Reflection 3

The third of my reflective blogs is going to examine an experience on my practicum that lasted over the period of approximately 2 weeks with my Year 11 Geography class. The start of the term with this class began rather well. We were moving through the content and the students seemed to be enjoying themselves. My management of the classroom was moving along nicely with no major hurdles encountered. It was not until we were heading towards the middle of the term that the boys began to unsettle and it became more difficult to keep them on task. Although the required work was still being completed, unsettled boys with inappropriate comments (and really annoying sound effects – such as boys mimicking cars and flies) began to circulate the room. I reprimanded this behaviour with the help of my college teacher, but there was now a vibe in the classroom that made me begin to dread teaching that class.

As a result of what was occurring I began to take quite a defensive stance with the class and seemed to be getting angry , in my opinion, more than I would certainly have liked too. I was stuck. While the class (so far) had never run out of control, I began to dread entering the class and wished I had some sort of magic time device to fast-forward the 50 minutes that the lesson ran for. This is obviously NOT a good attitude to have! I knew that if I wanted to be a great teacher I could not let this continue.

I had to do something about it, and quick.

One afternoon I went home and spent some time thinking about why the dynamics of the classroom had changed, what I was doing in the classroom and how the students were behaving. I came to the realisation that I had been entering the classroom with a zone of negativity that I believe the students could sense and were feeding off. As teachers, we are invariably role models whose behaviours are easily copied by students. What teachers like or dislike, appreciate and how they feel about their learning or studies could have a significant effect on their students (Philias Olatunde Yara, 2009).  I decided next class to enter the class in a happy and light mood and see how the students would respond – They responded well! In all honesty my change in attitude has shifted the whole dynamics of the classroom back to a more positive one. In this respect, it is clear, to atleast some extent that the learner draws from his teachers’ disposition to form his own attitude,which may likely affect his learning outcomes (Yara, 2009).

It is quite amazing how much more responsive the boys are to my positive attitude– even in terms of behaviour. My attempt to improve my teaching practice (Element 5) was, I believe, a success here. The classroom dynamics are now much more positive and have reverted back to how they were at the beginning of the term. It’s funny how sometimes all it takes is a little reflection to make a world of difference. I actually enjoy teaching this class once again and hopefully the boys find enjoyment in learning geography too.

Thanks for reading!

Sarah.

This blog holds reference to the following elements: 2,3,5,6.

References:

Yara, Philias (2009). Relationship between Teachers’ Attitude and Studnets’ Academic Achievement in Mathematics in Some Selected Senior Secondary Schools. European Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 11, 364-365.