I have just been in a lesson where the teacher is literally the pin up teacher for Positive Behaviour Support. She makes a concerted effort to praise those students who are (1) on time, (2) have their homework done and (3) have their resources they were asked to bring to this lesson in the previous one. There were students who came in late, but did have their resources. There were students who came on time but did not have their homework. There were students who came on time but did not have their resources. In every situation she focused on the positive and what they had done well.
For example, one student arrived a good 8 mins after the bell had gone, but when he came in the first thing she said was "Welcome to the class, I am very glad you made it, and I see you have your homework and your resources for this lesson, well done".
I asked her why she did not say anything about him being almost 10 mins late to class and she said that he is a student who does not respond well to the negative, he recognised that he was late, and apologised for it, which she felt was enough. If she had made a big deal out of it, he has the type of character to then shut down for the rest of the lesson and not participate to his capable standard.
WOW! I really found this interesting. I think I default to the traditional model of focusing on the negative and thus potentially 'damaging' the student. This teacher knows her students really well and genuinely cares for each one, and I think as a result, it was clear that they work hard for her, they want to do well for her. They were on task and engaged throughout the lesson.
What I took from it:
(1) Positive Behaviour Support
(2) Student-Teacher relationship
(3) Genuine care for students
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
23 | 05 | 2012
Today I was in the year 10 Psychology class. They are currently working on researching for a presentation. The key questions is: Can media make you aggressive? They are working in groups of up to 4 people, and can present it in any way they want. PowerPoint, video, interview, poster, leaflet. They have all been encouraged to take risks with how it is presented, and to try and be different.
This topic, is not in this unit of work, it is the next unit to be covered. The teacher of this class wanted to gauge the year 10's research and presentation skills and see what they could come up with before the unit of work started. I think this is a good way to test research and presentation skills, also to find out what they know before the topic is started.
I like how she has catered for different styles of learning and different Intelligence's by giving students the freedom to chose in what form they present it in.
This topic, is not in this unit of work, it is the next unit to be covered. The teacher of this class wanted to gauge the year 10's research and presentation skills and see what they could come up with before the unit of work started. I think this is a good way to test research and presentation skills, also to find out what they know before the topic is started.
I like how she has catered for different styles of learning and different Intelligence's by giving students the freedom to chose in what form they present it in.
22 | 05 | 2012
This morning I had a lesson of PSHEE with year 7. They are currently on the topic of Fair Trade and working in the ICT room on a presentation. The teacher gave the students the option of working in a pair or working on their own. I really liked that she gave them the option. I have noticed some students work better on their own.
I starting thinking about group work and the following questions came to mind-
- Is it better to give students the option to work on their own?
- Does there need to be a balance between individual work and group work? Like, surely those students who want to always work on their own need to learn how to work in a team environment? I wonder what a 'healthy' ratio is for this?
- Does the teacher assign people to groups?
- Do you want to mix up the GnT and SENs with the rest? or do you make clear GnT and SEN groups so that you can give them the level of work relevant to their ability?
I asked the teacher who said it really does depend on the work that is being covered at the time. It is always good to have a balance of group and individual work. In some cases it will be appropriate to mix GnT with SEN's so as to challenge the SEN's and get the GnT's to teacher the 'weaker' students. On the other hand, its also good to have definite ability groups where you can aim who assignments/tasks to a group. She said a subtle way of putting people into organised group is to, at the beginning of the year, stick a colour dot on their books. That way when you do group work its easy to assemble groups all you need to say is "all blue dots together, all yellow dots together..."
I starting thinking about group work and the following questions came to mind-
- Is it better to give students the option to work on their own?
- Does there need to be a balance between individual work and group work? Like, surely those students who want to always work on their own need to learn how to work in a team environment? I wonder what a 'healthy' ratio is for this?
- Does the teacher assign people to groups?
- Do you want to mix up the GnT and SENs with the rest? or do you make clear GnT and SEN groups so that you can give them the level of work relevant to their ability?
I asked the teacher who said it really does depend on the work that is being covered at the time. It is always good to have a balance of group and individual work. In some cases it will be appropriate to mix GnT with SEN's so as to challenge the SEN's and get the GnT's to teacher the 'weaker' students. On the other hand, its also good to have definite ability groups where you can aim who assignments/tasks to a group. She said a subtle way of putting people into organised group is to, at the beginning of the year, stick a colour dot on their books. That way when you do group work its easy to assemble groups all you need to say is "all blue dots together, all yellow dots together..."
21 | 05| 2012: The start of second prac
For the next 3 weeks my timetable has me in my second teaching area. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHEE) and Psychology. Although I have done Sociology and Psychology at University, it was during my undergraduate study, which ended in 2006. It's a while back! And because of this, I am so unsure about the content. Combine this with have no idea at what level this is taught in a secondary school - and I feel pretty out of my depth.
