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Peer Review and Feedback

To get you thinking about the topic of peer review, watch the video below where children explain the different kinds of people and problems you might encounter during a feedback session.

This video shows that cooperation with others is an integral part of the feedback process. When reviewing a peer’s work it is important to be sensitive and realistic in your comments. However, there is a difference between being mean and being critical. Giving critical feedback to someone is one of the best things you can do as it helps them to appreciate where they might have gone wrong, allowing them to make changes and improvements for the next time.

A good method of feedback often used in schools is the ‘two stars and a wish’ approach. This is where the child has to comment on two things that their peer has done well (the stars) and an area that needs to be improved (the wish). However, as a teacher, it is important to encourage the children to look at the success criteria of the task and not focus on things like whether or not the title is underlined. This is because the children will have focused the majority of their attention on the aims outlined in the success criteria therefore, it makes sense to give praise or constructive feedback on these points.

From my experience it is always nice to get a positive piece of feedback that someone has really thought about. It doesn’t make me feel great if someone has just stated the obvious e.g. “You copied the title correctly” but rather that they have really taken time to point out exactly what was good about a certain area and why. In the same way I look forward to receiving a critical piece of feedback as it makes me want to do better the next time and helps the same mistakes from happening in the future.

In my own experience, I have found that people find it difficult to be critical because they are worried about it coming across the wrong way. I would rather have someone honestly saying where I have made a mistake than telling me that my work is perfect- because it never will be! This is why it is vital that there is a two-way understanding in peer review sessions that constructive criticism should not be taken to heart. It is always worth remembering that it is the work you have produced that is being given the feedback and not you as a person.

On the other hand, I also really enjoy giving feedback as I feel like I can help others to move forward in their learning. This will be vital as a teacher as, quite often, the marks are not nearly as relevant as the points of feedback given in order for a child to improve on their areas of weakness.

*EXTRA ADD-IN*: A couple of hours after writing this blog post, I came across an article on ‘The Guardian’ website about peer review which I thought I would just add to the bottom of this post.

http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/oct/28/why-peer-review-needs-a-good-going-over

Practitioner Enquiry- A Brief Insight

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What is practitioner enquiry? Jack in the box

This image from the GTC Scotland website clearly shows that it is about practitioners engaging with teaching in a different way. It is very much about a continual learning process, where the teacher is responsible for furthering their own learning through continual research. This is a fairly new idea for teachers in Scottish schools; so why is it important?

Although it focuses on Australia, the video below is just as relevant to practitioners here in Scotland, as it highlights the importance of teachers and the role they play in schools.

As the video highlights, the best teachers are those who are the best learners. People who engage in current issues relating to education, and the world in general, are in a much better position to teach children about the world they are living in today. This gives the pupils a very relevant and diverse education, which enhances their learning in areas that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. It is clear that the best kinds of teachers are ones who take action.

All of the efforts that teachers put towards becoming a better enquiring practitioner should be relevant to providing their pupils with the best education they can. One of the biggest benefits of practitioner enquiry is that teachers can look further into particular topics and discover new ideas and theories behind these subjects. This will then enable them to make more elaborate, fun and engaging lesson plans and will allow them to continue on their learning journey beyond university.

A further bonus of practitioner enquiry is being able to talk about what you have learnt with a colleague and share new ideas and findings with one another. As one of the main challenges of this type of practice is feeling lonely or isolated, it is a great way of avoiding this situation. Another challenge might be if, during your research, your morals and beliefs are questioned or challenged. It may be that an idea you have never considered before causes you to take a completely new stance on a topic but this is not an easy shift to make.

As a professional, it is important to remember to use a variety of sources and not believe everything that one particular author has to say. A big part of practitioner enquiry is about asking questions. Why has the author taken this stance? What does this mean in relation to what I already know? How can I use this new knowledge to ensure that my pupils are getting the most out of my lessons?

As a student I think it will be important for me to remember to keep questioning my practice. It will be vital to do continual research to keep up with the fast pace world that we live in today. With massive advances in technology and the ever changing education system, I know just how important it will be to engage as an enquiring practitioner.

Reflections Reflection

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I sat for a considerable amount of time just trying to get my head around the fact that I was about to write a reflection on the theme of ‘reflections’.

The word reflection can mean one of two things. When something is a reflection of another it provides a mirror image of what you are seeing. However, in this case I am referring to the act of reflection; the ‘doing’ as oppose to the ‘seeing’.This is when you step back from a situation and look at what went right, what went wrong and what you could do to make it better the next time.

The act of reflection is something which is being used more and more in the education system as it is seen as an important way for people to move forward in their learning journies. Is it worth doing a task if it isn’t followed by a time of reflection? Is it important to stop and think about what has been learnt? Is there anything that could have been done to make it better?

I think the answer is that reflection is a vital part of the learning process. From what I have understood it is a way of consolidating knowledge, learning something new and learning how to tackle problems to prevent them from occurring in the future.

The well known phrase ‘we learn from our mistakes’ is describing the act of reflection. Not only are we learning from our mistakes but we learn from our successes and repeat them in the future.

The act of reflection is often displayed as a circular diagram:

This highlights that being able to reflect on a situation is very much about being in touch with your feelings. This doesn’t mean that if something has made you feel sad you should sit and have a good moan. Reflection is about asking yourself why it has made you sad and what you can do to prevent it from happening in the future. The same can be said for the positive; if something has made you happy, think about why that was and replicate it in the future.

The biggest question with reflection is ‘why?’. Although it is such a little word it can be a massive question. Why do things happen? Why has it gone well? Why has it not gone well? Why not? Why has it made me feel great? Why has it made me feel rubbish? Why do people not understand where I’m coming from? Why do I not understand where other people are coming from?

