Epp406 Maharp Tasktwo

EPP406: Professional Identity and Curriculum Work Meg Harper 210680301
EPP406

Professional Identity and Curriculum
Work

TASK THREE: AUTHENTIC
TEACHER ASSESSMENT

Meg Harper

210680301

Word Count: 2,438


SECTION ONE: PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY

1.1 Photographs:

TASK TWO: DEAKIN AUTHENIC
TEACHER ASSESSMENT
Image one: Student centered learning, based on their needs and desires.
Image two: Technology in the classroom will be used to aid in learning
and to allow students to discover and solve problems themselves.

Image three: I am a lifelong learner & my students will be too. My philosophy
states that I want to educate students for life not just for tests and assessments
they will encounter at school.
Image four: Everyone will learn differently, I am aware and tailor classes to suit
the needs of every child.

1.2 Commentary

Over the years, I have developed and grown as a teacher but I always searched
for that defining moment for me, where I knew what kind of educator I wanted
to be. That occurred in my final rounds of practicum in fourth year where I really
strived and pushed myself to discover who I wanted to be and eventually, I have
summarized my professional identity with just five photographs. Image one
represents student centered learning. While developing lessons around the
curriculum is still paramount, I have made an effort to plan my lessons in ways,
which I know the students will enjoy and benefit from most. This means moving
away from the outdated teacher centered approach to teaching, which involved
lecturing and teaching from a book, to more powerful and meaningful
approaches such as PSI, peer teaching tasks and inquiry based learning. This
allows the students to come to the answers to the problems in which I leave
them with by themselves, resulting in a more meaningful and unforgettable
answer. Image two, represents the utmost importance of technology and
embracing ICT in the classroom, as the net generation of teachers, it is vital that
we use ICT in the classroom to further benefit the students learning. As a teacher,
I hope to be able to incorporate ICT such as IPads in Physical Education lessons
to use Apps, which will allow the students to complete more complex tasks such
as critiquing a skill, or creating mind maps with images and videos for revision.
Image three is a quote, which I have shaped my teaching around. Education is
not preparation for life, education is life itself. I believe that education is about
preparing students for life outside of school, but for me as a teacher, it is about
being a life long learner, and this quote summarizes that perfectly. Image four is
probably the most important to me, during placement this year I had a lot of
Image five: Inclusion. As a teacher I will strive to create lessons that include
and allow all students to participate and learn, no matter what their strengths
and weaknesses are.
students with learning difficulties, this was a challenge for me but also a blessing.
It taught me that I need to plan and develop lesson plans to ensure that all
students can learn. If a child cannot learn the way we teach, then we must teach
the way they learn- is such a powerful quote, we need to move away from
teaching how we feel comfortable and educate the students in ways in which
they learn best, sometimes that may mean writing four different lesson plans to
connect with all different types of learners. Finally, Image five represents me as
an inclusive teacher, I am very approachable as an educator but I also need to
ensure that I am inclusive; this links with image four and planning so that
everyone can learn. Being inclusive means that everyone can join in and play or
learn. I aspire to have all students participating in every class, not only because
they enjoy it but also because they are capable of doing so.

SECTION TWO: PLANNING AND TEACHING

2.1 Planning

The unit that I will be reflecting on is year nine science, electronics. I taught
this unit from start to finish and while having not taught year nine curriculum in
science previously, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Electronics has been part of the year nine curriculum and is hugely important,
this unit teaches students what electricity is and how it works, it has a number of
practical and theoretical components, which allows the students to engage in the
subject matter. Students covered material on how electricity is made and
examples of it in their day to day lives, this was particularly important and
valuable for them as it put common household appliances into perspective or
gave them an understand of how they work. I found that this topic particularly
taught students a number of learning styles, which they can apply, to any subject
or lesson in life. The first being the ability to create a glossary, the students were
required to create a glossary of all key terms, which they learnt through out the
five weeks. This meant that students had to identify which words were
important, what they meant and how they fit into the topic. They were also
required to work with ICT in the classroom; while this presented challenges it
also allowed them to learn through research (inquiry) rather than through the
teacher lecturing them. Students also had to complete a number of practical
experiences, which were highly successful, based on the hands on approach;
students could create meaningful links between what they had just learnt and
how it works in practice.

The central focus for the lesson plans attached is circuits and resistors, students
had previously touched on these topics but the point of these lessons was really
to embed the information in students memories as it was a topic which they
were struggling with and the test was given to the students at the end of the unit
which would cover this information in detail.

Please see attached lessons 6-9 on this topic. Red font is annotations.

