Category Archives: 3.2 Classroom Organisation & Management

Review of first year placement

I have just finished my first placement.  I spent six weeks in an upper year’s class.  Overall I have enjoyed my placement.  However there were days when I found it very difficult.  It was a real learning curve.  But saying that I am glad I did it and overall I’m sure it has improved my teaching skills.  I feel I developed a good relationship with the children.  My knowledge of the curriculum has improved and I no longer feel nervous when teaching a lesson.  This links to two of my goals: confidence/staying calm and lesson planning.  I had to think on my feet and to do that I needed to stay calm.  This can be difficult sometime when children are involved.

Being in the classroom and planning lessons has made me realise how hard teachers work.  Teachers start early in the morning before the children arrive and leave late at night, using the time later in the afternoon to plan future lessons.  Seeing so many dedicated teachers inspired me to plan in advance and link lessons to the children’s needs.

Something which I felt I initially struggled with on placement was behaviour management.  To begin with, I could see that some of the children were testing me.  My school used the restorative approach.  So I used this method when talking to the children about their behaviour.  By doing this I felt as the weeks went by that the children responded to me very well.  Also to begin with when teaching lessons there was a lot of chatting on the carpet.  So to help keep the children’s attention I would; use positive praise, move children or clap to get the children’s attention.  I found by using these techniques the children paid a lot more attention on the carpet.  By the end of the placement I felt my behaviour management skills have improved, they are not perfect but I’m definitely better at it.

A strength I saw grow on placement was the development of my classroom presence.  Also as my behaviour management improved I felt the children treated me like their teacher.  They would come to me for help.  They would also tell me about their interests and hobbies.  In doing so I feel I developed a strong relationship with the children.  I was not just their teacher; I was somebody there to help them if they needed it.

I have learned so much over my six weeks on placement.  I have developed my confidence and skills and now I am more excited than ever to become a teacher and have my own class.

Body Language Techniques

I recently watch a video all about body language. It was very interesting to see how the teachers conducted their selves. The teachers used a lot of eye contact, looking at all the children. Most of all the teachers used their bodies but most importantly their hands. They used sweeping gestures and jabs to invite the learning in and captivate them. When using their hand, their palms were up in a non-threatening way. Facial expression – all the teachers smiled showing they appreciated the pupils participation.

The teachers did not stay static at the front of the classroom. They moved around to engage the pupils with their teaching. To show approval the teachers would: smile, nod and show enthusiasm. The teachers looked very relaxed; they put weight on one leg or put their hands in their pockets. Looking relaxed helped to make the children feel more comfortable in the class. Whereas folding your arms is creating boundaries suggesting to the children that you don’t want any contact.

Something that I thought was an interesting technique and one I would like to try; it the thinking gesture. This is where the teacher places their hand on the bottom of their chin – to look thoughtful. This then encourages the children to think deeply before answering.

So I have learnt that your body and the way you use it can have a big effect. It can encourage learning and create an atmosphere.

You can watch this video here