Final Reflection - End of Practicum Report

I believe I have sufficiently achieved both of my goals that I set for myself at the beginning of this practicum. I have developed substantially as a professional teacher and have seen myself grow in practice, attitude, and confidence.

My first goal was in regards to all forms of assessment (diagnostic, formative, and summative). This has been achieved to a high standard and I believe I have gained valuable experience and progress in this area.

Diagnostic assessment was carried out at the beginning of every unit, including mathematics, writing, and inquiry. These tasks were based around oral discussions and collaborative work, to stimulate their ideas and develop an awareness of their prior knowledge and experiences in relation to the intended learning. For example, in inquiry I structured a lesson around discussing aspects of culture to gain insight into their views about ‘What is culture?’ It became clear after this session that my assumptions about what they would know were clearly too complex. I thought they would be able to identify what a culture was and that there are different practices they follow. However, all they could identify was that they are from different countries. Due to the unit focus being on how culture is represented through art, music, and games from, I used these diagnostic observations to adapt the unit slightly to focus more on the idea of how surface features (art, music, games) can be different in other countries, followed by discussing ideas for why different people might do things differently, rather than having a cultural focus on deeper concepts such as values and beliefs. Whenever these were discussed they showed great confusion, so it became clear they needed to firstly focus on surface features. This form of assessment has been hugely beneficial in all learning areas to gain an insight into what they already know, so I can ensure the learning focuses are set at appropriate levels that will extend them further and guide them to develop key attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

Formative assessment was consistently used throughout my entire placement in all learning areas. Observations, collaborative and independent tasks, and discussions all contributed to this assessment and enabled myself to modify future lessons to best suit students’ developing needs and abilities. I created various templates whereby I could document adjustments made and keep track of each student or groups learning progress, as well as my own professional development. I reflected on every lesson in relation to learning and teaching, using this to inform my next teaching steps. I have developed a huge amount of confidence in this area and know that they way I conduct formative assessment is appropriate, relevant and effective.

Summative assessment has been included in all units, unfortunately we have not had time for all of them to be completed; some will be completed by my AT in the weeks after I have left. Mathematics is the main area where summative assessment was used. At the end of my fractions, decimals and percentages unit, I created an independent test that covered all learning intentions from the unit. Students independently completed this test, which was then used alongside the diagnostic assessment to identify progress students have made over the duration of the learning.  I believe I have developed effective ways to record these results through tables, and have developed an ability to use these appropriately to inform future decisions in regards to learning and teaching.

Behaviour management has been the area I have developed the most. This classroom has multiple behavioural challenges; there have been times where I have been completely lost in my ways and stuck with how to react. However, all of these situations have contributed to substantial professional development. The biggest learning curve I had was the idea that rather than behaviour management it is actually ‘management for learning’. We cannot try to control behaviours; children’s personalities and attitudes reflect their upbringing, nature, and home lives. The way they are allowed to behave at home will transfer into the classroom. If we spend all of our time trying to control and shape these behaviours to perfection, we will exhaust ourselves and be too focused on behaviour rather than learning. Instead, we need to manage these behaviours to maximise all students’ learning opportunities and progress. We need to be aware of what is making students disengage with the learning. Maybe the lesson has been going too long? Are they interested in the context for learning? Are they distracted by other things? Or is it a matter of they need to be given ‘think’ time to reflect on their actions? This is where having strong relationships with our students is crucial; we need to know how to read them and be able to act appropriately in every situation. We need to create respectful, trusting, safe environments where students are comfortable to express themselves in an honest way. Having these relationships will enable us to effectively manage behaviours for learning. I cannot say I have developed a set of effective strategies to manage behaviours that will always work. I have learnt that these strategies will be ever changing; it is completely dependent on individual students. Yes, this placement I did develop effective strategies that worked with this group of students such as counting down from 5, giving choice, and questioning the right thing to do. I did achieve this goal to a sufficient standard. I have definitely come to know that positive reinforcement and focusing on a positive and calm approach is the style that suits myself as a teacher, however the way in which this is enforced will be ever-changing.

