This week I particularly want to focus on three issues which have occurred that require discussion.
The first is with regard to my first Yr 7 Lesson. Not only was this the first time I have taught KS3 but also the first time I had done a food practical on my own. I was really nervous, but I had done my research beforehand and looked on the SEN register etc, including watching another member of staff lead the practical in their lesson.
I was really surprised by the way the students co-operated with one another and followed instructions well. I managed to keep to my time frames and pizzas were cooked on time. At the end of the lesson I had planned to score and photograph the pizzas, but sadly couldn't find the camera. I felt terrible about this as I had planned everything but this, and even mentioned it to a student that I was going to take a picture of the best ones. In future I do not think I will be so forthcoming so it does not lead to disappointment! I managed to however do some assessment with the children, saying which ones we liked and why, and how we could improve, to promote their PLT's.
After the session I learned that I was not speaking loudly enough to give instructions, and in a practical lesson this is paramount. I will therefore ensure in future that I speaking more loudly in all my sessions so everyone can hear. I could also adopt the method of getting the students to gather round the front desk at the beginning and end of the sessions so that students clearly see these stages. This will provide me with valuable experience of voice control.
I also have a session on voice coaching on 3rd March, so this will link in nicely with the Yr7 lessons. I will also be taking a Yr7 lesson in the library on 4th March, so can experience the suitability of voice control outside my familiar classroom environment.
The second experience I wish to discuss from this week is my EPS session after school. It was led by an English teacher and was really interesting. It talked about the issues surrounding teaching and learning and raised some very important points. It was asked the use of asking questions, linked to Bloom's taxonomy and how the level of questioning affects the outcome of the lesson in students of all abilities. It had not occurred to me (other than outside school) that sometimes, the best thing to do is not ask a question. For example, if the student is really struggling with something or is confused, or especially if you think the student has misunderstood an instruction. This was a small point, but I found it the most valid in all the session, as teachers are encouraged to use questioning to aid students' problem solving wherever possible. It had not formally occurred to me that sometimes, this is not appropriate and requires informed judgement, instead of teacher 'auto pilot' mode. In the coming weeks I am going to definitely bare this in mind.
My third experience was that of a meeting on Friday morning. The meeting was to feedback the director of learning meeting from the previous night, to all Yr 9 and 10 tutors. In the middle of this meeting, the Head came and sat with us to make an announcement. It was regarding school uniform. They had intercepted students leaving tutor time without adhering fully to the school policy on uniform (eg ties fastened correctly and students in boots). I found this quite unsettling in the way it was delivered, and it made me realise that sometimes, teachers are spoken to like students. As I was included in this meeting, I am therefore going to have to adopt the tactics of checking for uniform, but have to admit it is something I do not pay much attention to at this stage, as I am still settling in. I shall have to rectify this in the coming weeks and be on the alert.
Conclusion - it has been a good first week, I have found it challenging and am looking forward to the week to come.
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