Blog Post No.5

I strongly think that parents and other care givers are vitally important to the educational process of students. Yes the teacher is the 'professional' educator and their role is important in meeting criteria and expected standards at school and as part of a national education expectation. Parents and other care givers are important in continuing that learning with their child and supporting them in a variety of different ways. I believe that no one knows a child better than their parents, and because of this, the parents should also be involved with actively educating their child at home whether it be through helping with homework, tutoring in certain subjects, or simply applying what the student is learning at school into different day to day activities that may come up (e.g. maths/numeracy, english and reading, history, etc.).

Parents and care givers are important in encouraging the student in their learning and work ethic. different individuals will go through personal experiences that can disuade them from wanting to attend school or further their education and it is important that care givers and parents are there to support and push the child to try harder and keep going - helping to get through those tough times in their lives.

As for my goals from the start of the internship period, I believe that I have come a long way and have greatly improved in these three areas:

• Element 1 - Teachers know their subject content and how to teach that content to their students.
  I believe that over the 10 week period I have been able to gain a better understanding of the content of my key learning areas and the syllabus requirements. Through practice and feedback from accompanying teachers I have been able to learn and adjust my lessons and practice to better suite the needs of the class.
• Element 2 - Teachers know their students and how they learn.
  I think that over the practicum I have come to better appreciate and understand the individuality of each student and their specific learning needs in me class. I realize the importance for creating an engaging and personable environment for each student in my classroom and lessons.
• Element 5 - Teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments through the use of classroom management skills.
  I have encountered a few obstacles and challenges throughout this time, and have come a long way in terms of managing the class much better and the logistics of each lesson. I know to look out for any potential risks or dangerouse behaviour and how to best deal with these situations.

Blog Post No.4

This post is to reflect on your professional teaching practice by focusing on one NSW Teacher Standard and presenting evidence of how you have met this standard during your internship.

Element 1 Teachers know their subject content and how to teach that content to their students.

Knowledge of NSW Curriculum Requirements 1.1.3 Design and implement lesson sequences using knowledge of the NSW syllabus documents or other curriculum requirements of the Education Act.

The reason I have chosen to include this lesson plan as evidence of my implimentation of this element is because it clearly shows how I have had to research the NSW Board of studies History Syllabus and link outcomes to my lesson and its relivance. It shows a good structure of a lesson plan with its headings, sub-headings, content, resources, etc; The structure include a proper sequence of instructions to follow and can be undertaken by any teacher who reads it and has the appropriate resources needed. The year 8 class who this lesson was taught to highly enjoyed this lesson and it proved very effective and engaged their want to learn and be involved.
The accompanying teacher and University supervisor enjoyed the lesson also, and were very encouraging of its content and planned structure. They agreed that it did indeed meet the required needs of the NSW History Syllabus, and the required lessons from the given class activity book.

Yr. 8 History – Medieval Europe
Class: 8	Date: 02/09/11	Time: 50mins
Key Learning Area: History	Lesson Topic: The Islamic Context
Recent Prior Experience: Students have been learning about different aspects of Medieval Europe, with a close look at the Catholic Church’s influence and power within society. In the last lesson students were introduced to the Islamic religion and its influence during the Medieval period
Syllabus Outcome(s): 4.1 describes and explains the nature of history, the main features of past societies and periods and their legacy 4.8 locates, selects and organises relevant information from a number of sources, including ICT, to conduct basic historical research	Indicators of Learning for this lesson: By the end of this lesson, the students will be able to: -       Identify key characteristics of the Islamic religion -       Explain how Islam influenced aspects of Medieval Europe -       Identify contributions to society made by the Islamic religion -       Give examples for each contribution		Assessment: Strategies which will be used to assess learners’ attainment of learning outcomes. Should be linked to each learning indicator. -       Pp.77 – 78 in Workbook -       ICT Research -       Reporting back to class -       Q and A
Any safety issues to be considered: -       Electricity from Computers -       Chords or lose items	Resources: -       Board of Studies NSW (2003). History Mandatory and Elective Courses, Year 7 – 10 Syllabus -       Delany College (2011), Year 8  Medieval Europe

LESSON SEQUENCE

Lesson Content /  Indicators of Learning (What is Taught): Note key skills, concepts and values addressed in each section. Link to your Indicators of Learning.	Timing (mins)	Teaching Strategies / Learning Experiences: (How it is taught) Write detailed steps showing what the teacher (T) will do and what students (Ss) will do.	Resources and Organisation:
INTRODUCTION
	6mins	·         Ss enter classroom and stand behind desks ·         T greets Ss, Ss reply ·         T selects Ss to lead prayer ·         Ss are seated and take out their equipment
DEVELOPMENT
Explanation of the lesson and what will be covered Testing previous knowledge Testing knowledge of the content Setting the ground work for the topic Work from the textbook	5mins 5mins 10mins 20mins	·         T takes the role ·         T introduces the lesson – “In today’s lesson we are going to be learning in more detail how the Islamic faith influenced Medieval society and look at some examples” ·         T asks students what were some of the key things they learnt about last lesson ·         Ss raise hands to answer or comment, T chooses ·         Once sufficient thoughts have been shared, T begins to explain  - “The Islamic people in medieval times were not just a religious group, they were also a cultural group and had many different practices to their Western neighbours, some of which were adopted and still exist today” ·         T instructs Ss to open Work Books to p77 ‘Islamic Civilisation’ ·         As a class, ‘snake read’ through the text ‘Contributions of the Islamic World’ ·         T may add or explain points as they go ·         To compare differences in practices, T reads ‘Source 7.3.1’ and Ss may comment in turn ·         T instructs students to turn to p78 of their workbooks ·         T explains activity, Ss are assigned a group of 2 and a column to research ·         Ss must use Workbook Text and the Internet to complete the task ·         Once complete, Ss must join with another group and explain what they have found in their research, and read points for the other group to record ·         The final column will be completed for H/W ·         As Ss are working, T checks H/W from last lesson	Tracking Book Delany College (2011), Year 8  Medieval Europe Delany College (2011), Year 8  Medieval Europe Tracking Book
CLOSURE
Ss to do their own research	4mins	·         T writes H/W on the whiteboard ·         Before bell rings, T instructs Ss to take out Diaries and record their H/W ·         T greets Ss, Ss reply ·         As Ss leave room, T checks that H/W has been written down in each diary

