Category Archives: 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment

I HATE MATHEM… Oh actually it’s not that bad!

Leave a reply

Primary 5… some dreary day in mid-November. Maths test. The dread I felt when the teacher uttered the words the moment we came back into the classroom from morning break have never left me. I would not say I ‘fear’ mat1110express-student-fearshs however, it genuinely makes me feel uneasy. I think the main reason for this was this specific maths test. It was mental maths. 20 questions. And we had 10 minutes to answer as much as we could (no working allowed – including the use of fingers!!) It’s safe to say I never done very well, 7 out of 20. Although, at first, I was rather pleased with myself for getting that much correct, until my teacher stated that ‘you can only be good at either English or maths; you cannot be good at both.’ So from that moment, I had always considered myself rubbish at maths so really… Why try?! Eastaway and Askey state that people’s mathematics anxiety can develop from a parent or teacher but mainly it is not the fear of maths itself but the fear of being shamed. (Eastaway and Askey, 2013, p15.) Personally, for me, I feel that, this point in my education was one of the main factors as to why I feel anxious about mathematics.

As I have grown the idea that my primary 5 teacher had fixed in my head that you can only be good at maths or English slowly but surely started to vanish. I do not believe that if you are good at English, you cannot be good at maths, or vice versa. I have seen first-hand, many people that have the natural ability to be good at both.

You may prefer one subject to the other, therefore may shine in that said subject but this does not mean that you cannot then excel at the other if you put the work in for it. Eastaway and Askew tell us that, ‘there is no such thing as a maths gene’ (Eastaway and Askew, 2013, p14.)

According to these men, today’s society is much more sophisticated in maths compared to those in medieval times. Showing that over time we have adapted to the different concepts and ways to understand math that categorically there cannot be a gene that has programmed us to ‘be good at maths’ (Eastaway and Askey, 2013, p15.)

One of the main reasons for choosing ‘discovering maths’ was to get over this anxiety I had surrounding maths. I can already categorically say that I am so glad I choose the elective I did.

Our first lecture, ‘What is maths? Why teach it’ was an eye opener for me. I went in to this lecture a little apprehensive and left with a new excitement surrounding mathematics that I had not felt before. This was due to the lecture being made fun and relatable. The main task set to us was to work out how many snaps it would take to break up a bar of chocolate that had 64 squares. By working together in groups for this task with actual physical props we were able to explore maths in a way I don’t think I ever had. It brought out discussion, conversation, sharing language and most importantly, play.

As a learner, being able to relate my maths to real life was very important to me and I feel helped me understand clearer and ultimately enjoy what I was doing. As a teacher working with children that may feel anxious and withdrawn for maths, I will strive to ensure that I will relate it to real-life as much as I possibly can. By doing this and adding in the ‘fun factor’ I feel children will not had this fear of mathematics that most do today. This will hopefully give the children an insight as to why they need maths and I hope that they will never be asking themselves ‘when will I use this again?’

Eastaway, R., Askew, M. (2013) Maths for Mums and Dads. Square Peg. London.

The Big Five

Leave a reply

Everyone has a personality, there is no disputing that. Everyone’s personality is also very different. However, it is something that I have to say, I have never really thought about until now.

I found todays lecture surrounding personality very interesting, especially the five different dimensions that your personality can be broken into.

I had never heard of, ‘The Big Five’ before and thought that I would do some of my own research into finding out more detail on each of the sections themselves. Whilst doing this, I came across a website that allowed you to take a personality test which would then give you back in a percentage what your personality scored.

This is a snapshot of my personality test which I have to say, did surprise me.

050 Most of the traits were scored quite close together and I do agree with a few. I feel that I do go out my way to please others and I do feel that I may come across as shy in certain situations. However, I was very surprised to see that the score for Neuroticism was very high at 81%. I know that I have experienced some situations that arise negative emotions but I wouldn’t say that it was any more than anyone else. Due to this, I feel that I need to look at myself and take consideration in the way I may or may not react to everyday situations to see if I subconsciously experience negative emotions without myself even noticing.

If this test is something that also interests you and you would like to find out what your ‘Big Five’ say about you, this is the link here.

Reflecting on reflection

Leave a reply

Reflection is a means of processing thoughts and feelings about an incident, or a difficult day… And gives us a chance to come to terms with our thoughts and feelings about it.

Personally, reflection for me is a key part in my learning due to my anxiety. Reflecting back on my learning allows me to identify not only my errors and weaknesses but it can also bring to light the positives of what I am actually succeeding at within my studies. By seeing my own strengths, this gives me a confidence boost and allows me to feel that I could possibly overcome the anxiety’s that I feel sometimes hinder my learning and hold me back.

I reflect on my problems and situations that I find myself in on a day to day basis. Due to this, I see myself implementing and reflecting on most aspects of my life all time, especially my academic studies. I feel that having a more focused reflection, I am able to look at new outcomes and ways of approaching and reacting within certain situations.

