PRACTICUM YEAR TWO FIELD TEACHING EXPERIENCE REFLECTION

REFLECTIONS ON FIELD TEACHING EXPERIENCE

My year two Practicum field teaching was at the St.Paul's Anglican School in San Fernando.  The teaching experience was carded for a three day period, one day a week for three consecutive weeks.   Teaching was done in peers and my lesson plans were geared towards an Infant One primary class and my approach to teach the lessons was a student centred one.  

On the first day of field teaching it was a new and different experience because I not only had to teach with a partner, but also had the co-operating teacher looking on.  It was also a culture shock because at this school there were only boys to teach.  

At beginning of the morning session it was quite a task for the class teacher to settle the boys.  Hence, I began thinking to myself " If this is happening at such an early point in time, then what  am I going to do when I have to deliver my lesson."  I was nervous, and thoughts of what I can do to have the class under control raced through my mind.   

The first lesson that my partner and I delivered was a science lesson on Habitats.  As soon as I began setting up the models of the habitats the boys grew extremely enthusiastic.  at this point in time I felt that my lesson will definitely go well.  To my surprise the boys carried this enthusiasm throughout the lesson and this posed a great challenge for me throughout the lesson.  It was tedious to continuously keep the students on track and carry out the lesson without distractions.  Despite this unexpected challenge I managed to get through the lesson and accomplished the learning objectives an at average level of success.

The second lesson taught on this day was done in the afternoon period.  This lesson was a Spanish one done on pets.  Now I knew that the boys were looking forward to see what resources I was going to bring forward and dealt with the anticipated enthusiasm from them in a different manner.  I explained to the students that if they become too excited they will miss out on what it is I am really going to offer them.  I mentioned to them that I was very appreciative of the fact that they liked the materials that I took time to create for them.  I told them that their enthusiasm made me feel happy, but at the same time I do not want them to loose out on what more I have to offer them in class.  This lesson received a better response from the students.  When I was planning the lesson I thought that the students would have been unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the content.  However, to my surprise the students actually enjoyed the lesson and gave full participation. They enjoyed the activity where they were required to work in groups and choose the correct picture of the pet that they heard the Spanish name for.  At the end of this lesson I regained confidence in what I was doing and looked forward to returning the next week to teach.

On the second day of field teaching I was juggling several thoughts in my mind at the same time.  I had butterflies in my stomach because my lecturer was visiting on this day to assess my teaching together with my partner.  I was praying and hoping that my class management strategies worked well today, especially when my lecturer comes.  I tried to keep faith that my team teaching will work out smoothly.  My partner and I went over the lesson several times ensuring that we each knew what we had to do for the lessons.  

The first lesson taught on this day was a Mathematics lesson on Picture Charts.  This was done in the afternoon session immediately after lunch.  I was very uncomfortable at this point because the students are normally loud, and unsettled at this time and to make matters more complicated I would say, the class teacher was no where to be found.  Therefore, my partner and I were solo in that we had to actually get the students settled and in the mood for learning, even when they were complaining that they were sweaty, hot and tired.  Some boys even wanted to take a rest and use the washrooms and here we had to be ready to deliver a lesson and our lecturer was observing. 

