EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

THINKING ABOUT YOUR TEACHING eBook (TAT: eBook)

Task 1:
Looking at 2.1- designing a classroom
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

REVIEW
The authors for the prescribed texts all recognised that students are all different. There are various
learning types which can be summarised as VAK (visual, auditory and kinaesthetic/tactile). It is
important to have a classroom environment that caters for all of these students so that the learning
environment is inclusive.

Intrinsic motivation is an important aspect to learning and is increasingly needed especially when
moving into senior years. If students are provided with an external motivation to do their work than
they can be intrinsically motivated in order to get there. An example of this occurring could be in
middle years where they are posed with a task and then their final products will be displayed around
the classroom. Through having this work displayed around the classroom it also helps to slow or
prevent memory decay of past work that has been done throughout the year.
Having an interactive classroom where the students can form groups allows for a constructivist
learning approach where the social interaction is necessary for effective learning.
In order to be an effective teacher, it is important to be reflective on practices used and think about
the impact that teaching styles/ pedagogies have on the students and their learning styles.

What I know now before completing this task is the importance of the classroom on the different
learning styles. Prior to this I had just assumed that it is just how the teachers teach and the tasks
they provide students which affects their different learning styles. Through reading the textbook and
having conversations with teachers I have learnt about the importance of the physical classroom and
how this can affect their learning and engagement in the task.
I also wasn’t thoroughly thinking about students who may have special needs. An example of this is
students who may be hard of hearing- these students may need a quiet corner or space where the
teachers can talk one on one or where they can sit to try and concentrate or listen to the teacher.

This reflective information that I have found is indicatory that I have learnt a lot about 21st century
classrooms but also shows that I need to be aware of more aspects regarding students with special
needs or learning difficulties.

LEARNING GOAL
As a result of my analysis and review, I plan to research how the set out of the classroom affects the
different learning styles and students with varying needs.

I also plan to build on my understanding of how as a teacher I can be inclusive for all students.

I believe that engaging with the students themselves and asking them what kind of classroom setup
they would find most beneficial is also important which I will aim to do over the summer with my
younger siblings and friends.
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

Task 2:

Year 8 Maths (between recess and lunch)- Damien Bradley

Foster a sense of calm in the classroom
Least affective in the classroom
Classroom management techniques observed during the first half of a lesson Seen
 Warm greeting by name or friendly conversation Yes
 Routines: Role call Yes
 : Homework collection area
 Permission to leave the room technique is known by students Yes
 Use of specific instructions to settle class- effectively gains attention of students Yes
 Immediate, calm response to address or redirect inappropriate behavior Yes
 Clear learning intentions and success criteria stated/shown at start of lesson
 Waits for class to be quiet: implements technique known as ‘wait time’. Yes
 Outlines behavioral expectations for the lesson
 Calm implementation of classroom rules e.g. one person talking at a time Yes
 Student work is placed around the room
 Provides opportunities for group work and whole class discussion Yes
 Seating arrangement appears appropriate for task: rows, groups, u-shape, flexible
 Teacher models desired actions/behaviors s/he wants in return from students Yes
 Praise is used frequently
 Use of constructive, corrective feedback
 Teacher looks students in the eye when providing instruction/support Yes
 Teacher listens attentively to student’s questions and comments Yes
 Teacher responds directly to student questions/statements Yes
 Teacher activates ‘tactical ignoring’ when necessary Yes
 Teacher has work prepared for students as soon as they enter the classroom
 Teacher frequently uses smiles and humour to encourage on task behaviour Yes (!)
 Teacher routinely praises/draws attention to students who act in ways that promote
learning
 Teacher changes tone of voice depending on class activity
 Teacher acknowledges and reinforces on-task behaviours
 Teacher is consistent when addressing and responding to unwanted behaviour Yes
 Teacher appears fair with addressing and responding to behavioural expectations Yes
 Teacher uses nonverbal communication: hand signals, visual schedules, smile etc. Yes
 Lesson appears to use time wisely and effectively – students are actively involved in YES
learning
 Lesson appears sequential and teachers has all resources at finger tips Yes
 Students appear to know routine for transitions e.g. from whole group task to small Yes
group work / from lab work to book work / from quiet reading to class discussion
 The physical arrangement of the classroom appears to ease traffic flow, minimises ~
distractions, and provides teacher with good visual and physical access to students.
 Teacher's use of ICT is efficient and appears to support learning and participation Yes
OTHERS?
 Teacher was adaptable based on the answers the students were providing to ensure Yes
they were getting a wholesome understanding
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MY ANALYSIS
As can be seen in the table above, the pink highlighting indicates the techniques that fostered a sense
of calm within the classroom while the yellow highlight indicates the techniques that didn’t appear as
effective in the classroom.

