Teaching Practice Reflections: Week 2

List three successes of your teaching this week and state why you feel each point was a success.

• Experiments: I carried out two different experiments in class this week with my first year geography group. I feel experiments are a great way of visually showing students a difficult concept like a seismometer or a tsunami, in a tangible way. I downloaded a seismometer on my phone and showed students the data collected on the app when we tapped the table which the phone was resting on. I feel experiments work well to further embed the learning.
• Stars for good work: I award stars for homework that has been completed to a high standard. This works well for my 1st and 2nd year groups. It encourages them to complete their diagrams in their copy books to a good standard, use colour, labels, ultimately taking more care of their work. The students love getting stars for their work and although it may create a little bit of a competitive atmosphere it has increased the standard of work I receive from them.
• Student inquiry learning: I used this method this week before starting a new topic. I asked the students the night prior for homework to bring in one key fact about the topic. This gives them the opportunity to research the topic independently which emphasizes the student's role in the learning process. Rather than me telling students what they need to know, students are encouraged to explore the material, ask questions, and share ideas. This was a success and I will use this methodology again going forward.

List three areas for improvement which you will focus on next week and outline an action plan that you will put into place for each area

• Non-verbal communication: I need to be careful of over using my voice when asking for silence. This is something I need to practice daily, e.g. raising my hand to ask for silence or tapping the table.
• Make it relevant to the students: I need to remember to always make a link to relevancy for students at the start of every lesson. This helps to engage them from the start if I can make the link early in the lesson as to why it’s important to know about e.g. Human Rights.
• Sources of information: As this is an iPad school students have access to the internet in class if they are working on a project. Especially for my CSPE classes, I need to stress the importance of checking valid sources.

Discuss one theoretical idea that influenced your teaching this week

"'Inquiry experiences can provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understanding' (Edelson et al. 1999).

Inquiry-based learning helps students make their own connections about what they learn. Their curiosity helps them engage and gain a deeper understanding of topics and content, instead of primarily memorizing and recalling rules, ideas or formulas

Edelson, D.C., Gordin, D.N. and Pea, R.D., (1999) Addressing the challenges of inquiry-based learning through technology and curriculum design. Journal of the learning sciences, 8(3-4), pp.391-450.

What was your most enjoyable moment while teaching this week?

The most enjoyable moment this week was having a successful inspection. It is very reassuring to receive positive feedback and it has given me confidence going forward in my teaching practice. I think it’s vital to receive feedback in the early weeks of placement as it helps me stay on track. I find inspections can also be very motivating and energising.