LESSON SIX
Teachers Name:
Meg Harper
Subject:
YEAR 9 SCIENCE

Lesson number in
sequence: 6

Duration of
Lesson:
45
Class Size:
20
Year level:
9
Learning Intentions:
-Recap on series & parallel circuits
-Resistors

GOALS:
-Ability to explain the difference between series and parallel circuits
-Ability to define key terms regarding electronics
-Ability to explain what a resistor is, how it works and the difference between a good
and a bad resistor
-Ability to safely use electrical kits
**These are the learning goals, they are clear and well established, it is easy to recognize
what the goals are both from looking at this section here as well as looking through the
lesson plan.

Learning focus REVISION & RESISTORS

Equipment required for the lesson
Power point Markers
Computer
Stage/
Time:
45 mins
Tasks
Teacher Action/
Focus questions
Stage 1
9.55-10.15

Recap of past classes;
- Series vs. parallel
Series: Current is the same at any point but voltage splits up
over each component (draw on board with 12V example)
Parallel: Current splits up down each path, voltage is the same
across each path (draw example on the board, use 12V and add
another globe on second path)
This recap will allow students to focus on what we are covering
and get them back into the topic. This topic has been difficult
for them, use whiteboard to present information through
diagrams as well as vocally. Probe students for responses here.

-Go over homework questions

-What is a current?
The flow of electricity
-What is conventional current?
The flow of positive charge from the positive terminal to the
negative terminal.
-What is electrical current?
Current is a flow of negatively charged electrons. Electrons
move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal
-What is a conductor?
A substance that allows current to flow through it easily. Most
metals are good conductors of electricity.
-What is an insulator?
Materials that do not normally allow current to pass through
them are called insulators. Rubber and plastic are good
insulators.
-What is a switch?
Switches control which branch of the circuit is on or off.
**This is also designed to enable students to remember key
terminology that will be used for the rest of the lesson. It will
be presented in the form of a pop quiz with prizes for students,
this will encourage participation

*Conduct class
discussion &
answer
questions


Stage 2
10.15-
10.40

What is a resistor?
Good vs. Bad Resistor
Hose & sand analogy
How is resistance measured?

USE POWERPOINT AND YOUTUBE CLIPS TO
DEMONSTRATE.
*Integration of ICT, using a PowerPoint as well as YouTube
clips will engage students. Instead of me (the teacher) reading
off the slides, I usually ask students to do it, this ensures that
they are listening in case they are called upon as well as moves
away from the teachers voice to provide variation

-FINISH GLOSSARY OF WORDS

-IF FINISHED EARLY THEY MAY USE THE ELECTRICAL KITS
TO PRACTICAL AND DISCOVER HOW TO MAKE A CIRCUIT
*Always have a plan for those students who finish early

Conclusion:
Recap on lesson
Homework-finish glossary, up to date with textbook questions
Page 47 Q1-5

LESSON SEVEN

Teachers Name:
Meg Harper
Subject:
YEAR 9 SCIENCE

Lesson number in
sequence: 7

Duration of
Lesson:
85
Class Size:
20
Year level:
9
-Discuss terms: current and voltage
- Understand the use of ammeters and voltmeters
- Recap of resistors/measuring ohms

GOALS
-Students should be able to use and distinguish between a voltmeter, ammeter and a
multimeter
-Students use ICT to review ammeters, voltmeters and multimeters
**Learning goals clearly specified as well as the intentions of the lessons

Learning intentions: Current, voltage, ammeters & voltmeters
Power point Markers
Computer
Stage/
Time:
45 mins
Tasks
Teacher Action/
Focus questions
Stage 1
2.05-2.15

2.15-2.50

Mark the roll

Recap of past classes;
- What are resistors?
- Example of measuring with resistors using ohms
-How do you draw a resistor/ohm sign?
-WORKSHEET TWO SHOULD BE HANDED IN. IF NOT
THEY HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY TO HAND IT
IN.
*Recap to ensure learning from last class, always
important in planning. If students are still struggling,
spend some time going over these concepts again.

Use power point slides 50-70
EMAIL DENNIS RE DEMO
DEMONSTRATION: show students how to use them
-Need: ammeters, voltmeters and multimeters, wires,
globes and powerpacks
*Use of lab tech to provide variety and give students an
aspect of expertise for this part of the class, it is a difficult
component, planning ahead and organising a lab tech is vital.

ASK STUDENTS TO DOWNLOAD CROCODILE
PHYSICS
If there are problems go to IT or refer to lesson
plan for solutions
*Ensure that this is immediate
CROCODILE PHYSICS ACTIVITY: using ammeters &
voltmeters14
*this is a difficult task, I had it up on my computer
projected to the whiteboard to aid students in their
work and for those whos computers wouldnt work.

*Conduct class
discussion &
answer
questions


Stage 2
2.50-3.10

3.10-3.30

ACTIVITY: current and resistance14

* Email joy, protective mats to put on chairs
Complete activity on the basketball court
**Outside activity; planning was vital for this, moving outside
was a great way to engage students, they enjoyed doing
something practical and all grasped the concept much quicker
than they would have if it was just done in class!

