Day 5

14 Oct 2024

DAy schedulE

Year 9 Maths / Year 11 Furnishing Skills / Year 7 Materials and Technology

/ Year 10 Food Technology

OBSERVATION / DAILY LOG

Period 1 - Year 9 maths (above refers to this lesson teaching skills)

The lesson started with revising the last lesson and completing the homework. The teacher moved on to overviewing today's lesson: simplification of algebraic equations. The classroom is relatively calm and collected, considering its 1st period on a Monday. It may be because the presence of three teachers is having an influence. The students flagged before the lesson are relatively compliant at this stage. There was only one elevated ESCM action early in the lesson: to separate a couple of distracted students. No further remedies are required other than the standard continual re-focusing on the content as of the halfway point of the lesson. Overall, the lesson was efficient and delivered expertly. I'm sure that even the flagged students learnt something today. I like algebra!

ECMS 1: Establishing a Positive Learning Environment: Maintaining a calm and structured environment, especially on a Monday morning, establishes a positive start to the week and creates a conducive atmosphere for learning algebra.

ECMS 2: Communicating Expectations and Task Requirements: Reviewing the previous lesson, assigning homework, and introducing today’s objectives (simplifying algebraic equations) effectively communicates expectations and helps students stay focused.

ECMS 6: Managing Challenging Behaviors: Addressing minor disruptions early by separating distracted students and refocusing on content demonstrates effective management of challenging behaviours, preventing escalation.

ECMS 4: Managing Classroom Discussions Effectively: The teacher’s steady redirection of attention toward the content throughout the lesson shows skill in managing discussions and keeping students on track.

APTS 1.5: Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities: The teacher's approach to managing flagged students through separation and redirecting focus to content demonstrates differentiation in classroom management to meet diverse student needs.

APTS 3.5: Use effective classroom communication: The teacher’s ability to maintain a calm, productive environment and refocus students demonstrates effective communication, especially when managing a class with previously identified behavioural challenges.

APTS 4.1: Support student participation: Helping flagged students stay engaged and minimise distractions promotes an inclusive learning environment where all students, including those with behavioural needs, are encouraged to participate.

APTS 4.2 - Manage classroom activities: The teacher's continual refocusing and strategic separation of disruptive students show effective classroom management, allowing smooth progression through lesson objectives without significant disruption.

Period 2 - Year 11 Furnishing Skills

Continuation of cabinet project. I spoke with the teacher about elective structures and subject content. The lesson objectives and mapping of progress back to Gant charts were very well planned. The key takeaway was the importance of regular stage progress check-ins, similar to building approval/ certifying, to condition the students to real-world processes and ensure that the class as a collective is on track to hit their grade targets. Help students who need guidance with gluing up and tidying up finger joints.

ECMS 1: Establishing a Positive Learning Environment: Engaging in discussions with students about real-world processes, like staged progress checks, fosters a supportive environment that connects classroom activities with industry practices.

ECMS 2: Communicating Expectations and Task Requirements: Mapping progress to Gantt charts and emphasizing regular check-ins communicates clear expectations, helping students understand the importance of timely progress toward project milestones.

ECMS 3: Providing Individual Support and Encouragement: Assisting students who need guidance on tasks, such as gluing and tidying finger joints, reflects individualized support, ensuring all students can complete each project phase successfully.

ECMS 5: Reflecting on and Adjusting Practice: Observing the impact of stage progress check-ins as a teaching method demonstrates reflective practice, where insights about project-based learning are continually refined to better align with real-world standards.

APTS 3.1 - Establish challenging learning goals: Aligning lesson objectives with progressive check-ins creates clear, achievable goals that mirror industry standards, encouraging students to aim for quality outcomes in each project stage.

APTS 4.1 - Support student participation: Guiding students who need help with specific tasks, like gluing and tidying finger joints, ensures that all students can actively participate and progress in the project.

APTS 5.1 - Assess student learning: Regular check-ins to assess student progress against the Gantt chart demonstrate ongoing formative assessment, ensuring students stay on track to meet grade objectives.

Period 3 - Year 7 Materials and Technology

My supervisor suggested that experiencing a younger grade in IDT would be worthwhile in order to experience the difference in year learner group development. The Head of the School delivered the class. It was divided into two classes; one was doing the prac of leather work while the other was designing and choosing materials ready for the prac swap over.

Design observation – split class 1

This group of learners, particularly the boys, requires constant redirection to the task. The girls seemed to be more on point, while the boys seemed to be mucking around more. The students, in general, however, were in line with my expectations of this age group.

The process needs to be broken down into smaller and, subsequently, more steps. Instructions must be explicit to ensure minimal deviation from sub-tasks, allowing for easy redirection back to the learning path.

Prac observation – split class 2

Students who finished their designs made their way over to the leather-making workshop at the teacher's invitation, who first checked that they were ready to move on to production. The workshop is very loud, with lots of hammering and punching. Regardless of the room, they all need explicit instructions and to be kept an eye on. However, from my observation, girls are more contentious.

ECMS 1: Establishing a Positive Learning Environment: Observing developmental differences and adapting instruction to meet the needs of younger learners fosters a supportive environment tailored to Year 7 characteristics.

ECMS 2: Communicating Expectations and Task Requirements: Providing explicit, step-by-step instructions and setting clear expectations for the leatherwork and design activities helps keep students on track and minimizes task deviation.

ECMS 4: Managing Classroom Discussions Effectively: Redirecting students, especially those who are easily distracted, like the boys in the design group, demonstrates effective attention and focus management during class activities.

