Professional Knowledge
Standard 1 - Know students and how they learn
Standard 2 - Know the content and how to teach it
Reflective commentary
Over the course of my teaching experiences, and through my interactions with children generally, including my own, I have come to understand that all children are different, and as such need to be related to as individuals. I still remember my surprise on first becoming a father, when I appreciated for the first time, that we don't just get a baby, we get a unique new person. It is my belief that we should view our students in this same manner, and that if we can successfully appreciate our students as people, we will connect with them, they will begin to accept us, and take ownership of their own learning. This is crucially important as being a significant adult figure in children's lives, the benefits to a student from positive relations with their teachers and peers is profound. When combined with sound knowledge of educational content, the effective teaching and learning potential for this situation is high.
A child comes with a range of contexts and life experiences that ensure their understanding and the way they understand will be unique, and for effective learning to occur, this must be appreciated and reflected in differentiated practice. In my final practicum I made substantial efforts to gather information about my children prior to teaching them, and continued learning about my students for the time I was with them. I arranged an early visit to the class late in term two just to introduce myself, and established an early strong relationship with my mentor that yielded much information on what I would be required to teach, and on the students themselves. On commencing the practicum I conducted a number of diagnostic lessons to determine where I thought they were at in terms of content, and strived to relate to all students at their level. I have been consistently commended for the level of genuine care I have expressed toward my students, and I developed a table seating plan early, which was a great way to learn names.
Over the course of my teaching experiences, and through my interactions with children generally, including my own, I have come to understand that all children are different, and as such need to be related to as individuals. I still remember my surprise on first becoming a father, when I appreciated for the first time, that we don't just get a baby, we get a unique new person. It is my belief that we should view our students in this same manner, and that if we can successfully appreciate our students as people, we will connect with them, they will begin to accept us, and take ownership of their own learning. This is crucially important as being a significant adult figure in children's lives, the benefits to a student from positive relations with their teachers and peers is profound. When combined with sound knowledge of educational content, the effective teaching and learning potential for this situation is high.
A child comes with a range of contexts and life experiences that ensure their understanding and the way they understand will be unique, and for effective learning to occur, this must be appreciated and reflected in differentiated practice. In my final practicum I made substantial efforts to gather information about my children prior to teaching them, and continued learning about my students for the time I was with them. I arranged an early visit to the class late in term two just to introduce myself, and established an early strong relationship with my mentor that yielded much information on what I would be required to teach, and on the students themselves. On commencing the practicum I conducted a number of diagnostic lessons to determine where I thought they were at in terms of content, and strived to relate to all students at their level. I have been consistently commended for the level of genuine care I have expressed toward my students, and I developed a table seating plan early, which was a great way to learn names.
An excellent activity that I introduced early on involved some pet spiny leafed stick insects that I had at home. Recognising that this would be a good subject with which to bond with the students and improve motivation, I implemented a 'who am I?' corner, where I left a poster, a box for student suggestions, and every few days a new clue, for the children to gradually discover the identity of their new class pets. Each child was allowed one guess per day, and this went on for quite a while! I became more specific with my clues and when one girl guessed it right, I bought them in and conducted an English, Science and Maths lesson on insect terminology and symmetry. The class named the insects Bobalina and Magical in a vote. This exercise was a complete success, and motivated and interested my learners at a time when they were also beginning to know me.
Another clear example of my practice catering for the needs of learners included a Mathematics Group Education Plan (AITSL focus area 1.5, see below) that I personally developed to assist my weaker maths students. Informed by the outcomes of previous assessments, this contained such strategies as pairing for support with more capable students, and in specific lessons moving the education plan students to a guided teaching table. During lessons conducted in this fashion, the progress of my weaker students was noticeable, however on reflection it would have been good to implement such a strategy for these students earlier. To be able to spend time with these children, I provided interesting extension activities to my more capable students. Several lessons at my final practical focused on teaching respect for Indigenous cultures. This included writing and illustrative lessons on the Dreamtime stories of the Waugal and Magic Colours (a story about a dove), connecting with the Indigenous child's perspective via the ABC production My Place, and a sensitive exploration of the values differences behind early European and Indigenous conflict (AITSL focus area 2.4, see below) (National Trust of Australia (WA), 2011). With several Indigenous students in my class this was a challenging and yet very rewarding experience, and the level of respect I developed with one boy in particular was very satisfying to me. It was noted in my final practical report that my ability in this area was seen as outstanding. I fully recognise the need to differentiate teaching content to teach to the curriculum of the child, and even though with a split year level class this contained additional challenges, I worked hard to provide my students with assistance they needed. Differentiation must consider the needs of all students, including those with impairments. During a previous practical, in the one classroom I catered for a child on the autism spectrum, a significantly physically disabled child and a student with oppositional defiant disorder. In my final practicum I taught the full teaching load over all subject areas, including Mathematics, English, Science, Health, and two separate History programs, which required me to be very familiar with the Australian Curriculum across three year levels (AITSL focus area 2.2, see below). I am aware that phase three of the Curriculum is due to be released at the end of this year, and so I will need to familiarise myself with four new content areas before teaching. I adopted many different cooperative learning group strategies in my teaching, using varied graphic organisers like word walls, KWLs, Y&T charts, PMIs, placemats, round robins and mind mapping. I also exercised strong use of ICT to provide daily creative and appealing content, for example using Ipads and the interactive whiteboard, I conducted a highly successful exploration of the sales tactics behind advertising. This was another area in my final report regarded as outstanding. Another fantastic example of my teaching proficiency was my success with teaching transformation concepts, in an engaging set of maths lessons; I showed the children how they could make a symmetrical alien with their own name, make their own snowflakes, develop shape comic characters that in a story experienced all the standard shape transformation terms, and made a class symmetry pattern banner that formed a fantastic display at the back of the class (AITSL focus area 2.1, see below). Along with other work that was hung from string on the roof, the work the children developed was fast allowing them to develop a sense of ownership of the class. Action Plan In terms of an action plan for Standard 1, Know students and how they learn, I would like to continue to improve my familiarity and comfort with teaching indigenous content, and I think the best way to do this would be to relate more to relevant indigenous adults. In a safe and approved way this could mean having a guest speaker or a cultural element brought into my classroom. I would also like to be well prepared for beginning to know my next group of students early and well, through the use of getting to know you team building exercises, focused observation and diagnostic work, so that initiatives like my Mathematics Group Education Plan could be implemented earlier. My action plan for Standard 2, Know the content and how to teach it, involves a full revision of the content I have been exposed to this year, organising my material, identifying key priorities for next year's teaching, and for further development. I would also like to progress to a week to a page daily workpad planning to reduce planning intensity, and will become familiar with the Australian Curriculum phase three content requirements before the new year begins. |