Restorative Practice

The core of restorative practice is relationships.

Restorative Practice is the repairing and maintaining of relationships between people. We are developing the successful idea that bad behaviour does not reflect the person, just the mood or situation. The old ways of negative behaviour and punishment are being eliminated and replaced with understanding where the behaviour came from, why it happened and how we can improve behaviour as a team rather than as individuals.

Pupils crave fairness and they thrive when a situation is handled fair. As professionals, we need to be developing the idea in our pupils’ heads that not every situation is a win/lose result and that we can solve issues with a fair and positive process.

HWB Lesson plans

Individual Lesson Plan Format (Primary)

 

Class/Group: 2nd level          Lesson: Cultural foods         Date: 25-01-19

 

Previous Experience

 

 

Working towards outcomes of a Curriculum for Excellence

HWB 2-30a

Identifies, prepares and selects foods for a range of situations, for example social, cultural, religious events.

Responsibility of all – Literacy/Numeracy/ICT/HWB (where appropriate):

Literacy – doing a range of research to prepare a meal plan for different social and cultural backgrounds. Being able to read and understand recipes for basic cultural dishes.

Numeracy – being able to measure ingredients to follow recipes.

ICT – Using ICT sources to research other cultures and their meals.

HWB – Identifying the other cultures foods dishes

 

Learning Intentions Success Criteria
We can understand the different cultural dishes from other religions and societies.

We can appreciate the importance of food within our own culture and others.

I can successfully use ICT resources to produce accurate information about other cultural foods.

I can plan a recipe to fully understand another country’s culture.

I can use different materials to portray the breakfast I have chosen.

I can create a poster that includes a recipe, a model breakfast meal and additional information about food in other countries.

Resources Introduction video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry1E1uzPSU0

ICT resources for kids

Recipe ingredients

Coloured paper

Pens

Scissors

Glue

 

Timing   Assessment methods
 

 

3 mins

 

5 mins

 

 

5 mins

 

 

5 mins

 

2 mins

30 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

30 minutes

 

 

 

5 mins

 

15 mins

 

15 mins

 

 

Setting the context/Beginning the lesson (Introduction)

–        Introduce the idea of other cultures having different foods for breakfast, with a video.

–        Explain the task of researching different breakfasts and creating a poster with a recipe

Teaching the learning intentions (Development)

–        Have a talk about what the kids have for breakfast – discussion partners beforehand

–        and a plate of food made from paper.

–        Go through the SC and ask if there are any words that we don’t understand.

–        Split class into groups

–        Allow the children to use ICT to gain knowledge and facts.

 

 

NEW LESSON/ DAY

 

–        Allow children time to create posters

 

 

Ending the lesson (Plenary)

–        Ask the pupils to present their posters on their tables

–        Get the pupils to go around the room and talk to one another about the foods

–        Bring the children back in and ask for each child to share something that they learned from another group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-being able to identify how their breakfast will differ to around the world.

 

-facts/knowledge in written form

 

 

 

 

-posters will be available

 

 

-posters will be available

-photos of the kids interacting?

 

 

 

 

Individual Lesson Plan Format (Primary)

 

Class/Group: Level 1/2         Lesson: Vegetable Adverts Date: 25-01-19

 

Previous Experience

 

 

Working towards outcomes of a Curriculum for Excellence

I am discovering the different ways that advertising and the media can affect my choices. HWB 1-37a

 

I can understand how advertising and the media are used to influence consumers.  HWB 2-37a

 

Responsibility of all – Literacy/Numeracy/ICT/HWB (where appropriate):

Literacy – Using appropriate persuasive language to make a compelling advert.

 

Learning Intentions Success Criteria
We can use persuasive language to persuade an audience.

We can identify how advertising can affect our choices.

We can identify how media has power over what we buy.

I can use my knowledge of vegetables and their benefits.

I can use my presentation skills to present my advert in a persuasive way.

