Reflective Practice in Teaching

This assignment focuses on the concept of reflective practice in teaching. It requires you to analyze a lesson plan, outlining its strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement based on student and instructor feedback. The analysis highlights the significance of reflection in enhancing teaching effectiveness and adapting instructional strategies for optimal learning outcomes.

Module 1 Introduction to Teaching and Learning
My microteaching experience helped me understand much about working in a classroom
environment. It was a surprise for me to experience the dynamism of lessons plans in that
they didn't always go as planned. Due to the variation of the lesson plans, I learned how to
adapt to the changing approach and the essence of reflecting on my experience of teaching.
Despite being very nervous, I felt that the lesson went well and that it was successful. My
lesson plan was into three parts which included a brief PowerPoint, the charades game, and
some writing activities so ensure that all was well understood. The decision to have various
activities in the same lesson was to keep my students engaged, and this prevented instances of
zoning out. From the feedback of the various activities, my students particularly liked the
PowerPoint presentation since it allowed them to participate and there was a little humour to
lighten up the situation.
I decided to have my micro-teach lesson on football. Here I decided to major on the technical
issues faced especially on referees and issues of match fixing. The initial part of the lesson
was a PowerPoint presentation which explained various vocabularies present in the English
football. After the brief PowerPoint presentation, I organised the class into groups which
participated in charades games and then the lesson ended with a writing exercise to tie
everything up.
I encountered problems with the choice of the subject to be addressed during the lesson. But I
decided on a sports topic which would ensure maximum student participation. First, I decided
we would discuss various football terminologies then, look at various issues faced by referees
while officiating the and too common cases of match fixing. Considering the fact that most
students are football fans I was sure the topic would generate a lot of debate which would
keep the class lively.

Module 1 Introduction to Teaching and Learning
I wasn't surprised at the participation of the students since football is a pretty obvious issue.
The only issue the students encountered was the definition of various terminologies used in
the world of football. My problem in class was to control the excitement of the students since
most of them were rival fans. I had the responsibility of ensuring that they didn't take the
debate out of the scope I prepared for.
My assessor pointed out that the subject and the activities carried out with the students were
good. This explains my decision to have a background check on what the students would
enjoy before the lesson. A week before the lesson I had explained to the students about the
context of this lesson and therefore they were pretty prepared. The reason to having this prior
engagement was to ensure that the students had some basic knowledge this prevented
boredom from ensuing in the class.
To ensure that the students were keen throughout the lesson, I decided to break down the
lesson into two three parts. The first part was the PowerPoint presentation whose objective
was to familiarise the students with the topic and assess what they already knew. The second
part was on the including a charade game in the lesson. The students would guess various
names and other would try to define them. The last activity was writing a task which tried to
establish what the students had already learned.
There two teaching and learning approaches mostly used in a classroom environment. There
is the traditional approach which involves the teacher lecturing to the learners, and they
watch and learn. There is the assignment of individual assignments and cooperation is not
allowed. In my lesson, I decided to adopt the other approach which is student-centered
teaching method. The main identifier of this approach is that the focus of the activity is the
learner and not the teacher. I decided on this approach since it gives the students the chance
to be in charge of their learning. It enables them to explore and develop the ability to be
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curious and solve their problems. Especially with technology, it is possible to access
information and allows personalised learning. I would always encourage this type of teaching
and learning approach since it helps in the development of critical thinking skills and creative
problem-solving skills. It also allows the students to develop positive attitudes towards the
subject while at the same time enhancing their level of confidence in knowledge and skills.
Due to the nature of this topic, I decided to informal cooperative learning groups. I divided
my students into small, temporary, ad-hoc groups of five students. This would help in
answering prompts from other student groups. The informal cooperative group sets were my
choice since it would help my students develop various skills such as plan and time
management. It would also develop good communication skills, enable the giving and
reception of feedback and challenge assumptions. My assessor mentioned that tended to
delegate too much to groups and that is one point I needed to check on. The assessor,
however, gave good remarks on my organisation of groups and how I took control as the
students engaged each other (Kitao 1917).
