PRE-PROGRAMME EXPERIENCES

Date(s) October 2010 (70 hours)

School /setting Hazlewood School Community Primary

Experiences
Group/ class / subjects or activities

Year 4 30 in the class

Commentary / reflection on what was learned I learned how to use different communication techniques to cater for every level of ability in the classroom. This ranged from using white boards and flash cards with the lower ability and a lot of verbal communication with the higher ability. These techniques were bound together with a differentiation of vocabulary while speaking with the pupils. With the lower ability I tended to use simple and clear language and sentence structure allowing them to follow instruction more clearly and to understand what it was I was saying. With the higher ability I used more complex vocabulary and questioning techniques to try and extend their learning. To adopt different communication techniques in the classroom a teacher must have a range of resources readily available to both children and the adults in the classroom. Resources were stored in labelled draws or on shelves. Resources included, counting blocks, whiteboards and pens, flash cards, dictionaries etc. Having many resources to aid different learning abilities and styles enables an ease of learning in a comfortable environment. KEY LEARNING POINTS Good teaching practice incorporates different methods of communication to cater for all pupils learning styles and abilities. Engaging learning activities/methods. Readily available wealth of resources.

PRE-PROGRAMME EXPERIENCES

Date(s) November 2012

School /setting Clover Hill Community School

Experiences
Group/ class / subjects or activities

Year 5 32 in the class Introduction day COCO charity

Commentary / reflection on what was learned I learned how to plan, manage and deliver an exciting, off curriculum, activity lead day. Good organisation skills were key to this task. Due to the nature of the day being activity lead I knew it could have potentially been chaotic so planning was key. I planned the day accordingly for example; registration, a group activity to begin with, small group activities, break time, games (already set up over break time), lunch time, then a class talk to reflect on what had been learnt, produce posters to summarise what they had learnt which they had to present to the school in an assembly that afternoon. Fluidity between activities was very important as well as linking them all together. To do this I set up activities and games during break times so everything was set out ready and waiting for when the children entered the classroom. I made sure I made the relevance and the meaning of the activities clear by giving short introductions and asking lots of questions, making comparisons between their lives and the lives of children in the third world. It was important to be clear and concise when giving instructions because they were a lively class. I made my expectations and rules clear at the start of the day so the pupils knew what to expect and how to act in my classroom. KEY LEARNING POINTS Organisation and good management make for a happy, well behaved classroom. Rules and expectations need to be clearly explained and implemented, especially during a whole day of activity lead practice. Fluidity and pace are a key factor to keep pupils engaged and stimulated.

Date(s)

School /setting

Experiences
Group/ class / subjects or activities

Sept 2012 The Manchester Grammar School July 2013

Years 3,4,5 and 6 Approximately 130 pupils Rounders lunchtime club

Commentary / reflection on what was learned I learned how to manage a large number of pupils and how to accommodate for different sporting abilities. My colleague and I came together to teach 130 pupils how to play rounders. Health and safety was more than apparent in this outdoor teaching. I had to make sure pupils similar abilities were put into competing teams to make the sport fair and safe. Arranging the rounders pitches also proved a challenge as we had to be spatially aware so one game would not cross over with another and making sure we were far enough away from buildings and footpaths so we didnt put anyone or anything in danger of getting hit. We had a trial rounders game, allowing us to observe and make note of the different ability levels so we could then arrange teams based on this information. Having so many pupils in a fast paced sport we had to be fairly strict laying down the rules of the games and enforcing safety regulations such as not throwing the bat, not obstructing anyone and standing well away from the batter in a designated area. Even though teaching a sport involves many rules it was important to have a good time and focus on having fun. Introducing a competitive nature into the game added more excitement and teamwork into the game. To make a fun, safe and exciting learning environment a teacher must endorse the rules and regulations of a sport. If pupils do not listen and mess around then they can put themselves in danger and if a sport is not played correctly there is a possibility pupils can cause danger to themselves and the people around them. Fun should also be a big element of sport and to encourage this health competition between teams of similar ability is encouraged.

KEY LEARNING POINTS Safety in and outside of a classroom is a priority to allow a safe environment. Fun is a huge element of sport and competition between similar ability groups is a fair and fun way to develop team work.

PRE-PROGRAMME EXPERIENCES

Date(s)

School /setting

Experiences
Group/ class / subjects or activities

September 2012- July 2013

The Manchester Grammar School

Year 6 Small maths group

Commentary / reflection on what was learned I learned the importance of subject knowledge during my time at The Manchester Grammar School. I took a small maths group once a week and aimed to improve their subject knowledge, focussing on their times tables, fractions, order of operations etc. The pupils selected for my maths group were the pupils with a slightly lower ability. I learnt how to have patience when explaining maths problems and how to explore many different methods to work out maths problems. One method may work for one pupil but another pupil may find that particular method difficult so as a teacher you need to work out whats best for pupils who struggle. To be an efficient and effective teacher your subject knowledge has to be of an excellent level enabling you to support a childs learning and to provide them with information to help them. Patience is definitely a virtue being a teacher and without patience you cannot fully provide a child with exactly what they need. If a child does not understand something it is down to the teacher to find a way for that child to learn and reach that level and without sufficient subject knowledge and patience then this would be hard to achieve. KEY LEARNING POINTS A teachers subject knowledge is key to helping a child achieving their full potential. A teacher must have patience and understanding when helping children with things that they dont understand or are finding difficult.