I pulled myself together and did what I had to do.  I firstly coaxed the students to quiet down because what they were about to do is a lot of fun and learning.  Then, I reminded them of the rules when answering and working during a lesson.  I made them feel really important because I told that they had to make me proud especially when there was a visitor in class.  I gave them a sense of responsibility.  While the lesson was delivered I gave it my all.  I tried to ensure that the constructivist approach was being used and the lesson was student centred.  
When the lesson was over I breathed a sigh of relief.  I said to myself you have done it and it was not at all that terrible.  I knew that some areas needed to be polished but I did get the lesson done and that in itself was motivation to move on.  When I spoke to my lecturer after the lesson I welcomed comments for improvement.  I appreciated the fact that she is not someone who criticizes, but someone who gives positive comments to build you and encourage you to aspire for excellence. 
Immediately after this lesson was done I did my second lesson for the day.  I was confident now that I could do things better and offer more to the students.  Now I knew I could have reached out to the boys on my own and so I did.  I managed together with my partner to deliver a lesson using paint and avoided too much disruptions.  I did this by communicating to the students that they needed to work well because their finished work was going on the wall for everyone to see, so they will want everyone to see  that they can do excellent work.  I learnt over the past lessons that I needed to pass on the responsibility and ownership of the learning to the students.
Day three of field teaching was better. The students responded well to me because now they knew what to expect from me and what I expected from them.  The lessons taught were Mathematics and Comprehension.  Both subjects were done in the morning period because the students wanted to have my partner and I teach them all morning.  The co-operating gave us the permission to do so.  
During the Mathematics lesson I noticed the students were looking forward for me to call them by name to participate in the activities.  It seemed as though they appreciated me learning their names.  I recall one student actually telling me not to forget him, he wants to come up and stick a picture on the board.  He said that he can do it really well.  I am assured him that each person was going to get a chance to do something during the lesson.  
The Comprehension lesson was done with an individual assessment and that worked out quite interesting.  I realized that in the same class there are students who were hesitant to work on their own and others who were quite comfortable to do so.  From this experience I deduced that activities have to be varied in future so as to make students comfortable and accepting of both individual and group work.  This is so because at some point in a lesson students must be assessed individually.
The last day of fielding teaching left me with mixed emotions.  For me I was finally completing my Practicum field teaching.  I was overjoyed and relieved, but when I thought of the boys I felt sad because I started to feel disturbed when I realized I had to tell them I was not going to be back to teach them and bring  resources for them to interact with.  I felt guilty, as though I was responsible now and even obligated.  I felt as though they would be missing out now that I was not going to be back.  I did know how to break the news to them.   
At end of it all I particularly enjoyed the manner in which the students interacted with me as the teacher and their reactions to the resources.   This experience made me aware that in the respect and enthusiasm displayed by students will be two of the many aspects I should strive for and expect in the future. The students in the class indeed showcased their enthusiasm to learn especially because of their interest in the resources.   I feel that I have truly accomplished a great deal by simply preparing thoroughly and walking with manipulative resources to teach each lesson.
In future when delivering a lesson I will always consider creating an exciting learning environment for all students, where special activities will be incorporated for all students to enjoy.  I will also keep in mind that things do not always work as planned and I must be able to adjust easily without any problems.
In conclusion, I went in to this school and class with a passion for teaching and at the end i can honestly say I still have a passion not only for teaching, but also for children.  I will strive to understand the needs of my students, their backgrounds and find out what they expect from me in order to become a better teacher in future.  I have grown not only  as a teacher but also as an individual.  This is so because I am now not only concerned about the content in teaching, but I am also concerned about the students.  I want to always make them feel comfortable and maintain mutual respect in a classroom.  

CRITICAL INCIDENT

My Critical Incident and its impact. 

One critical incident in my Practicum class that grasped my attention was the manner in which lesson planning was undertaken by my lecturer.  I soon realized after the first two or three sessions of class that lesson plans are not to be taken lightly.  It became clear that lesson plans are like road maps that clearly and precisely state what the students need to know and how it will be done effectively and efficiently during the stipulated time.  My lecturer continuously reminded and urged the students of my class to take time, be diligent and always understand the abilities and goals of the children you have to teach.  Having the lecturer always being persistent and not settling for anything less than what was expected gave me full confidence when I had to present my lesson plan with my colleague to the entire Practicum class.  I was not only confident but I felt successful and accomplished at the end of the entire Practicum III course.  I am certain more than ever now that I can plan effectively for any lesson in the future because I have had high standards instilled in me.  

ASSESSMENT

When I first thought about the concept of assessment, I believed that it was a vital part of the education process to determine what the student has learnt.  Personally, I felt that assessment contained a great deal of stress, and test.  Now, my view on assessment has been altered because of the discussions held during my last Practicum class.  I am aware that times have changed and the needs of the learners have changed.  Therefore, educators need to use new strategies to assess their learners and meet their needs.

Formative assessment is employed by the teacher during the teaching period.  It can be both formal and informal assessments ranging from as simple as questioning the students while teaching or observing them during an activity conducted during a lesson. 

