Category Archives: 2.2 Education Systems & Prof. Responsibilities

What makes a good science lesson?

Science is a very fun and active subject for children because it enables them to develop investigation skills: when they record, measure, collect and analyse data they are enhancing skills they will use in everyday life. This is important because it allows children to understand how the world around them works. Why do plants need sunshine for growth? How do batteries convert chemical energy to electrical energy? This is a subject where children learn by ‘doing’, rather than ‘seeing’. By allowing them to engage in outdoor learning is the most efficient way to make sure they are receiving best opportunities outwith their classroom.

As a teacher it is important to be passionate about the subject as this will really reflect upon the children. In order to do this, I will need to make sure I am fully involved in the lesson but more importantly, active engagement from the children is essential because they are the ones learning. Rote learning will not help children use their knowledge in practice as they are only memorising the information whereas conceptual learning allows children to link what they have learnt to everyday life processes. This will further allow children to ask questions if they are unsure of anything which will then enable them to remember this question and answer.

Another important way to deliver a good science lesson is by creating opportunities for team work. It allows children to challenge their thoughts and work together to come to a conclusion, but also explore why others may think differently. If they are carrying out an investigation or building a moving object, every pupil will have different expertise therefore by allowing them to work together they are able to share responsibilities amongst one another.

The only way to learn the maths, is to do the maths.

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I have struggled with Maths from a very young age. I can remember the anxiety I used to have when the teacher used to say the word ‘Maths’. I never really understood why I disliked the subject so much, but through Tara’s workshops, I believe I may have an idea how it started.

I remember in the upper stages of primary school, the class were doing a lesson on converting mg, kg and mm and I recall a teacher working with me. I found it so difficult. The teacher would explain it but when she asked me, I could not give her an answer. I could sense the anger through the tone of her voice. This is one key incident I believe has put me off maths: the pressure of time.

This anxiety followed me to high school. I had received disheartening remarks from my close ones because I could not do mental maths, and this is one aspect I have always struggled with. I find it difficult to calculate sums in my head and prefer to write it down. I just need a little time to problem solve. There is no rush. But I felt left out because everybody around me could do it so quickly. However, in school there is no time because the teacher needs to move onto the next topic. This is a gap in my education that has been left open , and something I will struggle with but by no means does that suggest I cannot teach maths.

National 5 maths was essential for me to get into University and therefore my anxiety only increased. I went from a C to an A and there are no regrets. I was over the moon when I received my results because I was certain I had only ‘just’ passed again. I realised that I was able to do it all the way along, but I just needed that extra ‘time’.

Tara’s workshops really boosted my confidence. She conveyed some powerful messages. We place so much emphasis on ‘illiteracy’ but what about innumeracy? Technology has become so advanced that we have become lazy and use our mobile phones and calculators for simple calculations. Children are finding it difficult to read time on clocks because they are exposed to it ‘digitally’. I have struggled with Maths and I still do, but it is something I am working on. This will help me because I would want no child to go through what I had went through. If any child requires support, I will assist them individually so that they are fully polished before moving onto the next level. This weakness has in fact become my biggest strength, and a lot of that is due to these workshops. My next steps involve doing the NOMA multiple times until I am confident in it, but also visiting the school textbooks so that I understand it before I base any lesson upon it. Confidence is key in teaching, and I am not going to let my challenging experience affect the children’s experience. Curriculum for Excellence places great emphasis on everyday maths. The 8 outcomes for Numeracy within CfE include: Estimating and Rounding, Number and Number Processing, Fractions, Decimals and Percentages, Money, Time, Measurements, Data and Analysis and Ideas of chance and uncertainty. My next steps will now be to build upon my reading to develop my knowledge of these outcomes so I am able to plan lessons suitable for the different levels the children may be at.

Reflection- moving forward from semester 1.

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On 18^th January, we had an input on ‘reflection in professional practice’ to ensure we were all prepared to reflect upon our lesson plans and the outcomes they may have. As a teacher I believe this is important because if I make a mistake, I need to understand why the lesson did not go to plan. Was it because it was not age appropriate? What activities could I implement in the future to make sure the children stay on track? Or was it due to the children not understanding my instructions? How could I be more clear next time? These questions allow me to question my teaching style to ensure the children are getting the best education they possibly can. This lecture was extremely beneficial, especially the range of examples that were given including both weak and detailed examples. This allowed me to visually see and understand the level of depth I need to give. I may prepare a task that I think I have planned well according to the children’s interests and learning levels however on the particular day, the children may not be focused or not behaving the way I wish them to so therefore I must be prepared to make changes to my next lesson to ensure this does not occur again. I understand I will have days where this will occur however it is how I deal with this and how I change this for the future. For this to happen, I must plan my lessons in advance however, it is how I react that matters and having a back up plan will also be very beneficial.

During semester 1, one key moment of reflection were the assignments. We were given input of what was expected of us and how we did this was up to ourselves. Everyday is a learning curve and although I was a little disappointed by my marks, it is fair to say I will only learn from this. The feedback was beneficial. It was my first core module assignment and therefore I implemented the skills I had built and developed in college so the standards are very clear to me now. On reflection, I know that in future I must back up any point I make with relevant evidence. I cannot state facts, rather question why. This was also discussed with my Adviser of Studies who re-enforced the importance of structure and dedicating the right amount of time and words to the different sections within the success criterion. I have made mistakes but is how I use the feedback to rectify these for future assignments that matters.