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Professional Practice 2 Reflection

Throughout the professional practice experience, there was a lot to learn. Naturally the

process is such, that one is submerged into the classroom environment, the students and the

work. I am very grateful for being able to go through this as it really provides a good

exposure to the teaching world. Through this particular practical I was fortunate enough to be

given the opportunity to delve into the non-teaching side of being a teacher. I was given a lot

of exposure to colleagues, collaboration with the learning support team and an introduction to

the documentation and paperwork that is involved in a teacher’s daily lives.

For me, these exposures were very valuable as while I had experience of teaching in the

classroom – as a combination of my first and second practicals, this particular experience in

my prac, enabled me to get the remaining part of the picture – in regard to the role of a

teacher.

One of the most significant moments in this experience was the involvement with the

learning support team at the school. While it was a small school and small numbers of

students in each grade, a lot of these students came from non- English backgrounds, there

were also a number of students who came from broken families. Therefore, the LS team

would work in depth with the English teachers of each grade and assist in resource creation,

advice, assessments and pre-testing of students in order to cater for their needs. While I have

ensured that my lesson plans included differentiation, the assistance and integration of the LS

team was highly valuable as it not only provided me with that extra bit of help but also made

me aware of the necessity of understanding the students, their backgrounds and the various

ways in which they learn. My mentor teacher and I would engage in weekly meetings with

LS team members and discuss the progress of the students, work on creating resources to

assist the class and fork out any changes needed to the units of work. Some of the resources
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we created included visual references which were displayed on the classroom walls, various

levels of scaffolded worksheets for the students and modelling written responses through step

by step processes.

This process changed the way I thought and the practice of my teaching because I ensured to

include differentiation in every lesson. It enabled me to start building positive relationships

with the students in order to understand them properly. Once I was able to get a rough picture

of who the students were and the ways in which they learnt it was easier for me to plan for

them accordingly. It also made me aware of how important it is for teachers to really ensure

they are meeting the needs of all their learners. I believe a teacher who understands their

students and plans lessons according to the various capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of

their students, is more effective when it comes to teaching content.

This ties in with two other important moments on this practical, the relationship building with

students in order to know them better and the exposure to the documentation that goes on

behind the scenes. I ensured to adopt a friendly and approachable attitude with the students

and made them aware that I was here to help them. I assisted students with assessment and

examination revision and questions they had for me during recess, lunch and after school

hours and this really boosted the relationship progress with them. Not only did it give me a

chance to ask students about their favourite subjects, their future careers and their hobbies – it

also gave the students a chance to know that I was there to assist them.

Similarly, with the documentation element of this prac, through the interactions with the

learning support team I was able to get an insight to the ways units of work can be altered and

edited through annotations. I assisted my mentor teacher in editing the programs, marking

student assessments, providing feedback, attending staff meetings, writing letters home to

parents and also attending a staff Professional Development Day. My involvement with these
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meetings and documents provided me with a perception on the behind the scenes work of

being a teacher. I really learnt a lot about the professionalism, dedication and organisation

that goes into the role of a teacher.

I have learnt many different classroom strategies and teaching styles which I have tried and

tested. I have found that a connection between the content and the student’s personal/current

lives is something which really sparks their interest and keeps them engaged. Doing so,

within relevant boundaries. For example, when teaching Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice

to an English class, we discussed the racial and social differences in the setting of the play

and the Elizabethan Era. This was enhanced through a discussion and worksheet activity on

differences in our current societies (21st century). Students were very expressive of their

opinions and ideas and it resulted in a very meaningful lesson. I have also ensured that my

interactions with students are positive so that they contribute to a positive classroom

environment and towards their learning. It is important for teachers to understand the

differences amongst students and therefore not expect everyone to be the same (Gurgel,

2015). I applied this through approaching students individually at various points in the lesson,

to check up on them, remind them to stay on task and engage in friendly conversation or

humour relating to the topic. A particular outcome this resulted in was I was able to get 1 boy

who previously lacked focus, engaged with the narrative through humour. Every time we

would address the topic, he would excitedly partake in the lesson through the humour we had

developed in relation to the content matter. This not only reflects a positive relationship with

the students but contributes to their confidence. When students are given confidence by their

teachers it contributes to their engagement in the lesson as they can participate without

feeling shy or scared (Hussain, et al, 2013).

The prac experience overall was a very enriching and enjoyable one. There was a lot I was

able to learn and I hope to ensure that I can apply that to my future role.
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References

Hussain, N., Nawaz, B., Nasir, S., Kiani, N., & Hussain, M. (2013). Positive Teacher Student

Relationship and Teachers Experience – A Teacher’s Perspective. Global Journal of

Management and Business Research Interdisciplinary, 13 (3). Retrieved from

https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume13/1-Positive-Teacher-Student-Relationship.pdf

Gurgel, R. (2015). Building Strong Teacher –Student Relationships in Pluralistic Music Classrooms.

Education Research Complete, 101 (4). Retrieved from

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