Category Archives: 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment

Semester 1 Reflection

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During my brief time at university, I feel that I have already grown immensely as a person and as a practitioner.  I have developed new skills and started to build essential professional relationships with my peers.  I thoroughly enjoyed the content of semester 1, and adapting to my new learning environment. While definitely a challenge at times, I feel that university is effectively preparing me for my career as a primary teacher.

Many areas of the semester were interesting but, I found the values module key to my professional development.  The values module definitely had a strong impact on my way of thinking and personal values.  While it was often difficult to talk about subjects such as racism, patriarchy and poverty, I was able to gain perspective and knowledge about these topics, and question why society has created these issues.  This module was highly relevant because it educated me about societal issues and how these could influence my practice.  I think that giving all the teacher education students the opportunity to build a solid professional foundation was very sensible, because it is much more difficult to learn the content of the curriculum without having an understanding of the values which hold the profession together.  For example, as a practitioner I must commit “to the principles of democracy and social justice through fair, transparent, inclusive and sustainable policies and practices in relation to: age, disability, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion and belief and sexual orientation.” (General Teaching Council for Scotland, 2012, p.5.). Without having learned what social justice actually is, it would have been difficult to understand this responsibility.  I have found the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) ‘Standards for Professional Registration’, document to be a good start point to understand the expectations and responsibilities of primary teachers.

I have also started to develop my critical thinking skills, learning to unpick literature and find the most relevant information.  I have also started to create my professional identity, however I believe I will establish this further while on my first placement, and as I progress throughout the course.

I will continue to get the most I can out of lectures, workshops and tutorials, in order to further enhance my knowledge, along with engaging with literature and policy documents to ensure I am ready to teach.

 

References

The General Teaching Council for Scotland, (2012), ‘The Standards for Registration: mandatory requirements for Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland’,Available at:http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/standards-for-registration-1212.pdf, (Accessed 22.01.19).

Dance Workshop Reflection

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Before today’s workshop I was nervous at the thought of having to teach dance to a class, as I was unsure where to begin or how to work in a manageable way.  I was also apprehensive about the dance input, and concerned I might be asked to create some complicated choreography and perform in front of everyone.  However, I had a great time working in my  group to come up with different ways to travel and spin around the room, eventually creating our own mini routine.  I thoroughly enjoyed the input and now feel much more confident about dance.  We were given lots of helpful ideas and tips for class dance lessons which would allow all pupils to get involved, regardless of their ability or confidence.

Dance is a very important part of the curriculum as it allows pupils to be active, show their creativity and develop self-confidence.  Therefore, it is essential that I can deliver lessons which engage and encourage pupils to get involved.  The ‘Expressive Arts Principles and Practice’ document, states that the expressive arts allow children to be “creative and imaginative, to experience inspiration and enjoyment”.  (Education Scotland, no date, p.2.)  I believe children should be exposed to different cultures and experiences and dance is a perfect way to achieve this.

During the workshop we were shown ways to make dance relevant to pupils.  I thought that using videos of different dance styles as a stimulus was a good idea because it would give pupils a starting point, which they could then adapt and make their own.  The video clips could also be linked to another subject area the class had been working on, for example a Buddhist dance to accompany RME work.  Also, working in pairs would allow less confident or less creative pupils to get involved and benefit from developing skills, as they would have someone to help them.  We were reminded that when pupils present their work to a class audience, it is important to discuss expectations of the audience first, for example not talking during the performances and clapping at the end.  I found it useful to be given practical solutions.  Overall, I have definitely been inspired by the dance workshop and hope to similarly inspire pupils in the future.  I may not be able to teach complicated, technical dancing, but I would love to make dance accessible and exciting.

 

References

Education Scotland, (no date), ‘curriculum for excellence: expressive arts principles and practice’, Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/expressive-arts-pp.pdf, (accessed 12.01.19).

My Teaching Target

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I have always wanted to be a Primary teacher because I believe every child deserves a fair start in life and has the potential to succeed.  I want to help each child build their confidence and find their own voice, as I have.  I want to give pupils the keys to unlock their learning, the opportunity to pursue their passions, and the chance to thrive in a positive environment regardless of their background.  I hope to be a supportive and inspiring teacher. I believe it is crucial that learning is made fun and accessible to all.

I have wanted to be a Primary teacher for all of my life, apart from when I wanted to be a lollipop lady in nursery!  I even remember writing a poem in Primary 4 called ‘Teacher Tastic’ about all the tasks I would love to do as a teacher, such as preparing the paint for art lessons and making the class rules.  I love teaching and helping people to do new things and feel an enormous sense of fulfilment when someone achieves something they have previously struggled with.  I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to inspire and shape the lives of future generations.

Volunteering twice weekly at my local Primary school, during my final years at high school, gave me a huge insight into the role and responsibilities of a teacher.  I observed that being a Primary teacher is challenging but highly rewarding.  There was never a dull moment!