Welcome

I am a Primary Teacher.

I have created this site in order to share my experiences and to reflect on interesting insights in a classroom.

Please read, learn, enjoy and discover. 

I provide helpful classroom management strategies, useful ICT resources as well as a few original resources.

I have also created my own teaching philosophy called Live Love Learn :) this can be seen in more detail in the Teaching Philosophy tab. 

Food for Thought - a Nice Quote.
“If you want to feel secure, do what you already know how to do. If you want to be a true professional and continue to grow…go to the cutting edge of your competence, which means a temporary loss of security. So whenever you don’t quite know what you’re doing, know that you are growing” (Madeline Hunter).

 

Reflection of ICT Resources uses with Pedagogical Insights

SLIDES = I created and used Microsoft slides to trigger intellectual quality pedagogy in order to engage, interact and ‘focus on producing deep understanding of importance, substantive concepts ,skills and ideas’ (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003)

TEACHERTUBE and BBC = I feel websites such as TeacherTube and BBC were used for a Significance Pedagogy in order to relate the classroom lesson to the outside world and engage students using ICT (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003). 

Reference

New South Wales Department of Education and Training (2003). Quality Teaching in Public Schools: Discussion Paper. Week 2 Reading.

Post regarding NSW Institute Professional Teaching Standards

Throughout my professional experience placement I applied Teaching Strategies Element 4.1.5 ‘used a range of teaching strategies and resources including ICT and other technologies to foster interest and support learning’ (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006). I used various teaching strategies including but not limited to:

-direct instruction

-questioning

-demonstration

-games

-group work

-individual work and

-scaffolding.

I also used a combination of ICT and non ICT resources including Microsoft Powerpoint slides that I made ‘to foster interest and support learning’ (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006) for a grammar lesson on commas (see blog post – I did it! I taught for the First Time). I also made my own laminated flash cards ‘to foster interest and support learning’ (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006) and to engage students making the lesson more hands on and interactive.

Further I used worksheets again ‘to foster interest and support learning (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006).

Element 4.1.5 was not the only Teaching Standard used throughout my professional experience placements, I also ‘demonstrated a range of questioning techniques designed to support students learning’ (Element 4.1.2 NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006). I did this through class discussions when teaching grammar. I further used questioning techniques during a push and pull science lesson this can be seen in my blog post - Taught for the 2nd Time! I asked science related questions as well as safety related questions as the students were required to open and close the classroom door. These safety related questions can be associated with Element 5.1.7 ‘understanding specific requirements for ensuring students safety in schools’ (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006).

Further when preparing lessons I ‘selected and organised subject/content in logical, sequential and structured ways to address student learning outcome’ (Element 3.1.3 NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006). 

Reference 

New South Wales Institute of Teachers. (2006). Professional Teaching Standards, from Week 1 Reading. Retrieved 3 March, 2011 from http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/Main-Professional-Teaching-Standards.html

Taught for the 2nd Time!

Today there were many disruptions as it was school photo day, however the students managed well and did not seem to mind the disruptions. I was fortunate to see two different lessons carried out by two different teachers. One lesson was a Maths taught by a relief teacher. She had not planned the lesson, however her classroom management strategies were wonderful. She started with a competitive game between boys and girls and she was aware that one of the girls was upset and quickly and professionally dealt with the situation. She made eye contact with the upset student, acknowledging that she was upset. Then she made an example of this to the class and pointed out that there is no need to get upset, it is a game and sometimes a student gets the correct answer and sometimes a student does not but that this is okay. This drew reassuring attention to the upset student as well as gave the class a clear message. I felt that the situation was handled well and I aspire to be able to firstly identify if an individual is upset in a class setting and secondly be able to handle it professionally and respectfully. I also observed that the relief teacher clearly gave direct instructions to the students in order to carry out tasks. The students were attentive and engaged. 

