Amal Ali Ahmad H00272400 12B7EDU01

Weekly Journal

Week 1:

Day 1: Sunday (24/09/17)

On my first day in my teaching practice, I meet my MST who name Ms. Ohood She was

kind with me. She introduced me to the children. I spend my time observing the teacher and the

children in the class because I want to know about their routine and understand their style. I wanted

to know about the childrens personality which will help me in the next week to plan my lessons

according to their needs and interest.

Day 2: Monday (25/09/17)

I went to school in the very early morning. I continue observing my MST teacher for the

children. Its interesting to notice that her teaching style was completely different than my pervious

MST in Victoria School. My current MST spend 15 minutes in circle time while my pervious MST

used to spend less than 10 minutes in teaching during circle time. I believe that children will get

bored and be distracted since they spend a lot of time siting listing to the teacher. My PDP Goal is

to teach for less than 10 minutes and preparing effective activities that children can explore through

them. I am planning for the next weeks when I will teach.

Day 3: Tuesday (26/09/17)

In the third day, I started to engage more in the classroom lessons. My MST started to assess

childrens English language. So, I volunteer to assess childrens language. Thats really helped me

because I started to know the English level for each child in the classroom which will help me to

decide how to teach and what activities are suitable for their needs. Through assessing then, I

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discover that most of the children do not have a background in English language so their level is

very weak. This will be quite challengeable for me because I have to teach the very basic English

for them because they mostly know nothing except very few children in the classroom.

Day 4: Wednesday (27/09/17)

The last day in the first week was very fun to me. I ask my MST to teach in story time instead

of her and she agreed. I choose a story from the classroom that they have. I read a story for them

which is about living and non-living things. Actually, it was an Arabic story but while Im

reading, I started to involve English language as well. I thought children will not understand the

story because their English is not good as Arabic but I took a risk. I supervised that they engaged

with me and they were trying to pronounce the words and the sounds with me. I know then that

children will be able to learn English quickly because they like listen and engage with the story

lesson.

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Week 2:

Day 5: Sunday (01/10/17)

The second week Ive decide with my MST that I will teach on Sunday as my first teaching to

them. So, I made a review lesson for the previous letter which was about the sound of the letter

s. After the assembly, I start teaching for the children by making review for the pervious letter

before they learn the new letter of the week which is the letter A. As my first teaching for them,

some of student were only watching me surprisingly since I am new to them. However, by the time

they used to me, they start to interact with me. After that, I sat with my MST and she gave me her

feedback about the lesson. She said I need to use the English language with them all the time since

I used some Arabic language to translate some words for them. I think not all of children know the

English language so it is better to translate some words in order to make sure that they understand.

The moment they didnt understand any word, they will be distracted and I will lose their attention.

Day 6: Monday (02/10/17)

On Monday, my MST told me that I need to improve the use of English language with children.

So, she let me to teach in the beginning of circle time. during circle time, I spend that time buy

explaining my rules for them in the classroom. It was very challenging for me to apply my rules

since the teacher have different rules than mine. One of her rules is to make children answer using

their loudest voice. I tried to changed that by establishing new rule which is whispering when they

want to answer. Honestly, it was very difficult to manage their voice since the MST always make

them shout.

Day 7: Tuesday (03/10/17)

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In this day, I observed my MST to learn more. Through my observation during the lessons

when my MST was teaching, I learnt from her so many things. I learnt how to motivate children

in a positive way. For example, one of the children named Ahmad is a naughty boy. He always

says bad words for other children. My MST heard him saying excuse me, can you make a space

for me? he was trying to take his launch box and all students were in that place. Thus, my MST

said in a loud voice Good behavior Ahmad and she explain for the other what good behavior

that he did. That motivate him to be polite every time he talk with other which made me impressed.

This was interesting moment to me in this day.

Day 8: Wednesday (04/10/17)

I sat with my MST in the break time. we had a little chat. She told me about her experience

with the parents during their career journey. She told me that it is not easy to deal with some of

the parents. She told that one of the parents came to her in school shouting that why her daughter

is getting bad grate in the assessment that my MST did with them. The reason why is their daughter

is very quiet and never participate during the lesson yet they didnt care about what the teacher

said. So my MST decided to take a record for their daughter during the lesson so they will be aware

of their daughters performance. I knew then not all the parents will understand the effort that the

teacher does in the classroom.

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Week 3:

Day 9: Sunday (08/10/17)

On the Sunday, I noticed that my MST applied a significant strategy to manage childrens

behavior. The children were very active because before math lesson they had a break time so they

release their energy. They were very naughty. Then, my MST stop talking and looked on childrens

faces. The children realized that they did something wrong. So, they behave well and the MST

explain for them that they have to listen to her instruction for math activities.

Day 10: Monday (09/10/17)

On this day, I had an observation from my MCT, Dr. Pauline. She came at 11:00AM to observe

me teaching English lesson for the children. After observing me, we sat together in order to give

me her feedback about the lesson. She told me about my strengths and things that I should need to

improve it which I will work on it for the next lessons.

Day 11: Tuesday (10/10/17)

This day my MST told me to not teach anything but she asked me to assess children by asking

them questions about what they took. For example, I asked them to writer the previous letters.

Also, I ask them to write the numbers from 1 to 25 in order to see whether they understand the

lesson or not. From this experience, I believe that assessing children is extremely significant

because through it, you will know if the children are capable to learn and move from this lesson.

Also, its important for me as a teacher to plan my lesson according to that.

