3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment | My teaching education portfolio

I feel the module I gained a vast amount of knowledge from last semester was the working together module. This is particularly due to the focus that was paced upon working within a partnership and building relationships with those people you need to work with. This was a useful insight for me as it allowed me to experience what it would be like within a working environment and the difficulties that you can face as a professional. Before entering onto this course I had some experience of reflection in practice from college where I had to reflect on lessons and activities that I had planned. I learned the importance of reflective practice though my time doing the HNC as it was vital for responsive planning and understanding the children’s needs. I am excited to begin placement and further my knowledge of reflective practice.

I originally had the idea that I wanted to be involved in teaching after my first work experience in my third year of high school. My placement was in a nursery but I was fascinated how over the space of a few weeks children can develop their understanding of different topics as well as widen their vocabulary and further develop their social skills. I was able to be part of meeting in which the practitioners planned activities and the possible outcomes and it opened my eyes to the world of learning through play and planning around the child.

It was however my second placement within a school working with a Primary two class that cemented my decision I wanted to be a teacher. I was able to observe the curriculum being used in many ways by the teacher in order to ensure that each child developed their understanding of the topic that was being focused on.

Thinking back to my own teachers at primary school I do feel that some of the activities that were organised; including school trips, debates, talks, group work and plays all helped me to become a more confident and sociable person whilst still developing my knowledge of different subjects. This has inspired me to also be able to develop my own methods of teaching in the future and pursue my career and gain more knowledge and understanding of children and teaching through this course.