Running head: Teaching Episode and Reflection

Assignment 2
Teaching Episode, Reflective Report and Evaluation
EDFD 260
Shanelle Feillafe
S00195261
Teaching Episode and Reflection 1

1. Situational Analysis

St Finbarr’s Ashgrove is a small catholic private school with approximately 200 students, and is
situated in the suburb of Ashgrove and falls under the Brisbane Archdiocese and the Jubilee
School’s Council. Due to the location of the school, the students come from high socio-economic
families, and has well resourced classrooms, with each student having their own laptop from Grade
4 onwards, with each classroom also equipped with iPads. With this abundance of resources, this
school continuously performs well in literacy and numeracy, as reflected in the NAPLAN results. As
evident in the school’s My Site, St Finbarr’s has received a band 5 rating in these areas from 2013
onwards (My Site, 2017).

For this placement, I am in a Grade 4 classroom, named 4 Faith. This class is led by Matthew Ryan,
who is also the school I.T specialist teacher, and has a total of 20 students, consisting of 12 boys and
8 girls. Class management can be challenging at times, due to the boisterous behaviour of the male
majority classroom, therefore to suit the learning styles of the class, most lessons are created in an
engaging and interactive manner to maintain the attention and concentration of the entire class.
There are several students whom have additional needs in this classroom, Max and Tom have
ADHD, Jake has ASD, and Ron has a severe hearing impairment. Max and Tom both struggle with
literacy tasks, as well as staying focused during the lesson, therefore the seating arrangement in the
room has them sitting separately and with two other students who perform well, to create a
scaffolded environment. Jake generally has a support teacher to guide him through tasks, as he tires
easily, lacks self confidence and is at a lower level in English than the rest of his class. Jake is also
seated at the back of the classroom, closest to the teacher’s desk, and out of view from other
students whom can be distracted by Jake when he is not concentrating. For Ron’s hearing
impairment, the teacher wears a microphone with a speaker system that directly links to Ron’s
hearing aid, and occasionally receives support from school officers. Through the use of teaching
strategies such as explicit teaching, paired work, and whole class discussions, these students are able
to comprehend and mostly stay on task during lessons, thus I have used these strategies in my lesson.

The lesson that I planned was in conjunction with Stepping Stones, which directly links with the
Australian Curriculum, specifically in the Number and Algebra strand of Grade 4 Mathematics,
with a focus on investigating number sequences involving multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and
9 (ACMNA074). The lesson builds on their knowledge of multiplication, and finding number
patterns using multiplication. In the lesson plan, I used the gradual release strategy, as I
Teaching Episode and Reflection 2
demonstrated a number pattern, explained the process of solving it, then as a class, working through
different kinds of questions, then allowed students to demonstrate the ability to complete the task,
before allowing the students to work through the workbook activity individually. An important
aspect of the lesson was that I ensure every student was ready to complete the task before handing
the task over to the students, and monitoring the students incase any confusion came about. By
ensuring the class was engaged through interactions, all students are able to stay on task and be
involved, active learners.

2. Literature Review

In response to the diversity of learners in the classroom, partnered with my own pedagogical beliefs,
my lesson took a socio-cultural approach. Churchill et al (2016) defines socio-cultural view on
knowledge as the product of learning whereby individuals engage socially through conversations or
shared problem-solving tasks/activities. Therefore the making of meaning is done through a
scaffolded environment - providing the necessary support for leaners to enable them to accomplish
the task and learn more independently (Churchill et al, 2016). This approach resonates with
Vygotsky’s theory of learning being a social experience done within an individual’s zone of proximal
development, which Woolfolk & Margetts defines as ‘the distance between what can be achieved
individually by learners and what can be achieved through scaffolding and collaboration with more
knowledgeable peers’. Therefore the majority of the lesson is based around whole class engagement,
and learning this concept together, with the use of metalanguage and familiar language, to cater for
the lower levels of literacy that some students demonstrate in the class.

With the socio-cultural perspective underpinning each learning decision made, the forms of
assessment used during this lesson was not just assessment for learning, but also assessment as
learning. Assessment as learning is to develop greater learning awareness, increased responsibility,
independence and proficiency within the students, resulting in more responsible and effective
learners (Churchill et al, 2016). This form of assessment was achieved through the use of student
feedback during the class discussion, ensuring that every student questioned and responded to the
content, as well as being done through one-on-one interviews with the students as I rotated around
the classroom while they completed the activity - see Appendix C. The other form of assessment
was formative assessment, or assessment for learning. This form of assessment provides information
about what the student knows, understands and can do,, which results in feedback to improve
Teaching Episode and Reflection 3
further learning (Churchill et al, 2016). This was done through the completion of worksheet 9.10 in
the students Stepping Stones workbook. Once each student had completed the worksheet, I went
around and marked each book to ensure each student understood the task and completed ti
successfully. This then highlighted any trending issues, and helped to address the students needs
individually.