I think this will be a good time for me. I really hope that once I am qualified I can go onto the supply teacher list - with being a supply teacher, you don't always teach in the area you qualified in. I think this next 3 weeks of getting familiar with unfamiliar content can only be a good skill to have in my back pocket.
I think this will be a good time for me. I really hope that once I am qualified I can go onto the supply teacher list - with being a supply teacher, you don't always teach in the area you qualified in. I think this next 3 weeks of getting familiar with unfamiliar content can only be a good skill to have in my back pocket.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
02 | 05 | 2012
This morning I had a great talk with my mentor. We talked about my blog and how I am feeling about my time so far. I have learned so much in these past 3 weeks of prac. We chatted for a while about the power of a voice in the classroom, about how you can use it to get attention and keep attention in a variety of different ways. I always think I talk way to loud! He gave me a few different examples of how it can be used which I found very very helpful.
He also said something which I found rather profound/enlightening. Each lesson is a lesson that those learners will never have again. Once its done its done. There is no going back or revisiting. WOW. Such a good realisation for me, this is no game. This is educating the next generation. Every lesson that I teach needs to be well planned, well resourced, organised. I owe it to my students to give them the best lesson, every time.
27 | 04 | 2012
A week ago my mentor teacher gave 7 higher order thinking students a task to do. They had to prepare a 10 minute lesson on El Nino which they would teach back to the class in small groups. Each would be given a laptop to use, if they wanted to show a video, or do a powerpoint.
This was a great lesson. I think ever single student had the chance to learn something new. My mentor encouraged the "students" to ask their "teachers" as much as they could about the topic during and after their presentations. I think being in small groups was a good idea, it was intimate and allowed each person watching a chance to participate. It seemed that they really enjoyed the variety and change from a normal lesson. It was learning in action for sure.
This was a great lesson. I think ever single student had the chance to learn something new. My mentor encouraged the "students" to ask their "teachers" as much as they could about the topic during and after their presentations. I think being in small groups was a good idea, it was intimate and allowed each person watching a chance to participate. It seemed that they really enjoyed the variety and change from a normal lesson. It was learning in action for sure.
26 | 04 | 2012
Today I spent a bit of time with another teacher who is mainly works in the Curriculum Support Unit. She wanted to go through my lesson plans that I have done for the Geography and the Olympics unit. This was a very very great sessions. I have detailed lesson plans but its not word for word of how I would run the actual lesson. So for example:
Starter Activity: Watch the official Olympic Promo video
KWL activity - what you know about the Olympics, what you want to know and what have you learnt (to be revisted at the end of the lesson)
She said "so when you say, KWL, tell me exactly how you are going to get them to do that, tell me, as if you were teaching me"
I found that really hard! My answer was "well I will just ask them! and as we discuss it, they can fill in the table"
She went to explain to me, that some kids will go through an entire term never speaking in class. Think:Pair:Share is where its at. Always! That way, every gets a chance to talk, even if it not in front of the whole class. The more confident ones will put their hand up and answer when it comes time to, but I need to make sure I am not only engaging them but everyone.
We went through my lesson plans with a fine tooth comb and I found the experience invaluable. Sometimes I think we are surrounded by amazing resources, teachers who have years and years of experience, and we as pre-service teachers or even qualified teachers don't seem to ask for input and advice. A generalisation I know! But I see the value in talking through what works and what does not work with someone else and I would very much like to remain in that state and be open about where I am struggling.
Starter Activity: Watch the official Olympic Promo video
KWL activity - what you know about the Olympics, what you want to know and what have you learnt (to be revisted at the end of the lesson)
She said "so when you say, KWL, tell me exactly how you are going to get them to do that, tell me, as if you were teaching me"
I found that really hard! My answer was "well I will just ask them! and as we discuss it, they can fill in the table"
She went to explain to me, that some kids will go through an entire term never speaking in class. Think:Pair:Share is where its at. Always! That way, every gets a chance to talk, even if it not in front of the whole class. The more confident ones will put their hand up and answer when it comes time to, but I need to make sure I am not only engaging them but everyone.
We went through my lesson plans with a fine tooth comb and I found the experience invaluable. Sometimes I think we are surrounded by amazing resources, teachers who have years and years of experience, and we as pre-service teachers or even qualified teachers don't seem to ask for input and advice. A generalisation I know! But I see the value in talking through what works and what does not work with someone else and I would very much like to remain in that state and be open about where I am struggling.
