Blog post 5: Reflection

Reflection about how parents and/or caregivers are important to and may assist in the educative process of their child:

Parents/caregivers are an integral part in the education process of their child as they are able to provide teachers with an insight into their child (how they learn, what they like, how they behave at homes, duties, hobbies, etc). During my practicum I was able to sit in on parent-teacher interviews and listen to how teachers and parents discuss how to further help the child’s education. Communication with parents is also important when students have behavioural issues at school as the parents need to be aware of the best possible way to change a situation for the better.

Reflection on how well you achieved the goals set in blog post 1 and the areas of further improvement that are still ahead of you:

Out of the three main goals I set for myself in blog post 1, I feel that I am confidently achieving all three of these goals:

·    Develop a deeper understanding of the range of different learning styles and methods which can be used in the classroom to enhance student understanding of the content. (Element 2 – 2.1.1., 2.1.3, 2.1.5)

From working with a variety of different classes made me aware that different levels of learning have different needs which lead to creating different worksheets and tasks based on the needs of the class. E.g. one of my Year 8 classes had poor literacy skills with a majority of the students having learning or behavioural difficulties so I created worksheets which helped build their literacy skills and were short so that students were not weighed down with loads of information (as shown in blog post 4).

·    Develop effective communication in classroom discussions to reinforce and develop areas of content. (Element 4 – 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3)

        Classroom discussion were an integral part of most of my lesson introductions or conclusions as it is a wonderful way to revise, memorise and reinforce different areas of content. Discussion between students was also encourage through the establishment of group tasks (as discussed in blog post 3).

·    Use feedback as a means of improving and developing on teaching and learning practices. (Element 6 – 6.1.5)

From listening to advice given from my colleague teacher, practicum supervisor, students and other members of staff, I have been able to adapt and change my teaching and learning practices to improve and develop the way I teach. Feedback is essential whether it be written, verbal, or just passing comments. I will continue to seek feedback throughout my teaching career.

I still have much to learn and develop ahead of me to become a professional teacher but from these goals I have achieved so far, I am willing and ready to develop these other skills through the help of study, communication and involvement.

Blog post 4

Element: Element 2 Teachers know their students and how they learn

Teaching Standard: 2.1.6. demonstrate knowledge of a range of literacy strategies to meet the needs of all students including:

·         Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

·         Students with Special Needs

·         Non-English Speaking Background students

·         Students with Challenging Behaviours

Reasoning for selected evidence:

The evidence attached is a series of different worksheets developed for one of my Year 8 classes. The majority of this class has high literacy needs due to learning/behavioural difficulties and thus theirs literacy skills were something I wanted to focus on in the unit of work I established for them. In Visual Arts, there are many difficult words and concepts that students learn about and for students with poor literacy skills it is integral to build up vocabulary and concepts in a way that they can understand. I considered this when creating worksheets for the class which lead to using small, easy to read paragraphs, dictionary definitions, and tasks which have a fun element to it (getting students to colour or link words). Students enjoyed the worksheets and during my time with them, I saw their skills for writing and discussing art build with students reflecting on the information in their worksheets.

Blog post 3

Experience: Group Research Task (Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain) with Year 11 Visual Arts

Teaching Standard: 4.1.4. Use student group structures as appropriate to address teaching and learning goals

Students are nearing Preliminary examinations and begin Year 12 studies next term; this task was designed to help students develop their research skills to use for case studies for their exam and for next term. In this task, students were to identify important information from different articles regarding Marcel Duchamp and the Conceptual Framework. Each group was given a different agency from the Framework (Artist, Artwork, World, and Audience) and then each group member had a different article to read. Students then collaborated their findings with the rest of their group to create a poster focusing on that agency. At the end, groups explained their findings to the rest of the class and the posters were hung on the wall.

Students seemed a bit confused to begin with as they were given small tasks to complete which they had difficulty seeing the bigger picture, however, once they saw what they had completed, students were pleased with how much research the class had discovered. Not only did this task build students personal awareness of how to focus on a single point to find notes on in an article but also how they can study with others to gain more information over a short amount of time.