One of the main challenges I faced was adapting to having full control over class management,
which is something I haven’t had too much experience with. To ensure that all students are able to
meet the learning outcomes, my main priority was to involve every student in class discussion, so
that each student develops their understanding and collectively solve the problems faced. By
drawing on the students prior knowledge of multiplication, and encourage critical thinking about
the problems, students were able to overcome any misconceptions about the questions, and promote
learning by helping the students monitor and evaluate their approaches to learning (Killen, 2014).

To ensure each student’s individual needs are catered for through the use of the socio-cultural
perspective, the incorporation of ICT during the extension activity, and from support of school
officers, led to a successful lesson where every student met the learning outcome to find and apply
rules in number patterns involving multiplication.

3. Impact upon Future Teaching Practice

After discussing how I went with my mentor teacher, and how I felt after completing the lesson, I
believe overall my approach was successful for this particular class. I was content with the way I
delivered the lesson, including my positioning in front of the whiteboard and around the classroom,
as well as consistently ensuring no student was left behind before moving forward with the task. By
incorporating the metalanguage involved, it helped with consistency in the language choices I made
when delivering the lesson, and comprehension with their workbooks. The use of metalanguage is
an important aspect that I have taken from this lesson, as long as the words are explained clearly, it
does make it easier to complete tasks and remain consistent with how I address each math lesson.
Some aspects that I struggled with was when the main activates were completed and I did not have
a back up lesson, which led to sone students becoming unsettled and rowdy. A strategy I used in this
situation was a game where everyone got up and danced around the room to burn some of the built
up energy they had. The class responded well to this fun activity and I was able to bring them back
Teaching Episode and Reflection 4
in and I was able to get to know the class a bit better, and vis-a-vis in the remainder of the time.
Overall I have learnt quite a bit to take away and incorporate as a future teacher. After getting to
know the students a bit better and understand their individual needs and adjustments needed
through observation and interaction, I was able to produce a successful mathematics lesson on
number patterns using multiplication. 

Teaching Episode and Reflection 5

Appendix A - Lesson Plan

Year Level: Duration of lesson: Learning area:
4
60 min Mathematics

Key inquiry question:

Can you find the pattern rule?

Year level description:

The proficiency strands understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning are an integral part of
mathematics content across the three content strands: number and algebra, measurement and
geometry, and statistics and probability. The proficiencies reinforce the significance of working
mathematically within the content and describe how the content is explored or developed. They provide
the language to build in the developmental aspects of the learning of mathematics. The achievement
standards reflect the content and encompass the proficiencies.

At this year level:

• reasoning includes using generalising from number properties and results of calculations, deriving
strategies for unfamiliar multiplication and division tasks, comparing angles, communicating
information using graphical displays and evaluating the appropriateness of different displays.
Year level achievement standard/s:
By the end of Year 4, students choose appropriate strategies for calculations involving
multiplication and division. They recognise common equivalent fractions in familiar contexts and make
connections between fraction and decimal notations up to two decimal places. Students solve simple
purchasing problems. They identify and explain strategies for finding unknown quantities in
number sentences. They describe number patterns resulting from multiplication. Students
compare areas of regular and irregular shapes using informal units. They solve problems involving time
duration. They interpret information contained in maps. Students identify dependent and independent
events. They describe different methods for data collection and representation, and evaluate their
effectiveness. Students use the properties of odd and even numbers. They recall multiplication facts
to 10 x 10 and related division facts. Students locate familiar fractions on a number line. They continue
number sequences involving multiples of single digit numbers. Students use scaled instruments
to measure temperatures, lengths, shapes and objects. They convert between units of time. Students create
symmetrical shapes and patterns. They classify angles in relation to a right angle. Students list the
probabilities of everyday events. They construct data displays from given or collected data.
Student Prior knowledge:

Basic pattern exercises in their Stepping Stones workbook.

