Early on in my Block A experience I realised that a major contributing factor to the success, or otherwise, of my lessons was the pace. This is an area that I have looking at improving over the course of my Block A placement.
The advice given by Gererd Dixon (2011: Online) is that;
‘One of the hardest things for new teachers is to inject pace and purpose into lessons while recognizing the needs of slower learners in the class.’
Working out the correct pace for my classes did prove to be a struggle as it does require the teacher to understand the needs of different learners in the room. In moving on too quickly I left students behind, whereas allotting too much time resulted in misbehaviour and boredom. My task was to attempt to come up with strategies to create a balance between the two and in so doing create an environment where students didn’t get left behind and were given ample opportunity to discuss their emerging ideas and conclude their understanding.
Early on in my placement I struggled to find a way to organise the time within the lesson especially when I did not know my students (see week 6, paragraph 3). The issues with the pacing of the lesson began in the planning phase, where I struggled to allocate the correct timings to activities. I found that, because of my lack of familiarity with the classes, my timings were often incorrect and my lessons would often overrun. After a discussion with my subject mentor I found that there were several strategies for working with students to improve the pace of the lesson.
The first tactic that I tried to put into place was under planning in order to make plenty of time for understanding and for the plenary to conclude the lesson (see week 7, paragraph 2). Although thi...
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...f the teaching and learning process and it is something that I will continue to work on throughout Block B and also when I enter into the teaching profession. The strategies that I have used will be very valuable in future; however I understand that they might not always work with every class. One key insight that I have to timing is to be open to ideas and to try to be adaptive to different situations within the classroom. I will be looking for further strategies and advice in future to further develop my understanding of classroom practice.
Works Cited
Dixon, G. (2011) Introducing pace and purpose into your lessons. TES. [Online] [Accessed on 28 December 2011] http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/introducing-pace-and-purpose-your-lessons/45867
Cowley, S. (2009) How to survive your first year in teaching. 2nd ed., Continuum International Publishing Group.
More courses should try to incorporate 5 minutes of the class to get students focused and ready to learn. Sometimes students are too preoccupied with other problems that they do not focus on the present moment; making them less likely to focus on the course.
This paper explores the factors involved in success in the teaching field regardless of the environment. The information is based on the interview of current teacher Jane Satrom and her experience with a variety of adversities as a long time educator such as attending professional learning community (PLC) and department planning period (DPP) meetings. Her responses to various questions are compared to written advice for success in the college textbook Peak Performance: Success in College and Beyond in order to verify which skills and strategies are necessary in order to succeed. Major themes discussed are self-control, motivation, time management, and goal setting as used to succeed in the classroom. There are varying perspectives in the definition
Marzano, R. J., & Brown, J. L. (2009). A handbook for the art and science of teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
In order to be an effective teacher there needs to be an understanding that we all learn differently, this means that no single teaching strategy is effective for all students/learners all the time. This makes teaching a complex process because you need to understand and meet the requirements of all of your learners. Students learn best when they aren’t asked to simply memorise information but when they form their own understandings of what is being taught. When a student has successfully learnt a new idea they are able to then intergrate this information with their previously learnt information and make sense of it. To be an effective teacher you need to work jointly with students to asses where they are at, be able to give feedback on how the student is going and ensure that they are understanding the lesson (Killen, 2013) According to Lovat and Smith (2003) students learning must result in a change in a student’s understanding of the information being taught. In order to show understanding they must be able to share this information with others and want to learn more (Killen, 2013). In order to have a deeper understanding of what is being taught they need to be aware of the relationship that exists between what they knew previously and the new information that is being learned (Killen, 2013).. Students need to be given goals that they can achieve in order to feel a sense of mastery over their own learning, this gives students motivation that they are able to complete tasks and to keep going.
Dillon, J., Maguire, M. (2007) Becoming a Teacher: Issues in Secondary Teaching. Third edition. England: McGraw-Hill.