OHM ZONE SOFTWARE: Mac users to use citrix to do
this activity
This program will test their knowledge of theory.

ACCESS PROGRAM THROUGH URL ON OHM ZONE
WORKSHEET/might need to use google chrome.

Work through the software, worksheets A-D.
MUST SHOW ME RELEVANT SECTION OF ACTIVITY
BEFORE THEY DO THE PRAC.
*More ICT based work, it was vital that I circled the
room and positioned myself behind the students in
order to observe if they were completing the task or
not.

Conclusion:

IF THERE IS TIME

1. OHM ZONE PART A
2. SERIES AND PARALLEL CIRCUITS14 PRACTICAL IN
PRACTICAL FOLDER.


LESSON EIGHT

Teachers Name:
Meg Harper
Subject:
YEAR 9 SCIENCE

Lesson number in
sequence: 8

Duration of
Lesson:
85
Class Size:
25
Year level:
9
- Students are to continue to explore the concept of resistors
- They can apply knowledge learnt in class to a practical

TO BE COMPLETED BY END OF CLASS:

-Ohm Zone-Part A
-Resistors in series worksheet
-Resistors in parallel worksheet
-Worksheet three

GOALS:
-refer to intentions

*This was a working lesson, students had a number of worksheets and practical activities to
complete. Planning for this class was difficult as it required a lot of thought and preparation to
ensure students could complete their working. In this topic students had to complete 10 tasks for
their portfolio, the work completed in this class was to be handed in and marked by me for their
reports.

Power point Markers
Worksheet 3
Resistors in series sheet
Resistors in parallel sheet
Computer
Electronic Kits

Stage/
Time:
45 mins
Tasks
Teacher Action/
Focus questions
Stage 1
2.05-2.10

2.10-3.30

Mark the roll

Today is a working lesson, there are a few
worksheets to get through, and they are covering
information we have learnt over the past few
lessons about resistors.

1. Students have time to complete OHMZONE-Part A.

2. Students who have already completed this activity may
begin practical: RESISTORS IN SERIES worksheet. This
will require students to use the electronics kits around
the room.

3. Next they must complete worksheet three

**The lesson required ICT, students being outside as well as
using electrical kits, planning was vital but I had a number of
different materials for students who were ahead or struggling.

*It was important for me to share my time around with the
students, some of them were very needy in regards to these
tasks, it was vital that I moved around the room.

*Conduct class
discussion &
answer
questions

*Supervise and
monitor work around
the room, move those
students who are not
being productive.

*It is important to
check progress of
students, those with
learning difficulty
might need more
time

Conclusion:

3. If there is time, they can begin worksheet 4.


LESSON NINE

Teachers Name:
Meg Harper
Subject:
YEAR 9 SCIENCE

Lesson number in
sequence: 9

Duration of
Lesson:
80
Class Size:
25
Year level:
9
- Recap on circuits and the dividing of current
-OHM ZONE part b
-Worksheet 5

TO BE COMPLETED:

Worksheet 4
Ohm Zone- part B
Worksheet 5

GOALS:
-Refer to intentions
*Intentions and goals clearly specified

*Planning for this lesson meant that we had quite a bit of revision time of previous topics (this was
determined through questions students had asked as well as what they had answered wrong on
portfolio worksheets collected last lesson).

Power point Markers
Worksheet 4
Ohm Zone- part B
Worksheet 5
Computer
Stage/
Time:
85 mins
Tasks
Teacher Action/
Focus questions
Stage 1
8.30-8.45

8.45-9.30

9.30-9.55

Mark the roll

Today is a working lesson, there are a few
worksheets to get through, and they are covering
information we have learnt over the past few
lessons about resistors.

Before we start: lets recap on series and parallel
circuits!

You guys struggled a little bit with the practical
worksheets in figuring out what the formulas were for
each type of circuit
*Explained why we are covering this content again

SERIES: VS=VG + VR
WHY? Because the total voltage is split over the
components, in this case, two components.

PARALLEL: VS= VR=VG
WHY? Because the voltage will remain the same in each
on the components

WHY?! The concept is that the ELECTRONS carry the
voltage, each electron has 12V to give( if it is a 12V
battery). Some people are confusing this with the
electrons only having a portion of the 12V.
**Proving what I am saying

4. Students have time to complete Worksheet 4.

5. Students who have already completed this activity may
begin: OHMZONE part B

*Integration of ICT activity
6. Next they can begin Worksheet 5

AFTER STUDENTS HAVE FINISHED OHMZONE PART B,
USE POWERPOINT AND GO OVER SLIDES 77-80
INTRODUCTION TO OMHS LAW
*Working time, if students had not have been working
well, they would not have been given working time in
class. At this stage we were well in front of other classes
and had revision time before the test.

