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