Effective Teaching and Learning Practices
There are a number of ways in which teachers can implement effective teaching and learning practices;
Establish challenging learning goals: By clearly articulating and establishing clear and concise learning goals at the start of any learning activities/sequences to ensure that the students understand what you are expecting of them to get out of the activties/sequences upon completion. If students are aware of their learning goals and the purpose of the lesson they are conciously aware of the learning expectations you have set for them and heed better results.
Plan, structute and sequence learning programs: When developing learning programs, it is essential that teachers execute these in a logical sequence which allows students to develop their understanding and knowledge over time and providing support to ensure learning goals are met.
Select and use resources: Throughout my placment I implemented a range of different resources within my prep class which proved effective for student engagement. In my prep class, I found the use of manipulatives to be incredibly beneficial when planning maths lessons as having something to physically count, or make patterns with or make groups help scaffold multiplication practices as it allowed students to physically DO the maths as opposed to just imagining the maths should they complete a worksheet. My prep students really engaged with the resources I created as in the early years, students were able to engage themself in the lessons and they heeded positive results.
Throughout my placement in my prep class I had an incredibly diverse range of students with varying learning needs and it was imperative that I catered to this and ensured these needs were met. In my class I had three students with identified learning problems; one child had been diagnosed as autistic, one child had hearing difficulties and his verbal communication skills were therefore delayed and the third student experiences trouble with his wernickes’ area which was affecting his comprehension and verbal communication- it was important to identify students who differed from the “standard” student in order to tailor lessons that all students could attempt. In order to overcome the problems I faced I had to plan lessons effectively to ensure that each student could recieve the support they needed, while also ensuring that I was available to help and assist the other 19 students in my class when necessary. My reading, writing and maths rotations were all completed in small groups so I was able to strategically place the students who needed a bit of extra help with students who were already going above and beyond the level expected of them and they were able to provide additional support when I was unavailable. For whole class lessons on writing, I was able to pull out the students who needed help and either assisst them with writing their sentence, or have them copy a pre-written sentence on a worksheet made by me. This enabled me to monitor their work, ensure that they were actually getting meaningful material out of the lesson and it also allowed the other students in n the class to work without disruption. It was important that these children receive additional support, but it was also important to make sure that these students didn't feel like they were being singled out, so by frequently changing the students I worked individually with, I was able to create a positive learning experience for all.
While it is important to address students who need a bit of extra help, I also had students who were working well above the expected standard. I didn't want to give these students the same work as everyone else because they were getting nothing out of it. I had to cater my lessons to ensure that there was additional support for students who needed it, and also ensure that there was appropriate extension activities for the students who finished their work early.
Establish challenging learning goals: By clearly articulating and establishing clear and concise learning goals at the start of any learning activities/sequences to ensure that the students understand what you are expecting of them to get out of the activties/sequences upon completion. If students are aware of their learning goals and the purpose of the lesson they are conciously aware of the learning expectations you have set for them and heed better results.
Plan, structute and sequence learning programs: When developing learning programs, it is essential that teachers execute these in a logical sequence which allows students to develop their understanding and knowledge over time and providing support to ensure learning goals are met.
Select and use resources: Throughout my placment I implemented a range of different resources within my prep class which proved effective for student engagement. In my prep class, I found the use of manipulatives to be incredibly beneficial when planning maths lessons as having something to physically count, or make patterns with or make groups help scaffold multiplication practices as it allowed students to physically DO the maths as opposed to just imagining the maths should they complete a worksheet. My prep students really engaged with the resources I created as in the early years, students were able to engage themself in the lessons and they heeded positive results.
Throughout my placement in my prep class I had an incredibly diverse range of students with varying learning needs and it was imperative that I catered to this and ensured these needs were met. In my class I had three students with identified learning problems; one child had been diagnosed as autistic, one child had hearing difficulties and his verbal communication skills were therefore delayed and the third student experiences trouble with his wernickes’ area which was affecting his comprehension and verbal communication- it was important to identify students who differed from the “standard” student in order to tailor lessons that all students could attempt. In order to overcome the problems I faced I had to plan lessons effectively to ensure that each student could recieve the support they needed, while also ensuring that I was available to help and assist the other 19 students in my class when necessary. My reading, writing and maths rotations were all completed in small groups so I was able to strategically place the students who needed a bit of extra help with students who were already going above and beyond the level expected of them and they were able to provide additional support when I was unavailable. For whole class lessons on writing, I was able to pull out the students who needed help and either assisst them with writing their sentence, or have them copy a pre-written sentence on a worksheet made by me. This enabled me to monitor their work, ensure that they were actually getting meaningful material out of the lesson and it also allowed the other students in n the class to work without disruption. It was important that these children receive additional support, but it was also important to make sure that these students didn't feel like they were being singled out, so by frequently changing the students I worked individually with, I was able to create a positive learning experience for all.
While it is important to address students who need a bit of extra help, I also had students who were working well above the expected standard. I didn't want to give these students the same work as everyone else because they were getting nothing out of it. I had to cater my lessons to ensure that there was additional support for students who needed it, and also ensure that there was appropriate extension activities for the students who finished their work early.
For my unit on Weedy Sea Dragons, I was able to provide engaging and fun artefacts for my students to play with