ECMS 6: Managing Challenging Behaviors: Constantly redirecting students and maintaining oversight in a loud, busy workshop environment reflects strong management of challenging behaviours, helping students stay engaged despite potential distractions.

APTS 1.1: Physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics of students: Observing the developmental differences in attention and engagement between younger students highlights an understanding of age-appropriate approaches to managing learning in different year groups.

APTS 3.5: Use effective classroom communication: Breaking down the design and leatherwork processes into smaller steps with explicit instructions ensures clarity, making the task more accessible and manageable for Year 7 students.

APTS 4.2: Manage classroom activities: Monitoring the workshop environment, especially with the loud activities like hammering, and keeping students on task demonstrates strong activity management to maintain a focused and safe workspace.

APTS 5.1: Assess student learning: Checking student readiness before they move to the leather workshop allows for an informal assessment of their preparedness, ensuring they are ready for hands-on tasks.

Period 4 - Year 10 Food Technology

Chaotic! However, looks can be deceiving.

The goal of today's food tech class was to cook an omelette and a hash brown. The curriculum stipulated learning emulsification and cooking with four vegetables. Before this cooking prac, the class was given an ingredient list, discussed the process, and directed to laminated recipe cards. Today's practice required students to take the recipe card and prior lesson knowledge and cook the two dishes.

The total ignorance of process direction was observed, resulting in a chaotic kitchen. However, upon further enquiry, the teacher revealed that the students were about to learn that not following directions would result in failed dishes, leading to failing grades. The teacher intended to impart a lesson on personal responsibility related to learning. This lesson is all the more important because it is a life skill that must be mastered sooner rather than later, or perhaps never!

The teacher debriefed after the prac highlighted the disappointing behaviour in the kitchen. Additionally, students were scolded for not bringing their ingredients. The boys, in particular, were quite embarrassed regarding their childish behaviour. However, the girls gave them a run for their money. Overall, the lesson was an eye-opener. It should be noted, however, that this class usually has two TAs due to having a 60% special needs contingent. Today, there was only 1 TA.

ECMS 1: Establishing a Positive Learning Environment: Despite the chaotic environment, the teacher’s approach to using the experience as a life lesson on responsibility fosters a learning-focused atmosphere, encouraging students to take ownership of their actions.

ECMS 2: Communicating Expectations and Task Requirements: Providing recipe cards and reviewing the process before starting establishes clear expectations, emphasizing the importance of following instructions to achieve successful outcomes.

ECMS 6: Managing Challenging Behaviors: Allowing students to face the consequences of ignoring directions, combined with a debrief emphasizing the importance of responsibility, reflects an approach to managing challenging behaviours through accountability.

ECMS 5: Reflecting on and Adjusting Practice: The teacher’s debrief and feedback on student performance encourage reflection on behaviours, aiming to improve responsibility and task completion skills in future sessions.

APTS 2.6 - Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Providing laminated recipe cards as a reference reflects an effective use of resources to support student learning and independence in following cooking procedures.

APTS 4.3 - Manage challenging behaviour: Allowing students to experience the consequences of disregarding instructions (resulting in failed dishes) is a strategy to teach personal responsibility, effectively managing behaviour by using natural consequences.

APTS 5.2 - Provide feedback to students on their learning: The teacher’s debriefing after the cooking session provided constructive feedback on students’ behaviour, highlighting the importance of preparation and responsibility.

APTS 1.5—Differentiate teaching to meet specific learning needs: The presence of teacher aides in a class with a high percentage of special needs students shows a differentiated approach, even though only one TA was available on this day.

Comments/questions for follow-up discussion and reflection (I thought…)

I thought today was eye-opening on many levels. In first-period year 9 maths, I expected to see behaviour requiring the use of most tools in the ECMS toolbox—this did not happen.

In reflecting on the Year 9 algebra class, my initial expectation was that the students would be more unsettled than during the previous Thursday's lesson, based on prior experiences or preconceived notions. However, this did not come to fruition. Instead, the class was notably compliant, engaged, and the overall atmosphere was unexpectedly positive.

This experience underscores the importance of approaching each class with an open mind, free from preconceptions about student behavior or class dynamics. The unexpected calmness and cooperation of this group demonstrated that no two lessons are identical, even with the same students. External factors such as the time of day, the mood of the group, or even their interest in the material can dramatically shift the dynamic.

My key takeaway is the importance of adaptability and flexibility in teaching. Walking into a classroom with rigid expectations can limit a teacher’s ability to respond effectively to the actual mood and energy of the students. By starting each class with a fresh perspective, I am better positioned to engage students as they are in the moment, allowing for more meaningful and effective teaching interactions. This also encourages me to foster a classroom environment where students feel they can surprise themselves and me with their behaviour and engagement, promoting a more positive and productive learning experience overall.

In the third-period year 7 design class, I witnessed the disparity in maturity as opposed to the older senior levels, which was evidenced by the delivery methods required to progress the class through the learning goals.

In the fourth period year 10 food technology class, I witnessed a chaotic cooking prac class that, at first look, seemed to be unorganised, lacking control. Only to find out that the class was, in fact, under total control and learning objectives, or lack of them, were going to be exposed to the students and repercussions realised upon debriefing at the end of the lesson. This was a master class in allowing the dynamic of the class to run it's course in the service of providing the necessary reflection point to highlight to the students their failure to themselves.

What I learned today was priceless. I learned that each day, each lesson needs to be embraced with an open mind, ready to adapt, observe, and respond to the unique dynamics of each class, trusting that every situation offers valuable lessons for both the students and the teacher.