Semester One - Reflections;

Artefact 1: History notes.

My Artefact is my history notes on enquiry-based learning. Enquiry-based learning focuses more on the teacher being a facilitator rather than a provider of information. This enables the children to generate their own questions and ideas, therefore, deepening their understanding of the topic.

I feel enquiry-based learning is a very beneficial methodology to use in the classroom. By introducing different activities, materials and group tasks not only are the children actively engaging with the topic/lesson, but they are also developing other important skills such as critical thinking skills and communication skills.

I will introduce enquiry-based learning into my classroom as I feel it would be very beneficial for the children both academically and in terms of their own development. With regards to a history lesson I would incorporate enquiry-based learning by introducing pastimes of the certain era we are studying or eg) if we were studying the 80s, I would allow them to listen to 80s music etc.

Artefact 2: Concept Cartoons.

The Artefact that I have chosen is the concept cartoons that we used in our science education module. Concept cartoons are cartoons which illustrate a certain scenario and each character has a solution to the problem.

I believe concept cartoons would be a great way to identify the children’s misconceptions connected to a certain topic or to access their understanding/grasp of a topic. This would be very beneficial for me as a teacher as I can take note of my pupils’ concepts/ understanding and tailor my lesson accordingly.

I really enjoyed the idea of the concept cartoons and I think that I will use them in my class in the future. I also might introduce them into different lessons, not just science as I feel they are a great resource to use to gauge where the children are at and that they are great lesson starters in terms of setting a context.

Concept Cartoon on Light.

Artefact 3: Irish dancing shoes.

The Artefact that I have chosen for this week’s reflection task is my pair of Irish dancing shoes. I began Irish dancing at the young age of 5 and I continued to dance for 11 years until I was 16 years of age. I competed nationally and won many titles as well as performing for local and corporate events. I also had the privilege to perform with many other dance schools as a part of the Celtic Festival in Disneyland Paris in 2010.

I chose my dancing shoes for this week’s artefact as dancing has taught me more than just how to move in time to the music. I learned that if you are motivated and work hard you can achieve your goal. I also learned how to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Irish dancing also taught me how to take cope with constructive criticism and learn from my mistakes. Another invaluable thing that I learned from dancing is that patience is key, in order to truly master/perfect something it requires time to do so and that you will not get things right straight away.

As I move on from my role as a dancer and begin to focus on my role as a teacher I aim to teach my future pupils all those important traits as I want to focus on their holistic development and not just their academic ability.

Irish Dance Shoes.

Artefact 4: Ted Talk – Rita Pierson.

My artefact for this week is a Ted talk. The person giving the talk is called Rita Pierson and she is a Teacher from America who is explaining the importance of having a relationship with your students.

In this talk, Pierson talks about how children “don’t learn from people they don’t like” and speaks about how important it is as teachers to not only educate their students but to believe in them and actually connect with their students on a real and personal level.

I chose this artefact because it made me stop and think about the type of teacher that I want to be and the legacy I want to have as a teacher. This talk also made me think of the types of children that will be in my class in the future and the different ways in which I’ll have to connect and support the different needs of each student.

Rita Pierson.

                                

Artefact 5: Personal Perception of an Effective Teacher.

The artefact that I have chosen for this week’s reflection is my perception of an effective teacher that makes an impact on children.

My perception on an effective teacher is someone who is focused on and cares about not only the children’s academic development but also their holistic development. An effective teacher to me is enthusiastic and uses positive reinforcement to ensure that the children are reaching their full potential.

The description that I have given of an effective teacher is the type of teacher I would like to become, as I would like the children I teach to be confident learners.

            ideal teacher.

Artefact 6: TY Work experience Report card.

The artefact that I have chosen this week is a picture of my transition year work experience report card. I would like to note that for work experience I worked in a primary school for two weeks.

As a student in the BEd course, one of the things we hear constantly is about the importance of the relationships that you have with the class as a whole and each individual student. I was a bit nervous as I feared that I would not have the ability to connect with the children.

However, I looked back on my transition year report card and I saw that the principle was praising me for the relationships that I had developed with the children in such a short time frame. This comment that may appear little to some, gave me a huge confidence boost as I prepare for placement. 

Report Card.

End of Semester Reflection: The type of Teacher I want to be.

When I think about the type of teacher that I want to be in the near future, the first thing that springs to mind is what will be some of my priorities as a teacher. As a teacher, one of my main priorities would be ensuring that the children feel welcome and content in my classroom. I believe that if the children feel comfortable in my class that they would not be afraid to try new things or to participate.

Furthermore, one of my main priorities would be ensuring that every child has the opportunity to progress as a learner and individual. As a teacher, I would ensure that every child is where they need to be. I feel it is important that if a child is struggling with a topic, he/she should not be overlooked because the majority of the class have a good grasp of the topic. Instead, I would set specific learning outcomes for that child and gradually build up to were he/she needs to be. 

Some of the characteristics that I would like to express as a teacher are; energetic, caring, fair, approachable, trustworthy, enthusiastic and confident. I feel that if I express these characteristics in my class it would therefore encourage the children to learn and participate because if they see that I am excited and confident in a topic the children would hopefully have the same view of the topic. 

In addition, I would also like to show that I am a fair and trustworthy teacher as I would like the children to know that they can talk to me if anything is bothering them and that I would try to help the situation to the best of my ability. 

When I think of what kind of teacher I want to be, I think of the parents of my future pupils and how they will view my teaching style and their overall thoughts about me as their son/daughter’s teacher. I think every teacher would hope that the parents of your pupils think that they are good at their job for obvious reasons. I would hope that they think I am a hardworking and a dedicated teacher that really cares about their child’s development and doesn’t just view them as a number. 

I would be happy if the parents of my future pupils thought these things as I would want them to feel that they have made the right decision sending their child to the school and that they would encourage other parents to send their children there. 

Lastly, when I think of myself as a teacher, I think of the type of impact that I would love to have on the children. In the future, I hope by the time my year is up with the children, that they would have grown in confidence and they would be motivated individuals. Finally, I would love them to take away that they are capable of anything once they put their minds to it and that hard work pays off. I strongly feel these are important values to instil in children as these values will stay with them after their time is finished in primary school.