The role of a teacher is all encompassing.

Teachers expose children to the

academic aspects of education, but also the values, social and emotional
development children need to integrate into the community. Every child has a
right to education without prejudice. Diversity is everywhere, not just in a
classroom.

I observed teachers managing inclusive classroom environments. Including
teaching lessons based on outcomes and the curriculum, providing a diverse
learning space, and ensuring students were effectively engaged and advancing in
each learning area. During my primary placement it became clear to me upon
reflection that my planning and organisation needed a more in-depth approach.
So I revisited my personal goals and re evaluated the way in which I would
approach the diversity in teaching. I realised that to ensure this, I needed to
reflect critically on my own performance and adjust my own strategies. I
recognised the need to concentrate more on developing positive relationships
with everyone. It was then that I was able to contribute more appropriately to an
effective, safe, inclusive learning environment. From this experience I learnt
teaching isnt just about the students, its about developing collaborative
relationships with the school community.

Within each year group across both placements, I observed the differing abilities
and needs of students. I used my initiative to identify students with specific
needs and provided extra support and guidance where I could. I am passionate
about inclusivity regardless of diversity. Both placements were environments
that supported diversity however, in the secondary school, there was more focus
on the needs of students from the special education unit. The diversity and the
inclusivity the school provided saw these students integrated into several
aspects of the mainstream school. It was encouraging to see how their peers
accepted them. This was an area where the addition of support staff was crucial
to the development of students with lesser ability than others. Being a boys
school, I learnt very quickly that boys like to be commended and praised for their
efforts. With this in mind, I found myself having to give constructive criticism
that offered guidance and praise, enabling students to recognise strategies to
improve their work.

Historically, we have seen prejudices in accessing education. The function of
schools today is to ensure every child has the right to an education. Schools aim
to teach students the academic, social and emotional skills needed to be valuable
members of the wider community. The functions of schools are reflected through
their individual visions and ethos, but as a country, these missions are what give
our schools similarities whilst striving towards education with equality.
Undertaking placements in two vastly different schools, a secondary department
in a private boys school and a suburban public primary school, I observed the
difference money makes to education. Although the facilities and resources
within the public school were ample, these things in the private school were in
huge supply and in comparison facilities were well advanced. So although as a
country it would be ideal to have no divide in education due to social class or
money, the divide is still there.
After learning about professional practice, the roles of teachers and the function
of schools, Ive fallen more in love with the idea of becoming a teacher. Despite
declaring partway through my primary placement I wanted to be a bus driver,
and enjoying my secondary placement much more. Im sticking with primary
teaching for my Bachelor of Education. I might be able to drive the bus for
excursions!