TS 8 – Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

TS 8: Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
– communicate effectively with parents with regard to pupils’ achievements and well-being.
– make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school

This will be the second Geography field trip I have supported since my time in my block placement school. I teach Geography as well as Religious Studies and have had some lovely classes with my Year 10 Geography students since the start of the academic year. I have also come to know them really well and when Mr Younes requested my presence on the field trip looking at Urban surroundings, I said YES! Absolutely!

The trip was a great success due to organisation, clear instructions, and a lovely group of students. I know how important it is to communicate home and let parents know of their child’s positive behaviour, not just the negative. I took the time upon my return from the field trip to individually draft and send emails to each students parent. I told students I would do this for them as I had a lovely group who were respectful, thoughtful and worked really hard. The parent/carer responses came through immediately; some were so heartwarming as I know that not all students in my block placement school live with their parents as some are in foster care or live with other relatives. Using SIMS I was able to obtain contact information and the 1 hour it took me to do this was made all the more worthwhile to read some responses, and to know that the students felt rewarded for their hard work. A great day all round!

Parent repsonses-s9diye

TS 1 – Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils

TS 1: Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
– establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect

Pantomime trip – Jack and the Beanstalk

I was excited to take students on this trip in December 2017 as I was still fairly new to my block placement school and was keen to get to know some students more as I wasn’t teaching them in my classes. It is also important that students understand that they are representing the school during any school trip, and should act in an appropriate manner.

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Myself and a fellow PGCE student teacher escorted the students to a local sports centre where the pantomime was being held. Students were excited at the prospect of being out of school and also doing something which didn’t involve them learning! As we walked, students were curious and keen to speak to me. The trip had been opened to all year groups but it was only Year 7 & 8 that came. We were seated really close to the stage and students were very excited. Myself and another member of staff were called on to the stage and students were cheering and were very proud of our presence as a school at this pantomime.

TS 8 – Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

TS 8: Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
– Take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback from colleagues.

As part of our professional and subject studies learning at Roehampton, I had the experience of helping to plan a trip for a group of 30 Danish students to Southall. This encompassed ensuring the day was planned effectively, securing clear learning outcomes and anticipating any problems that may arise.

Students were introduced to a Gurdwara, whereby they learnt the importance of covering themselves during their time in this place of worship. They observed prayer, the fanning of the Guru Granth Sahib and ate food from the Langar.

Following this, there was a lengthy lecture style talk by a Sikh regarding the foundations of Sikhism. In retrospect, this was not necessarily the best use of time however, these students were respectful and appreciated the time given and knowledge acquired.

We guided students to a local Mandir where we were due to receive a talk on Hinduism. Much to our disappointment, the man was not there and we were left in the Mandir with students feeling clearly perplexed about the images and statues that surrounded them. As I had been teaching Hinduism at my six week placement school I was very familiar with the Hindu Gods, Goddesses and their stories. I stepped in and guided small groups around the Mandir explaining the stories attached to each of the statues, and how they link to festivals within Hinduism. I felt overwhelmed by the knowledge I had gained up until that point, and how much more I could learn and share with students.

TS 6 – Make accurate and productive use of assessment

TS 6: Make accurate and productive use of assessment
– Make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils’ progress

Following research into accessibility and understanding of lessons on creation accounts, I set out to implement a scheme of work for the topic of ‘Cosmology’. In my block placement school, students have 1 lesson weekly in Religious Education. I taught this topic over a half term (16th April – 25th May) which comprised 5 teaching lessons and an assessment lesson. This enabled me to reflect on their understanding through means of a GCSE style assessment, which they have completed for topics covered in both the Autumn and Spring term. It was important to take them through a learning cycle in the form of an entire topic, both for evaluation purposes and for to inform planning for the Summer Term 2, during which time students will begin the content for the GCSE.

Having produced an assessment which was delivered during Lesson 6, I was able to mark these papers and this was a great way to complete this section of learning, and provide me with summative assessment results which would highlight areas that needed to be revisited. For the most part, students were able to understand and define key terms, measured through question 1, a match up activity on the assessment.