A few possible ways to improve this lesson:

·         Try to provide clearer explanation of the task to assist with students who were a bit confused at the beginning – perhaps a how to chart which lists the different steps involved in group research.

·         Get students to find their own articles (this could be a feature of the next time this task is done as a means of assessing students understanding of what kinds of articles/information is appropriate).

·         Introduce new articles/get students to find new articles after the first sharing of their findings to see if students can then build on the information they have already discovered.

·         Introduce an essay question at the end of the research task for students to answer or discuss how they would answer it based on the information they have found and what they have learnt from their group members and rest of the classes findings to assess if the information/method of research is useful.

Blog post 2

Experience: Printmaking demonstration with Year 9 Visual Arts

Teaching Standard: 5.1.4. Provide clear directions for classroom activities and engage students in purposeful learning activities

Students have been creating collagraphs (collaged pieces of card which can be printed multiple times) based around their theme of ‘Art and Text’ and have previously had a demonstration on how to make a collagraph and wrote down the instructions on how to make and print a collagraph. During this lesson, I demonstrated to the class the process of printing their collagraphs using a printing press.

Students seemed to listen and watch the demonstration attentively as they were able to explain the process based on the notes they had written in a prior lesson. Students presented themselves as engaged with the demonstration and ready to practice for themselves. Students were then retested by myself when it came to printing their own works as I asked them different questions about the steps involved in the process, reflecting back on the demonstration. As students were able to confidently follow the same directions that I demonstrated, I feel that the directions were clear.

A few possible ways to improve this lesson:

·         Refocus a bit more on the notes students had taken (get them to draw diagrams for each step or add more information to their notes.). This would ensure that all students are reflecting on their notes and also shows consideration for different ways of learning (visual, written, auditory, and kinaesthetic).

·         Rewrite keynotes on the board to emphasise each step and have a tangible set of notes to help students recall the process when they are printing.

·         During the next lesson, a pop quiz with a small prize or praise could be used at the beginning of the lesson to check students have understood the directions and reinforce their engagement with listening to directions.

Blog post 1: Reflection on June sessions as preparation for internship

The June sessions provided so much of information to assist me not only during my internship but also in future classroom teaching. Each day focused on a range of features relating to a different theme which helped me understand just how many different parts there are to being a teacher and working with children. In this post I will focus on some of the content and skills which I found most valuable to apply during my internship.

·         Building an awareness of the different classroom strategies available to help in managing a disruptive classroom: knowing when to take a step back from a situation so that it doesn’t become a yelling competition/ power struggle between teacher and student, making notes so that you can get back to resolving an issue rather than stating pointless consequences that you don’t use anyway, walking over to a disruptive student and talking to them face to face rather than calling out from the front of the class for all the students to hear.

·         Developing ways to effectively integrate ICT into the classroom: many teachers consider that if they are using computers in the classroom that they are integrating ICT when really it is no different than books or overhead projectors. Assessment 1 provided a valuable way to use ICT in the classroom merging content with different forms of media, this task could be used not only by the teacher but by the students as well as they could create their own digital presentations for an assignment with proper structuring and assistance by the teacher so that students learn how the process actually works.

·         Being aware to take care of yourself: as this is the longest practicum we as student teachers have experienced, it is important to take the time to ensure that our wellbeing is also in check. Learning to take a step back at the end of the day and trying not to take home any of the stresses which may have occurred during the day, building on the positive experiences and looking at ways to relax.

Goals to achieve during Internship based on NSW Institute of Teachers’ Professional Teaching Elements:

·         Develop a deeper understanding of the range of different learning styles and methods which can be used in the classroom to enhance student understanding of the content. (Element 2 – 2.1.1., 2.1.3, 2.1.5)

·         Develop effective communication in classroom discussions to reinforce and develop areas of content. (Element 4 – 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3)

·         Use feedback as a means of improving and developing on teaching and learning practices. (Element 6 – 6.1.5)