*Conduct class
discussion &
answer
questions

*Supervise and
monitor work around
the room, move those
students who are not
being productive.

*It is important to
check progress of
students, those with
learning difficulty
might need more
time

Conclusion:
If there is time, finish off worksheet 5.

2.2 Teaching

Curriculum:

The planning of this topic was based on AusVels, 2014. Electronics is informed
by a number of points of the curriculum including chemical sciences and physical
sciences.

Teaching Strategies:

I used a number of teaching strategies in order to engage the students, two of
these were the use of ICT as well as the gradual release of responsibility. ICT is
fantastic in the classroom, it allows the students to research, watch clips and
create fantastic revision tools, while at the same time acting as a textbook. ICT is
the next generation of classrooms and it is very important that teachers can use
it and manage it with their students. I used it with a number of apps in the
science classroom that allowed students to further explore concepts and
complete tasks. The second strategy is to gradually release responsibility. I did
this by allowing them to work independently on their computers or with
partners, I would them bring the class back in to recap what we had learnt and
keep them on track and then release them back out to work independently again.
This provides students with a sense of responsibility and engages them to show
how they can work alone.

Learning Theories and Pedagogical Models:

Inquiry based learning; this required students to use their textbook and ICT to
respond to questions as well as worksheets. This was a hugely effective
technique as students came to more meaningful responses after discovering it
themselves, rather than me telling them the answer. Inquiry learning is student
centered, problem solving, exploration and discovery learning (Metzler, 2011). It
is most effective because it is meaningful reception learning (Metzler, 2011).

SECTION THREE: TEACHING FOR LEARNING

*Please refer to appendix three for the original analysis of a critical incident.

John Dewey stated, we do not learn from experience, we learn by reflecting on
experience (Dewey, 1938). Four years of study at Deakin has taught me exactly
that, reflection is the most powerful form of learning.

Reading back on my critical incident, see appendix one, I almost laugh, then I
come to realize just how far I have come in just six months. My incident, in short,
involved a science class, usually well-behaved students turned feral one day,
changed my teaching world-or so I thought. Just reading the first sentence I said
in a friendly, almost joking tone-my first mistake. At this point in my teaching,
I was yet to discover the power of a stern voice, rather than a joking or
friendly voice.

David Tripp was correct in saying,the vast majority of critical incidents are not
at all dramatic or obvious: they are mostly straight forward accounts of very
common place events that occur in routine professional practice which are
critical in the rather different sense that they are indicative of underlying trends,
motives and structures (Tripp, 2012). When I look back on this incident, where
all I could see what a class I perceived to be out of control, I can now see how
easily fixed this situation is. And I am proud that almost everyday on my last
rounds I would have faced a situation similar to that of my initial critical incident
and I wouldnt have even flinched, I would just put on my stern teacher voice,
give students one warning and if that didnt suffice, we would be in a recess,
simple as that. Why was that so scary? I guess Ive grown up a lot, these critical
incidents, that happen in day to day life (Tripp, 2012) will continue to happen
and the problem will continue to change. But I have learnt that now I have to
tools and the solutions to solve these problems myself, without having a melt
down and without doubting my ability to teach, it is just part of the job.
SECTION FOUR: ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING

4.1 Commentary

Please refer to appendix four, table 3 & 4 for this section of the task.

The average score for the class in the end of topic test was 77%, this wasnt a
great reflection on the hard work and determination of the students. The
multiple choice and the short answer components of the test were doing equally
well, 71% and 72% however when looking back over the tests it was evident to
see that a large number of students with marks lost came from misreading a
question. This can be a common mistake in classroom tests, given the stress the
students were feeling to do well. I think the best way to combat this problem
would be to firstly, have more regularly quizzes that will allow them to practice
test conditions and in turn hopefully reduce stress and secondly, and most
importantly, practice test like questions. They made common mistakes such as
not reading that there is a not in the question. As a teacher it is my
responsibility not only to teach students the content, but also how to apply it.
This means teaching them how to read exam question, highlighting and
underlining key words, double checking responses, in short answer questions;
explaining that a two mark question means that you will be required to present
two pieces of information and simple tricks like that. I would also go over the
content on circuits and make students write up their own revision sheets for the
task, in order to ensure that they have covered all of the important information
and that they understand it in their own words, not mine.

4.2 Students Feedback

The following two documents are copies of the test and feedback that I have
given two students.
FEEDBACK STUDENT ONE


FEEDBACK STUDENT TWO


SECTION FIVE: REFLECTING ON TEACHING AND LEARNING

*This journal was undertaken in a reflective approach. At the end of each week of
teaching I would take notes and in my last week I summarized them and put it
into this journal. I found this method to be more appropriate and useful for me as
in my journal for years before when I have reflected day by day and class by class
has not been as reflective for me.