[embeddoc url=”https://eportfolios.roehampton.ac.uk/papanase1/files/2018/06/Assessment-Cosmology-2avgi0g.docx” download=”all” viewer=”google” ]

TS 3 – Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge

TS 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
– Have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings

The GSUS Live mobile education unit came to my block placement school which was a great opportunity for students to engage with key Christian ideas in a different way. It is a multi-media classroom in a lorry trailer. I facilitated all RS lessons in the GSUS live bus for a full week of teaching, ensuring students were following my classroom expectations, despite being outside of the classroom. Also, as there was a feedback session with Pastor Tim, I ensured students were respectful of each others opinions.

The media in the bus tells the story of three teenagers facing real-life issues in their lives, and how they get inspiration from the Bible to deal with their problems. Using touch-screen computers, the students were able to interact with fictional characters through animations, instant chat, short educational films and music videos. They explored the themes of fear, forgiveness and rejection, which we revisited in lessons following this.

To provide a little background on the GSUS Live Bus:

The GSUS Live education units have been used in over 800 UK secondary schools since 2000 and visited by around 500,000 students. In 2016 they were given a £150,000 upgrade. Amazingly it’s FREE for schools to have GSUS Live because the visit is sponsored by Counties, and other donor partners, including a Christian grant making trust and with help from local churches.

Students were positive and engaged. The interactive lesson added context to their work on Christian beliefs through beginning the GCSE content in Year 9. Facilitating a project like this demands the ability to adapt accordingly; on the Thursday during the week of the GSUS Live bus being in school, the school had to close due to issues in the canteen which meant some students in the afternoon classes may have missed out. Myself and my mentor negotiated students lessons in other subject areas and asked for students to have an opportunity to visit the GSUS Live bus as it would not be coming back to my block placement school. All students were able to experience this and it was a beneficial experience for them.

TS 5 – Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils

TS 5: Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
– have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional language; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.

Now that I have improved my subject knowledge, I am able to frame questions which guide students to learn and really develop their thinking. This has not been easy, and for me going to my six week placement school was a challenge as these students were higher achieving and I knew that I would need to stretch further at the top, which demanded more depth in my own subject knowledge. However, in doing this, I have been able to understand the importance of using Blooms, carefully planning questions I will ask, and anticipating those that may be asked of me.

The contrast between my two placements meant that on return to my block placement school, I found I was still pitching my lessons too high. Likewise, teaching the GCSE content to Year 9 and Year 10, and having to make the content more accessible. These have been really valuable lessons to learn, as I continue to improve my level of differentiation. I have produced differentiated work books, EPQ frames and cloze tasks which assist lower ability students in accessing the learning material.

Relationships & Families – differentiated work book SEN & EAL-22bd0a1

TS 3 – Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge

TS 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
– Have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings

During my time at my six week placement, I became increasingly nervous about the choice of religion for the GCSE; Hinduism. This was one religion that I really had no prior knowledge of, so I knew that in order to stay ahead of the students, I needed to learn fast! I spent the first week observing my mentor teaching, and due to the size of the school and the amount of classes, I observed the same lessons a few times over.

I got my hands on a Hinduism textbook, the WJEC specification and ensured I planned all my own lessons as it is through that process that I find I learn most effectively. I planned a lesson on Holi, Diwali and pilgrimage. This led me to understand the key beliefs of Hinduism, the cycle of life for a Hindu and the ways in which they practice their faith.

10AO4 – Holi-1hankvb

Hinduism – Pilgrimage-1223epf

Students as from this year will be taking their RS GCSE in Year 10. I had to deliver revision lessons with Year 11’s taking their exams this year, the last Year 11 to do so. In order to ensure they were prepared for the exam, I asked them to complete a practice paper on Hindu beliefs and practices during my time at my six week placement school. I then marked the paper and fed back with them, a great way for them to revise and recognise any gaps in their learning. It was also through marking this paper and completing DIRT with students, that I was able to improve my own subject knowledge of Hinduism.

TS 8 – Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

TS 8: Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
– Develop effective professional relationships with colleagues, knowing how and when to draw on advice and specialist support
– Communicate effectively with parents with regard to pupils’ achievements and well-being.

