Category Archives: 2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding

What Makes a Good Science Lesson?

When I was younger we never had any science lessons at Primary School. It wasn’t until I went to High School that I was introduced to Science and I really enjoyed it. I’m excited that we, as teachers, can give children a chance to embrace their curiosity through Science. It is a vital, very relevant subject that is important for pupils to be involved in.

A good Science lesson should definitely be interactive. Teaching the children a theory is important too but it should never be just talking at them. Allowing the children to actually see the theory in practice will intrigue them. Interactive lessons always make the children more interested and therefore they actually learn more. Even if there is not a good access to Science resources, it could be simple Science lessons with simple ‘equipment’. Furthermore allowing the children to interact with each other is important too because they will learn from one another and develop their communication, team working and/or leadership skills. The children will have different ideas about the experiments which they can share with each other and allow an alternative way to think about things.

The children should be developing new and relevant skills every time they do a Science lesson which prepares them for the real world as science is a big part of life and work now and even more in the future. Being able to question and make sense of things are two of the key skills that they can gain from Science lessons which they can hold onto for life. As well as this, discussing the variety of potential jobs that will be available to the children and the different people who fill these roles (eliminating stereotypes), this is important because the children can see that Science isn’t just a man in a white lab coat and will hopefully inspire them, making a job within STEM subjects a reality for them.

Within a good Science lesson looking at news stories relating to science is a great idea as this will prompt discussions with the children and potentially make links with external issues. This again allows them to ask ‘why’ and think about the different effects that all of this new science will have on the world. It opens their eyes to how much all these different aspects of Science impact our society and creates a reality for them to be able to make a difference through Science.

Overall, I would say that a good Science lesson should be interactive, teaching pupils how to apply the knowledge they have gained and giving them skills for life and work. Furthermore children should be inspired to look into Science much more often too.

Mathematics (1) Reflection

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I have been worried about teaching maths. This is because I have never liked maths, therefore I felt as though I would not be good at teaching it. The reason I don’t feel passionately about it is because I remember maths as sitting quietly, doing ten questions then for the teacher to mark them and discover I’d got most of them wrong anyway. However, this session with Tara gave me an insight into how interesting maths can be.

Talking to the children about their maths was an idea I found quite surprising as I mostly always experienced maths as a subject where I would work quietly. Asking children to discuss and justify their answers not only allows the teacher to understand what is going on in their mind but also demonstrates to the other children alternative ways to work out a sum or a problem. This may help other children if they feel stuck or just give them alternative, easier ways to find a solution. This also develops communication skills and their confidence as they try to explain their thinking.

Referring to maths as a language made me realise the importance of it. It is a universal language, everyone uses numbers and therefore can be used as a means of communication. Furthermore we discussed the myths of maths that have arisen over decades. This made me feel responsible for getting rid of them. Just because I have ‘maths phobia’ does not mean that I should pass it on to the children that I teach. I would love to show the children that I am passionate about maths (even if I’m not) to motivate them to try their best and ensure that they enjoy the subject.

Maths can be taught through other curricular areas such as PE, science or even art. This is a great way to teach maths because even the children who dislike maths will still enjoy the lesson. It may allow them to discard the mindset of ‘I cant do this’, meaning they will allow themselves to do their best and won’t be stopped by this mental block. The interactive learning, such as doing games in PE, means that children of all levels can interact with each other.

Even though maths was not my favourite subject at school, I look forward to teaching it through talking, doing and seeing. I can use the knowledge I have gained to show children that maths is an intriguing and fun subject.

Reflecting on Dance Workshop 1

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This lesson pushed me out of my comfort zone as I was interacting with people whom I hadn’t before. For some children this may also be the case but I can see that it would build their confidence as throughout the lesson everyone became more comfortable with one another. I was put in the pupils’ shoes which allowed me to be on the receiving end of the teaching of dance and see how much impact it can have on the child. I discovered that dance builds motivation, confidence and relationships amongst the children. I have gained valuable experience for teaching on my placement and beyond.

We discussed that dance can be used to teach other subjects such as numeracy, literacy and sciences. These could potentially be quite ‘boring’ subjects but dance makes them fun and the children are more likely to take in the information because their concentration levels are higher than they would be if they were bored. Giving the children specific dance moves for phrases, grammar/punctuation or sums may enable them to remember helpful information. Even in the classroom, if the dance move if memorable enough then they will remember the sum to do or the punctuation to use.

Another good concept that I think I will take forward as a teacher is the idea of getting the children to find different ways to move around the hall. It allows children to build their team working skills whilst they are brainstorming to think of crazy ways to move around. The children will also become more confident as they share their ideas with others. This allows the quieter children the courage to share their ideas with the class which, in turn, builds their confidence in their own ideas and their work during other subjects.

When the groups came together and had to choose their favourite move to show the class, I could see how this could be challenging for children as most children would want to use their own move. They would have to debate who’s move to use and overcome the problem. Problem solving is a valuable skill that can be used by the children in many aspects. This gives the children a chance to embrace other people’s ideas.

I have learned that dance isn’t just for the children’s fitness but can be used as a way for them to learn and/or express themselves. I look forward to using these ideas and concepts during my teaching.