Day 12: Wednesday (11/10/17)

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On Wednesday, I taught a lesson about the plants and I felt that it went very successful because

children learn, participate and enjoy. After the lesson, I sat with my MST in order to get her

feedback about my very first lesson during this TP. My MST told me that my management need

to be improve because children were so excited to participate with my activities so I lose the

control. She said that next time I need to use more management strategies which Im trying to

apply them in my next lesson such as clapping hands, praising and turning the light on and off in

order to make them quite and listen to me.

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Week 4:

Day 13: Sunday (15/10/17)

On Sunday, my MST taught the lesson for children and I was helping her all the time. I help

her in preparing the materials for her lesson. I noticed that the teacher do not allow children to go

outside the classroom in order to learn and discover. She only let children sit on the mat for a long

time. I think children will not learn quickly through that way. I think children need to interact with

the environment surrounding them because that will make them feel the sense of the world around

them as well as they will learn the lesson instead of listing to the teacher for the whole listen.

Day 14: Monday (16/10/17)

On Monday, I taught a lesson about science prepare my materials and all my stuff in the

classroom in the morning before children arrived the school. When I taught a lesson my special

need students who named Abdulrahman was very active this day. He was screaming when I let

them to sing. Even he hit on children when I asked children to do some morning exercise before

we start the lesson. So, I let him sit away from other student. I let him sit next to me. As a result,

he was so quiet. I learnt a lot of how to deal with SN students during this lesson.

Day 15: Tuesday (17/10/17)

On Tuesday, My MST was absent because she was sick, so I complete my assessments during

the day.

Day 16: Wednesday (18/10/17)

On Wednesday, I teach for children math which was about the rectangle shape. I did for them

many activities during the circle time and 3 different activities for the differentiation activities. I

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think I feel confident now because I can manage children more than before. I used a reward system

by giving them a start sticker which support them to participate with me positively.

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Week 5:

Day 17: Sunday (22/10/17)

On Sunday, I went to the school and did my usual routine which is greeting children and take

them into the morning assembly. It was a normal day. My MST teach for them a lesson about math

which is the addition. I was impressed because children were known to make a mathematical

matters and count using their mental skills without taking a long time. However, I still didnt like

their book tasks because I think children are not learning new things with the book. These children

need more challenging activities in order to improve their cognitive, language and physical skills.

Honestly, I think they dont learn anything from the book task. They just waste the time. In my

next lesson, I will try to design some affective activities in order to make them benefit from coming

to school. I want to make a difference in the school that Im in doing my TP.

Day 18: Monday (23/10/17)

On Monday, after the morning assembly, I start to teach math. I did the morning routine with

them. During the circle time, I review with them about the days of the week. Also, I let them to

count from 1 to 20 and doing some excises while they are counting. I believe that it is very

important to let children to be awake with full of attention. Thus, they will learn easily and quickly.

After the lesson, I sat with children and I gave them different activities to do until my MST. I asked

children what they learnt and what they are doing. Then, my MST come and continued the lesson.

Day 19: Tuesday (24/10/17)

On Tuesday, I went to the classroom to prepare my materials for my lesson which was about

math. I decided to teach children the pattern because I had to follow their curriculum and learning

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outcomes for this day. However, my MST called me and she told me that she will be late. So, I

asked the Arabic teacher to help me in managing children before they go to the morning assembly.

Day 20: Wednesday (25/10/17)

On Wednesday, I helped my MST during the activities time. Then, I sat to complete my college

assessments.

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Week 6:

Day 21: Sunday (29/10/17)

On Sunday, in the morning assembly, I make them to stand in the line and took them to the

morning assembly. They sang the national song and did some exercise to make them feel ready

for the lesson. After that, we went back to the classroom. My MST gave them and English lesson

which was about the letter N. I helped her in managing the classroom. Also, I noticed that the

teacher always shouts on the students in order to let them listen to her and be quiet. However, I

didnt like that strategies because I believe that children will not listen if someone kept shouting

at the. They will feel scared and unhappy.

Day 22: Monday (30/10/17)

On Monday, my Dr. Pauline came for the second time to observe me. After the observation,

she gave me her feedback. She told me that I have improved a lot compared to the last time she

observed me. However, I still need to improve my teaching since I still have weaknesses.

Day 23: Tuesday (31/10/17)

On Tuesday, I did a quick review for children about the yesterday letter. I gave them the

previous activities in order to complete it.

Day 24: Wednesday (01/11/17)

On Wednesday, I helped my MST during the activities time. Then, I went to the teacher room

to complete my research project.

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Week 7:

Day 25: Sunday (05/11/17)

On Sunday, Alya and I didnt go in the school. We went to the collage because Dr. Pauline

told us if we want to volunteer to be part of workshop for education.

Day 26: Monday (06/11/17)

I taught a lesson and my MST was assessing me in that day. I did a really good job and after I

finished teaching she told me that she was observing my teaching skills from the first day till this

day. She said that I have make an enormous improvement since I was not able to control the

classroom. Even I couldnt handle with misbehaver children. But now, Im able to deal with them

in a positive way which made me really glad that even though I didnt like the school, it was a

helpful experience that I learnt a lot of things in very short time.

Day 27: Tuesday (07/11/17)

On Tuesday, Alya and I didnt go in the school. We went to the collage because Dr. Pauline

told us if we want to volunteer to be part of workshop for education.

Day 28: Wednesday (08/11/17)

In last day, I thank all the teacher in the school for being helpful and kind with me. I learnt that

there are huge differences between government schools and private schools. Obviously, in private

school they use English language as the main language which is extremely helpful for children to

gain the language quickly in very early year. While in government school they only teach English

for 40 minutes in a day. Moreover, in private school they motivate children to be independent and

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creative more than government schools through the activities and even the duties that the teacher

as children to do.

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