Firstly, while comparing my observation checklist with my partners I noticed we had similar views on the areas of strength shown by the teacher and the areas that could be improved. Although, something that surprised me while watching the videos is how often we may not recognise how our pupils are responding to our lessons until we receive feedback. I found it interesting that one teacher regularly recorder her lessons so she could easily identify the methods of teaching her students responded to and the methods they didn’t.

After watching the videos, I feel I gained vital knowledge into the importance of feedback and self-evaluation during my teaching career. It is clear the only way we can truly improve our practice is if we reflect on our areas of strengths and work to improve our areas of weakness. If all we are told for feedback is that our work is satisfactory we can never develop and improve as we feel what we are doing is adequate. Bill Gates Ted Talk spoke on how studies have shown that countries who result in the best academic performance provide their teachers with feedback. Thus, this allows teachers to constantly improve throughout their career, resulting in their learners being provided with the best education.

While the videos spoke on the importance of self-evaluation, they also stressed the importance of feedback from our peers / mentors through peer observation. Peer observation provides teachers with an insight into how our teaching methods are being received from a learner point of view and allows us to see which teaching methods are is effective for learners and which methods they interact with best. However, while peer observation and feedback is important, how we receive feedback from others is vital if we are to develop our practice. It is vital to remember to always receive feedback constructively and look at it as a positive way to improve so we can go on to provide our learners with better education. Therefore, when we provide feedback for our peers, which we will experience during placement, it is important to remember to always give constructive feedback and while we should give our peers areas of improvement we should never judge.

Upon reading chapter five it is clear that the main aim of the chapter is to illustrate the many ways in which questions are a vital part of learning. Throughout the chapter there are many themes that are illustrated such as; the effects that questions have on children, the effects of questions in the classroom, how questions can improve relationships and the importance of questions. Within the theme ‘the effects our questions have on children’ it highlights throughout the necessary use of caution when asking children leading questions such as ‘did someone tell you to say that? Did someone tell you to lie’ as using these questions children are more likely to become aggressive and reluctant to answer the questions as they are aware that you do not believe them and in turn they are less likely to tell the truth or confide in you. These claims are backed up in an investigation by the times 2004 surrounding child abuse.

Although I agree with the majority of the authors comments throughout the chapter I do disagree with particular quote within the ‘questions and control’ section. During the section the author quotes Bold (2009) “questions allow the questioner to control the conversation by requesting to engage the addressee to engage with a specific topic” while questions allow the questioner to decide the conversations direction they do not know the addressee’s knowledge on the certain subject and therefore the addressee could quickly gain control of the conversation.

Overall, I found the chapter a very beneficial read. It provided a deeper insight into the many different types of questions and the way they can shape conversations and/or relationships. Most importantly I feel the chapter highlighted the importance of being mindful in the way we ask questions to young children as it can greatly improve or affect their learning.

References:

‘Finding out about others: the skill of questioning’ Hargie, O. (2011).Skilled Interpersonal Communiction: Research, Theory and Practice. 5th ed. London: Routledge.