One extra piece of learning I developed this practicum that was not an intended goal, was how to cater for such a wide and diverse range of abilities and needs. Yes I need further improvement in this area, however I have learnt the importance of equity. Each child needs to be supported in an equitable manner. Some students will need more support than others. The learning environment needs to be fair to all learning needs and empower all students, not just those who are able. Yet at the same time we cannot hold back those students who are ahead and ready to extend their learning further. It is crucial to maintain a balance and support each individual appropriately to ensure they all progress. Our expectations will be different for each student; however every student will be challenged and extended in relation to their own needs and abilities. For example, in writing it became clear that some students were ready to independently write a whole persuasive piece of writing that followed detailed paragraph and sentence structure. Others however, needed guidance in how to form ideas and transfer these into complete sentences. It was challenging to find a balance whereby I could scaffold students appropriately so they all achieved the learning purpose, but were challenged and given high expectations in relation to their abilities. Finding appropriate and effective ways to implement this programme took a lot of time, reflection, and modification. This experience was hugely beneficial and I honestly believe I developed substantially in my ability to make adjustments to suit the needs of all learners as individuals, and was able to display equity in my teaching. We cannot leave anyone behind, and we cannot hold anyone back. I personally believe that equity is a key value that needs to be explicitly modelled in everyday teaching and learning. Without it, we will disable students from reaching their true potential. 

Overall I have developed a significant amount throughout this practicum in regards to my professional practice, attitude, and confidence. I have gained experience and learnt a huge deal about assessment, management for learning, and equity. I know I will always continue to grow as a professional, but am 100% sure I am more than ready to move into my own classroom. I have developed the confidence, positive attitude, passion, and knowledge required to be an effective teacher and am completely committed to continuing to grow as a teacher. Learning will never stop; there will always be areas for improvement and adjustments to be made based on our students abilities and needs. This practicum has been an invaluable experience and I am very confident with the teacher I am becoming.

Our Advice For Whaea Nicole

This is my final week at Rotorua Intermediate School where I have been for the past eight weeks. I am very sad to be leaving and will miss this class greatly. They have helped me to grow and develop as a professional teacher and have really broadened my perspective of what it means to be an effective teacher. I have formed strong positive relationships with every single student and I know I will be back to visit this school and class in the future.

As one of my final professional development activities with this class, I selected a range of students to complete three sentences:
* The way Whaea Nicole helps me the most is...
* I enjoy working with Whaea Nicole because...
* One piece of advice I have for Whaea Nicole is...

They either worked independently or in groups to complete each sentence. Each student clearly felt valued that I was seeking their opinions and advice. They gave clear and honest feedback, which has helped me to identify my strengths and areas I can further improve on.

The most common piece of positive feedback was the way that I always take the time to explain concepts clearly and support every student with their own individual learning needs. It also became clear that they have enjoyed the learning activities and resources included throughout my teaching.

Students seemed hesitant about giving advice, however those that did mentioned that I need to 'growl naughty kids more.' This made it clear that I still need to progress towards my behaviour management goal; this will always be an area with room for improvement and will always be dependent on the students I have in my classroom.

I truly value seeking feedback from my students. They are always at the centre of learning; their ideas and opinions should be sought, acted upon, and valued.

Fractions, Decimals & Percentages Unit Overview

Here is a link to the mathematics unit I created and taught throughout the majority of my placement. Each activity was adapted to different learning needs and abilities, and activities were either added or modified as a result of formative assessment throughout the unit. The implementation of this unit was hugely successful and beneficial to all students' learning. This week we will be wrapping the unit up and doing a summative assessment, which will be used alongside the diagnostic assessment to make judgements about how students have progressed.

Fractions, Decimals & Percentages Unit

Week Seven Reflection - Effort Creates Success

This week I maintained full control in mathematics, but went back to assisting groups rather than full control of the whole class. It is nice to get this time towards the end of practicum to focus on group and one-on-one work to wrap up all of my learning. This also meant I was able to work on my questioning technique more thoroughly, whilst at the same time maintaining development towards management for learning.