Blog Post No.3

I have had to adapt and change some of my teaching methods and approaches in the school I am in during this Practicum. The school that I am teaching in has only about 400+ students, most of which come from refugee or 'rough' backgrounds due to socioeconomic status.


Because of this, the way the school approaches some aspects of discipline is much different compared to other schools I have had practical experience in. I find that the regulation of minor offencive language and uniform standards are more lax than my previous experiences or to what I'm used to, so as with Element 2 of the NSW Professional Teaching Standards, I have had to work a lot harder in comprehending how the students respond to certain forms of discipline and what methods are the best so that I am still ensuring that order is kept in my classroom, but also that I am not being too harsh with these students who come from such diverse backgrounds.


I have found that due to socioeconomic backgrounds of some students, many do not bring the required text books or equipment to class. For most of my classes, the faculties have issued each student with a free workbook to accompany the lessons and have photocopied pages of information and activities that I can teach from. The school is doing a great job in trying to accommodate this wide range of students and their needs,  and this has been a motivation for me in my teaching methods.


I make sure that I have enough activities photocopied for each student; that ICT is incorporated into many lessons so that the students are able to research or complete work online without the worry of bringing in books every day - they can be left in the classroom in a locker; that we get through as much work as we can so that the students have less homework to worry about at home, but if work has been issued, I ensure that it has been completed so that they still maintain a good work ethic at home.

Blog Post No.2

One experience that I have had during my 10 week Internship that has led me to take a closer look at my classroom management skills (Element 5) was during a Year 7 Geography class in my first week of Practicum.


It was to be my only my second time taking this class, and for some reason the supervising teacher did not turn up, and there was no substitute teacher to supervise in their place. Most of the time there is a teachers aid who comes along to this class, but they too did not turn up. It was left to me to organise and ensure this class went ahead as I had planned.


The class was quick to line up and entered the room without any hassle. Normally the lesson begins with a prayer, followed by the greeting and the students are seated; but the students, realising that their normal teacher was not present, decided to take their time, talk and ignore me. After giving a verbal warning to the class, they quieted down, prayer was said and they were seated.


I began to take the role, and again talking began, making it hard to hear those whose name I was calling. Again I had to issue a verbal warning to the class, "Year 7, I'm waiting for you to be quiet, you are wasting your time and mine, and that just means you'll be having a lot more homework and your teacher will be told about your behaviour". During the lesson there were ups and downs, and I was forced to write in the diaries of two children, and speak to another after the lesson. Once the period had ended and the class was excused, I was exhasted and I feel that my confidence had been rocked.

Since that lesson, I have taken away a lot of experience, and have incorporated Element 5 and Element 2 of the Professional Teaching Standards. I have been able to better plan my lessons, making room for unexpected situations. Through getting to know my students and their learning style much better, as well as the best approach to discipline, my lessons have been better flowing and much more enjoyable not just for the students, but formyself also.

Blog Post No.1

At the beginning of the Second Semester, all the EDFD472 students were required to attend a week of intensive classes (lectures and tutorials) where we would be learning more indepthly about the transition into the profession of teaching, it's logistics and practices.

One of the most productive tips that I have taken from this intensive has been to learn the specifics of what it is like to be a Homeroom teacher and the expectations for that role. The tutorial on this topic has allowed me to actively learn and pick up many tips and trick in managing a morning homeroom class, marking the role, signing diaries, collecting notes, making announcements and many other unforeseeable tasks.

Another really useful lecture was on Voice Management. The practical tips from professional teachers and throat specialist has helped me to look after my voice not only in the teaching practice but also just in daily activities, ensuring that I am healthy and without pain or irritation.

Throughout my upcoming 10 week internship there are three goals based on the NSW Institute of Teachers’ Professional Teaching Elements that I hope to achieve; they are as follows:

• Element 1 - Teachers know their subject content and how to teach that content to their students.
  Through this element, I aim to study the content of my KLA and comprehend it to the best of my ability, so that I will be able to effectively teach the subject to the students in an engaging and interesting way.
• Element 2 - Teachers know their students and how they learn.
  Through this element, I aim to get to know the students that I teach, come to know their learning styles, and grow to appreciate their individuality and personalities.
• Element 5 - Teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments through the use of classroom management skills.
  Through this element, I aim to ensure that my students are constantly challenged and inspired to strive for better results where possible; to maintain a safe and engaging classroom environment; and to make sure that I am consistently improving my own classroom management skills.