Classroom management strategies gained from this observation were:

-Bottoms on floor

-Take 10 deep breathe in order to settle students

-Stop and freeze

-Sleeping monkeys

Further I observed and lead a group today in a science lesson. The lesson topic was push and pull. The class was divided into 4 groups with various activities. This lesson required many classroom management strategies. The group I took was looking at opening-pulling and closing-pushing a door. Before starting the activity I asked the students what they had to be aware and careful of as well as reminding them about turn taking and respect. This was challenging as the students were not necessarily interested in the safety aspect they just wanted to carry out the activity. However I feel that going over safety aspects before carrying out the activity was effective and that the students were more aware of gently pushing and pulling the door and being more mindful of others around them. By going over these safety points I incorporated Element 5.1.7 of the NSW Professsional Teaching Standards (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2006).

The lesson concluded with an interactive activity on the interactive whiteboard.
See link  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/pushes_pulls.shtml      

The teacher used positive reinforcement strategies in choosing students to participate, this encouraged students to behave well as they may be rewarded with participating in the lesson.

I also taught a math lesson today. I was meant to teach it before lunch but because of photos and other disruptions I taught it after lunch. I was well prepared for the lesson however I struggled with managing the class. They were rowdy from just coming from lunch and they did not particularly like one of the Maths games I played with them. This lead to misbehaviour due to boredom and not every student being included in the game, although I used various strategies, including awarding house points for students cooperating and listening, hands on heads, hands on shoulders and clapping patterns, however the students were still uninterested. I continued the game, trying to speed up the pace and then asked all the students still in the game to come out the front and asked the others to participate and help the students up the front, but some of the students were still not interested. I therefore made the decision to stop the game and continue with a different activity that involved the whole class. I felt much time was wasted on explaining the instructions  which were not well understood and therefore they were fidgety and disruptive. I think the game may be better with slightly older students and not played straight after lunch. The activity I continued with was a hundreds chart worksheet where they needed to colour in multiples of 2 and then fill in the blanks as well as colour it  in. I completed the worksheet, scanned it in and displayed it on the interactive white board so that I could correct the sheet with the class. The students were fascinated that their worksheet was on the board and really liked the visual display. There is a copy of this worksheet below. 

References

British Broadcasting Corporation.  (2011) Science Clip ages 5-6 Pushes and Pulls Games, retrieved May 6, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/pushes_pulls.shtml

New South Wales Institute of Teachers. (2006). Professional Teaching Standards, from week 1 reading. Retrieved 3 March, 2011 from http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/Main-Professional-Teaching-Standards.html 

 

Useful ICT Resource

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/pushes_pulls.shtml

I Did it! I Taught for the First Time!

I taught in a classroom for the first time ever. It was nerve-racking, exciting, difficult but rewarding. I am starting to understand and agree with lecturers that teaching is 50% classroom management. A teacher can have an amazing topic/lesson, however if they cannot settle the students and control the class in a professional, appropriate and calm manner then the amazing lesson becomes pointless as the students will not be focused and the lesson will not come across authentically or how it was intended to be taught. Therefore classroom management strategies are critical.

My lesson went well. The aim of my lesson was to teach commas. I did not realise that grammar is taught through text types and therefore this confused me a little. Regardless the outcome of my lesson from the NSW English K-6 Syllabus was WS1.10 Produces texts using basic grammatical features and punctuation conventions of the text type (NSW Board of Studies, 2007, p. 38). 
 

In order to teach commas, I used text types that the students were familiar with – nursery rhymes – Jack and Jill as well as Humpty Dumpty. Before using the text types however, I revised the student’s prior knowledge through listening to the students and engaging them in a classroom discussion (4.1.3 NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards) about nouns, verbs and pronouns. I then went through the rhymes on Miscrosoft Powerpoint slides.  This is an example of Teaching Strategies Element 4.1.5 and the slides can be seen below.



One slide had commas and one slide did not have commas. I compared the two slides with the class and asked for the differences. They liked the visual representation of the nursery rhyme on the interactive white board. The students also liked taking turns reading the nursery rhyme with and without commas. I pointed out when a commas was needed.

 I also made a ‘Comma Game' the template can be seen in the link below. However for teaching in the classroom, I cut and laminated to make flash cards with part of the nursery rhyme and separate flash cards with commas. The students had to arrange the nursery rhyme in the correct order with the commas in the correct place. The students enjoyed this game, but were not entirely sure about the correct placing of the commas.