From looking at the management techniques used and their effectiveness in the classroom, the key
behind it all was that the teacher knew his students and how they learn best. Where the teacher was
addressing students as individuals and giving clear instructions the classroom was a calm
environment. Through using humour and having “inside jokes” with his class the students were
engaged and the learning environment was a happier place. One of the most effective techniques
used was allowing the students to work with their neighbour in order to get the sheet done. The class
stayed at a low level of noise and the work was getting done.
The techniques that didn’t foster as much of a sense of calm was the classroom setting. The class
room was in E shape facing the board with a few other two people tables scattered around the room.
This classroom set out did not allow the teacher to move around the class well and students also
didn’t have much working space. Because the students were so cramped, the got restless when the
teacher was talking. The teacher tried to tactically ignore the behaviour which didn’t work well
because the students found it funny and were becoming even more off task and hyper. The teachers
use of IT could have been implemented in a better way because it just involved the students reading
off of a PowerPoint which made them disengaged.

One key thing that I learnt/ was reminded of is that as a teacher you have to adaptable. Following a
lesson plan that was premade is not always ideal for teaching as the students may have gaps in their
learning which will be ineffective for future work. The teacher I was following in this lesson said that
“following a plan takes the fun out of teaching”. Being in a classroom setting, I can see how this is true
and completely agree with it. In saying this, I don’t believe that teachers should not plan and shape
the content that they are going to teach, but it just means that you need to be able to change pace
quickly and have the resources and ideas available to do that in the classroom.

MY LEARNING
The students probably spent about 70-80% of the time on task which is reasonably good compared to
the other maths lessons that I had been observing and assisting in. From observing and interacting
with the students I think that their learning was effective but it could have been more efficient if the
class room was structured differently. A strategy that I think would have been very beneficial in this
class if is there was some degree of praising that occurred so that the students would feel encouraged
and want to continue and stay on task.

What does this suggest about the role of classroom management in learning?
I believe that the classroom management techniques used are detrimental in the students learning. If
the teacher does not have good control of the students and their learning then the students will not
stay on task resultant in minimal learning occurring.

LEARNING GOALS
Over the next year, I plan to talk to my family friend who is a teacher fortnightly to discuss effective
classroom practices in order to increase my confidence and understanding.
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

Task 3:
Learning area: Music Time of day 9am Year Level 8
WITNESSED
Document what happens during and after an occurrence that represents a low to mid-level
disruptive act. Write down what happened immediately before the event (antecedent) as well.

During The student was not listening to the teacher’s instruction and kept playing
with the drum sticks even when the teacher said the key words “stick still”
which she explained at the start of the lesson.
After The student continued to misbehave for the rest of the lesson.
Before The student was rowdy and playing on instruments while the teacher was
not responding in a firm manor and asserting her authority for keeping the
class engaged and on task.
Note down the strategy/ies the teacher used in an attempt to problem solve/ resolve the situation
 The teacher ignored the disruptions for a couple of minutes which by then caused all of the
students to become distracted.
 The teacher also verbally told her guidelines to the students before they started this
activity and then didn’t go back on the consequences that she outlined. By not acting on
this disruptive behaviour, the classroom became out of control and all of the students
became off task as opposed to one.
How did the student respond to each of these strategies
 The student continued and even intensified his disruptive behaviour when the teacher
tried the technique of ignoring the disruptive behaviour.
 When the teacher tried methods of restricting his participation in the activity, he found
other ways to get around this which she did not restrict and he continued to be destructive
and the other students were all distracted.
Note down your ‘in the moment’ thoughts. These are intentionally ‘reactive’ not reflective comments
at this time
- What were the key triggers leading up to this event?
- Was the situation resolved to the satisfaction of both parties? Yes / No / Not sure
 The teacher was not responding to the disruptions which triggered him to keep going
 When the teacher did respond on a few occasions, she saw it more as a joke and laughed
which encouraged the bad behaviour further
 The other students in the class were laughing which encouraged him to continue
 He was not feeling engaged by the task and didn’t see the purpose behind this