Through my own experiences, and as enforced by others' opinions in the profession, I have found that teaching is one of the most rewarding careers. Not only are you placed in the position of instructing and guiding children and young adults through the life long learning process, but you are able to give back to the schools and communities which have supported your early education and experiences that opened you up to a bright future. In becoming an educator, I hope to someday share the knowledge and lend the helping, supportive hand that I was once given, allowing students to formulate their own perspectives of the multicultural society and world around them. Teaching is a career I have been interested in pursuing throughout high school, and as my experiences and study in the field expands, I feel that my desire to teach will grow stronger and develop more soundly.
The understandings I have gained from this course have completely revamped my way of teaching. I have been using the unit plan and curriculum map I created in this course for the past two years, and my students enjoy it more and more each year. Learning the importance of using big ideas and essential questions in the classroom have made me a better educator and has assisted my students in learning content and skills that they can transfer to all academic areas and into their everyday lives. I now use big idea and essential questions in every ...
I did not realize it would take as much time as it did. Our group really wanted to get it right and perfect it as much as possible. I also discovered that collaboration enhanced the lesson’s creativity and variety of activities. I had previous ideas about what I thought would be good for each 5E section. After meeting with my fellow classmates multiple times throughout the weeks, I see now how the lesson plan got better and better each time we planned. It became more creative and included variation with activities. With lesson planning, I realized that it has to be detailed in order for the teacher to be fully prepared and be through as if a substitute teacher or another colleague was going to perform this lesson plan. At first, the lesson plan seemed tedious and going to be large commitment. After completing the lesson plan, I learned that every step and component had a purpose
There is one question that I had at the beginning of the school year that I feel I have answered. I kept asking myself if I would be ready to lead a class as a student-teacher by January. I do not know if I will make few or many mistakes, if I will find the experience exhilarating or overwhelming, or if the students will cry or cheer when I leave. I do know that I am ready to try and I will welcome whatever comes in the student teaching experience. I am anxious to implement theory, try out my ideas, and move to the next level of teaching where the stakes, and the pay-offs, are so much greater.
Do you glance at your watch at the end of class and say, "Oh, it is time for one more exercise" or "Time for me to focus on general?" Some of what you are doing is the best option for the current lesson. You are considered to be using good technique when you usually make effective use of wait time. If you ask students to justify their comments, both right and wrong, keep doing that. Look for the positive in what you do.
...ng than in the content of their conclusion. Following these simple guidelines and objectives, I am able to plan engaging and stimulating lessons that not only motivate the students but are also meaningful to their personal and academic development.
The biggest challenge before a teacher is the presentation of a lesson. If a lesson presentation is effective, students can reach the goals of life by acquisition of knowledge; and if the teacher is unsuccessful in his presentation, it is impossible to achieve the educational objectives. The method of teaching is directly related to the presentation of the lesson. The method of teaching depends on the nature of the subject, and the tact of the teacher. This essay is aimed at assessing teaching methods and strategies used in schools and discuss innovations that should take place to make them more effective and learner centred. Brandes and Ginnis (1996:167) acknowledge that the movement from established well-known ground to explore new teaching strategies is a tough challenge to teachers.
In the process of completing this coursework, I have realised that every teacher should be all-rounded and equipped with adequate skills of educating others as well as self-learning. As a future educator, we need make sure that our knowledge is always up-to-date and applicable in the process of teaching and learning from time to time. With these skills, we will be able to improvise and improve the lesson and therefore boost the competency of pupils in the process of learning. In the process of planning a lesson, I have changed my perception on lesson planning from the student’s desk to the teacher’s desk. I have taken the responsibility as a teacher to plan a whole 60-minutes lesson with my group members. This coursework has given me an opportunity
Classroom management is the foundation of education at all levels. Optimal teaching and learning require an environment conducive to learning through structure, support, organization and guidelines. Classroom layout, routines and procedures as well as a carefully thought out discipline system are the core elements of my classroom management strategies. Lesson planning is also vitally important to ensuring engaged, motivated and on-task students, but even the most imaginative lesson plans can be ineffective in an unmanaged classroom. In my opinion, younger learners need more support and structure than the older students do, especially in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom where communication between the teacher and the students can be very
Marsh, C. J. (2010). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (5th ed.). Frenchs Forrest, New South Wales: Pearson Australia.