5.1 BLOCK C REFLECTIVE JOURNAL: 25 DAYS

5.2 Myself as a teacher: Ready to teach

Visual representation of my readiness to teach

This wordle highlights my readiness to teach, when I put a paragraph about how
I felt about teaching next year into the program, these are the words in which it
deemed important, I believe it has managed to sum up my learning, development
and readiness perfectly.

It was funny looking back over my past four years worth of journals, I found it
comforting to know that issues that I thought would never be resolved are now
resolved and my concerns that I had about teaching are now no longer
necessary. Over the past few months in particularly, my confidence has soared, I
used to be so frightened of the classroom, so much so that I had thoughts about
different careers but now I feel much more confident. I think over this year I
have developed a motto by which I will go by, teaching is all about the highs and
lows. It truly is a rollercoaster for me, and Im all for it. Learning that teaching is
about going into one class and teaching the class of your life and then going to
the next and feeling that the students are disengaged, is the best lesson that
Deakin University could ever have taught me. I am realistic about having
amazing classes and having those that you wish you could erase from your
memory and I think that makes me 100% ready to go out into the real world.

I think that my wordle sums me up perfectly, I am prepared, flexible,
hardworking and approachable. I am going to be a lifelong learner and I am
going to be a student centered, organized and engaging teacher, I think that each
and every one of these words can be seen in my reflection and my supervising
teachers reports, which makes me confident in my ability to succeed as a teacher.

I have also learnt that I have a long way to go, especially in behaviour
management. There is no right or wrong answer; it is how you deal with every
independent situation at that particular time, but I do know that I need to be
stronger, especially from the start, in order to set the bar high.

I know that I want to continue to learn; I want to attend every PD day I possibly
can and learn from both my students and the staff around me. I want to be a
sponge, ready to learn and gain as much information as possible, from my time at
placement, I have come to know that the time I learn best is when I am doing or
when I am there in the moment. This means that after a class, whether it went
great or poorly, I need to take a moment to reflect how it went, take some notes
on how I could do better and improve my class for next time, this will aid me in
becoming the best teacher I possible can be. I think as teachers, we need to be
constantly learning and updating our knowledge in order to give the students the
education in which they deserve.

Ive never felt more prepared and able to do the job I love and I cant wait to get
out into the real world and inspire and engage students of all ages, just as I was
at school.

REFERENCES:

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014, ABS, http://www.abs.gov.au/, accessed
8/10/2014

Australian Curriculum of Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014, ACARA
Health and Physical Education, http://www.acara.edu.au/hpe.html, accessed
9/10/2014

Churchill et al, 2011, Teaching: Making a difference, John Wiley and Sons, QLD,
Australia.

Dewey, J, 1938, Quoted, https://www.haikudeck.com/we-do-not-learn-from-
experiencewe-learn--education-presentation-HMcXs9cnWj, accessed 3/8/14

Metzler, M, 2011, Instructional Models for Physical Education, Holcomb Hathway
Publishers, Arizona.

St Michaels Grammar School, 2014, St Michaels Grammar School Website,
https://www.stmichaels.vic.edu.au/, accessed 7/10/2014

Tripp, David 2012, Critical Incidents in Teaching (Classic Edition) : Developing
professional judgment, e-book,
http://deakin.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=958710, accessed
8/10/2014

Victoria Curriculum of Assessment Authority, 2014, AusVELS,
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10#level=8, accessed
9/10/2014.

Wordle, 2013, Wordle Create, http://www.wordle.net/create, accessed
9/10/2014

APPENDICIES 1-5

APPENDIX ONE

School Name/pseudonym St Michaels Grammar School
The traditional owners of the land Boon Wurrung
Location St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria
School Type Independent, co-educational
School Motto Diversity opens minds
Enrolment 1234 students in 2014
Socio-economic Factors High Socio Economic Status, high
income and education.
% Born in other countries (ABS Data) 3%
Diversity 13%
Special Programs Supplies aid teachers to students with
special needs
Other Features as important to
context
-

APPENDIX TWO: TABLE TWO-My class-Students as learners

Year Level Nine
Learning Area/Topic/Subject Science, Electronics
Number of students 22
Ratio of Boys/Girls 14 boys/8 girls
Cultural Diversity 0
Languages Spoken English
Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander 0%
% Languages other than English 0%
Other -

APPENDIX THREE: Original EPP406 Task 1 Critical Reflection

FACULTY OF EDUCATION DEAKIN
UNIVERSITY

EPP406 PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
AND CURRICULUM WORK

ASSIGNMENT ONE: PROFESSIONAL
DECISION MAKING

MEG HARPER
21060301

WORD COUNT: 1840

The vast majority of critical incidents are not at all dramatic or obvious: they are
mostly straight forward accounts of very common place events that occur in
routine professional practice which are critical in the rather different sense that
they are indicative of underlying trends, motives and structures. David Tripp
(2012), Critical Incidents in Teaching, Taylor & Francis: London, pp. 24-25.

