Week 7: Theory into practice

This was the first week back out on teaching practice since year three and I must say it is a pleasure to be back training in a school, putting theory into practice. I have mixed emotions about going into these classes and teaching because I must ensure that I am well informed and well equip in each class that I go to deliver a lesson. As the days went by I have realized that the work of a teacher can be overwhelming on some days and quite mellow on others. The more I interact with students, the more I am able to plan better lessons and relate the content in a way that students will truly understand.

This week I only got the opportunity to teach one class due to some minor disruptions that affected the entire students body. Nevertheless, I was thankful that I still taught and used some of the techniques and strategies I have learnt over the three years that I have been to UTT. This form 2 class was quite interesting because I was able to develop an understanding about the way in which the students of this age group (12-13 years) think, and the way in which they ask and answer questions. It was a review lesson so the students had previous knowledge about the topic Humanitarian Law. Therefore, using the questioning technique, I was able to activate their previous knowledge about the topic. I realized that the students had more questions about war rather than the humanitarian law governed to protect people who are victims of war. Therefore, I needed to redirect them by asking questions that will channel their thinking along the lines of the purpose and importance of the Humanitarian Law.

There were minor classroom management issues during this lesson. Whenever I asked the students a question they just blurted out the answer instead of raising their hand before they were chosen to answer. Then, when one student was speaking the others began to have their own conversations thus, ignoring the contribution their peers had to make on a particular point. In an attempt to minimize classroom disruption, I asked the students to remind their classmates about the class rules and expectations before I continued with the lesson. After that the class proceedings went quite smoothly. Another issue I encountered during this lesson was time management. Although I was able to cover the content I had intended too, I was unable to get the assessment done. However, I improvised by using oral questioning as a means of evaluation. The period had ended and I was unable to address all the questions asked by the students concerning war.

However, although I was unable to address the concerns of the students about the topic, I distributed index cards to each student and instructed them to write down the questions that they have concerning the topic and informed them that we will discuss it during the next class. Some students indicated that they understood the lesson and therefore did not have any questions. Instead of telling them don’t bother to write anything in the index cards since they didn’t have any questions, I told them to write something they liked about the lesson, something they disliked, and something that they found interesting in the lesson. Based on the feedback given by the students I realized that they are still unclear about the way in which the humanitarian law is implemented or enforced. Does this mean that the students are not thinking? or Does it mean that I did not relay the information in a way for them to understand the content? Either way, the next time I have to teach the class, I must ensure that each student truly understand the reasons and importance of Humanitarian Law.

Despite the minor challenges with classroom management and time management, I was able to capture the students’ attention at the very beginning of the lesson with the video I used for the set induction and I kept them interested by playing other videos during the lesson. The use of videos to teach the lesson was effective because of the positive feedback given by the students at the end of the lesson. Therefore, I will continue to use a technique of playing appropriate media content to keep students interested and attentive during the lesson. In addition to that, the students responded well to the questions I asked and they were quite interested in learning more about the Humanitarian Law in relation to war.  However, I do intend on clearing up the misconceptions they have about the Humanitarian Law in relation to war. In the future, I also intend to instruct students to create a list of class rules and expectations or have them remind their peers about the class rules and expectations before we proceed with the lesson. Additionally, I will ensure that I get the assessment done before the period is over. This means that I will allocate a proposed time frame to complete each teaching point in order get the closure and assessment done. I will also distribute handouts to the students which will guide them through the lesson. 

Ultimately, there is a lot more to learn in this teaching profession and I am looking forward to the days ahead so I can learn and develop as an effective and efficient teacher to deliver lessons that will be meaningful and of great importance my students.