Comma Game

I used a Comma Worksheet which can be seen below to further teach commas and show the students where commas are placed in sentences

The students were a little unsettled and chatty however they enjoyed the Powerpoint slides I prepared as well as my game. My classroom teacher suggested strategies such as:

• Praising students for behaving well and making a big deal about it; and
• When asking for volunteers, reinforce that I want volunteers who are showing proper behaviour, sitting quietly and still.

I am pleased with how my first lesson went. I feel that the students did enjoy it and that they did learn from it. Most of the students completed the worksheets I handed out with very few mistakes. I am looking forward to teaching more.

I was fortunate to observe a science lesson this week and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the behaviour management strategies used by the teacher from the beginning of the lesson. The teacher asked students to sit in a circle and explained what they were going to be doing – using a dropper to count how many drops can fall onto a 5cent piece. However this lesson involved turn-taking and respectful behaviour.  These behaviours need to be taught and reinforced (Arthur, Gordon & Butterfield, 2003). The teacher actively asked who was going to act in a respectful way – hands up and who was going to take turns as the lesson involved turn taking. This was very effective and the class focused.

This lesson incorporated elements from Blooms Taxonomy which engaged students and makes them learn and think for themselves, this is what I love!

There is a visual representations of Bloom’s Taxonomy below, the original on the left and Anderson’s Revised Taxonomy on the right.

 

Source Overbaugh, R. C & Schultz, L. (no year), Bloom’s Taxonomy, Old Dominion University Retrieved April 7^th, 2011 from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Original ICT Resource that I Created and Used In the Classroom

References

        Arthur, M., Gordon, C., & Butterfield. N. (2003). The impact of curriculum and instruction. In Classroom Management: Creating Positive Learning Environments, (pp43-52). Thomson: Southbank, Victoria. 

         Board of Studies NSW. (2007) English K-6 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW. 

          New South Wales Institute of Teachers. (2006). Professional Teaching Standards, from Week 1 Reading. Retrieved 3 March, 2011 from http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/Main-Professional-Teaching-Standards.html

 

           Overbaugh, R. C & Schultz, L. (no year), Bloom’s Taxonomy, Old Dominion University Retrieved April 7^th, 2011 from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Useful Links Relating to Bloom’s Taxonomy

http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/bloom.html

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy

Living and Teaching in The World of Technology AND Promoting Cultural Diversity.

ICT, digital saviness and skill amelioration are crucial in today’s world. Technology is continually changing and one must either keep up or drown. I am in my twenties and consider myself technologically capable or as seen in the Week 3 reading, Prensky (2001) puts it a “Digital Native.” I have grown up with computers and the internet and I am comfortable playing around with a computer, multi-tasking and searching for information. However I only really started using computers programmes such as Miscrosoft Powerpoint and presentations towards the end of high school. Whereas, the year 2 students, 6 and 7 year olds presented slide shows, multimedia clips and songs with ease in class. I feel I am a “digital native”, but I believe there is a new bread of “digital natives”, just like ‘Miscrosoft Windows’ brings out new versions of ‘Office’ each year, “digital natives” change, upgrade and develop faster and younger and us older (I refer to myself and my peers) “digital natives” must also keep up, change and adapt to keep up with the ever changing nature of ICT.

I also observed co-operative learning, learning communities and project based learning (Grabe &Grabe, 2007) that was part of an integrated unit of work “Who am I”. This unit has been worked on for over six weeks and I was fortunate to observe the classes Multicultural Day. The students were dressed in their traditional cultural clothing, gave a presentation to the class and brought in food from their cultural background. Uniqueness and multiculturalism were celebrated and used as tools to teach the students that everybody is different and that is okay. Each person must listen and respect other people even if they are different. There were various quotes written on the white board that included: “Welcome to Multicultural Day”, “Everybody is unique”, “A celebration of our uniqueness”, “It is what makes us special.” From celebrating and listening to each student’s cultural diversity, a greater level of appreciation, respect and understanding was attained. Students were also taught good listening skills, turn taking, appropriate questioning skills and respect (Arthur, Gordon & Butterfield, 2003, Week 5 reading) from this unit. The students were assessed on level of eye contact, ability to speak about their uniqueness, their interests and what food they brought in. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and felt it was a valuable learning experience for the year 2 students as well as myself. As well as ICT, I believe it is crucial to discuss, acknowledge and respect cultural diversity. My teaching philosophy Live Love Learn :) realises that each student is different and that these differences should be identified, celebrated and used as teaching and learning experiences. 

