Know students and how they learn
Before meaningful learning can take place, it is vital for me to get to know my students and their learning needs. Knowing them, their capabilities, interests and personalities allows me to plan my teaching in a way that will best suit the students in my class and ensure we can achieve our learning goals. I am always working to respond to the requirements of every student in my class, no matter how diverse their skills or backgrounds are.
Here are some comments from my professional experience placements that highlight my ability to get to know my students and respond to their needs.
'She was sensitive to students and their needs and was always respectful and caring towards them. '
(Kate Tierney, Glendal P.S, semester 1, 2014)
'‘She was quick to observe the students personalities and knew how to help and challenge them in the classroom.’ (Katrin Gasser, P.S of Alpnach, semester 2, 2014)
'Amanda quickly got to know the students and made a wonderful effort to understand their backgrounds and learning abilities.'
(Kaitlyn Wait, Glen Waverley South P.S, semester 1, 2015)
‘Amanda planned for multiple lessons and her lesson plans displayed an understanding of the students needs, knowledge of the curriculum and appropriate activities for this age group’
(Kaitlyn Wait, Glen Waverley South P.S, semester 1, 2015)
Here are some of my teaching strategies which assist me in being able to respond to the needs of my students:
- Observing students throughout a lesson to see if the way in which the activity is being completed works for them. From here, if I notice that a the activity is not suited to their learning style, I will use this to inform my planning for the following lessons in the sequence, altering the activities to better suit my students.
- Constantly referring to the curriculum. Even if I have planned a lesson sequence, I often go back to the AusVELS curriculum where I can re-read the requirements for the topic, and this brings it back to a raw, basic level where I often come up with original ideas that I think the students will respond to.
- Strategically sitting students in places where they can do their best work. I believe that when students collaborate this can really enrich their learning. However, of course you also need to be mindful of students who will be easily distracted together. I closely observe my students and place them according to where I believe they will achieve their best.
- When teaching a class with many students who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL), I will significantly increase my use of gestures when speaking to my students. This assists me in being able to explain things to them more clearly, and in a way that they will better understand.
- I have found that many students really benefit from learning that is hands on. When they are physically involved in an activity, the learning experience is more rich for them, and they love being able to actively participate in the lesson. Therefore I am always looking for opportunities to provide a hands on activity for my students.
- Differentiating. I love creating tasks for students that allow me to adapt them to be more challenging, or less challenging for individual students. I will often decide on a task, and before I teach the lesson, I will think of how I can tweak the activity to make it more manageable for those students who may find it hard, or how I can add to the activity to extend the thinking of those students who find it too easy.
I believe teaching should be a student-centered approach. If I am teaching a lesson and observe that my students are not responding well to an activity I have prepared for the class, I use this as an opportunity to reflect on my teaching, think about how I can better my teaching for my students, and to adapt the lesson accordingly. Sometimes this means making a change to a lesson on the spot, and sometimes this means adapting the following lessons in a teaching sequence.
It is so important for me to ensure the education I provide is inclusive of all students in my classroom. This means being aware and respectful of their cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. I don’t shy away from the fact that we are all different. This is not something I try to supress in my classroom. Instead I find positives in the differences between all of us, and encourage my students to do the same. In my teaching I am always mindful of maintaining respect for all cultures, and ensure my teaching content is never inappropriate or offensive to others. I also accommodate for my students who come from backgrounds other than English by teaching in a very gestural way, ensuring my communication to the class is clear for every student. I also provide as many hands on activities as possible, considering the needs of my students who are not as confident in English.
It is so important for me to ensure the education I provide is inclusive of all students in my classroom. This means being aware and respectful of their cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. I don’t shy away from the fact that we are all different. This is not something I try to supress in my classroom. Instead I find positives in the differences between all of us, and encourage my students to do the same. In my teaching I am always mindful of maintaining respect for all cultures, and ensure my teaching content is never inappropriate or offensive to others. I also accommodate for my students who come from backgrounds other than English by teaching in a very gestural way, ensuring my communication to the class is clear for every student. I also provide as many hands on activities as possible, considering the needs of my students who are not as confident in English.