually know what they need to do and understand my expectations. I informed my teacher of any concerns that I had about the placement or any children. There weren’t any communication errors and the class teacher was aware of what I had planned for each day. Whilst teaching the children, I have made my expectations and instructions as clear as possible. This has ensured that the children know what the task is as well as what I expect from them.
Demonstrate professionalism and commitment to my role I think I am demonstrating a professionalism and commitment to my role as a student teacher. I am trying to show initiative when I can and am trying to keep up with the workload. I demonstrated my professionalism and commitment by attending placement everyday that I was able to. I took 2 days off due to sickness and 1 day off to do uni work as my teacher insisted so. I showed maturity and initiative when making decisions and teaching the children. I kept on top of the workload and handed in my lesson plans on time.
Understanding of the best level for a class and how much differentiation is appropriate At the minute, I think I am finding this quite hard as there is quite a range of needs within the class. Some children are finishing the extension activity whilst others don’t manage to complete the main worksheet. I need to work on getting the level right for the children to ensure challenge and enjoyment for all pupils. At the end of placement, I am feeling happier with gauging the level right for this class. I know that some children need pictures to help them understand the worksheet as they are not yet confident readers whilst some need more complex words to stretch them. I gauged my reading group’s worksheets “perfectly” according to the class teacher. I have learnt the importance of always having an extension sheet at the ready and then an idea in mind for those who manage to finish the extension. The pupils were challenged but also enjoyed their learning.
Continue to develop my organisational skills and always try to be one step ahead  So far I think I have been fairly organised as I have kept up to date with my blogs as well as producing lesson plans for the class teacher. Sometimes, I leave the typing up of my evaluations a few days but I usually have a written reflection. I need to try and be one step ahead and write up my evaluations on the day I give the lesson. Throughout this placement, I have been pretty organised. I think I was a bit more laid back about it all as I knew my main work was the blog and I didn’t need to do lesson plans for every single lesson. However, my teacher asked me to create a lesson plan for every lesson which I can now see the benefit and importance of. By doing these lesson plans, I was confident in what I was doing. I got better at writing my reflections on the day of my lesson as time went on.
Demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of others, respecting their individual rights and supporting their development I have demonstrated a sensitivity to the needs of both the staff and pupils. I understand that everyone is different and therefore has their own needs and interests which need to be respected and considered especially within the school. I feel this came easily to me as I tend to put the needs of others above my own and love caring for people. I understood that these children came from various backgrounds such as divorce, single parent and one child had even had brain surgery. This meant I had to be sensitive to their needs and also consider what topics and stories I did with the class to avoid any unnecessary upset or stress. I needed to consider the needs of every single child and adapt my teaching to suit them. I also understood that not everyone there would have the same values and beliefs as me although they were similar.
Develop my own educational philosophy whilst using other educators’ beliefs and values to inform and justify my beliefs and practice  So far I have learnt a bit more about my own educational philosophy but have also benefitted from observing other teachers and learning of their values and beliefs. I felt this placement was an ideal school for me as my educational philosophy is quite similar to that of the staff. The school has Christian values and believes that educators need to show children they care in order to build a relationship with them and thus help them learn effectively.
Act professionally in all situations both inside and outside the classroom I have acted professionally both inside and outside the classroom. As a student teacher, I know that I must promise confidentiality and nothing should be shared on social media about my placement. I have ensured that no information is shared that would not be considered appropriate or professional. As a student teacher, it is always made clear to us that we are not to share any confidential or personal information to anyone in person or online. Whilst I shared various stories of what I had got up to and any cute/funny stories, I ensured that anything personal regarding the staff, pupils or school did not leave the classroom. Ultimately, I know that these measures are in place not only to protect the person and the school but also myself.
Explore and experiment new ideas, taking risks whilst showing confidence  I have tried out some new ideas which I was unsure of how successful they would be. It was important that I acted confident even if I didn’t feel it as the kids would notice any uncertainty within me. So far, they have paid off. I want to keep experimenting and determine what ideas might be good for future classes. During this placement, I have had the opportunity to experiment and explore new ideas without the pressure of a tutor visit. This has allowed me to determine what ideas work and how to improve those which didn’t go so well. As it was an Early Years and Key Stage 1 placement, all of my ideas were new and I was unsure of how they would work. I decided to take risks with my crafts between the Easter chicks and the mighty lighthouse project. I wasn’t sure if these would be too hard or easy for them but I felt they were just right for this class. I also took a risk with the Lighthouse Keeper book series as these books are aimed at pupils aged 6-11 which is quite an age range. I changed some of the words in the books to help pupils gain a better understanding of the stories. I tried to include a wide range of activities to try and explore the different needs and learning styles within a classroom.
Demonstrate the capacity to work with and manage change  This is a different environment compared to placement last year in that it is a different curriculum and the school has different values to the Roman Catholic school I was in. There haven’t been too many unexpected changes so far and all of them have been easy to adapt to. Just like any other primary school, there have been unanticipated changes within the school day. Sometimes, it was that the hall was no longer available or that there was a special assembly. Even the likes of it being a super rainy day when you’d planned to go outside. As primary teachers, we always need to have a backup and be prepared to deal with the expected. I felt I have dealt with changes well as during my time I had several nose bleeds, sick children and on a few occasions the class teacher had to leave the room unexpectedly. During these times I have had to take over and teach the class and I feel I have managed this well.
Be systematic, well-prepared and capable of planning ahead  My planning has gone well so far and I am keeping up well with lesson plans. I have had all my lesson plans ready the week before I am teaching the lessons but need to work on how quickly I evaluate them. It is undeniable that teachers need to be prepared. This placement has shown me this with the various happenings within the school and how they can affect the classroom timetable and routines. It is important to try and be one step ahead and have a back up plan incase something doesn’t go according to plan. By the end of placement I usually had something else up my sleeve just incase the children didn’t respond as well as I’d hoped. I want to continue to work on this to ensure that I always have something else I can do with a class if my original plan isn’t working. I completed my lesson plans on time and handed my folder into my teacher to give her enough time to read it, get it back to me and give me feedback on it before the final day.

School’s out for summer… for me anyway!

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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).

It’s the Final Countdown

Another week is done and dusted which means there is just one week left of placement in second year. In ways I am relieved that I am almost finished as I am exhausted and cannot wait for a lie in. However, I am starting to feel sad about leaving my little class as they are such a delight to be around and teach.

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.

I continued with my reading group this week but with being off for the first two days, we were running slightly behind schedule.I found that some of the children were testing me as they tried to tell me that they had already read the whole book- they had only read half of it on Tuesday. We finished off the book and all pupils completed their worksheet well. They understood what they needed to do and were able to finish it with little help. This shows that the worksheet was at a good level for them. I felt I took no nonsense and managed the group well. On the second day, the children were quite unsettled and found it hard to concentrate and listen when it wasn’t their turn. 

There were a lot of disruptions as pupils were being assessed by  a college student on their reading level. Two children acted up quite a bit even after several reminders of the rules. I found it quite difficult on Thursday as they were so distracted but I felt I dealt quite well with it by asking those acting up to read a little bit more to engage them. Again, the worksheet was gauged at the right level for the pupils and most children completed it. There were a couple who did not manage to complete it due to being taken out for assessment.

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.

I found it quite funny as Friday was a ‘Break the Rules’ day which involved 6 rules that the children could break for £1 each. The rules were:

  1. Dye your hair or a wacky hairstyle
  2. Wear a weird hat
  3. Wear your pyjamas instead of your school uniform
  4. Bring in a cuddly toy
  5. Bring an unhealthy snack for break
  6. Don’t do your homework

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!

References:

Centre for Global Learning (undated) Cross-curricular approaches to global learning: Guidance for primary schools. Available at: http://www.centreforglobaleducation.org/documents/Global_Learning_Cross-Curricular_Document_Primary.pdf (Accessed: 29 April 2018).

The Learning Clinic (undated) Movement Therapy- Primary Movement. Available at: http://www.thelearningclinic.ie/index.php/programs/movement-therapy/ (Accessed: 29 April 2018).

4 weeks down, 2 to go!

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.

It was important to go around the classroom and check that all pupils had completed it under the correct heading. Easier said than done when you have several pupils tapping on your shoulder at once! Throughout this week, I have been firmer and asked the children to remind me what they do when they need my attention- put their hand up and wait for me to come to their seat! I think the pupils don’t always see me as the class teacher and forget that the same rules apply with me such as not getting out of your seat but that will come with time and I can already see them improving!

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:

  • an imaginative area;
  • creative area for drama, music and art;
  • snack area;
  • horticulture area;
  • construction area;
  • sand and water area;
  • quiet area;
  • large movement area for large equipment and for children to move around in a large space;
  • small equipment area;
  • climbing area;
  • wheeled-vehicle area.

By having set areas, the children know the expectations associated with that area. It also means that children can get a chance to try different areas without too many children going to the one area.

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.

More and more children are getting a lift to school in a car and the number of pupils walking or cycling is dropping. Thankfully, as the children at my school tend to live nearby, many of them do walk or cycle on a weekly basis. Additionally, there is a walking bus line every fortnight on a Friday to encourage children to walk to school. This was introduced in my time at primary school and although I lived too far away to walk, it was suggested that you get dropped off at the start off point for the walking bus.

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!

References:

Bento, G. and Dias, G. (2017) ‘The importance of outdoor play for young children’s healthy development’, Porto Biomedical Journal, Volume 2 Issue 5, pp. 157-160.

Early Years Interboard Panel (undated) Learning Outdoors- Introduction: in the early years.

Martlew, J., Stephen, C. and Ellis, J. (2011) ‘Play in the primary school classroom? The experience of teachers supporting children’s learning through a new pedagogy’, Early Years: An International Research Journal, Volume 31 Issue 1, pp. 71-83.