As a teacher, I have understood that this is applied to evaluate the needs of the students immediately.  For example what was understood or what concepts need to be reviewed.  Moreover, detailed information on the students is gathered to improve teaching instructions and student learning while it is happening.

Summative assessment is an evaluation of the students’ learning progress and achievement at the conclusion of a specific instruction period.  It is basically an assessment of learning at a particular time.

As a teacher, I have understood that this is applied traditionally at the end of a school term to determine if the long term goals of the subject were met. 

With regards to, the levels of flexibility and adaptability I believe that I will have to stand for what I believe in as an educator and meet the needs of my learners effectively and efficiently.  As a teacher I will have to engage more in assessment for learning and less in assessment of learning to address the immediate needs of my learners and reflect critically on my practice for the benefit of my learners.

My strategies may need to change because I will want to encourage more questioning and class discussions during my lessons.  I may also want to include assignments that are interesting and exciting for the learners such as drawing or even singing.

The immediate challenges that I can identify are concerns of parents, administrators, colleagues and supervisors.  These concerned parties may feel as though that I am not offering the learners quality education because it is not what they are accustomed to.  

The road ahead is not going to be well paved when I consider past and present experiences with administrators, as well as the contemporary education system.

If I had to resolve some of these issues, I would suggest to the leaders in the Ministry of Education to review the National Curriculum to accommodate the immediate needs of learners and allow for assessment for learning to be incorporated fully into the schools’ curriculum.

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

The Power Of Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions allow students greater freedom in formulating their answers. Thus, it brings out the creativity in the thoughts of the students. When open-ended questions are used especially in set inductions there can be an unlimited number of possible answers.  For example, when I had to deliver a set induction to introduce Proper Nouns in class I used the  open-ended question "What do you think about the boy's name?"  to discuss a short story that involved a boy.  This question probed students to think logically, be self expressive, and creative  in their response. Some of the responses included "I like it." My cousin also has that name." " I think it is special." From these responses, it was observed that this type of questioning involved a greater amount of respondent time, thought and effort.

MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AND ITS IMPACT ON MY LEARNERS

My teaching philosophy is my beliefs on what I should do in order to promote growth and quality education for the learners.  It was impacted upon by both my personal  and professional learning and teaching experiences.  I believe that students should be offered a quality education that is student centered, abreast of changes in society, and allows for values and social skills to be adopted to function as concerned citizens in the community and by large in the global community as well. 
When planning my lessons to my students my teaching philosophy will play a vital role in what I plan to do and how I will go about doing it.  I will always plan lessons with the learning domains of an individual in mind.  Furthermore, when planning objectives I will choose to target levels in the domains that I know are appropriate and attainable by my students.  My assessments and activities will incorporate worksheets and technological based tasks that will grasp the attention of all students.  Hence, I will cater for all students in my class.

LESSON PLANNING

MY VIEWS ON LESSON PLANS

When I first thought about having to do a lesson plan, my reaction was all based on  confusion and reluctance.  I felt that it was so much work required in such a little time frame.  It is often said that lesson planning is a critical skill to acquire in a teaching degree, however, with the a lot of research, reading and guidance from my lecturer I believe that it will not be too difficult to accomplish.  I have heard my peers say that lesson planning is simply too complex to master.  In working in schools I noticed that effective teachers were those who engaged themselves in tremendous amounts of pre-planning prior to classes.

THE SYLLABUS AS BOTH A PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DOCUMENT

THE SYLLABUS AS BOTH A PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DOCUMENT

The syllabus is both a personal and professional document because it reflects the teacher's philosophy about teaching and learning and it also contains the core contents of the subject to be taught.  For the teacher the syllabus is of utmost importance in the classroom because it outlines what is expected during the duration of a course, it serves as a permanent record and also as a learning tool for both the teacher and students.  Responsibilities and procedures  of both the teacher and students are clearly stated.  The course content is permanently available in the syllabus and ways in which learning can be improved and achieved are also described.  Moreover, the syllabus serves as a contract, permanent record and learning tool.