Learning objectives:
To find and apply rules in number patterns involving multiplication.
Teaching Episode and Reflection 6

Strands of the Content Descriptors (include codes)

learning area:
Investigate number sequences involving multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and
Number and Algebra 9 (ACMNA074)

Cross-Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

Literacy
Numeracy
ICT Capability

Brief description of how you intend to embed these:

Literacy: Students developing metalanguage by highlighting particular words throughout lesson,

and using correct terminology.

Numeracy: Students apply multiplication to find number patterns.

ICT Capability: Students use Mathletics as an extension task.

T i m i Teaching Learning experiences Differentiat Technologi

ng strategie ion es/
s Resources

INTRODUCTION
Teaching Episode and Reflection 7

1. Draw ‘picture 1, 2 and 3’ diagram Going - Projector

to represent the first number through the and Laptop
pattern. Encourage class steps using - Whiteboar
discussion about the patterns they visual cues as d
see between the three shapes. a class to
2. T: Without using numbers, what ensure whole
patterns do you see? How are the class is at the
pictures changing? How did you use this same level
information to help you work out what when looking
picture 4 should look like? at the rule for
3. T: Looking at the patterns ask the pattern.
10 min - Class How many squares would you need to
discussio make picture 4? Ask a student to
n draw what they think picture 4
would look like on the board
4. Class discussion about what
student drew if it was right or
wrong? why?
5. Write the numbers associated
with each shape underneath 4, 7,
10, 13
6. Talk about how you can predict
the number of square tiles that
would be needed for picture 5
(Add 3 to 13)

DEVELOPMENT
Teaching Episode and Reflection 8

1. T: What about picture 12? Ensure - Stepping

- Class 2. Tell class how it is inefficient to students Stones
discussion count them all out, what about understand activity 9.10
5 min making a shortcut by creating a the word
pattern rule? Picture number x inefficient
3 then + 1
3. Ask a student to write on the
board for Picture 12 what that
would look like and write the
number sequence 3 x 12 + 1 =
37 to show their thinking
4. Project the Step In class
discussion 9.10 on board - student
to control.
5. Look at toothpick pattern and go
through each picture - refer to it
as a term, ask what pattern they
see?
6. write out the number sequence
underneath
CLOSURE
- Students will work through the School Officer - Stepping
- Class Step Up activity individually will work Stones
discussio - Rotate around the room to through activity 9.10
n monitor students who may need activity with
- One on help with the concept and ensure students who - Mathletics
one students stay on task need extra activity:
interview - As a consolidating task, use assistance Problems:
20 min - Rotation Mathletics once workbook activity Times and
al is complete Divide
monitori - Mark workbook to show students
ng completed task and understood - Use of
lesson, make note of any students DOJO for
needing further assistance and behaviour
report back to Teacher reward
Teaching Episode and Reflection 9

Self Reflection:
Overall, I think it went quite well, I was able to keep the whole class engaged through class
discussion by selecting volunteers to answer my questions on the white board, and
consistently ask the class if they didn’t understand something and to nod if we can
continue on. By using the class dojo to reward good behaviour as an extrinsic reward
system, as well as positive feedback when the students correctly answer questions, every
student completed the set task in a timely fashion, and every student understood the task.
However during the mathletics extension, I was unaware of one student who was quietly
diverging from the task on his laptop and playing games. Overall I believe i maintained
good classroom management as every student was able to behave appropriately and not be
disruptive to others, and they all completed the task with minimal confusion.

Alignment with AITSL Graduate Teacher standards evident:

2.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2, 7.2
Teaching Episode and Reflection 10

Appendix B - Teacher Feedback

Teaching Episode and Reflection 11

Appendix C - Student Journal 9.10 (Stepping Stones)

Teaching Episode and Reflection 12

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016) Australian curriculum: English.
Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/

Churchill, R., Godino, S., Johnson, F. N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., Mackay, J., Mcgill, M.,
Moss, J., Nagel, C. M., Shaw, K., Ferguson, P., Nicholson, P. & Vick, M. (2016). Teaching: Making a
difference (3rd ed.). Queensland, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Killen, R. (2014). Effective teaching strategies. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.

My School. (2017). St Finbarr’s School, Ashgrove, QLD. Retrieved from https://www.myschool.edu.au/

SchoolProfile/Index/110927/StFinbarrsSchool/47707/2016

Vygotsky, L, S. (1978). Mind in society : The development of higher psychological processes. Re-

trieved from http://unilinc-alma-new.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library

Woolfolk, A. & Margetts, K. (2016). Educational psychology (4th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Pearson.