Category Archives: My educational philosophy

Outdoor Learning

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Last weekend I took the opportunity to join the RSPB for a CPD on outdoor learning at Perth’s Quarry Mill. Outdoor learning plays a huge part within my teaching philosophy. Removing the boundaries of the classroom and teaching children within the context of their community and the natural world is key to creating inquiring learners.

Upon arrival at the CPD we were invited to make woodland themed name badges and it really20160925_080217 set the mood for the whole session as one of excitement, creativity and fun! We were treated to some background information on the RSPB and it was interesting to learn just how active they are within the education system in Scotland. There are ample opportunities for children in various locations across Scotland to become involved in the work the RSPB do and to experience the wonders of the animals and woodlands they work so hard to protect.

 

 

Before starting our journey into the woods we were provided with an array of resources and ideas that the RSPB use with children to ensure the walk is never dull. My favourite resource was the ‘journey stick’. A simple resource comprising a stick and some twine but one with the potential to captivate children and explore links to literacy too! I have to say I thoroughly 20160925_080645enjoyed collecting items I spotted on our walk and attaching them to my journey stick with the length of twine. Each item had the potential to tell a story, to link to the seasons and to express an emotion. This idea could be used with children from early years through to uppers. It allows the outdoors to come into the classroom and facilitates several other learning activities.

As well as the ‘Journey Stick’ we were provided with resources from the RSPB website, which I would highly recommend. These resources included spotting cards, which ranged from simple colour spotting activities to variations of tones that were tricky for even us grown ups to find within the woodland around us. Another favourite was the peelable post card which was another way for children to collect items from their walk in a fun and hands on way.20160928_100447

Needless to say the walk to the woodland clearing was incredibly active and engaging and led to new and interesting discoveries and this was all before we had even reached the official venue of our ‘outdoor learning workshop’.

The clearing itself was beautiful and would definitely be a hit with children! Our first activity was called ‘Meet a Tree.’ It is an excellent activity for getting hands on with nature and also has links to ‘Talking and Listening’ and HWB in terms of trust and relationships. I have to say it was certainly an interesting way to spend a Saturday morning; being blindfolded and led around the woods by a relative stranger! Upon meeting our tree we were asked to touch and feel the bark, roots and leaves in order to guess which tree we were becoming acquainted with. Myself and my partner took it a step further by trying to identify the tree and its species using a picture grid from the RSPB website.

If that wasn’t enough we then spent time looking at outdoor links to literacy. We were asked to form groups and choose a tree. We then spent time describing the tree and choosing words and sentences to bring the tree to life. My group decided to create a poem which was then ‘dramatically’ performed to the rest of the group, drama links too!! 20160924_114419

Our poem:

I am the Elder, I watch over the woods.

I twist and turn in all directions and reflect the seasons many moods.

From my mossy, weathered bark to my shining golden crown.

I stand alone, a solitary survivor. You will never cut me down.

 

This was a great activity as there is so much scope for differentiation. You could start from having groups of early years children find one word that describes their tree all the way up to primary 7’s creating poems or giving dramatic performances. Following on from this activity we went mini beast hunting! We were shown a great variety of resources for catching insects that could even be made yourself if budgets are tight as well as resources for identifying the mini-beasts you and your class find.

All in all it was an excellent morning well spent. I have come away with a head full of ideas and a feeling of excitement for outdoor learning that I want to keep alive until my next placement! This RSPB course has certainly increased my enthusiasm for outdoor learning and opened my eyes to the many ways to link this type of learning to CFE.

 

 

My Teaching Philosophy (‘Why Teaching’ Revisited.)

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As one of our first Tdts in MA1 we were asked to write about why we chose teaching as our profession. I did not take the straight forward route to university like so many of my fellow education students did. I did not know from day dot that I wanted to be a teacher in fact I thought it wasn’t for me! I had decided I didn’t have the patience to work with children and so I went into full time employment instead of going to uni.

Initially I worked in a bank, I didn’t like it. Then I moved into administration up in Aberdeen, I didn’t like that either. Finally I was chosen out of over 100 applicants to work in sales and administration for a well know Jam company, I loathed that job too.

Yet looking back if I hadn’t been working in that factory listen to all those people become frantic and stressed over JAM (really?!) then I wouldn’t be here today. Here at Dundee University. Here as an Education student. Here as a future teacher.

In my previous post last year I spoke about how I wanted to do something that mattered and that I wanted to be in a profession that made a difference to people on a personal level. This is still the case. In fact after my first placement I can happily say that this motivation has been instilled a new.