25 | 04 | 2012
AM: Before the lesson
I spent yesterday afternoon and last night preparing for my Microclimate lesson which I am taking later on today with my mentor and a year 7 class. I have done a powerpoint and I plan to take them outside for a look at the school's Microclimate. Hopefully by seeing it in action they will get it! The idea is that my mentor is going to start off the lesson by wrapping up the last topic, and then for the second half I will introduce the topic of Microclimate
PM: After the lesson
I am definitely getting more comfortable. I am still very aware of how loud my voice gets. I naturally seem to want to speak louder, and want to speak a lot! Chalk n talk, instead of getting it out of the students. My mentor said that I need to try to remember to be very specific when I give instructions, I tend to use the word "roughly" instead of "I would like you to do 6 of these".
I spent yesterday afternoon and last night preparing for my Microclimate lesson which I am taking later on today with my mentor and a year 7 class. I have done a powerpoint and I plan to take them outside for a look at the school's Microclimate. Hopefully by seeing it in action they will get it! The idea is that my mentor is going to start off the lesson by wrapping up the last topic, and then for the second half I will introduce the topic of Microclimate
PM: After the lesson
I am definitely getting more comfortable. I am still very aware of how loud my voice gets. I naturally seem to want to speak louder, and want to speak a lot! Chalk n talk, instead of getting it out of the students. My mentor said that I need to try to remember to be very specific when I give instructions, I tend to use the word "roughly" instead of "I would like you to do 6 of these".
24 | 04 | 2012
I had a chat with my mentor this morning about how the two lessons went the day before. I went through the things I thought worked and did not work and how I felt I had struggled with one class more and another.
He was very very encouraging. He said that as I get more comfortable in the classroom I will start to work out my own ways on how best to deal with particular classes. He encouraged me to express my expectations to the class before I take a lesson - things like:
- When I am talking you are not
- When we are having a class discussion, it is polite to listen to your classmates when they are talking instead of having a conversation in another group about something that is not related
Rules of sorts. He said there was nothing wrong with that, and it would be a good idea to start building up a bank of ideas for expectations which I will be able to share. I really respect him as a teacher, he teaches so well and it seems to be so natural to him. I expressed that, and he encouraged me to have my own style. I left his office feeling a whole lot better.
In the afternoon, that teacher which was absent yesterday was back but not feeling very well. He asked if I wanted to take his class and he would give me feedback. I will take any chance to teach to of course I took the offer with both hands! This was with 2 mins to go, and I did not get a chance to make more copies of the resources I had used with the previous classes! I made do! I did more group work with them where they shared the handouts and that actually worked really well.
He gave me some great feedback, all written out on 3 A4 pages!
- Title and date on the board
- Lesson objectives discussed
- Good starter activity with getting them to read quietly on their own and then to talk to their friend about what the definitions for the key concepts may be.
- Teacher vocab like "hands up", "read quietly", "can you expand on his/her answer", "pens down"
- Good use of language and terms - need to be careful to make sure I dont use language that is too difficult, need to remember to explain what words mean.
- Good resources - but I rushed through them. I spent 40mins making a resources but only spent 2 mins on it in the class.
- When I give the class 5 mins, I actually give them way less time to do it. I need to get a stop watch or keep looking at the clock to ensure I am giving them the amount of time I have said I would give them.
Overall it was a really positive experience and I am so so happy I got to teach another lesson.
He was very very encouraging. He said that as I get more comfortable in the classroom I will start to work out my own ways on how best to deal with particular classes. He encouraged me to express my expectations to the class before I take a lesson - things like:
- When I am talking you are not
- When we are having a class discussion, it is polite to listen to your classmates when they are talking instead of having a conversation in another group about something that is not related
Rules of sorts. He said there was nothing wrong with that, and it would be a good idea to start building up a bank of ideas for expectations which I will be able to share. I really respect him as a teacher, he teaches so well and it seems to be so natural to him. I expressed that, and he encouraged me to have my own style. I left his office feeling a whole lot better.
In the afternoon, that teacher which was absent yesterday was back but not feeling very well. He asked if I wanted to take his class and he would give me feedback. I will take any chance to teach to of course I took the offer with both hands! This was with 2 mins to go, and I did not get a chance to make more copies of the resources I had used with the previous classes! I made do! I did more group work with them where they shared the handouts and that actually worked really well.
He gave me some great feedback, all written out on 3 A4 pages!
- Title and date on the board
- Lesson objectives discussed
- Good starter activity with getting them to read quietly on their own and then to talk to their friend about what the definitions for the key concepts may be.
- Teacher vocab like "hands up", "read quietly", "can you expand on his/her answer", "pens down"
- Good use of language and terms - need to be careful to make sure I dont use language that is too difficult, need to remember to explain what words mean.
- Good resources - but I rushed through them. I spent 40mins making a resources but only spent 2 mins on it in the class.
- When I give the class 5 mins, I actually give them way less time to do it. I need to get a stop watch or keep looking at the clock to ensure I am giving them the amount of time I have said I would give them.
Overall it was a really positive experience and I am so so happy I got to teach another lesson.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)