STEVE MONCRIEFF
Day 3
10 Oct 2024
DAy schedulE
Year 11 Furnishing / spare / spare / Year 9 Maths
OBSERVATION / DAILY LOG
Period 1 – Year 11 Furnishing
I helped with woodworking and provided workmanship guidance. The project was a wall cabinet. It was raining, so timber (pine) was at the mercy of humidity/air moisture. I helped a student glue up his cabinet frame, ensuring it was square for the next stage of construction. The student told me he wanted to become a tradesman, so he appreciated me spending time with him and helping with his glue-up.
Period 2 – spare
Worked on the metal lathe and became familiar with the machinery. As this is a
weakness of mine, I should dedicate any spare time to working on this area and
building confidence.
Period 3 – spare
I continued working on the metalwork project as per the previous spare, focusing
on technique, execution, and workmanship.
Period 4 – Year 9 Maths
This observation was to experience a different content delivery class and the
subsequent dynamics of a classroom environment instead of a workshop
environment. The subject was algebra expressions.
Scene: Thursday afternoon, raining, last period of the day.
Classroom management was continuous. The class required constant regulation due to continual disruption and lack of engagement with the content, compounded by the weather outside. I was in the back right-hand corner next to three grade 9 girls. This was an eye-opening, albeit valuable, experience. The teacher continuously scans the room for students who are not complying with directions, deviating from tasks, disrespecting fellow learners, or not engaging in content. Various classroom management techniques were constantly employed to move the class forward and achieve the lesson goals.
There were a core group of misbehaving boys and girls. I was situated
next to the girls while the boys were separated and placed at the front
of the room closest to the teacher for immediate attention when
disruptive. The class had constant chatter as the teacher moved through the lesson content. Going to the toilet was a work avoidance strategy for some students. There was one brief period of complete silence as students copied down work from the board. This, however, was short-lived. Most of the class occupied their time with being restless and fooling around. The challenge for the teacher that I observed was remaining composed while delivering content concurrently with continuous classroom management.
An impressive display of teaching experience.
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ECMS 1: Establishing a Positive Learning Environment: Despite the challenges, the teacher maintained composure and a structured environment, modeling patience and professionalism, which helped sustain a learning-focused atmosphere.
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ECMS 2: Communicating Expectations and Task Requirements: The teacher’s ongoing efforts to maintain student engagement and enforce compliance with classroom expectations reflect clear communication of behaviour standards and task requirements.
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ECMS 4: Managing Classroom Discussions Effectively: The teacher’s constant scanning and redirection of off-task students and ability to bring focus back to content despite disruptions show skill in managing class dynamics and facilitating productive discussions.
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ECMS 5: Reflecting on and Adjusting Practice: Observing this classroom provided valuable insights into different classroom management techniques, encouraging reflection on practices that could be adapted in other settings.
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ECMS 6: Managing Challenging Behaviors: Observing how the teacher handled continual disruptions and misbehaviour through active classroom management strategies demonstrates effective handling of challenging behaviours.
Comments/questions for follow-up discussion and reflection (I thought…)
When speaking with the teacher afterwards, I was advised that the class behaved relatively well in this lesson. This surprised me because I thought they were quite restless and primarily inattentive, which they were, but in comparative terms to how they can behave, this was a good day. This has made me realise that I need to become familiar with the expected behaviours of adolescents and adjust my expectations to find a middle ground that leads to engagement underpinned by classroom management skills and appropriate boundaries and structures. Attending this non-related discipline class was very beneficial to me.
APTS 3.5 - Use effective classroom communication: Observing and managing Year 9 students in a math class with continuous disruptions required clear, concise instructions and non-verbal cues.
APTS 4.3 - Manage challenging behaviour: The teacher's use of seating strategies and constant scanning to manage disruptions demonstrates effective classroom management techniques.
APTS 6.2 - Engage in professional learning: My reflection on classroom dynamics and discussion with the supervising teacher shows ongoing professional growth.
Artifacts