As an active part of my block placement school, the Humanities Department and team teaching with my mentor, I attended parents evenings and spoke confidently with regards to students progress both academically and their effort in class. This was not a skill I had immediately, however, and through observing my mentor during one of the first parents evenings of the year, I was able to then grow my own confidence and style in delivering sometimes tricky reports to parents based on their child poor behaviour. I found ways of framing feedback, giving students, and parents, achievable targets.

During the most recent Year 9 parents evening, a teacher I share a class with was not able to attend, so I spoke to those parents independently as their class teacher. The outcome for the students who came with their parents was really positive. They made an improved effort in class, showed more respect for me as their class teacher and were willing to take instructions and aim for the challenge questions.

Year 8 Parents evening attendance-20orgmd

Year 10 Parents evening attendance-162e3o9

TS 2 – Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils

TS 2: Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
– Guide pupils to reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs

It is policy in my block placement school that there are ‘off the cuff’ learning walks. These are often performed by members of SLT and other department Heads and subject specialists. They spend a morning or an afternoon looking in detail at a topic linked to the Raising Achievement Plan (see below). This could be looking at students marking, stretch and challenge questions or reinforcing expectations. The walks are planned and usually begin with an introductory session with the head teacher or another member of the senior leadership team who prep the staff on what to be looking for during the walk.

[embeddoc url=”https://eportfolios.roehampton.ac.uk/papanase1/files/2018/06/Every-lesson-Every-day-1d73jjl.docx” download=”all” viewer=”google” ]

On this particular day I was teaching 1 of 3 Year 9 classes. It was the marking cycle that week and I had marked their books and planned they complete DIRT (Dedicated Improvement and Reflection Time) for 20minutes of the lesson and some exam practice questions and revision for their end of year exam during the last 30minutes. Two members of SLT entered my classroom. I was surprised with this class on that day and had been giving positive praise since the beginning of the lesson; they really deserved it! SLT looked through students books; they were completing DIRT in green pen. Student were calm, engaged and focused. I was pleased that they were asking for help with the stretch questions I had put for their next steps.

Learning Walk feedback-2eslshx

I had had a learning walk 2 weeks prior to this and that too had shown the way in which students feel calm and welcome in my classroom. It certainly has been a great help to my confidence not having a teacher in every lesson; being able to teach independently has been beneficial for me as I have been approaching the end of the course and has made the transition into my NQT year smoother as I am confident in a classroom unsupervised. I work well having to deal with situations that arise and this will help me improve my behaviour management also.

TS 6 – Make accurate and productive use of assessment

TS 6: Make accurate and productive use of assessment
– Give pupils regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage pupils to respond to the feedback.

Using Dedicated Improvement & Reflection Time (DIRT) in lessons allows students to reflect on their own learning. Many of my students do not know how to improve their work or how to act on feedback. Many view feedback as negative immediately, so they become closed off and think they have ‘failed’. During time at my block placement school, DIRT has been:

– Spellings
– Improvements on Homework
– Extension tasks based on Homework
– Peer assessment and feedback
– Self-Reflection
– Exam Questions
– Setting Targets

Within the humanities department, 3 goals we always to ensure are being done are the following:

– Marking (WWW/EBI) in the last 3 weeks
– Updated marks on front of books
– DIRT completed within the last 4 weeks (there does not have to be DIRT on most recent piece if you have not had time however it would be nice if there was).

During both my block placement and six-week placement I have completed marking of books, tests, project work and end of year assessments. This was an opportunity to recognise the information the students retain, and the information they find it difficult to engage with. DIRT is a school policy in both my block placement and six week placement schools, so it is fundamental that it is carried out and students find it difficult to engage with these types of lessons. However, the value of a teacher marking a students book, providing clear objectives and giving positive feedback is great. I use clear WWW – What went well, EBI – Even Better If and next steps to make it explicit to students where they have achieved and worked hard, what they could work on and the next steps allows me to link to ‘expand’ and ‘stretch’ questions in their books. We have a 3 week marking policy within humanities which I have ensured I adhere to.

Year 8 marking example-2d3fh14

Year 9 marking example-19cbwtm

Year 10 Marking example 2-1siknaf

Year 10 marking example-289tfm4