The assessor informed me of his satisfaction on time management of the class. This is
because time was well managed and the class was able to have an interactive interaction and
feedback. I was able to employ effective classroom management approaches, good teaching
practices, and interactive learning activities. I was able to divide the time available into
allocated time, engaged time and academic learning time. John Carroll in 1963 discussed a
model of school learning. This model encouraged a relationship between learning and time
and proposed that the most effective learning is dependent on the time needed by the learner
for the purpose of learning. Allocated time is described as the time available for learning such
as a class period. The engaged time or time on task is provided that the more time available
time for engagement the higher the achievement. Academic learning time is about the quality
of the time the learners spend actively engaged in activities of the appropriate complication.
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In the next lesson, the learning process started with the leaders of the previous groups making
an oral presentation on previously assigned tasks. I decided on a verbal presentation by
students since I saw it as a chance to enhance, improve and provide alternative ways of
teaching. This would take the students from the other methods of teaching such as lecture,
visual presentations and task reviewed by the peers. Each learner would be able to learn from
the feedback and expertise of the entire class. The other benefit of this method is that the
student presenter had a chance to get immediate feedback from other students and me. It also
guaranteed all students participation in the discussion of the task at hand. As my instructor
noted, I tended to give too much information to the students which minimised their ability to
creatively and actively think. I did this while trying to rectify the prior tendency to delegate
too much. My instructor told me that I need to strike a balance so as not to give too much
information or delegate excessively.
The class also engaged in peer-reviewed assignments. This ensured that learners would learn
from each other through an explanation of ideas and participation in the class activities. It
helps the students develop skills in concerning the organisation and planning of various task
activities. Learners can collaborate and be able to get feedback and analyse their learning. I
decided on this reciprocal peer learning since it makes learning for students relatively easy
since they can learn and contribute to the learning of students. Because the communication
between the learners is based on past experiences, the learners have the ability to make
appropriate contributions. This can be explained through Habermas' motion of an ideal
speech act' (Feaweb.org. 2014). It points out that factors about power and contribution are
less felt when one learner is appointed to take charge for the duration of time.
Also according to Vygotsky, social learning theories are essential in establishing how people
learn in the social environment. He explains that learning happens when there is the
interaction between students, their peers, teachers and other stakeholders. According to this
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theory, I had to create an appropriate learning environment that enables the learners to
maximally learn to interact with their peers (Vygotsky 1978).
In the learning process, I ensured that I assessed my students by asking them questions.
Through experience, I have learned that thinking is driven by questions. Asking my students
questions helped me know what students understand and think of the lesson learned. This
helps me gauging what to deliver to the learners to ensure that I didn't give too much which
would reduce understanding and think of my students. The importance of questions is to
inform the educator if the class is asleep or awake. Also encouraging students to ask
questions help uncover what they didn't understand. The questions avail immediate feedback
when the educator is unclear.
Another method I used to assess the progress and success of the learning process is through a
writing activity. By having writing activities at the end of every session would help assess the
extent to which the students understood the topic. Having written exercises help me assess
the ability to write in a clear manner what they students learned in class. The writing
exercises were designed to be more factual in nature instead of being creative. I administered
these tests to have an assessment of potential problems and the ability of the students to learn.
My general experience was good and having the student make self-assessment during the
micro-teach was essential. One of the things to point was that I had enough time to prepare
for the lesson and I also used various assessment approaches to see the understanding of the
students. I have an understanding that the complexity the topic determines the type of lesson
plan needed (Kitao 1917).
One learning point from the class activity is that preparation is essential for any activity. My
preparation in the micro teachers helped in dealing with challenges that ensued throughout
the exercise. It is not practical to just go into a class and improvise through the teaching
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material. This because teaching is a process which involves more that dissemination of
information but ensuring that students connect with information involved. Preparation for a
class is essential which is supported by availability of resources such as teaching materials.