I also believe that a greater level of appreciation and understand comes from discussing cultural diversity and as we live in Australia a multicultural nation it is important to start the discussion from a young age and to continue indefinitely.

References

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon. 9 (5).

Grabe, M & Grabe, C. (2007) Integrating technology for meaningful learning. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Arthur, M., Gordon. C & Butterfield, N. (2003). The impact of curriculum and instruction. In Classroom Management: Creating Positive Learning Environments, (pp43-52). Thomson: Southbank, Victoria.

Disruptions Galore

Today there were many disruptions and I saw how a day’s schedule can be totally changed due to extra-curricular activities. I also saw how teachers maximise the use of resources, teachers and teaching strategies. As part of an integrated unit of work, the students are learning about the history of their school and the land that the school is situated on. The lesson I observed was part of many lessons however during the part that I did observe, the students were taking part in a Question and Answer (Q&A) discussion session with the principal. She has been working at the school for numerous years and developed various strategies and projects and consequently knows a great deal about the school, including the history. She also enjoys taking part helping and encouraging students learning progress and therefore she was willing to take time to be part of this Q&A discussion lesson. However this meant that my class teacher needed to work around the principal’s schedule and rearrange her own schedule to include the valuable learning experience. I was fortunate to observe this learning experience and feel that the students engaged, enjoyed and also leant about the principal and the school.

The students already had a series of questions prepared and were given direct instructions rehearsing  questions before they were asked to the principal. The rehearsal time took approximately a lesson. This made me aware that time must be planned to revise and rehearse as well as deliver.

This form of teaching, using questioning, engaged the students (Killen, 2007) and gave them curiosity about the school and its history and about the teachers at the school.

I also observed ICT effectively being used in the lesson. Students used a flip camera to record the Q&A discussion. Two students were assigned the role of recording. This gave them greater responsibility and involvement in the lesson and they thoroughly enjoyed the task. The flip was used to record the Q&A with the principal so that the students could go back and look at the lesson, rehear the questions and the answers and so that they did not have to quickly write the answers down.

Reference

Killen, R. (2007). Using direct instruction as a teaching strategy. In Effective Teaching Strategies: Lessons from Research and Practice, (4^th ed.), (pp 101-124). Thomson Social Science Press.

So it Begins My Life as a Teacher...:)

My first day of professional experience was overwhelming, exhausting but exhilarating. An interesting observation I made was that roll call was used as a learning experience and integrated into the terms unit of work ‘Who Am I’. Each student’s task was to investigate their cultural background, origin, roots and complete various activities. One of which was to say Hello during roll call in their native tongue. For example if their background is French the student would say ‘Bonjour’ , if the student is Australian or does not know their roots then they say ‘Hello’ in English. I found this a very beneficial task. It allows the students to investigate their own culture as well as learn about other cultures in the class promoting cultural diversity.

I observed a water bottle classroom management strategy. The students are aware of the water bottle policy. They are allowed water bottles, but the bottles must be placed at the back of the classroom and they are allowed to drink when they feel they are thirsty. This is useful as it is a whole class strategy, the students can manage themselves and there is less clutter and likelihood of spilling as all bottles are in one area.

I also noticed other strategies such as saying “bottoms on floor” , “eyes to me” and when asking students to do a creative writing task in silence the teacher gave a description of what she should hear – she should be able to hear birds outside, the wind and no voices in the classroom.

ICT was used in a science class – a video from TeacherTube http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Living_and_Non_Living&video_id=176491  the smart board to reiterate the main concepts in a lesson. This was effective as the key concepts had been discussed, explained, questioned and drawn. Therefore by watching a video reinforcing the key concepts I felt was effective and engaging.

Reference

TeacherTube. (2010) Living and non-living, retrieved March 18, 2011, from http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Living_and_Non_Living&video_id=176491