‘The way that we learn from an experience in order to understand and develop practice’ – (Jasper2003)

Reflection not only allows us to solve problems but also allows us to learn from past experiences and take control of our own learning. However, reflection does not just have to be looking back and reflecting on what has already happened; it is often useful to also reflect forward. By doing this we can put our past experiences to good use and plan in a way that reflects positively on our learning.

Active & Co-operative Learning

Leave a reply

Active learning allows us as teachers to involve our pupils more in their own learning. Active learning also hopefully lets children feel more engaged in their own learning and feel inspired and excited to learn. There are many positive factors for active learning including; the children being more active towards their learning than having a passive attitude. It also allows the child to take their learning into their own hands which I feel is a more effective method of learning as the child will be more likely to remember and feel excited about what they are learning.

There is an endless list of benefits when it comes to working co-operatively within the classroom for both the teacher and the pupils.

Personally, I feel that working and learning with my fellow colleagues is a more effective method of learning. Discussion ideas with others and getting their opinions and views enhances everyone’s knowledge that is involved within the discussion. Working co-operatively also helps to develop skills such as; time management, communication, social skills and commitment. So if we use co-operative learning within our classrooms with our pupils then this will allow the children to gain and develop these valuable skills.

Co-operative learning gives the children a common goal to work towards as a group. This therefore allows for the children to work closely with each other to get the best results out of the task together, rather than individually so therefore, making it a more effective learning method. As well as allowing the children to develop team working skills it also allows for them to develop respect for their peer’s opinions and views which is a valuable lesson.

The Virtues of Teaching

Leave a reply

Teachers need to have the ability to display a variety of different virtues and ethics all the time within their professional career.

I have chosen to focus on five main traits, which I have went into more detail about below. However, I am not saying that these are any more important than other traits. It all primarily depends on the individual circumstances at the time and how you as a teacher feel would be the best way to handle that situation.

Patience;

Patience, I feel is one of the most desirable traits for any individual however, for teachers I feel it is essential. This trait is most definitely vital while working in a classroom setting. As a patient teacher, I feel you should have the ability to adapt and try new learning styles and approaches when children aren’t responding or grasping certain things you are teaching. Not every child will be able to understand and learn the same way which then results in you as a teacher being able to remain patient and calm whilst finding another method that the child or children can understand.

Patience is also very important when it comes to a child’s behaviour. I feel as soon as you lose your patience with a child due to their behaviour then you have lost control of the classroom and everything you have learnt in how to teach. I fully believe that every type of behaviour displayed by every child can be chipped away down to the root cause of why this child is behaving in the way. However, to find the root cause requires patience on the teacher’s behalf. Without patience, you may find that you just write the particular child off as a ‘trouble maker’ when in reality there is a deeper cause and meaning for the behaviour being displayed.

Respect;

I feel that, respect is one the most important traits for a teacher to possess. Without respect present within the classroom both towards the teacher and the children then it is not an environment in which anyone is going to benefit from learning. If a teacher is respected by his or her class, it will create a learning environment where everyone feels comfortable to be and to learn in.

To gain respect, one must show respect; I feel that this is very important within the classroom and that some teachers need to realise that children should not just respect you because you are the teacher, the children should respect you because you respect them. Respect is a two way relationship and I feel that if it is met by both parties then everyone will benefit.

Empathy;

In order to be the best teacher you can, you have to have the ability to display empathy towards your students when necessary. By being able to do this, you will be able to make an almighty difference in the learning of the pupils’. By being able to bring yourself down to a child’s level and fully show that you understand and empathise with what the child is going through, that child can then see that you are a trustworthy and important character in their life, that they will feel comfortable to approach. Without empathy within the classroom, pupils may not feel safe or happy. There may be a lack of confidence in the teacher from the children and they also may feel that they cannot trust them.

The key to being empathetic is to be realistic and realise that every individual is different, with completely different circumstances both within school and outside. To be able to empathise with the different circumstances that you may be approached with you have to be able to be aware of what is going on around you and also to be an approachable figure to every one of your pupils’.

Fairness;

Preconceptions and expectations should be left at the door when you as a teacher enter your classroom. Fairness within the classroom is essential for every child to be able to learn within the classroom at the best of their abilities. Without fairness, teachers may dwell on matters such as: class, gender, race, family etc. which could result in you as a teacher not being able to look at that pupil and see their actual qualities, abilities and potential.

Teachers should also not show or have any favouritism towards pupils within their classroom. Every child should be encouraged and taught to the best of their abilities to achieve their potentials.

It should only be fair that within a classroom, the teacher should make sure that every child has the same opportunities to progress and blossom throughout their education to then reach the best of their abilities later on in the future.

Compassion;

As a teacher, you have to have the ability to be compassionate. The reasoning for this is due to the vast variety of different children from different backgrounds that you will be working with. I believe that due to this, compassion is very appropriate to show the pupils that not only are you human but that you are a means of support and an approachable individual in that child’s life for when they may need it.