I worked towards scaffolding my questions more effectively rather than jumping ahead a few stages because of the students’ age group. I began questions with basic knowledge and understanding, scaffolding towards evaluative questions (partly following Blooms Taxonomy structure). After trialling this on Monday, it became clear that this was the reason why my technique had not been working. I started including simple recall questions in group discussions, such as ‘What happened in the story?’ and then progressing them towards unpacking meanings. This was very beneficial as it scaffolded their thinking. Jumping straight to the questions about deeper meanings tends to confuse students, as they are not supported to make the connections between what happened and evaluations. They need to cover all aspects in discussion before evaluating texts. It is the same in all curriculum areas. For example, in Mathematics I began group discussions covering the fundamental knowledge needed before learning the new concept. In regards to adding fractions with different denominators, we firstly began by how to add if they have the same denominator and why we do not add the denominator. We did this with materials and diagrams to enhance their understanding. This then scaffolded them towards applying knowledge of equivalent fractions to learn how to add with different denominators. Without the first discussion in regards to knowledge already obtained, they may have struggled to understand why we had to apply knowledge of equivalent fractions. There will always be room for improvement in questioning, and it will always need to be adapted to individual needs. However, this week I think I made great progress towards improving my technique to better suit this group of students.

Progress towards equitable learning within writing was improved this week. With the guidance of my associate teacher, one approach for how to do this became clear. A poetry competition on fishing was running this week, whereby all students had to create a piece of poetry based on the ‘Hiwi the Kiwi’ performance. To make this more collaborative and engaging, we allowed students to write these in pair’s or groups of three with the expectation that everybody contributes to the writing. This displayed equity as it meant those who liked to work independently could; yet those who needed extra support from peers were able to have this. Students were also allowed to choose any type of poetry. They could do a basic rhyme or research a new style. This again gave students’ choice and enabled them to complete the same learning focus but to individualised levels. Every student had the same expectation, to complete a poem with 4 verses. However the level of independence and quality of detail was their choice based on their individual learning needs and abilities. This task was heavily collaborative and engaging; with all students completing a quality piece of writing that clearly was to the best of their ability.

This week it became clear how important it is to place an importance on effort and emphasise this value in learning. In our team meeting, we discussed the youtube clip TED - Power of Yet, in relation to our professional development focus of a growth mindset. This clip truly emphasised how crucial it is to explicitly value effort in the classroom. Students need to develop awareness that effort creates success. If we do not try our hardest, we will not reach our potential. Students can tend to compare their success to others’, leading them to not even bother to put in effort because they know they will not be ‘as good’ as another peer. This is where the idea of competition can impact negatively in the classroom. This is a natural human instinct; we always compare ourselves to others. However in the classroom we need to prevent this as much as possible, especially when discussing our learning. We need to guide students towards developing intrinsic motivation and realising that if they put in effort they will progress. Progression and effort should be valued rather than the specific ‘grade’ or ‘label’. Maybe a student does not understand equivalent fractions. That does not mean we should allow them to give up and label it as unachieved. It means they have not developed that knowledge YET. With further guidance, effort, and motivation, they will reach that goal. In the classroom, it is crucial to discuss this with our students and place value on effort. Including specific questions in reflective sessions at the end of learning such as ‘Have I put in my best effort?’ ‘What challenged me?’ ‘How did this challenge make me feel?’ will ensure that effort is valued. It will also guide students towards seeing the link between effort and success. Next week I will try to use these questions at the end of lessons and reflect on the responses students have. Effort is key to learning and most definitely needs to be explicitly valued in the classroom.

Once again this week has broadened my knowledge of learning and teaching as a profession. As I head in to my final week of placement, I aim to spend the week having lots of fun with the students and keeping variety in the learning. It will be more of a wrapping up and reflective week, where I can reflect on my learning from this placement in entirety and move towards how I will apply this in my own classroom. I will seek student voice in terms of myself as a teacher, and see what advice they can give me for my own classroom. No doubt, they will have multiple ideas that I can reflect on and use to set up my own classroom.