When reflecting on a critical incident to select for this task, I found it difficult to
get the idea of a huge, dramatic, life changing moment out of my head. Yet after
reading Tripp, 2012, I have come to understand the meaning and need for critical
analysis for even those everyday, common, almost boring moments.

This year, I have had a difficult time defining myself as a teacher, and it took until
my second round of placements for me to make a change in my teaching style. I
have had trouble finding ways to be a strong, confident teacher who is both firm
and fair. I have struggled with classroom management over the year, and from a
discussion with my supervising teacher we were able to reflect on my approach
to the classroom. Typically, I want to be the teacher the students love, the
friendly Physical education teacher that gets along with all of their students but,
as my supervising teacher explained to me, this only comes with respect and
trust, both of which I was yet to earn as a pre-service teacher, resulting in poor
classroom management and behaviour from the students.

The following is an exert from a journal entry from the 7
th
of May 2014, please
refer to appendix one for the complete entry.
I asked them in a pleasant manner, almost in a joking, friendly way to do the
work and what they didnt do in class was due to the next day, they took this
information well and told me that they would complete it for homework and as
they werent disrupting the rest of the class I left them to muck around on their
EPP406 ASSIGNMENT ONE:
PROFESSIONAL DECISION MAKING
computers knowing it would be to their own downfall that evening, this was my
first error. The class then started to complete a practical activity, it involved
measuring the circumference of a balloon and particular markings to depict the
galaxy and its size/growth, this is where things got messy, the boys continuously
popped balloons, got out of their chairs to speak to (distract) other students,
yelled out across the room and were generally disrespectful. This continued to
occur time and time again, while I tried to control then by saying go back to your
seat, please finish your work, stop distracting other students-in a relatively
unconvincing tone.

This may not seem like a critical incident, but it did change my view on the way I
teach, I changed the way I see classroom management and the way I look at my
job as an educator. I think it happened because of the way I had allowed students
to perceive me. In my mind, I was going to be a friendly teacher, whom they
could trust and joke with but still be in control, where as for the students, they
saw me as a complete push over, with a lack of control.

As said by John Dewey, we do not learn from experience, we learn by reflecting
on experience (Dewey, 1938). This could not have been more true for me, it
wasnt until I was looking back at my experience in the science room that I
realised the real effect it had on me. My supervising teacher sent me this email
the day after the incident, after another science lesson, I think it really depicts
how I was able to recognise what needed to change and how that particular class
allowed me to do so.
Yesterdays lesson was the best thing that could have happened to you. It made
you learn fast. You took control from the beginning and moved students when
needed (move students to the front though, not the back). Your teaching was
very good. Your movement around the classroom was also useful. But the best
thing was your class control which has been an issue.-Mitch Hough, 2014.

There are a vast number of ways to analyse critical incidents, one of those being
through the use of thinking strategies (Tripp, 2012). Thinking strategies are the
simplest way to analyse but they offer a process to help frame the kinds of
questions that will produce deeper, more critical thinking (Tripp, 2012).
Through the use of this strategy I was able use a number of different prompts to
analyse the incident, the first being non events (Tripp, 2012). The idea of a non-
event is simple yet we all look past it on a daily basis. The thinking process we
using follow are that of why did it happen, what went wrong? Rather than what
did not happen? I used this line of questioning to ponder, what did not happen in
this incident was me, as the teacher, building a level of respect and authority
before trying to be a more relaxed teacher. What did not happen was laying
down the classroom rules and expectations and the beginning of the class and
setting standards for the students to follow rather than attempted crowd control
in a noisy and distracting environment.
Plus, minus and interesting is another way to delve into deeper critical thinking,
being able to recognise that there is a positive, negative and something neither
good or bad but relevant to the situation is vital (Tripp, 2012). In my situation,
the negative would obviously be losing control, the positive would be creating an
opportunity for me to progress and grow as a teacher through reflection and
through need to change. And the something interesting would have to be that I
recognised that I can be in control of the classroom and that I do have the
capability to run a great class where the students are engaged, and now I know
how to do it. From reading through Tripps writing, it has been a common point
that he is trying to portray, that we tend to see the negative rather than the
positive and other possibilities that come out of these situations (Tripp, 2012).
The other point of view is vital. It is important that we seek out the opinions of
others (Tripp, 2012). This is a two-stage method, the first part being to
acknowledge what we expect the point of view to be and the second is to find out
what it really is (Tripp, 2012). For example, in this case, I could use my
supervising teacher. I should first have written down what I thought he would
say, this would have allowed to me analyse what I believe to be the other side of
the story and then by asking a third party, I can get a spectators point of view. It
would then be my job to compare and contrast the two. This analysis creates a
deep level of thinking, critically analysing my opinion, my predicted opinion and
the opinion of a third party.
In regards to the future, through reflection, research and reading of the
Australian Institute of teaching and school learning standard 7.4, understand the
role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening
teachers professional knowledge and practice (AITSL, 2014) I have been able to
acknowledge the need to continue to develop skills and knowledge through the
use of the broader community as well as professional development in order to
continue to grow as a graduate teacher. This task of critically analysing, has
allowed me to reflect quite deeply on a number of issues that I need to develop
as a teacher, including classroom management. I look forward to attending a
number of professional development days and continuing my journey to
becoming a teacher. Being mature enough to seek help from others both within
the school as well as the wider community is something that I strive to do on a
regular basis. Even the reflection and critiquing I have been receiving from
supervising teachers has been of enormous help as it can be difficult to reflect on
your own practices while trying to educate a group of twenty.
I cant wait to continue my reflective practice, as it has already been such a useful
tool in my learning.

