CRITICAL REFLECTION 2
CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK IN SCHOOL PLACEMENT
Since I completed my last critical reflection, I have got into a very good routine for my
school placement 3. I am really enjoying teaching every day and I have got to know my
mentor teachers, students, and tutors much better. The daily reflections have proved very
beneficial, and I have learned so much from reflecting on the classes I teach each day. The
most important day for me was the day my tutors visited, after the visits they completed
the school placement evaluation reports, these reports and meetings gave me a huge boost
in confidence that my SP3 was going well. For this critical reflection I have focused on
Assessment, Routines, Classroom behaviour and Tutor visits.
Observation /Critical reflection Action
Assessment Plan ahead……
I tried the Think – Pair – Share method of As a result, I have learned if I use
assessment with my 5th year Construction Studies this method of assessment again, I
class and it worked well, however I was surprised at will pair a quiet student with a
how slow each student was to discuss the question chatty student, pair students with
with each other. I got the students to think about, different abilities together and
and do the question individually, then the student summarise and compare the
paired with his partner to discuss, listen, and different answers form each group
communicate their answers with each other. Then on the whiteboard to give them
one student from the pair shared the answer with better feedback on their answers.
the whole class. “students are constantly assessing
their own achievement and acting on the inferences
they draw about themselves.” (Chappuis, Stiggins,
Chappuis, & Arter, 2013).
Routines Plan ahead……
When two new first year classes were formed after This experience has taught me
Christmas, I tried my 3-2-1 routine to get the that when a new class is being
students attention during a practical class. I would formed to train them early on
call 3 and the students put down tools, pause for routines and this can help to
two seconds, then call 2 and the students put up create a very positive learning
their hands, again pause for two seconds and then environment that the students are
call 1 and they looked/listened giving full attention comfortable working in. Students
to the teacher. It worked very well, and the students like routine.
got very comfortable with this routine.
Classroom behaviour Plan ahead……
Overall, I was very happy with my discipline during As a result of this experience, I
SP3, however I had some very challenging students have learned to be calm, patient
in my 5th year Construction Studies class. They were and encourage good behaviour,
very difficult to teach and kept challenging and and self-responsibility with
undermining me. I stayed calm and patient and tried difficult students and it is very
to keep them interested during the lesson. The important to get advice from other
mentor teacher gave me good advice on how to deal teachers if you have a discipline
with disruptive students. Newell and Jeffery suggest problem with some students.
“what teachers and educators are really promoting
are social cohesion and self-responsibility and the
maintenance of the working group, however large or
small.” (Newell, Jeffery, 2002).
Tutor visit Plan ahead……
I was very happy with my tutor visits, and they both As a result, I will continue to
gave me the reassurance that my SP3 was going • Dress well and have a good
well. I was nervous for both visits, but they went appearance.
well for me in the area of professionalism and • Be courteous.
preparation of work and classroom management. I • Have mature reflections.
got great advice for areas of improvement in design, • Focus on improvement.
lesson pace, demonstrations, cross curricular, • Engage with co- operating
master excel, recap activities, health and safety and teachers.
subject experience. Brookhart states “(t)eachers • Use Blooms action verbs in Lis
who do not specifically plan classroom discussion and also to create higher order
questions ahead of time to tap particular higher- (HO) learning in the
order thinking skills, but rather ask extemporaneous development of the lesson,
questions “on their feet,” are likely to ask recall e.g. What if, Explore,
questions.” (Brookhart, 2010). Compare….
• Take a thorough and detailed
approach to grids and lesson
plans.
• Establish routines.
• Keep students fully engaged.
• Have a physical folder with
examples of resources.
• Have samples of WT projects
available for inspection.
• Have a good rapport with
students.
• Present my digital SP files well.
• Learn from the guidelines for
improvement outlined by my
tutors.
List of References
Chappuis, J, Stiggins, R, Chappuis, S, & Arter, J 2013, Classroom Assessment for Student
Learning: Pearson New International Edition PDF eBook: Doing It Right - Using It Well,
Pearson Education, Limited, Harlow. Available from: ProQuest eBook Central.
Sandra Newell and David Jeffery (2002) Behaviour Management in the Classroom: A
Transactional Analysis Approach. London: David Fulton Publishers.
Susan M. Brookhart (2010) How to Assess Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Your Classroom.
Alexandria, Va: ASCD.