 From observation, I don’t think that the situation was resolved fully as the student didn’t
understand that he was doing wrong and how his actions affected the rest of the class. The
teacher boiled up and went off at one stage due to the inconsistent management of the
disruption.

MY APPROACH
If this incident happened in my class I would manage it in the following way:
If this incident were to occur in my classroom, I think that I would have set out my ground rules
with the students at the very start of the lesson and made known the consequences of taking up
certain actions.
I would give the students warnings to provide them with the opportunity to give better behaviour.
After three warnings, I would send them outside of the classroom and then after settling the rest of
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

the class have a chat with the student about their attitude and whether they would prefer to
continue in lesson and behave or be sent to another classroom and do work silently.
Through using this approach, my intended outcome would be:
Through this approach, my intended outcome is that the students will understand the ground rules
and the consequences of their actions in my class.
Consider two possible unintended consequences of choosing this approach
1. The student may miss out on course work if they are sent to another classroom
consequential to using this approach.
2. The student may get embarrassed or retaliate which may result in a larger distraction to
the class.

How confident are you that your response would achieve your desired outcomes? Note down the
evidence you have to support your findings? Review critically. If your evidence isn’t very convincing
then note down other possible responses/ justifications.
I believe that my response would be quite affective in my classroom as I have seen it done a handful
of times in the classes that I have been observing over the course of my placement. After the first
warning, the students often get back on task as they are quite embarrassed. If after the first warning
they keep playing up, the known consequences are applied and the student follows. I think that this is
an effective approach as the students can’t complain about the teacher being unfair as the guidelines
would have been laid out at the start of the lesson.

Using the textbooks mentioned below or a website on behaviour, investigate the behaviour witnessed
and evaluate your approach based on the recommendations from this literature.
Duchesne and McMaugh (2016) write about the importance of having expectations of all your
students. Whether this is behavioural or academic, it is important that you are not just letting certain
behaviour slip for some students and then not others. This was specifically discussed in chapter 14
where differential teacher behaviour was discussed and how the students received this. When the
teacher showed favouritism towards particular student’s other students became angry and were
deeply frustrated by these actions.

LEARNING GOALS
The aspects of managing and then developing positive behaviour that worries me the most is if the
student becomes violent in the classroom and how to deal with that without me or the other
students being harmed. I intend to read more literature about how to deal with behavioural issues
and ways in which teachers can safely disengage this behaviour.
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

Task 4:

Lesson Plan
Learning area: Mathematics
Year level: 9
Content taken Australian Curriculum
from:
Achievement As a result of engaging with this lesson, students are working towards:
Standard
ACMSP227: Investigate reports of surveys in digital media and elsewhere for information on
how data were obtained to estimate population means and medians.

ACMSP228: Identify everyday questions and issues involving at least one numerical and at
least one categorical variable, and collect data directly and from secondary sources.

ACMSP283: Compare data displays using mean, median and range to describe and interpret
numerical data sets in terms of location (centre) and spread.
Learner diversity in Large intellectual diversity with students on both ends of the scale.
class e.g. all girls,
Year 9 students (13 girls and 10 boys)
mixed year levels,
students with Different cultures
disabilities, E/ALD)
Stated learning As a result of engaging with this lesson students will learn about the different modes of
intentions graphing and the theory and application behind the mean, median and mode.

