Graduate Standards - AITSL

Professional Knowledge:
1. Know students and how they learn
Observation Sheet Professional Practice:
Questioning 2. Plan and implement effective teaching and learning

Question Type
Do you feel your questions were clearlyI was stumbling a lot with my words in both of my lessons as I was trying really
structured and readily understood by hard to follow my lesson plan. With more practice I should know the lesson back
the students? to back and when things get off track I can pull it back in line with the lesson plan.
Did you use a variety of question types?
Knowledge, comprehension and application questions were used. During the
What balances were there between the teaching phase I asked knowledge questions to see what the students knew
various questions types? about editing. During my example on the whiteboard, I used the comprehension
questions to see if students could edit the paragraph on the board. While I was
walking around the classroom I was using the application questions to help
Consider both why and when you made
students edit without my help, but rather think about the word or sentence they
use of the different question types?
were stuck on and read it aloud. The students then worked it out for themselves
from the questions that I asked.

Distributing and Directing Questions

Around the classroom I used questioning as a prompt for them to look back at
their work and check their spelling or help them understand words they were
unfamiliar with. In the small group lesson the first line of questioning was
Did you recognise any pattern in the
directed to the group as a whole. As we got through each image in the inferring
distribution of your questions amongst
activity, my questions were more directed to the student who was next around
the students? Consider reasons for this
the circle. In the whole group lesson, I tried to let each student answer the
pattern?
questions instead of choosing the same student with their hand up. I wanted to
give everyone a go at answering the questions so many of my questions were
directed to the group.
How have you directed questions to By looking around at all students faces and not focussing on any particular
the group student.

During the lesson I had to use it once after asking a question otherwise the
Have you used wait time?
students were very quick to answer questions and happy to speak up.
Did you make eye contact with the Yes. I made sure that when asking a question I was facing the students. My
group as you directed your questions? questions were not directed to any student in particular.

Reactions to Students Responses

How do you deal with correct I used phrases like well done and excellent work. When I knew that students
responses? Do you qualify any praise were struggling with the right words or had spelt a word wrong and they
given? corrected themselves I would praise them for working hard and varied my tone.
With incorrect responses I used positive phrases almost there or good try but
How do you deal with incorrect no. When students had made a mistake in their books I asked them questions
responses? How do you deal with like what does this word mean or asked them to have another look at their work
students who stumble and grope for an and read it back to see if made sense. However, I found prompting quite difficult
answer? when students were struggling for the right words. I always felt like I was giving
them the answers and not letting them figure it out for themselves.
What use do you make of the students The topic I was teaching was very familiar to students so they didnt really need
responses to develop the teaching further teaching. It was more of a refresher to what they already knew, but using
point? Have you redirected any a mnemonic to do so. The responses were central to the teaching point and there
questions in order to add to an initial was no need to redirect questions.
response?
No, not at all. I find that other students in the class are also evaluating others
Are you the only evaluator of the
answers and thats what would make it difficult for students to offer up answers
students answers?
in case they are wrong.

Overall Comments

As this was my first practical placement I was not very good at asking the right questions and my reactions to student
responses werent the best. Over time I hope to be able to use these skills more effectively and it can only happen through
practice. Evaluating answers is hard for me as I dont want to flat out say a student is wrong when they are as I want to
encourage them to answer questions without being judge. This is a skill I will learn through practice too.
 Graduate Standards - AITSL

Professional Practice:
1. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning
environments
Observation Sheet 2. Planning for Effective Management
Management

Effective Management
Was your lesson plan effective for I think so. They were excited to play a game in the whole group lesson and were
managing the class? e.g. How did the happy to come forward and do this. As students had just come in to start the day
students react to your lesson overall they were a little tired so there was a bit of yawning but I could still see they
and to your planned activities? were paying attention.
Nothing at all. A couple of students were talking while I was but this wasnt
Did anything unexpected happen?
unexpected.
Yes. A game to start the lesson got the students into learning mode and then the
Did you provide a variety of activities? lesson began. I didnt want to talk for too long to them but wanted to get them
onto the activity.
I was a little bit quicker than I expected getting to the activity, but this was alright
Were you satisfied with your timing,
as I had provided enough things to do so that students were not sitting doing
particularly for the end of the lesson?
nothing.
Did you feel you were able to change Yes. I was able to pull kids off topic when they went off on tangent or when they
things if needed? were talking to their friends.
Were you aware of classroom As I did the whole group lesson later in the week I was able to observe the
procedures and school disciplinary students behaviour and watch my mentor use the classroom procedures. Prior to
policy? How much did you know about starting Prac we were given a Teacher Handbook detailing a behaviour policy
your students? called 1, 2, 3 Magic which I did not need to use in the classroom.
Although my mentor was tough on students they responded well to this and
How did your mentor teacher maintain found it easy to approach the teacher with concerns as they looked to her as a
a safe learning environment? mentor, more than a friend. Students were able to express themselves
throughout lessons in many group activities but once they were told to stay on
task they did so. There were many activities where students were paired so that
What strategies did your observe your
they could peer test each other rather than addressing the class as a whole which
mentor teacher using to maintain this?
helped the quieter students speak up a bit more.

Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the Classroom

How did you demonstrate to the I was very open to them asking me questions and helping wherever I could. I
students that you valued them, and went around the classroom and asked if they needed help or for them to explain
enjoyed learning? what they were doing. I maintained eye contact with them when we had
e.g. Tone of voice, facial expression, conversations and made sure that I was friendly and smiling. I made positive
sense of humour, introduction to comments when they were doing great and when they were stuck I prompted
students and topic. them so that they could find the answer themselves.
The variety of activities definitely made a difference with maintaining attention.
Which aspects of your teaching style do
It also helped when I needed to tell a couple of students off using some of the
you feel helped you maintain class
behaviour management techniques to make sure they stopped what they were
attention?
doing. After this, nobody else spoke to others around them while I was teaching.
e.g. Variety of activities, class or group
I also spent time walking around and helping those that were stuck with the
discussion, pace of lesson, interest at
activity which also helped students to focus on their work as I hovered behind
class level.
them.
 I did not tell students what I expected of them while doing the activity in terms
Did the students know what was
of what I expected them to have finished before we needed to move on to our
expected of them?
next class.
Were you able to redirect energies of This was not needed in in my lesson.
attention seeking students? Did the
students have enough to do?

Dealing with Minor Misbehaviour

Were you aware of what was I did turn and write on the whiteboard which meant that I could not view the
happening in all parts of the classroom? whole class during this time. But I do not see how this could be avoided without
Did you know what each student was smart technology. Otherwise I was constantly scanning around the room and
doing? watching students hands as well as searching for their eyes.
Did you take any action when you Yes I did. When students were talking to others while I was teaching, I paused
observed poor behaviour? Why? Why and looked at those students, before saying their name and asking if they would
not? like to share what they were talking about to the class. Many times as I was
walking around I positioned myself near students who I had previously observed
Did you use non-verbal cues? e.g.
not working to make sure they were okay or if they needed help. If I could see
Contact, pause, gesture, movement
someone daydreaming I would go up to them and get them to explain how they
toward student/s concerned.
were going with the prompt.

Overall Comments

I found my timing a little bit off for the lesson plan but I know that this is something that comes with practice. Next time I
would like to individualise worksheets or writing prompts for students to make sure they match their abilities. It was easy
to maintain a positive attitude with this group of students as I felt they were very well behaved and eager to learn. I know
this is not the same for different schools and there will be bigger challenges. It is because of the group of students that
dealing with minor misbehaviour was effective. I can see that it would be a challenge for more difficult students. By making
sure that I was friendly but also able to take charge and tell students off I was helping to create a safe and supportive
learning environment. Students openly spoke to me about how they were finding work difficult, but also spoke about their
life at home and about their weekends. I think this helped when it came to teaching my lesson for students to listen to
what I had to say and respect me and what I was teaching them.
Schools as text looking at the whole school

The School
The school is located in a fairly new area. On one side of the school there is a
large public oval and playground and the back of the school is a carpark. The
only problem with the new area is that the Wi-Fi is not the greatest, so
students found it difficult connecting to the internet. The school is only 1 year
Describe the school in terms of its
old and was designed for up to 400 students. As new homes are being built
demographics, appearance and
within the area the school has had to expand with demountables due to the
resources (be general here and do not
increasing number of students (1000+ in 2017). The school is surrounded by
name the school).
gates that are locked from 9am 2pm and the only way into the school is
through the administration building. The school is concrete between
classrooms and the only grassed area is on a hill and out on the oval so
students are running all over the concrete.
What did you observe non-teaching I did hear of other staff talking about a Parent Committee but it was not
staff doing to support teaching and observed.
learning in the school?
Teachers had many different roles outside of their role as a teacher for one
group of students. The main role I observed was their duty to watch over play
What were the roles and areas at recess and lunch times. Many teachers also had collaborations with
responsibilities of the teaching staff the many streams of year groups. So my mentor organised the groups camp
you observed? and the fundraising for her class. Mainly the teacher has to make sure
students are behaving and doing the right things e.g. being safe, playing well
with others, not eating outside of classrooms, not littering etc.

Students
You will have observed the diverse The teacher had personalised the students worksheets to their abilities and
nature of your classes. How was this grouped students of the same ability when doing group rotations. These
diversity supported? groups were different for Maths and English subjects.

The Function of Schools

Did you observe the connection of your No, it was not observed.
schools with the broader community?
How did this happen?
A school is more than teaching students how to learn English and maths etc. It
teaches students how to work independently and in groups and how to
What do you think the function of behave amongst other people. Its a learning environment for students to
school is? learn the basics in education, but it is also a social interaction of students who
are trying to make friends. They are just getting to know themselves and it
school is a crucial part of children becoming the person they are in the future.
Reflection
Teachers do a lot more than I had imagined. My only encounters with
teachers was when I was at school myself so I dont really know what they did
behind the scenes or what they did to organise trips or activities not inside
Think about your experiences during the usual lesson times. They have a lot to maintain in terms of their
the week and describe how your demeanour and how they act on school grounds. Even outside of school
previous experiences have informed grounds if they live in the area they teach at they still need to maintain that
your view of teachers and schools. Has teacher image as they may see students outside of school. Students look up
anything changed? to teachers for guidance and support in areas more than just learning.
Teachers provide support with students social interactions on the playground
and in the classroom. Teachers reinforce manners and behaviours and how
students should act around other people.