Week Six Reflection - Management For Learning

This week was a short learning week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning were all out of the classroom; we only had full days on Thursday and Friday. Regardless of this, my professional development has continued to grow at a rapid pace.

Last week I identified a new goal; to focus on equity and provide fair scaffolding to each individual student based on their learning needs and abilities. This was very successful in mathematics. Group rotations were enhanced hugely this week, whereby every group had three set tasks. They all knew exactly what they had to do when they finished a task, which meant management of their learning was a lot more effective and efficient. These rotations heavily supported equitable learning. I gave time to every group at least once during the week, and was able to use this to extend their learning appropriately based on their needs. Some groups used materials and focused on grasping the basic fraction concepts, whilst other groups were extended towards adding fractions with different denominators. When I was not working with the group, they independently completed follow up workbook tasks and mathematics games that consolidated their learning. This was simplistic, yet it meant that learning was fair and equitable. I will continue to enhance this structure in this curriculum area, and find ways to do similar things in other areas. Writing is a challenge for myself; some students need intensive scaffolding to complete writing tasks making it difficult to include independent learning. I need to strive to find tasks that can be completed independently, ensuring I can have time with higher writing groups.

The most important development for myself this week was in regards to management for learning. I had my evaluative lecturer visit on Wednesday afternoon at a time when students are often unsettled and unfocused. I was nervous in the respect that I was unsure how engaged my students would be in the lesson; my lecturer knew this. During our discussion after the lesson, he emphasised that we should never try to control behaviours. All we can do is manage their behaviours for learning. He highlighted the fact that I instinctively did this without realising, through roving and subtly questioning students to refocus their attention to the task when they were getting distracted. It is crucial to be aware of these behaviours and know how to respond. When it became clear most students had lost focus, I acted on this and began to wrap up the lesson. I focused on the positive behaviours and did not detract time to dwell on what they were doing wrong. We need to optimise their learning and use their engagement level as a sign for when to bring learning to a close. We are not teachers if we try to control every student’s behaviour. We need to focus on managing them in a way that optimises learning, and this will be different in every classroom. If we are able to focus on the greater good and be able to refocus students and respond appropriately to their engagement levels, then we will be progressing towards effective management for learning. Learning in this area will never stop; we will always be finding new ways to keep students focused and optimise behaviours for learning.

It is clear that I have a strength in being aware when students are off task, and using roving and quick discussions to refocus their learning. However, it is evident that I need to improve on following through with consequences. A few students in my class have days where they are constantly disruptive; other students get really frustrated by this and it is not fair on their learning. I struggle to be decisive on the appropriate actions to take on these behaviours. I like to focus on positive behaviours, however it is clear at times that consequences do need to be given. I need to tighten the ropes and not be afraid to send students outside or keep them in for a few minutes at break time. They need to realise that I will not tolerate disruptive behaviour. I have been too lenient in this area and need to make this a goal for next week. I will give one warning, and if they continue to be disruptive I will send them outside for ‘think’ time. I will then calmly talk to them about their behaviour through questioning and get them to justify whether they were being fair and respectful towards others. I will work towards using this strategy this week when appropriate, and reflect on what happens to the flow and management of lessons.

This week it has become clear that I really need to focus on my questioning technique. I always ask open-ended questions; I thought this meant my questioning was effective. Throughout this entire practicum I have struggled to understand why my questioning technique is not working as well as it has on previous placements. I have begun to realise that it is because the questions I use are too open. I have been making the assumption that because these students are year 7/8, their understandings must be much deeper. However they still need specific scaffolding to reach conceptual understanding. I cannot just assume it will be easier for them because of their age. Questions need to follow the structure of scaffolding. They need to firstly require basic recollection and slowly guide them towards evaluative thinking. I have been jumping ahead too many steps and this is potentially why the effectiveness of my questions has dropped. It is like everything in teaching; it is completely dependent on the each individual and will be different for everybody. There is never one way that will work. Next week I will strive to develop my questions more thoroughly and follow the structure of Blooms Taxonomy to scaffold learning.