I can use language to make my advert more appealing.

 

Resources Pens

Paper

Glue

Scissors

Different food adverts

A list of vegetables to advertise

 

Timing   Assessment methods
 

 

5 mins

 

5 mins

 

 

5 mins

5 mins

2 mins

2 mins

 

30 mins

 

 

2 mins

5 mins

 

10 mins

Setting the context/Beginning the lesson (Introduction)

–        Explain the task of creating an advert for a vegetable.

–        Explore the SC and ask if any questions.

 

Teaching the learning intentions (Development)

–        Ask for examples of media

–        Explore different adverts for food – RN

–        Separate the children into groups

–        Allow the children to choose a vegetable from a list – RN

–        Allow the children to begin their groupwork

 

Ending the lesson (Plenary)

–        Gather the children with their adverts

–        Discuss with the class what makes each poster influential

–        Ask children for something they have learned about how advertising and media can influence what you buy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-photos of the adverts

-2 stars and a wish

 

 

Individual Lesson Plan Format (Primary)

 

Class/Group: 1st/2nd Level    Lesson: Hygiene Books       Date: 25-01-19

 

Previous Experience

 

 

Working towards outcomes of a Curriculum for Excellence

I am becoming aware of how cleanliness, hygiene and safety can affect health and wellbeing and I apply this knowledge in my everyday routines such as taking care of my teeth. HWB 0-33a / HWB 1-33a

 

 

Having learned about cleanliness, hygiene and safety, I can apply these principles to my everyday routines, understanding their importance to health and wellbeing.  HWB 2-33

 

Responsibility of all – Literacy/Numeracy/ICT/HWB (where appropriate):

Literacy – the use of language to create a formal book on hygiene and it’s importance.

 

Learning Intentions Success Criteria
–        We can identify the areas in which hygiene is important.

–        We can identify the areas in our everyday lives in which hygiene is important.

–        We can identify how bad hygiene can influence our health.

–        I can use formal language to present my ideas on hygiene.

–        I can produce work which helps others to identify good and bad hygiene.

–        I can work effectively in a team to produce one product.

 

 

Resources Paper

Pencils

Pens

 

Timing   Assessment methods
 

 

5 mins

5 mins

 

 

 

5 mins

 

10 mins

5 mins

 

 

 

25 mins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 mins

 

5 mins

Setting the context/Beginning the lesson (Introduction)

–        Explain the task

–        Discuss the SC and ask if any questions

 

 

Teaching the learning intentions (Development)

–        Discuss the difference between good and bad hygiene, ask the children for examples.

–        Discuss how bad hygiene can affect our health

–        Give examples of good hygiene in everyday life. E.g. brushing teeth, washing hands, not mixing raw meat and veg.

–        Separate the children into 2’s

–        Ask them to come up with and illustrate a leaflet 3 good/bad hygiene processes we do in everyday life and how they affect our health.

–        Give them a time limit – 25 mins

 

 

 

 

Ending the lesson (Plenary)

–        Bring the children back in

–        Ask each pair to share one of their processes and how it affects our health

–        Ask the children to put big green, orange or red dots next to the SC that they feel they succeeded in today on the back of their leaflets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Leaflets are available as photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-photos of the dots with their leaflets

Baby Brains

In the video with Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, she talks about the connection between the development of babies brains and the relationships and environments they grow up in. Babies brains partially develop due to their genetic code, however they also develop on the relationships and interactions that they have with others.

Brains still continue to develop after the age of 3, another key developmental process for the brain is in adolesents whih continues to develop up until around the age of 20.

Due to evolution, human babies are born earlier in the developmental process because if they were to fully devleop, their heads would be too large for the vaginal canal and they would cause harm to themselves and the mothers. This also means that their brains are weaker but more flexible in their development. This leads to babies being able to cope with a lot of different environments because their brains are so flexible, which is why so much care and attention is given to early years.