We do not learn from experience, we learn by reflecting on experience Dewey.

APPENDIX FOUR: Table 3-Assesment Task and Criteria
Assessment Task Type of
Assessment
Links to
Curriculum
Outcomes
Assessment
Criteria
Test Summative The values and
needs of
contemporary
society can
influence the
focus of
scientific research
(AusVELS, 2014)
Ability to respond
correctly to
multiple choice
and short answer
questions

APPENDIX FOUR: Table Four-Whole class assessment
Student
Name:
Multiple
Choice out
of 6
Short
Answer out
of 14
Score Out
of 20
%
A.F 4 11 15 75
A.G 5 7 12 60
E.H 3 8.5 11.5 58
L.H 4 9 13 65
L.H 4 10 14 70
C.J 4 11 15 75
L.K 6 10 16 80
C.L 2 9 11 55
E.L 3 13 16 80
N.L 4 12.5 16.5 83
S.M 4 13 17 85
A.M 5 10.5 15.5 78
S.M 5 12 17 85
S.M 4 12 16 80
K.N 3 13.5 16.5 83
T.O 3 11 14 70
M.O 6 11 17 85
O.P 5 12 17 85
B.R 4 10 14 70
H.S 5 10.5 15.5 78
C.W 5 11 16 80
I.W 3 11 14 70
AVERAGES
%
4.3=72% 10.8=71% 15.47=77% 75%

APPENDIX FIVE: Journal Block C, 25 days

7 Health and Physical Education

I was excited to be teaching year 7 HPE, I love working with the younger years,
their enthusiasm is always settling for me. However, I was nervous to teach
swimming, I had never taken swimming before by myself, and knowing the set
up of the St Michaels pool and the difficulties with noise made me anxious to
begin. I made my focus voice projection and management of the students for the
five weeks, each week I modified my behaviour based on feedback from Beth and
I quickly felt more confident and stronger as a teacher.

I improved and grew stronger and more confident after each lesson & came to
recognize that every mistake that you think you make as a teacher is just a huge
learning opportunity. I took feedback on board and developed better lessons,
particularly focusing on short sharp instructions for stroke technique. Taking
three key points and presenting them to the students, it was incredibly
rewarding to see them improve over my time on placement.

I only taught one health lesson on nutrition, I felt that students were engaged but
after receiving feedback from Beth, I realized that I was quite blind to those who
were not engaged as I was focused on those answer questions and participating
in discussion. This is something that I really need to work on, being able to
distinguish who is and isnt engaged and modify my lesson to suit everyone.
While I felt I could do this for the older year levels, I still have some work to do
with the year 7s!

Year 8 Health and Physical Education

I took two year 8 classes for two weeks of swimming and three weeks of
lacrosse, the swimming was presented in a similar manner to year 7s however it
was lacrosse that was a real challenge. Lacrosse is a sport that I have had very
little exposure to throughout my career as a PE teacher and in my first lesson, I
was very disappointed with my performance. My lack of confidence left me
grumpy & unmotivated, in turn showing students a negative & disengaged role
model. While it was incredibly disappointing, I took all feedback on board and
worked really hard during the week to provide students with a positive, engaged
and confident role model and I think it payed off! The biggest challenge of my
physical education career came while teaching year 8 lacrosse, we had a class on
the oval on an incredibly windy day and it became apparent very quickly that
lacrosse would not be possible and I was forced to think on my feet. I was very
grateful (and terrified at the time) that Beth allowed me to make the decision
myself, she told me no decision was wrong and supported and offered me help.
As a class we decided on dodge ball, I felt that the students were engaging so I
swapped up the sports to soccer which proved to be more successful. However,
while trying to organize everything, I had two students go missing to the
bathrooms for 35 minutes. I was shocked that I could miss something like that
but I understood why it happened. Although it was a stressful class, I am so
grateful for the opportunity for learning that it provided me with.