This week was a huge learning curve in terms of management for learning. I had originally thought I had achieved my behaviour management goal; I no longer think this. There will never be specific strategies that always work. Every class will be different. What we need to focus on is managing these behaviours to optimise learning without trying to control their actions. Students are responsible for their own behaviours; we need to know how to respond and how to extend their optimal learning behaviours. I am beginning to develop a sense of who I am as a teacher when I am at my best, and believe I now know my strengths and the areas I need further improvement on. Through focusing on questioning and discipline next week, I believe I will once again take another leap forwards in my professional development.

Week Six - Curriculum Areas Reflections & Assessment

It has become clear that students learning is progressing steadily in numeracy, however it seems to be more challenging in reading and writing. This could be due to the interest levels of students in these areas; they all enjoy maths and lack interest in writing. It is also a result of minimal full classroom days this week. On reflection, it is clear that next week needs to again have similar learning focuses in reading and writing (continuing with the thinking hats and wrapping up persuasive writing). In numeracy we can move forward into finding fractions of amounts and try to wrap up the fraction, decimal & percentage unit with a form of summative assessment.

In terms of my teaching, the biggest success was in getting group rotations sorted and finding a way to manage these effectively so I can maintain targeted group learning. In numeracy this has been very beneficial. I now need to work towards how I can improve targeted group learning and maximise their discussions and justifications within these sessions.

Here are links to the reflections and formative assessment in each main curriculum area.

Writing ; Reading ; Numeracy

Week Six Planning - Full Control

This week was a short week due to various interruptions resulting in only two full days in the classroom. Planning therefore continued from last week but with adjustments made based on progress and engagement from last week.

On Wednesday we were privileged to have a dance company perform Pasifika and Matariki shows to our school. The students loved these performances andused these to create a micro oral language unit that linked into our reading focus of using the thinking hats. We spent time after the performances using the jigsaw grouping strategy to use the thinking hats to interpret the messages behind the cultural performances. Each student loved the idea of learning through discussion and the various group activities maintained everyone's engagement for the entire afternoon.

Here are links to the weekly planning for each curriculum area, including the micro unit.

Micro Unit ; Reading ; Numeracy ; Writing ; Thinker's Writing Keys ; Weekly Overview

Week Five On-Going Curriculum Area Reflections & Assessment

Here are links to my reflections and formative assessment processes from week five planning. Multiple adjustments were made to original planning based on engagement levels and interruptions throughout the week. Overall these topics are taking longer than I plan for, so once again this weeks planning has overlapped into week six plans. Better to over prepare than under prepare!

Numeracy ; Writing ; Reading

Week Five Reflection - Overcoming Hurdles Through Critical Reflection

This week I have seen myself grow a substantial amount as a teacher. I hit a wall on Wednesday and realised I had completely fallen out of my ways. After seeking feedback, taking a step back, and shifting my thinking, I was able to readjust my practice and take a huge leap forwards in my development.

One major learning curve this week was the necessity to keep lessons clear, simple, and straight to the point, especially in students’ weaker curriculum areas. One goal I had for myself this week was to use roles and group discussions more frequently due to my philosophy of collaborative learning. I planned to use this in every curriculum area, with a focus on using it for group assessment purposes and working alongside their peers. However, it became clear that I was so focused on this that every other aspect of my teaching dropped and my students just became confused; it made it too complex and meant they had too much to focus on. For example in writing, I planned for students to identify their own goal, know how to work towards it, and assess each other in groups on whether they had achieved their goal. At the same time they were required to create a whole piece of persuasive writing. This was clearly way too much. The focus needs to be on the actual writing, not on the group roles and responsibilities. This needs to be an attachment on the side or at the end if intended to be used successfully. After revisiting my planning and taking a step back, I realised that I needed to simplify my instructions and explanations. They needed to be clear, simple, and concise. I spent too much time talking at the beginning of lessons; less talk more doing is what this class needs. I moved away from the roles focus and went back to independent writing. We continued to create individual goals for ourselves, but this became a self-assessment tool on the side rather than a group focus. I modified my practice and planning to be simple, clear, and purposeful, rather than trying to focus on multiple things at once.

