This week has still been about settling into a classroom routine. For the students, teachers, and mentees! After feeling quite lost, and a little like a fish out of water, I finally received a copy of the class timetable for the room I'm in. Then I found out it was for DOTT times only. After some more asking, I received a copy of my class daily timetable, so I can now anticipate what lessons are coming, which is really helpful for planning my observations, especially in other classrooms. I can't wait to also see some of my mentor's plans for daily activities and what programs/formats she uses (ie. daily workpad). As yet, I'm not sure if they are completed, as she said she would send them to me when they were finished. After speaking with another residency student, I also discovered that the school also has a specific 'Planning & Curriculum Development' manual, (her mentor had given her a copy in the first week). Once I knew this was available, I was able to ask for it. Although the teachers in my class did not have a copy of the one for this year, one of the teachers in the room located an older copy for me. It was incredibly useful, and helped me to understand how the teachers plan their goals and activities for the year/week. The school takes the curriculum, goes through it, and then sets specific goals/targets for each year that the teachers must try and achieve in literacy, science and numeracy (this area is still be finalised). This year, many of the goals (especially in literacy) are set above the national benchmark.
I also found last week, (and a little this week) that with such a large class (and with the EA often out of the room preparing resources/running a guided reading group etc) that I was unable to observe a core literacy session that involved guided reading which I needed to do for my learning booklet. The teachers would break away into groups of four (each with 3-5 students) and I was left to manage/assist the remaining three tables (approx 18 children) who were to carry out an independent silent reading/activity. I understand that behaviour management of large groups of children is a skill I need to learn, but I felt disappointed that I was missing valuable chances to purely observe before I needed to start practicing.
Also, I discussed with my mentor last Thursday that I would be happy to carry out some speech screens on a Monday (in my own study time, not in practicum time), and she was going to do up a list of children she was concerned about. When I arrived on Monday, and mentioned to my Mentor I was there to do the articulation screens, I was asked instead to manage the large group of children during guided reading again, alongside get their lunches ready. I then reminded the other teachers that I was not there for practicum, and they said they had ran out of time for screens, as it was lunch! I managed one 10 minute screen, the children had lunch, and I was then asked to bring them back from lunch. I mentioned again to my mentor that I was there to carry out screens, but my mentor said she forgot about it, and that she didn't realise I wasn't in on a Monday for practicum. After a few hours, I decided to leave. I was asked by another teacher in the class about carrying out some screens on my practicum days, to make up for the missed screening opportunity on Monday but I declined.
Because I am still finding my feet, and trying to figure out how the three teachers in my room work, (alongside my site supervisor and principal), I was really reluctant to advocate for my needs over theirs, as they all seemed so busy & unable to help me. I was looking for some guidance, and I didn't find it. I wasn't able to meet with my site supervisor in the first week (she emailed us a list of questions direct from the professional learning booklet that we needed to answer instead). I desperately wanted to ask if there was any way I could be mentored within school hours instead of after school, if I could have had a copy of the policies and procedures manual for the school, if someone could show me where the toilet/photocopier/library was (or even give me a quick tour of the school), if I could be linked up to the school intranet, if I could have a class timetable, and if I could see some of the class planning documents! It was upsetting, overwhelming, and more than a little frustrating. I needed some guidance, and for someone to take initiative, maybe even just for a week, until I found my feet, and had a sense of structure.
And then, amidst all the overwhelming anxiety and uncertainty, the principal gave me permission to advocate for myself without fearing the consequences. It didn't solve all of my problems, but it made the greatest difference to how I was feeling.
Upon reflection, the experiences I've had over the past week, have made me understand how a young child must feel, walking into a classroom; not knowing what to expect, not understanding 'the rules', and wanting desperately to fit in and do well. How scary and overwhelming it must be when that child knows they are missing chunks of information (or that they don't understand) but they don't know what to ask for in order to fix it. I now also really understand why I need to build strong rapport with children as a teacher, to be approachable, so that the child feels comfortable in telling me how they are feeling. Even if it's not positive. In addition, I need to give children the permission to advocate for themselves by setting up appropriate channels of communication where they can ask for things from me without being fearful of the consequences.
I also fully appreciate now why a classroom environment/structure is so instrumental to effective teaching, and how it's vital to make sure that information is given in a systematic, and explicit way. Why, as a teacher, I cannot assume that a child has gained background knowledge on a skill/subject from another teacher/parent, or that he/she will remember a detail that I never made clear was important. How something so simple as knowing where the toilet/library is can make a big impact on how 'safe' a person feels in their environment.
In view of this week, and after handing in my assignment on 'effective teaching' I then asked myself:
As a future teacher, what could/would I do to hopefully avoid/improve a scenario where a child might feel overwhelmed or lost?
So I started a checklist of things I'd aim for (in no particular order):
1. I will set a course. By creating a strong routine in the classroom from the first week, I will hopefully provide a stability and framework for children to feel secure, and begin their learning from. I will try very hard to ensure that this routine is made visual/clear for both parents and children to see (ie in the classroom window or near the entry point). I will use a visual schedule for young/special needs children who can't read the timetable. Hopefully, this will provide a stability and an overriding framework for children to feel secure, and begin their learning from. This is especially true for 'top down' or visual learners.
2. I will create a communication book for parents, and a communication box for question/worries that the students would like to ask me. I will check this every day when I do have the time to read and reflect upon them. I will explain to the children that no question/concern is wrong, and that I very much value what both children/parents have to say. This feedback from children/parents partly feeds into to my concept of 'self-accountability'. It tells me what I'm doing well, what I need to explain better, and how I can assist my class in achieving their learning outcomes.
3. I will set up a strong behaviour management policy (in adherence to my school's behaviour management policy) with language (and gesture if appropriate) that the children understand. I will run through this (alongside what we are doing for the day) in the morning mat session. This will hopefully provide a boundary and contribute to a safe classroom climate where students feel they can learn within.
4. I will send newsletters home (initially with a term timetable) every fortnight to touch base with parents, and let them know of any events/changes/noteworthy news. This also allows them to be aware of the classroom workings, and provides a connection from school to home so the child can transition more easily.
5. I will make my teachings explicit from the beginning. I will let children know the skill they are working to achieve and WHY it's important. I will say it, and write it. And in the beginning, I will not rub my examples/workings off of the board until I know the children are confident in the overall structure and purpose of the task.
6. I will make time to assess my students formally and informally so I know who they are, and where they are at in terms of of skill development in areas. I will find out which hand dominance they have, what style of learning they have, and what they believe they excel in. I will also ask them what they want to learn and why. If they are comfortable in doing so, I will listen when they tell me about their home life.
7. As much as I can, I will give my students a 'place' in the classroom. Their own space to feel safe within and work from. I would anticipate it would be a desk, but if that's not possible, maybe a drawer space, or set place on the mat that has their name. I believe having their own 'space' contributes to the student feeling like they belong to the learning environment I would be trying to create.
And that's all I have so far....but I feel like this is an important list to have, so I'm going to keep it, and add to it as I go. Hopefully, one day in the future I can achieve every single one of them.
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