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.

OVERVIEW OF FIELD OBSERVATION

A Day in the life of Field Observation

Spending the day was one that will always be etched in my memory as a new learning experience I physically experienced what it was like to be back in the school system with new knowledge of the teaching profession. I mentally experienced the impact I will soon again have on my new students as a graduate teacher.  I felt a great sense of respect since the children treated me like a teacher at the school. The exercise was useful to me because it gave me the opportunity to observe what I should and should not do as a prospective and professional teacher of the twenty first century.  I was perceived by the way in which the co-operating teacher would respond to me, but, it surprisingly worked out well.

My level of maturity as a professional is such that it has increased since, I was now exposed to the school with new knowledge. I intend to be a teacher that will be empathetic with students and also one who will use innovative and vibrant teaching strategies in the classroom.  I will want to touch the lives of my students in a very special and positive way that will ensure they are all successful and contribute meaningfully to the society. Dealing with other human beings was somewhat casual for me since I was previously accustomed to being in a school setting.  My communication skills were improved since I was last in the classroom.  This is so because of my new knowledge on how to read others through observation of the eyes and basic gestures that they make.   Being in this field, a lot of effective, two way communication is required between students and teachers. Therefore, as a visiting UTT student, it was necessary for me to communicate with the members of the school staff and students in a positive and professional manner. My deportment was one of interest and professionalism. This is due to the fact that these are desired qualities of a teacher. Being interested in the well-being of students satisfies their need for love and belongingness, and at the same time displaying professionalism establishes and maintains a good teacher-student relationship. A teacher is not only an educator, but a parent, a friend, a lawyer, a councillor a nurse; in other words, the teacher does it all for his or her students. Teachers mould and make a significant difference in the lives of their students.

                                 

SECOND DAY OF FIELD OBSERVATION

Second Day of Field Observation

The second and final day visit to Avocat Vedic Primary School was on 17^th February, 2014. On entering the school, I felt less nervous and more excited to be back at the school.  The children had happy faces as I walked in. Some were very courteous and offered a few kind words. The school day commenced with the usual assembly then everyone proceeded to their classrooms. My colleagues and I were very busy gathering all the data that we could have since time was limited for us to do so.  As the day came to an end we extended our gratitude to the principal and co-operating teachers for accommodating and being helpful to us.  I felt disheartened to leave the school since I enjoyed the time spent with the students.

FIRST DAY OF FIELD OBSERVATION

My first day of field observation was on Monday 10th February at Avocat Vedic School.  I was placed in a Standard One class to sit and observe every and any thing that went on during the course of the school day.  There was quite a lot to document in terms of the teacher's strategies, the response of the students and also general information about the school and its staff.  During the course of the day I felt comfortable in the classroom and school setting.  At the end of the first day of field observation I can safely say that this day was a great success for me.  I am excited to return to Avocat Vedic School for my second day of field observation next week.

INTERVIEW WITH YEAR TWO STUDENT

During the second week of semester two at UTT I interviewed a year two student based on her experience during her field observation exercise.  The questions and answers were as follows:

1. What was your proudest moment?

Ans:  My proudest moment was actually spending the entire day in a classroom with young students.


2. What was your hardest tasks?

Ans:  Obtaining information from the teacher and principal without having a scheduled time slot with them was my most challenging task.

3.  What do you wish you had known before you had the experience?

Ans:  I wish I had known that I needed to get as much information as possible and then filter through it to get what was really needed.

PRACTICUM-UNDERSTANDING WHOLE SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM DYNAMICS

Practicum in Semester two at UTT presents year one students with the opportunity to have about three field observation days.  In the sessions preceding to the field observation days students will be preparing themselves for the visits.  Preparation will include what questions to asks, how to speak, dress and conduct oneself in the assigned schools.  This semester I am enthusiastic about learning new and valuable information and skills required for when I become a professional.