Last year I wrote that I wanted to be: ‘an adaptable teacher. A teacher that understands the advancements and developments in the world and rises to every new challenge.’ I still feel the same one year on. Every day can be a challenge in a primary classroom and I found within my placement that I have a knack of bouncing back, I am able to reflect and re-evaluate more quickly than I ever thought possible. I rose to the challenge when lessons didn’t go as planned, or learners didn’t respond in the way I had hoped. I rose to the challenge when two new children started and brought with them new ideas and new behaviours. Now I am back on campus rising to the challenge of new modules and a heavier work load all because I know deep down this is exactly where I want to be and exactly what I want to be doing.

A huge part of why I wanted to teach came from witnessing injustice and wanted to, in some small way, be a part of putting a stop to it. I am a huge believer of inclusion, even if in some cases that means exclusion, I am someone who sees everyone as an individual and wants to see them achieve their fullest potential. In my post last year I wrote: ‘I want to be an inclusive teacher, a teacher that works hard to cater for all her pupils. A teacher that explores new avenues and reflects on her own practice.’ This still stands. Through the International baccalaureate module I am beginning to expand these ideas of who I am as a teacher and who I want to be.

As part of a Tdt I took time to reflect on my pedagogy or my ‘Personal Philosophy of Teaching’ and I came up with this mind map: 20160921_112746

I believe in child led education where children learn through exploration and inquiry. I believe that it is my responsibility as a teacher to provide the children with creative lessons and authentic learning experiences that cater for them as individuals. I believe that all learning should be relevant and set in a context applicable to the children within my class. I believe that children should be in control of their learning and that by providing them with some ownership over their learning they will have a greater respect for us as teachers and for learning as a process. I think that parental involvement is a great tool and has a number of benefits to children and their learning. I think the same about outdoor learning as well as any opportunities the children get to explore their community or to bring the community into the classroom.

I am looking forward to reflecting on this philosophy as the semester goes on and following on from my placement within an IB school next semester. I am also attending an outdoor learning CLPL that will be helpful to me in terms of teaching ideas and approaches. By immersing myself in as many different perspectives of teaching as possible I hope to become an amalgamation of them all.

MA2 New Beginnings.

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As summer draws to an end its time to take stock of what has changed since I first started university one year ago…

Reflecting on how I have changed as a student, a trainee teacher and a person as a result of my experiences over the past year has been insightful.

During welcome week I remember feeling nervous and excited. I was unsure if I could succeed at university and as a teacher. Had I made the right decision to leave the stability of my full time job to pursue a new vocation?

Lectures were a challenge and I felt like I was swimming out of my depth for the first few weeks. I hadn’t studied since leaving high school four years previously and I had forgotten where to begin.

The prospect of placement felt incredibly daunting. How would I, someone so self-conscious, stand up in front of a room full of people and teach?

Yet here I am one year on readying myself for my first day of MA2 feeling excited and incredibly motivated.

My placement was an amazing experience and I was given some excellent feedback. I feel as though I am returning to my studies with a solid foundation upon which to grow. I now have a context upon which to base all future learning. How will this information change how I teach? What could I do differently within my practice to better engage the learners? I shall constantly refer back to placement within my personal reflections because that is the point from which I need to grow.

I am incredibly excited to be studying the IB elective this year and have already begun to explore what this might mean for my future practice. The theory behind the IB excites me and cause me to reflect on my pedagogy. The ideas surrounding authentic inquiry caused me to reflect on some of my placement lessons and consider ways I could have adapted the lesson to allow the children to lead their own investigations.

I believe that MA2 is going to be an eye opening experience for me and one that enables me to find out more about myself as a teacher.

Good luck to everyone this semester!

Sign of Success..

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Communication is a vital part of life which many of us take for granted. We talk to express our needs, our wants and our feelings. From birth we are listening and learning, absorbing information from our environment which will aid us in our acquisition of language. Imagine your frustration if you knew what you wanted to say but you couldn’t form the words or you weren’t able to convey the right meaning with the words you currently knew?
An example of this frustration with which we are all familiar is the controversially named stage of development ‘The Terrible Two’s.’ Famous for tantrums and embarrassing behaviour two year olds are given a particularly bad reputation. Perhaps if we put ourselves in their shoes we could begin to understand and avoid such behaviours. Imagine you are limited to a handful of words within your vocabulary. Now imagine being snatched up by your mother, father or caregiver right in the middle of doing something, shoved into your jacket and marched out the door. You are strapped into an uncomfortable car seat and driven to a noisy shopping centre, where you are man handled into a trolley and careered around at top speed. Would you cry? Would you shout and thrash? Evidence suggests that the use of Baby sign can help children, from a very young age, express themselves without tears.
‘Research into ‘baby signing’ provides evidence that babies can be taught to sign their intentions to their parents or to make combinations of first words and gestures to form two-item strings.’ (Doherty-Sneddon, 2008, cited in Smith, Cowie and Blades, 2015)
Most children move through the ‘Terrible Two’s,’ and emerge the other side with a good grasp of language and an ability to express their wants and needs. Unfortunately though, some children do not develop at the same rate. This could be a result of poverty or neglect, or of an additional support need. Makaton, a system of language developed in the 1970’s and made up of signs and symbols which aid communication, could be used with children to help them develop their language and express themselves.
‘Children and adults can use Makaton to let others know what they want, make choices, share information and understand more. This helps build and develop important communication and language skills.’ (The Makaton Charity, 2015)
It is my belief that the use of Makaton can be beneficial to all children irrespective of stage or circumstance. I have seen it used within nurseries and early primary classes and it is an invaluable tool. Not only does it help children to grasp language more quickly it also provides a vital line of communication between children with no speech or little speech and their teacher and peers.
‘Makaton is regularly used in mainstream schools, to support all children to develop communication, language and literacy skills. It is also supports integration, as children with and without language difficulties can communicate with each other, learn and play together more easily.’ (The Makaton Charity, 2015)
The use of signs and symbols can also be utilised to help children for whom English is their second language. This would prevent them from feeling isolated or excluded within their class.
‘This structured approach can also help people who are learning English as an additional language, helping them to communicate straightaway, while also supporting their learning.’(The Makaton Charity, 2015)
As a student teacher this is something I feel incredibly passionate about. Linking to the idea of self-esteem which was touched on in a recent lecture, the ability to provide a child with the means to communicate and engage with their peers, their teacher, their world is vital to the development of their self-concept.
Makaton is something I feel should be taught as part of teacher training as it is a widely used, highly praised system of language. Many charities who work closely with schools recommend its use, including Down’s Syndrome Scotland and The Makaton Charity. I feel, if utilised correctly, Makaton could potentially bridge the gap between mainstream classes and ASN classes. Given Scotland’s stance on a culture of inclusion surely this can only be seen as a positive thing?

 

References.

  • Doherty-Sneddon, 2008. Cited in Smith, Cowie and Blades, 2015. Understanding Children’s Development. Sixth Edition.
  • The Makaton Charity (2015) How Makaton works. Available at: https://www.makaton.org/aboutMakaton/howMakatonWorks (Accessed: 7th November 2015).
  • The Makaton Charity (2015) Who uses Makaton? Available at: https://www.makaton.org/aboutMakaton/whoUsesMakaton/ (Accessed: 7th November 2015)

Reflecting on Feedback..

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Getting feedback can be a great experience or a terrible one. The experience you have with feedback doesn’t necessarily reflect your efforts, it can often be the case that the feedback you are given just isn’t very good.

Feedback should be constructive, something which can be built upon and which can aid personal development. It is not a tool that should be used merely to voice what irks you about a person. Everyone can remember a time they have experienced negative feedback and you can be pretty certain that they didn’t act upon it. What was there to act upon?! DSC05201

It is OK to give critical feedback but the thing that makes the feedback valuable is when it points out a problem and offers a solution.

Some people, including myself, find it a little uncomfortable to offer feedback- especially in circumstances such as peer review. I find myself becoming incredibly critical of my own responses; do I sound condescending? Is this going to convey the right message? Am I offering advice that can be worked on or am I just being overly critical? Others feel as though they can’t possibly offer feedback as they aren’t confident enough on the subject themselves.

With regards to the feedback I received from my peers for my recent practitioner enquiry post, I found the experience to be a positive one. I have been given tips with regards to improving my future posts using images and embedding links, things I wouldn’t have thought of without their input. Furthermore by actively commenting on my peers posts I began to feel more confident and comfortable with the idea of feedback. By reading their posts I was able to take away other viewpoints and ideas upon which I can now reflect.

All in all the process of feedback seems an invaluable one and one with which I shall continue to engage throughout my time at university and within my future career.

Why I chose teaching..

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Over the years I have had many jobs. I have worked in retail, admin and sales to name but a few. Every time I changed job there was talk of starting a career, promotion etc. but there was always something missing.

My most recent job title was UK Sales Administrator and I worked for a factory in my home town that produced designer Jams and Marmalades. I always worked hard and showed commitment but the job didn’t satisfy me.

I remember one afternoon in particular; it was the countdown for Christmas and the office was in panic. Everyone was bustling around, ranting and raving, and it was then that I took a step back. I thought to myself, ‘All this nonsense for what? Jam!’

I decided I wanted to be part of a profession that meant something. I wanted a career where I could make a difference, so I started volunteering within local primary schools.

I knew that teaching was for me when I came home in the evening with the feeling that I had accomplished something and that THAT meant something!

In terms of the kind of teacher I want to be I would say an adaptable teacher. A teacher that understands the advancements and developments in the world and rises to every new challenge. I want to be an inclusive teacher, a teacher that works hard to cater for all her pupils. A teacher that explores new avenues and reflects on her own practice.

If, at the end of my career, I can look back over my time teaching and feel that I have positively impacted the life and the learning of even one child I will feel accomplished.

That’s why I chose teaching.