With so many questions, coming from one little word, you can see why it is important to stop and reflect. If all of these questions remained unanswered then there would be a tendency for people to get into arguments or become completely overwhelmed by a situation.

As someone who has always been very in touch with my feelings, I find that reflection is something which comes quite naturally to me. There will be many situations in life where we reflect on things and then change our actions as a result, without intentionally meaning to ‘reflect’ on the situation. For example if you bought some bananas from Tesco and then realised they were cheaper in Lidl, the next time you would buy them from Lidl because you have reflected on what mistake you made the first time and changed the outcome in the future.

I think it is important to actively reflect on teaching practice as it is the only way that we will grow as teachers, focusing on what works and learning from our mistakes.

Reflection on GTC Scotland Standards Section 1

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SPR section 1

Last week we took part in a workshop as part of the 1CM1 module, looking at professional values. Our main focus was the GTC Scotland Standards Section 1 (found in the above link). We started in our ‘home groups’ and then after being given a number we moved into our ‘expert groups’ where we talked in more depth about one particular area, before reporting back to our home groups. This is a task that I will definitely use as a teacher for group work activities as it was a good way of breaking down a big topic but still being able to engage with the whole task.

The standards are split into five sections:

Social justice
Integrity
Trust and Respect
Professional Commitment

Although each section has a set criteria, we were encouraged to think about why these things are important and what they might look like in practice. As this is a key area which we will revisit throughout our time as student teachers, but also once we enter the teaching profession, I thought I would share the ideas that our home group had about each section.

Social justice

It is important to ensure that pupils are aware of different regional and global lifestyles, cultures and traditions.
No child should feel singled out in the classroom.
Children should be made aware of the rights and responsibilities that they have as a child but also what these will look like when they are adults.
As a teacher it is important to look out for any issues that pupils may have and to ensure that these are treated sensitively.
Be aware that children come from different backgrounds and not everyone is at the same stage in their learning journey.
Make adaptable lesson plans so that they meet the needs of every child.

Integrity

As a student teacher it is important to seek help if you encounter a problem.
It’s important to see every pupils’ question as a serious one- even if it seems silly. You should always try and answer in as open and honest a way as possible.
Use your own experiences as well as your knowledge of how to act in a professional manner to be a good example to the pupils.
Don’t enforce beliefs or opinions on your pupils but encourage open discussions, giving the children the chance to ask questions.
See the potential in every child. Just because they have areas of weakness doesn’t mean they will always be weak in those areas.
Talk about being respectful and how what you say can hurt others. (e.g. name calling or phrases like “that’s so gay!”)

Trust and Respect (my expert group’s focus)

Mutual trust between pupils and teachers is key.
If there is good communication between pupils and teachers then they will gain each other’s trust. Pupils like to feel as though they are being heard.
It is important to respect other members of staff and members of the community to set a good example for your pupils to follow.
Make sure you have a good balance between fun a discipline in the classroom to maintain the respect of your pupils.
Being clear about what is appropriate behaviour in and outside the classroom is important so that pupils respect the rules which are ultimately be there for safety purposes.
Teaching good manners as simple as ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ shows pupils how to respect others.
Being open to questions about different cultures and religions is important so that pupils respect each other’s differences.
Being aware of physical boundaries and individual school policies and remembering to act professionally at all times is vital as a respectful role model.
Letting the pupils be part of their own learning by having a saying in what and how they want to learn can build a good, trusting teacher-pupil relationship.

Professional Commitment

Be enthusiastic and make learning fun for the pupils wherever possible.
Work co-operatively with members of staff and other wider bodies of the community.
Take criticism productively and learn from your mistakes.
Be prepared for lessons and every day life as a professional teacher.
Keep a professional relationship with pupils and their parents at all times.
Maintain high standards for yourself so that you are leading by example.
Practise what you preach.

What is school really about?

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http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/22/school-nick-gibb-term-time-holidays

Whilst reading through some articles on ‘The Guardian’ website I found something that I thought would be useful to share with you. This article states that ‘Schools Minister Nick Gibb’s lack of flexibility over term-time holidays is not in the interest of children’.

The article focuses on the topic of school holidays and whether or not parents should be allowed let their children be absent from school during term time. Something that really struck me was that Gibb had said,

“Children must turn up to school whatever the circumstances – maybe a day for a funeral here and there might be permissible, thanks, but no moping about grieving.”

The term ‘moping about‘ really angered me because it makes it sound like the loss of a loved one is something people should just get over immediately, when in fact these periods can be the most difficult time in any adult’s life never mind a child’s. Also that it ‘might‘ be permissible to be absent due to a funeral. I believe that if someone wants to say goodbye to someone dear to them by attending a funeral then nothing is more important.

This really made me question the purpose of the education system as it currently stands. The author of this article argues that school, including primary, ‘is no longer a way of rounding out a whole personality: it’s just a way of feeding the economic machine.’ Is it more important that a child is present in the classroom every single day or that they are given space to grow as a person in the best possible environment?

In my opinion it is vital that the whole child is taken into consideration. I’m not suggesting that children only go into school every second week but there are plenty of opportunities for learning outside of the classroom. If a child is really ill and can’t focus properly, is it really worth them coming into school and sharing the germs with the rest of the class and the teacher? I am a strong believer of the fact that everyone is unique and so something that works for one child might not work for another. If a child is really stressed and in need of some moral support then it should be the parent’s decision whether they are fit enough to attend school that day or not.

It is important to realise the potential of each child and that they are more likely to grow and develop as confident young people if they are not under the pressure of society.

A last point which really resonated with me was at the end of the article where the author has written,

“I don’t want my children to be food. I want them to be fed”.

I would love to hear your opinions on this discussion topic.