For example, a child in a domestic violence environment would need a brain which can help them to cope and survive in a threatening environment. This means that their brains are always monitoring for a threat, which uses up a lot of energy as the brain is constantly analysing situations and predicting where the next threat is coming from. This leads to the child not being able to learn about other things as their brains are too concentrated on monitoring for the next threat. This also means that the brain will produce a constant stream of the hormone cortisol, which helps us deal with stress. A constant stream of cortisol however, will drown the brain in a stress hormone keeping the child on high alert and easily stressed. This leads to the fact that this child will now be wary and anxious about connecting with other people because they are constantly in a state of fear, of where the next threat comes from.

On the other hand, a child in a calm and sheltered environment will think that the entire world to be calm and they will find it difficult to deal with stress as their brains will have had to produce cortisol a lot less.

A lot of teaching is not about moulding childrens brains into the “ideal” brain, it’s about preparing them to deal with any situations that may arrise as they travel through the world.

 

 

Maths as a Language

The maths input with Tara Harper put things into perspective.

For me, maths in school was black or white. You either understood the work and had a great teacher who knew what they were doing and helped you to not only get the right answer but to understand how to get the right answer or you had no idea what was going on and you had a teacher who would get angry at you for correcting his mistakes.

In reflection, those amazing teachers were amazing because they helped you to UNDERSTAND maths rather than just pass the tests. My favourite maths teacher was also at the same time, the strictest teacher in the school. This helped because you wanted to impress her, you wanted to get the answer right and make her know you knew how you got there.

On the other hand, the teacher who gave me the worst maths experience was also the least experienced in maths. He had gone from teaching Nat4 life-skills to Higher Maths with no support or help. In a situation like this, the reason that it was a bad maths experience was that the teacher was inexperienced.  Reflecting on that, I aim to be experienced in any subject and aspect that my pupils will be learning so I can be able to challenge them to help them develop their knowledge.

In the maths input today, Tara brought up the fact that Maths is a language. Which made no sense, to begin with, however as she explained it, it made perfect sense. Maths is the only universal language in the world which every mathematician can communicate with each other with, no matter what country they are from or what language they don’t speak. This made me think that maths is even more important than I’d initially thought because, with a sound understanding of maths, children can communicate with the entire world.

Professional Practise Reflections and Evaluations

I feel that the most important aspect of reflection is the attitude. The attitude to want to do better and the attitude to not take constructive criticism to heart. Hearing the criticism of a piece of work or a lesson plan that you take great pride in can be hard, however, the majority of the time it is given to benefit and help you grow and develop.

Criticism within placement will be challenging, however, I realise that all criticism that I receive is there to help me become a better teacher. I aim to take criticism head-on and use every ounce of help I can to strive to become the best teacher I can be.

There’s a line between being beneficially critical and being overly-critical. That line, as of this point is blurred for me and I find it difficult to not over-think mistakes. During placement and the next 4 years, I aim to clear that line and be able to beneficially criticise my work to help me develop.

In semester one, the working together module was a large reflection point for me. At the beginning of the module, I didn’t see the need for this module and was highly critical of the work and things we were learning. However, as the module continued, I was able to see the need for working together and how it benefits me as a practitioner and as a teacher. I reflected in my work from the module and managed to see a gradual improvement on my interaction and understanding of the theories and activities we were provided with. This has helped me to not be as critical of subjects and aspects of learning I don’t currently understand.

 

Racism in our Society

On Tuesday, I participated in a lecture about the Racism that occurs in our community. The lecture contained the stories about Emmett Till, lynching and the progress we’ve made as a community during the past century whilst also highlighting the work we’ve still to do.

Emmett Till was a 14 year old boy (who was black) who travelled from Chicago to Mississippi for a holiday. During his holiday he was accused of flirting with a shop owner (a white female) this lead to the woman’s husband and brother-in-law kidnapping and torturing Emmett, then eventually killing him. This case was so widely spread by the media and throughout history because the accused murderers were given a very light sentence due to the entire jury being white men (black men and all women weren’t allowed to be in a jury at this time). Later on the woman came clean and admitted that Emmett did not flirt with her.

During this time, lynchings also occurred. This was a horrendous act where white community in America would kidnap and publicly execute black men and women for being black.

Obviously, we’ve made great progress with racism in our community as we have passed intense violence and hatred towards other races. However- we also still have work to do to focus on our subconscious bias against people.

Personal audit & transferable skills

Activity 1

1. Below are a list of skills and abilities. Complete an audit of where you are now. Record this in your learning journal/portfolio.

Rate yourself (1=Not very well developed; 3=very well developed)

Skills and Abilities

1

2

3

 Self-confidence X
 Take risks X
 Organise and plan X
Manage Time  X
 Make presentations X
 Act as a leader X
 Listen to others X
 Debate formally and informally X
 Take notes X

Although it is important to identify where we are now, it is not enough to stop there. We need to reflect upon how we can develop the skills where we are less confident and how we can transfer the skills in which we are confident and competent.

Activity 2

Complete the audit below, using the information from the table above.

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How will I use these How do I know (evidence)**
 Self confidence  Being able to confidently present lessons without self-doubt
 Working under pressure  By being calm and productive in high pressure situations
 Set personal goals  By setting achievable goals which will not only encourage productivity but also creating motivation to complete
Organise and plan  By being able to organise lessons effectively but also being able to plan for things to go wrong
Share opinions confidently  By being able to discuss opinions to get my point of view across confidently
Team work  By being able to work between CLD, social work and the school to provide the best experiences for children

** This section should be completed as you identify when/where/how you have used/developed these skills.

Part B – Activity 1

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills not yet developed How will I develop these How do I know (evidence)**
 Computing Skills  Practicing using computer programmes and solving issues on my own
 Use technology  Using new and upcoming technology and finding ways to make new technology easier to use
 Negotiation  Practice negotiation techniques in and out of the classroom
Take risks  Take more small risks, then progress to larger risks as I get more comfortable

 

Values Workshop Reflection Post

We all took part in a Values Workshop where we were split into 4 groups and asked to complete the same activity; create a new student resource for students coming to UoD.

One group was given an array of useful materials such as paper, pens, scissors, tape, post it notes, and bluetac. One group was given slightly less, another group given less that before and the final group being given 3 paperclips, a post it note, a small amount of bluetac and a pencil.

I quickly caught onto the meaning behind the activity: that each child doesn’t have the same resources available to them however they are all frequently asked to complete the same activity.

When we all completed the activity, we were made aware to the fact that the groups with the least amount of resources noticed that the other groups had more resources during the task and the groups with the most resources assumed that every group had the same amount of resources.

This showed us that we all need to think carefully about how we address our pupils and what tasks we give to them as some children are able to access the internet on all of their many electronics whereas some students don’t even have someone that’s able to take them to a library to access the internet.

A small comment, A big impact

It’s funny how one passing comment from someone can change the entire trajectory of your life. Up until that moment I had no idea what I wanted to do career-wise in my life. All throughout primary school and the majority of my secondary school I was clueless and juggling between anything from architect to a café owner.

One day, I got an amazon package in the post. It was a massive bag of fake vines that I’d ordered to make my room into the jungle that I’d always wanted it to be. I was putting these vines up in my room, twisting them up my walls and along my roof when my mum walked into my room, saw the vines and said one thing.

“You should be a primary teacher.” Then she left.

My entire life I’d been clueless to my dream job. However when my mum said that, a spark ignited inside me that I’d never experienced before. The burning desire to teach children, the desire to have a jungle as my classroom. Each table have a different plant to care for and look after. This idea of a classroom filled with children learning their education whilst also learning how to care for something and learn how to respect nature for what it is, excited me. It excited me beyond belief.

That’s why I decided on primary teaching.