In health, I really focused on my classroom management and I think I improved
as the weeks went by. The class responded well to activities and students were
engaged. I was able to practice great skills for the future with this class.

Year 10 Health and Physical Education

This class would have to be my favourite! My rapport with the girls really
developed over the five weeks at St Michaels and it reminded me of why I want
to be a teacher. Being able to build relationships with the girls and teach them in
a way that they can relate and feel comfortable in my presence would have to
have been one of my greatest achievements.

For the Physical Education side of the class, the girls had 1 week of hip-hop and 4
weeks of gymnastics with external instructors. This meant that my role was to
control & manage the girls, mark the roll and help them pack up and set up! Each
week I worked on a different aspect, from asking the girls to help rather than
instructing, being a positive role model to the behaviour that I want in the class
to giving feedback to the students while they were practicing skills and
controlling chatty girls on a Monday morning. By the last week I definitely felt
confident around the girls.

Year 10 health was by far my favourite subject of the rounds. I was terrified of
how the girls would react to me, given the personal nature of womens/sexual
health and I had prepared my self for a lesson of eye rolling and sighing. I
couldnt have been more wrong about the girls; they were so engaged and loved
the resources I bought to the table. As each week passed I found myself being
more and more relaxed when taking the class, instead of it being a lecture, it
became a discussion which in turn allowed the girls to feel comfortable opening
up to me. I always walk out of the class with a sense of accomplishment, that the
girls had actually enjoyed the lesson and had taken in the knowledge I had
shared.

I also loved the way Beth and I could team teach, if there was something that I
didnt feel confident with she would assist me in a really positive way and I think
the girls enjoyed that too. Teaching this class was such a huge confidence booster
for me, and Im so grateful for the opportunity.

Year 9 Science: Electronics

I was nervous about taking year 9 science having never taught junior science
before. It was daunting but after the first class I felt much more relaxed. The
students were an absolute pleasure to teach, I was so lucky to have such a nice
class. I spent time learning the content and trying to present it using a range of
mediums form videos, powerpoints and worksheets to practical activities. The
students seemed engaged and it was comforting to know that I can teach junior
science. I struggled with presenting myself in a serious, strict manner with this
class, which most of the time was absolutely fine as they were so well behaved,
but when it came to a class where the students were chatty and disengaged, Bec
and I decided that I needed to come up with some strategies to gain control and
show the students that I was serious and disappointed with them. I
experimented with voice volume and a serious tone, students responded well to
that as well as waiting for them to be silent before I started talking. I had such a
ball teaching year 9 science and learnt more that I ever expected to. Rebecca was
such a great role model teacher, she allowed me to run the class how I wanted
and constantly gave me feedback and ideas as to how I could improve for the
next time. Not only did she give me advice relating to science but also in relation
to teaching as a graduate, what to expect and survival techniques. She shared so
many experiences with me regarding pastoral care and I learnt so much from
her, I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Year 10 Chemistry

This was my biggest challenge at St Michaels having never taught let alone learnt
chemistry myself. I knew I had my work cut out for me but I never expected my
first week to be such a struggle. After studying the content, I thought I was ready
but my first class showed me that I wasnt. The lack of depth in my
understanding of inorganic chemistry was obvious and I was disappointed in
myself. Mitch gave great feedback and I keep working hard, eventually feeling
more comfortable in the classroom. When we started organic chemistry I felt
much more confident in the knowledge, my ability to answer students questions
and present information. Although this was one of the hardest things I have done
at placement, it has to have been one of the most rewarding experiences. Proving
to me that you really do get out what you put in. I had to put in the hard yards
and study but I wouldnt change it for the world because I now know that
whatever subject a school throws at me in the future, I will be able to teach it and
not be stressed and anxious about the content.

STRENGTHS:
-Creating great rapport with the students
-Organization
-Creating resources that are relevant, informative & engaging
-Creating engaging lessons
-Planning for all ability levels, including those students with special needs
-Creating a fun learning environment in which students enjoy participating in
classes

WEAKNESSES:
-Need to develop a behavior management plan; although some skills are there, I
need to create respect & authority with students before being able to joke with
the students.
-Understand that different year levels can require different pedagogies, meaning
that year 7 may not suit the same style I use with year 10s.
-Work on knowing and understanding content fully (chemistry in particular)

PROFESSIONAL PARTICIPATION:
Parent teacher interviews
Faculty Meeting-HPE
Commons
House Meetings
House swimming & house aerobics
Risk assessment for science classes
Created & marked assessment

Epp406 Maharp Tasktwo

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Epp406 Maharp Tasktwo

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

EPP406: Professional Identity and Curriculum Work Meg Harper 210680301

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi