Category Archives: edushare

‘The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds’ Review

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The other night, I found myself watching ‘The Secret Life of 4 year olds.’ I’d watched a previous episode a few months ago and I had enjoyed it, but this time I found myself taking notes, and recognising the terminology used by the child psychologists, and could relate some of the methods to what we’ve been learning about in lectures. What made this documentary different to others I have watched of a similar nature, was that there was very little adult influence. The child psychologists observed the children through hidden cameras, thus giving us an honest representation of the way children act at this age.

“At the age of four, the average girl tends to be five months ahead of the average boy, in terms of their language skills.” On initial thought, this doesn’t seem to be that big of a development gap, however this can put boys at a disadvantage when it comes to social interaction. Throughout the programme, it was evident that most of the girls were more capable of voicing their concerns, and expressing what they were enjoying or found upsetting. Some of the boys on the other hand, found this a lot more challenging, and would get frustrated at not being able to convey how the felt inside, in words. This often resulted in the child becoming distressed and uncomfortable.

Another aspect of the programme i found interesting was the contrast between girls and boys. At this age, children will self segregate when it comes to gender. A girl team captain was selected and also a boy team captain. Taking it in turns, they picked members for their teams, which resulted in a girls team and boys team. They then went on to have a ‘relay’ type competition, in which the first child of each team would race against each other with a bean bag placed on their head. The rules being, you weren’t allowed to touch or hold the beanbag. The boys finished first and the girls were quite rightly not satisfied with the result. Every boy had compromised the rules, in order to win. The girls on the other hand had spent longer completing the task, however were strictly abiding by the rules. This game concluded that at the age of four, there seems to be a difference in moral importance and priority, in girls and boys.

The favourite childhood line “I’m telling my mum on you!” made an appearance a few times throughout the documentary. At one point, two girls were arguing, and telling each other who they were going to ‘tell on them’ to. The child psychologists gave us an insight of what this says about the particular children. Both girls were listing people they considered to be of important moral authority in their lives. Their parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters. As the list went on, they became more elaborate and these authority figures included the Tooth Fairy, and Father Christmas. All people who make judgements about our behaviour, and have the power to punish us. This also was an example of the children being very egocentric, and assuming that others would value the same people as them as authoritarian.

At four years old, there’s a fine line between being assertive, and being aggressive. The children spent a lot of time experimenting and figuring out where that line is. As they began to develop friendships, the natural instinct for that child is to test it; to prod at it, and see if they can break it, before they fully understand what the concept of ‘friendship’ means. It was interesting to watch two children fall out over who was going down the slide with who, with one child rushing off crying, unsure of how to cope with the situation. Within minutes, it was resolved and they were walking off together, hand in hand. There’s something so refreshing about a child’s sense of forgiveness and on reflection, some adults could learn a thing or two from watching these children!

Coming to the end of the programme, the last ‘experiment’ involved each child being given a wrapped gift. Ten out of the twelve presents contained a toy bubble blower, and the others contained just the wrappings, and a peg. Scientists use this method to gain an insight into the children’s ability to regulate their emotions. The presents were given out at random, and each opened. Naturally, the two children that didn’t receive the toy were disappointed, however their reactions differed. The girl who received the peg voiced her disappointment, but had the skills to not become overwhelmed by these feelings. However, the boy who received the peg hadn’t yet grasped the idea of how to react, and was unable to recover from the situation, and took himself to the corner, where he sat by himself crying. At this age, they’re learning, through experiences like this, how to handle and control their emotions. This particular boy was still coming to terms with the correct way to deal with the disappointment. After about ten minutes, two extra bubble blowers were brought out to resolve the situation, and all the children could be seen enjoying their new toys and interacting with one another, and slowly beginning to learn that others have feelings too.

I thoroughly recommend watching this programme (even though I have quite possibly given away all the good parts). It was very insightful into understanding the level of development these children are at, just months before they embark on a new chapter. Primary School.

 

 

Being an Enquiring Practitioner.

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It is important that as student teachers, we acknowledge the fact that learning continues all the way through life. We share with others what we’ve learnt through life experiences, and gain knowledge by working with the people around us. Practitioner enquiry is a skill that is developed through the observation of others, reflection, taking a step back and looking for areas in need of development, the constant self-assessment and learning from mistakes. The latter I am still working on to improve. This is my third attempt at writing this blog post as I forgot to save it the first two times, clearly not taking the time to reflect and learn from previous errors.

In order to be a successful enquiry practitioner, we as teachers, should always looking for areas of improvement, to further our own personal knowledge. We need to develop our investigation skills, the way we look at things, and continually question our beliefs and our practices. Almost like the infamous question that most teachers and parents are familiar with, “but why?”. These skills should also be used in the classroom when observing children, and understand behaviour, learning development and attitudes.

As student teachers, we already have accumulated a set of skills, and knowledge that will enable us in the classroom, to deliver children an education. However, to be an effective enquiry practitioner, we need to be able to seek out our ‘flaws’. To be successful, it’s required that sometimes we may need to take a step back, and really look at how we’re teaching, and whether or not we are delivering our pupils the best education possible. The worry is, that after teaching for many years, we may become ‘set in our ways’ with regards to teaching styles, and methods, and forget how to be open minded and reflect. This is why working collegiately in groups, with colleagues and peers can have such a positive impact on your development as an enquiring practitioner.

Observing other teachers in the work place can be so beneficial in our own understanding as a teacher. Opening our minds to new and different ideas will provide us with a different perspective, and so many opportunities in terms of teaching, and our own personal learning. This will also give us an insight to techniques and methods that aren’t as effective, and should guide us towards what work well in the classroom and what doesn’t. We are committing ourselves a life style where we will continue to learn. With the use of practitioner enquiry, we will be able to easily identify areas needing improvement, but also what is working well.

Bilingual as young as five?

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After studying Spanish for three years at high school, I thought it would be a good idea to choose the Spanish elective module. This year, I hope to develop my understanding of the language, and become more fluent.

I decided to read more on how teaching languages in the classroom from a young age would benefit pupils and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. A common thought is that children may become confused by learning two languages at the same time, which perhaps could have a detrimental impact on the child’s development. However, it’s quite the opposite. It’s been proven that exposing a second language to children at a young age, broadens their knowledge of different cultures, different people and points of view, improves creativity, and sharpens their brain, helping them enormously through their education, and in later life.

I began to wonder how much more beneficial it would have been had I started learning this language from a younger age. Our brains can absorb so much more, and adapt when we’re younger. It is similar to that of learning a musical instrument. At the age of five, I began having piano lessons, and progressed at such a fast pace, my mum, who at the time was learning too, couldn’t keep up.

The ideal time for a child to learn a second language is while they’re learning and developing their mother tongue language. Primary aged children are able to learn and mimic the often complex sounds and pronounciations of a new language, without the self-consciousness of older pupils. Children also gain that sense of accomplishment when they can say something new in a foreign language, which builds confidence and encourages performance. I think it would make an enormous difference in today’s education if children were introduced to a second language as early as primary one, and it was enforced and built upon throughout their time at primary school.

 

 

The Virtues of Teaching

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Integrity

Our job as teachers is to act as role models, from whom the children will acquire these morals and values from. Children are not born with integrity, it’s something they learn, and learning it in the classroom will benefit the children greatly throughout their lives.

Patience

When a teacher displays patience, it allows the children to see how to behave it sometimes difficult or compromising circumstances. In a primary school classroom, things can go wrong, or test us, so being patient and calm will enable us to think straight, clearly and teach and control the class efficiently.

Respect

It’s important that while teaching the children the importance of respecting their teacher, that we also respect every child, despite any factors that may effect your relationship with them. Remaining professional and taking the time to listen to the pupils and consider their thoughts and feelings.

Fairness

Equality in the classroom is key to a healthy, happy learning environment. This is probably the most important virtue to me. I believe all children should be made to feel special, and no one above anybody else. The detrimental impact this can have on pupils, lessons and learning overall can be devastating to the progress of the class. I have seen it happen in my time at school, where pupils have lacked the same preferential treatment others had, and therefore behaviour and work ethic has deteriorated. As I teacher, I aim to never put any child in that situation.

Honesty

Honesty works hand in hand with trust. Through experience, I have seen that if you gain your pupils’  trust, they will open up to you. Teaching children that ‘honesty is the best policy’ from a young age will help them enormously throughout their time in school, and life. It’s an invaluable life lesson.

Online unit- Personal and Interpersonal Skills and Abilities

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A) Identifying Skills and Abilities

Activity 1

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

Skills and Abilities 1 2 3
Self confidence                      x
Set personal goals                      x
Team work                      x
Make presentations                        x
Take notes                        x
Be creative                        x
Problem solve                       x

 

Activity 2

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How I will use these How do I know (evidence)**
Setting personal goals I intend on setting reasonable goals that I aim to achieve. My plan is to push myself to work hard in order to succeed. In the past, I’ve given myself goals, and targets to reach. With my competitive nature, I’ve always tried to be the best that I can be. I worked very hard to obtain the grades I wanted in school, high grades in piano and violin, and also dancing and sport.
Team work These skills I’ve picked up from other experience will benefit me greatly when working in groups with other students, and when I’m on placement, and eventually become a teacher. I’ve spent the past six years in various orchestras in Fife, not only learning how to perfect my violin playing, but how to work well with others, share my knowledge and learn from others.
Take notes In lectures, it’s important to take notes of what the lecturer is saying, and important information that I know I’ll want to read over later and potentially use in future presentations or assignments. In school, in Higher Modern Studies, my teacher taught the class at an extremely fast pace, leaving no time to really take in what was being said. The best way I found to learn was by taking the most important things she said, scribbling them down and then later on going back and consolidating all the information.
Being creative Being creative will be invaluable in teaching children, as it’ll give me many opportunities and avenues to inspire the children. I’ll be able find different ways to engage and stimulate children of different abilities, depending on what interests them. I have always been a very creative person. I enjoy imaginative writing, all types of art, music and drama. When thinking about what I wanted to do when I left school, I considered being an art teacher and music teacher. I couldn’t teach one and not the other and much preferred the idea of being able to teach all my skills and passions.

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills to be developed How I will develop these How do I know (evidence) **
Self confidence I’d say there’s always room for improvement when it comes to my confidence. I need to work on believing in myself a bit more. This can be achieved by participating more in lectures when asked questions or our opinions. This was particularly highlighted when studying maths in school. I would get the right answer, but not believe it was correct until I’d be shown the answer and the working out. I’d always be convinced it was wrong, and had no faith in my own ability.
Make presentations Practice. Practicing speaking in front of others, pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Making sure I know everything about the topic I’m talking about. I have struggled in the past with speaking in public. I’ve been told I have a natural ability for it , however I would often get myself very worked up at the thought of giving a talk or presentation.
Problem solving Practice thinking systematically, and start trying to think outside the box and realise not everything is black and white. I’ve struggled with problem solving, in relation to maths and science. I’d say I’m improving in thinking rationally and that in its self is helping.

 

 

Personal vs Professional Presence on Social Media

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Challenges will naturally arise from having social media accounts whilst on placement in schools, and eventually when we become teachers. It is essential that as we progress through this course, and as teachers, we remain professional when on any form of social media, as there is a very detailed GTCS code of conduct for teaching.

As most of us are aware, it is so easy to post or tweet anything online, from our political beliefs, values or religion, to what we’re having for lunch. It is all too tempting to publish our thoughts, that would once have been written in a diary, to now the whole world. Even if it’s later deleted, it can be found out there somewhere. As trainee teachers, it’s vital that we filter what we write, and question whether it’s would be considered appropriate if read by others in the work place, parents or indeed pupils.

I personally believe that our personal and professional presence on social media should be kept separate. With the increasing amount of primary school aged children on social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, it’s easier than ever for them to find our accounts/profiles or in fact ‘stumble across them’.

There have been too many stories of inappropriate behaviour and conduct online, by teachers, who have gone on to lose their jobs, are unable to work in any establishment involving children, and in some cases, criminal convictions and prison sentences. These are examples and warnings of what can happen if the code of conduct is not taken seriously. We are not being restrained by the guidelines of the code of conduct, just instructed how to remain professional. Privacy settings on social media are evidently important and recommended for teachers, allowing us to still have a place to write, blog, share photos without the prying eyes of pupils and parents. Despite the advantage of privacy settings, it’s still extremely important that we follow the code of conduct.

Having a separate account on social media, specifically for professional views relating education, can be exceptionally beneficial for the pupils and teacher.  With the landscape of teaching continually changing, the old established boundaries and relationships between teachers and pupils are not just classroom based. When I attended primary school, the only time I saw my teacher, or was able to ask questions was in the classroom, during lessons. Now, with the advancements in technology many pupils are able to get in contact with their teachers and enquire about homework, get extra support, and consolidate information they have learned, through websites like Glow, Edmodo etc.

Communication with pupils outside of the classroom will be so beneficial in the development of their learning, however it’s important to remember as teachers that we need to keep a professional stance. When the children walk back into the classroom, there still needs to be the consistent level of respect from the pupils, and discipline from the teachers. The pupils need the teacher in you predominantly, before the friendship.

 

 

How did your gender affect you as a child?