Introduction Said hello to the students and engaged in Strategies

Time spent 10 mins friendly conversation (getting to know her TSU
students). Scaffolding the students’ knowledge

Recapped on content from the previous Using brainstorming as a technique to help

lesson with the support of a power point. students engage with prior knowledge

Answered questions that the students had BSU

about the textbook questions or the maths
topic in general.
Waiting for students to listen
ASU
Check list of textbook questions that they
were done before starting the lesson

Body of Lesson Working from the textbook with intermittent TSU

Time spent 70 mins examples given on the board for: Probing questions
Data and graphs Class interaction and discussion
ZPD
Mean, median and mode Clear lesson goals

Maths game in the middle of the lesson to BSU

give students a time to relax (or continue Students were all listening intently to the
with their work if they would prefer) information being presented.

Maths test/ activity: One students started being disruptive to the

Mean, median and mode cluedo where the
students answer questions about those three
things in order to solve a murder mystery.
class so the teacher distributed a warning
which resolved the situation.
ASU
Check list of textbook questions
Verbal questioning of students
Maths cluedo
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End of lesson Content/learning summary: TSU

Time spent 10 mins Questioning and checking for understanding
Summary of what the students had learnt.
BSU
Talking about the upcoming assignment and None were required besides asking students
allowing the students to have input into to not pack up before it was asked
questions that and data that they would like.
ASU
Getting the students to answer questions
verbally about what was learnt in the lesson.
Use of ICT What ICT was used and how did it support or enhance learning?

PDF and google drive supports the students so that they can use this stuff at home and
support their own learning. This also helps so that the students can get ahead.
Use of Which GC (can be more than one) was used and how did this support or enhance learning for
General Capabilities students?
Numeracy
(GC) Critical thinking and understanding (multiple choice questions)- cluedo
Moving towards ICT project end of term
Use of Cross Which CCP (can be more than one) was used and how did this support or enhance learning for
Curriculum priorities students?
None were used
(CCP)

Record and analyse

Key elements in a lesson plan:
 Have a clear idea of what the outcome will be
 Make sure it reflects the students’ needs
 Engaging the students with the information in a range of different ways
Review
I think that in this particular lesson that I observed, the lesson plan was crystal clear to the students as
the lesson breakup was on the board for the students to see including a generous time range they
had to complete tasks.
In other classes I have observed, the lesson plan was not that clear to the students (or to the teacher
for that matter).
I personally believe that they need to know the purpose of the lesson in order to fully engage with it
and understand the importance of the particular body of knowledge.

The structure of the lesson appeared to use time very effectively to optimise the content learning and
application. The introduction and conclusions of the lesson were done very well so that students had
understanding as to where they were heading next.

The structure of the lesson supported a logical manner in which students were able to draw on
previous knowledge from other parts of maths from throughout their schooling and then apply it to
the new concepts or words that they were learning. They were asked many probing questions to get
them to think and there were many entry points to support all in a supporting ZPD manner.

I believe that all of the strategies that were used within this lesson were effective.
Learning goals
A part of the lesson plan that was not particularly clear to me was looking at the general capabilities
and the use of cross curriculum priorities in the classroom. After looking on the websites and talking
with my mentor teacher I have a better understanding and definitely think that this is something that
can be developed further when I am out teaching in a school. In order to develop my understanding
of this to better illuminate the purpose of the lesson I will be reflecting over the summer (17/18) how
I could implement them in my specific subject areas.
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

Task 5:

Year 11 Physics: 1.45-2.30pm

Assessment Type Learning activity associated with it
Entry Card (3/4) Each student in the order that they entered the classroom were asked to
say something that they had learnt from the last lesson.
From this the teacher created a summary on the board which helped
students to learn how to summarise their notes for the upcoming exam.
Short answer (1) The teacher was building on from this summary idea using a table. He was
Feedback (5) asking the students questions in order to construct the table based on
some slides that he refreshed on. If the students got the question wrong he
would be asking probing questions in order to help them come to the
conclusion as a group. The feedback that he gave his students was also very
constructive which encouraged them to keep trying.
Work sheet (5) A checkpoint worksheet of 3 questions was done at the end of the section.
This worksheet contained applications of the information that they had just
learnt which allowed for the students to solidify their knowledge and also
see application and relevance to keep them engaged.
Pre-Assessment task (4) Before starting the new topic in that lesson, the teacher was asking the
students questions in order to determine their prior knowledge and the
foundation to build his teaching upon. In this type of assessment task, he
was proposing ideas to the students and getting them to collaboratively
talk with one another to critically attempt to solve it.

