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.