Another learning aspect this week was the importance of balance. Introductions began dragging out too long (due to me talking too much) and there was too much emphasis on ‘turn to the person next to you/in groups discuss...’ I still truly believe discussions are crucial in learning; however I was relying on these too much. They were becoming less engaging and interrupting the flow of lessons due to continually needing to regain attention. I adapted each plan to include more variety rather than always discussing in groups. The time for these was also shortened so it did not detract from the overall lesson. In the second half of the week the lessons flowed a lot more smoothly, my explanations were clear and concise, students knew the expectations, and it heavily reflected in their achievement. For example, instead of discussing the task in a group to check understanding, I began asking individual students to repeat to the class what the task is. This made it clear if they did understand the instructions and if they were listening. I will continue to ensure there is balance in each lesson and that my instructions and explanations are clear and concise, followed by checking understanding individually rather than group discussions.

These ongoing critical reflections supported my professional development hugely this week. The second half of this week I really improved in gaining students focus right from the beginning of each lesson, having clear purposeful learning intentions, and concluding each lesson with reflections against the learning focus. Warm up’s that connected to the learning focus (such as word boggle, using the thinking hats in groups to discuss known fairytales, and group challenges) was hugely beneficial to engagement levels and focusing their thinking. Every student knew the focus for each lesson and could retell what they were expected to achieve. Plus my time management was successful in that every lesson had a quick reflective session to conclude whereby students either self or peer assessed themselves against the learning intention. They did this by writing a statement in their book, which I then used as formative assessment to check their understandings. Overall, I believe I have figured out the best way to structure, manage, and teach this group of students. Clearly it will continue to be adapted, but I believe I have finally found my feet and am developing towards being an effective teacher.

For the next few weeks it is clear I need to focus on displaying equity in the classroom. I have begun to realise that catering for the wide range of abilities within this class is hugely challenging; this needs to become my professional learning focus for the next three weeks. It is clear that all group teaching is focused towards the lower groups, and the higher groups are expected to work independently in all curriculum areas. This means they are not getting the extra push and support they need to reach their true potential as they are being left to do it themselves. The reason for this however, is that the lower groups need a huge amount of scaffolding to improve. I have a strong belief in equity; learning needs to be fair. Everybody should receive the same amount of support in relation to what they need, however this should not result in people being held back or left behind. I aim to find a way to support the lower groups in becoming more independent, which will allow time to work thoroughly with the higher groups and push them further in their learning. For example, in reading on Friday it became clear that using a graphic organiser provided this support and resulted in the lower groups being able to work independently in regards to reading comprehension. Using these strategies will allow teacher time for those higher students. Another area this needs development in is writing; lower groups need so much writing support whereas independent learners are able to write these alone. All of my time gets taken by those who need specific scaffolding. I aim to use mini activities such as the ‘thinker’s keys’ to be used as an extra task that students can do independently regardless of their abilities. This will hopefully mean every student will be on task, ensuring I can have one on one conferences with those higher students to ensure they receive equitable support. Consolidating group rotations and having a variety of independent task available will hopefully support my development towards catering for a wide range of learning needs and abilities.

Overall this week has been a huge stepping stone. I reached a hurdle but I overcame it; the learning I have gained from this has been hugely beneficial to my development. I now know what strategies suit this class, reflect my personality and philosophy, and am able to keep a consistent flow throughout lessons that enhances achievement and engagement levels. I will continue to improve and modify these strategies based on new observations, and work towards maintaining equity within my approach. I have three weeks left in this class; I am driven and focused to support these students even more and develop further as a professional teacher.