In any learning process, there are five essential components and include learners, educators,
materials, teaching approaches, and evaluation. Allwright 1990 explained that materials used
in the learning process should aid learners to learn and develop. The resources such as books
should be for ideas and activities for learning. He also argues that books are not flexible
enough to be applied as instructional material (Foundation for Critical Thinking 2014). They
should be available for review purposes.
Personally, I would like to see all my class micro teaches since I think it is beneficial to have
experienced various approaches to teaching. I have various situations when our tutors do no
incorporate the approaches we learn in class. There are various teaching approaches
employed by a different individual, and this helps me learn that teaching profession is an art
and not mastered.
After my micro teaches, I would say I have areas that I need to improve. I would like to
develop the ability to balance the information I provide to my learners. My instructor on two
occasions pointed out that I tend to delegate too much and in another situation I provide too
much information. I need to learn to balance between the two extremes. This will enable my
learners to learn optimally.
I would also like to focus on the classroom assessment techniques. I have come to understand
that class assessment techniques might be simple but can quickly establish the learners
learning process. The class I am in charge was handling matters on football. For of was
learned cannot go well with multiple answers. I would like to explore other assessment
techniques such as muddiest point, three-word check, one minute paper, six-word memoirs
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among others. These types of assessment techniques will help in the establishment of the
level of understating from my students.
Time is a scarce resource in learning. I used a student based approach which is more inclined
towards the learner. In this case, it would be essential to manage time well. For instance,
when students are given time to discuss or explain, it is essential for you to be keen on time.
Otherwise, the class might not cover content according to the lesson plan. In the development
of a lesson plan, one should consider having a buffer zone around learner input and
engagement.
Personally, in the teaching process, I like to be entertained. It is usually stressing to have a
tutor just provide lectures. I am a visual individual, so I like class situations with a lot of
activities, discussions, and opportunities for engagement with other learners. Learning aids
such as charts, graphics, videos and other opportunities to be hands on are essential. I like
making my classes to be fun to ensure maximum participation from the learners. This will
ensure that learners get bored in the process of learning. The most vital thing is to ensure not
to put so many activities which need learner's engagement.
One of my traits is impatience, and due to this, I find reflective practice is difficult and not
because I can't reflect and establish what need to be improved. Previously I just liked doing
things. I, however, have learned that reflective work is essential in taking a moment and
thinking the tasks at hand and establishing the pros and cons.
I have acquired knowledge that reflective planning is essential in active learning. Reflecting
on information and opportunities ensures that one can learn or master materials. This means
planning in necessary since one might have too much information they want to deliver in a
short period.
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While concluding the lesson, I decided to provide a fill-in-the-blank worksheet. This was to
ensure that the students had an understanding of what the lesson plan stipulated. As pointed
earlier, to ensure better cooperation, groups were formed. This ensured better interaction
among peers. Another area I needed to improve as pointed by the students is that I become
less strict. They pointed out that despite the involving class activities, I was very strict in
ensuring that they learn my way.
In conclusion, through the feedback of learners and evaluation from my instructor, it is
evident that the lesson was a success. Despite the period a teacher is involved in teaching,
they are bound to make mistakes, and that is why it is essential for educators to reflective.
Reflection allows teachers to establish successes, failures and find potential solutions.
Experience has taught me that reflective learning is the best approach since it ensures that the
learners benefit the most in the learning experience.
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References
Kitao Kenji. (1917). Selecting and developing teaching/ learning materials. Retrieved on
December 4, 2016 from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kitao-Materials.html
Foundation for Critical Thinking. (2014). The role of questions in teaching, thinking and
learning. Retrieved on December 4, 2016 from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-
role-of-questions-in-teaching-thinking-and-learning/524
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological
processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Feaweb.org. (2014). Educators who use effective classroom management techniques, employ
good teaching practices and interactive learning activities have the power to turn on the
learning lights. Retrieved on December 4, 2016 from https://feaweb.org/time-on-task-a-
teaching-strategy-that-accelerates-learning
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