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In the classroom I never felt particularly limited by my gender, but when the bell rang for break time, it was a different story. Being a competitive child, I would naturally get frustrated when the boys wouldn’t pass the ball in football or include us while playing basketball in the playground. It would leave myself, and other girls feeling excluded and not as worthy because we weren’t boys. We weren’t taken seriously. However with time it became accepted that the boys had control when it came to sports and that was that. Nothing more said about it.

In Primary six, my family moved house, so I had to attend a different school that was in the catchment area. I was taken aback to find out that the massive football pitch at the front of my new school was reserved by primary six and seven boys only, at break time and lunch time. Meanwhile, the girls could be seen doing hand stands and cartwheels on the grass at the side, not daring to step on the forbidden land. These stereotypically ‘girly’ activities appealed to a lot of the girls, but many were desperate for some time on the football pitch. Looking back now, I can appreciate how unfair this was, and question why the teachers didn’t have more to say about these playground ‘rules’.

The problem that is gender inequality wasn’t addressed or taken seriously by the professionals in either of the primary schools I attended. After thinking deeper into how gender can impact learning, I’d say that it is crucial we take this issue, that is becoming ever more relevant, and bring it into the classroom, to educate children on the importance of being open minded, and not always to follow social constructs. It’s okay to do things ‘differently’ to the way we are used to.

 

 

‘The Study Skills Book’

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Reading pages 3 to 33 of The Study Skills Book, highlighted the monumental differences between High School and University.

Preparing for University

Goal Setting. It got me thinking, and trying to visualise myself in five, or ten years time. It is fairly straight forward to think about what you’ll be doing i.e graduating, becoming a teacher, shaping the lives of children. However, it’s impossible to know what kind of person you’ll be then. I’m certainly not the same person I was five years ago, at thirteen. I’ve developed and changed so much as a student, friend, sister etc. So I hope in the next four years I continue to develop into the kind of person and teacher I hope to become.

I also started to think about the knowledge I already have, and how much I have yet to learn. It’s given me a much a better understanding of ways to improve my academic skill levels while being at University.

Starting Out

This section of the book was extremely useful in preparing me for freshers week, with invaluable advice about University for new students. It not only gave me tips on what to attend and to read prior matriculation, but also guidance on spending money wisely, and making friends.

General Expectations

This particular chapter, I found emphasised the importance of being organised, planning ahead and doing what’s best for you. It suggested different resources in which I can go to if I need further advice or help during the course. It’s vital that student feel supported throughout their studies, especially around exams when stress levels increase.

What Makes University Different

Various tables and charts were included in this chapter, making it easier to see the differences between High School and University. There are so many aspects of life and University that are entirely different from that of school, and for me it was slightly overwhelming! However, the “Practical tips for adjusting to university teaching approaches” made me feel a lot more at ease.

Graduate Skills and Attributes

After reading this, I feel excited knowing I won’t just be leaving university with a degree, but with skills that will aid me in all aspects of life. These range from interpersonal and communication skills, to technical and intellectual skills. I hope to enhance the skills and knowledge I have coming into University.

My decision to become a teacher.

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When reflecting on my years at primary school, I remember myself, an eager little five year old, desperate to be noticed by the teacher, to answer a question and to be recognised and praised for my work. My first teacher, Mrs Fox, was somebody I really looked up to, and always wanted to impress. I admired the way she captivated the class with her stories, the way she wrote on the blackboard and the control she had over every single child, even the poorly behaved. I’d say at that very young age, it may have even been a subconscious decision, I knew that one day it would be me, the teacher.

As I progressed through school, I was taught by teachers who inspired and encouraged me, and others that weren’t as supportive. These particular teachers, despite being not as influential, showed me how much of an impact the nature of the teacher can have on the learning environment and the long term effect they can have on the pupils. To me, I believe it’s crucial that teachers are role models, and display equality among the pupils and are fair. Teachers that are seen to have a preference towards certain pupils, can have a detrimental impact on the lessons, other pupils’ self belief, and confidence.

I aim to become a successful teacher, and to achieve this I feel I have to give everything I can. The more you put into teaching, the harder you work to plan, and deliver lessons so that the children learn effectively, the more you will gain and the outcome will be so much more rewarding. I want to be a teacher that children will look up to. Teaching is a whole world away from what it used to be, with so many resources at our fingertips. I hope to be able to teach my pupils not only what’s in their curriculum, but inspire them with the knowledge I have obtained through life experiences and shape them into well rounded individuals.