1. Assessing learning improvement

2. For grading purposes
3. To develop his/her teaching practices
4. To determine prior knowledge
5. To measure what was learnt over the lesson

Interview:
Summary of the teacher’s response
Assessment Type What was the purpose
of each assessment?
Entry Card The purpose of this assessment
was to get the students to think
about the knowledge they have
learnt in order to build upon it.
Short Answer Although this was done very
informally, I aim to provide
Feedback students with feedback
throughout the lesson so they
can gauge where they are at
with the course, but also to
encourage them as some of the
concepts are quite tricky.
Work sheet The purpose of this assessment
was to test what the students
got from the lesson. It was also
used so that they start applying
the content by themselves from
early on.
What type of
information did you
gather from each?
The information I gathered was how
much the students retained and
engaged in the information from
the previous lesson. It also helped in
deciding where to start off the
lesson.
This type of feedback was not so
much for me, but for my students.
As I said before, it allows them to
gauge where they are at and also to
encourage them when the concept
can be quite difficult.
From this assessment task, I was
able to gauge whether they
understood what was being taught
in the lesson, enough to apply it to a
question. It was also used as a
resource for them when it comes to
the exam period.
What will you do with this
information?
The information obtained from this
assessment was used to assess my
teaching methods and whether or
not they are affective in getting
students to engage and understand
new ideas. It was also used to help
refresh the student’s memory and
get them thinking before the lesson
starts
This information is more for the
students benefit.
I will use this information for my
formative assessment grades but also
so I can see whether I need to change
the approach of teaching so that
more students understand and grasp
onto the concepts.
EDUC2426 Grace Edwards 2166414

Pre-Assessment The purpose of this assessment
was used to determine where I
task should start teaching the new
topic.
The information I gathered was for I use this information as said before
me so that I was not starting the to analyse where to start my teaching
students at content that may be too from.
difficult for them. It was also
helping the students to critically
think which allows them to get
prepared for the topic.

Review
I think that with this group of students the assessment techniques used were fit for purpose. This is
because they were used for both teacher and student development, so the teacher was prepared to
adapt or change their strategies for the students benefit. The assessments used were also done to
make the students feel comfortable where they can freely speak and collaborate with their
neighbour.

There was little cultural bias with these assessment tasks. The students were not necessarily graded
on their English abilities but more on the physics content.

Every student was able to participate in the assessments presented on an equal basis because they
were all provided with the same information and task. The fact that an array of assessment
techniques were used throughout the lesson, the students had many different entry points to engage
and participate. The entry card gave every student an opportunity alongside the worksheet after the
topic was finished.

I think that teachers can have a clear understanding of the purpose of their assessment in their head,
but this does not always mean that the teachers convey this well to the students. I think that
sometimes students struggle to see the importance of the assessment task, and thus they are not
going to engage and participate in the activity. If the teacher is able to give students a clear purpose
and justification of the assessment given, then it will be more likely that that students will complete it.

Learning goal
Entry cards:
Where students have the opportunity to write down something they learnt from the previous lesson,
something that was unclear and something that they would like to know from their learnings so far.
This is appropriate all throughout a topic/ year as it is constantly allowing students to draw on
previous knowledge and it can be used as a helpful tool for them when they look to exam revision and
what they struggled with.

Exit cards:
This is a technique similar to the entry except it can be used more for the teacher to establish what
the focus of the next lesson should be and what was clear/ unclear to the students.

Testing/ questioning:
This can be done in an array of ways including written, verbal, collaboration, or through the use of
technology. This allows students to critically think about the question of statement at hand and come
up with a response. One of my personal favourite applications of this is Kahoot which is an online
questioning resource which adds in the element of competition. This is also good as it is timed, and
therefore it easy to schedule into a lesson. I think that it is a very appropriate tool to use at the start
of a module to gauge what students already know, in the middle to serve as a summary tool or at the
end to help revise all the content from the module.

Test bias is where the test is skewed towards a particular group; this could be in relation to gender,
race or ethnicity. Quite often biases are considered to be cultural. This is the extent to which a test
offends or penalises individual’s due to their ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic status.