Professional Experience Day 1 Introduction to school, mentor teacher, school policies

Met Principal in the morning (Kylie) at the administration office and headed straight

across to the learning area office (Mathematics) briefly mentioned schools focus

area in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).

Observed and participated in 5 classes; helped with checking students work, answer

worksheets, wander around class helping students out at times the teacher was not

talking to the whole class.

Two instances of behaviour management observed:

o Homophobic slur towards a quiet individual. After a comment from the

teacher and a discussion outside 1 on 1, corrected behaviour instantly.

o Younger individual not following instructions, was sent to the up-school

then sent on home. Had been misbehaving in other classes, was exhibiting

challenging behaviour, not packing away items when asked to.

Interesting day for a first start; subject matter is simple enough & carries across

several student groups. Position students, warm-up exercise, content, consolidation,

wrap-up.

Learning materials: some have texts, others have handouts. Some students dont

bring pens/pencils reluctant to even start work. Identified, addressed then

working/leaving.

Classroom activities work well but are dependent upon the level of maturity of the

group. Bright students work well individually, in pairs or groups. Struggling students

work well on simple tasks individually, struggle to maintain task focus in groups

challenging behaviour across the room as well.

Day 1 Reflections: Practical Experience

My mentor teacher is from a very different background to myself and is very

confident with handling behavioural breaches. Being quick, firm but fair and very

watchful (using the look!) the classes are working to the task throughout the lesson.

The troubling behaviour is easy to identify; though it is not always as easy for me to

tell whats going on in the mind of the student, in terms of the motivation leading to

the behaviour and how to counter or diffuse it.

The subject matter is simple enough; we looked at quadratic equations, solving

through the factors of the coefficient, manipulating negative indices (6 th law of

indices), multiplication and division of fractions, surface area calculations with the

year 12 Essentials class. Tests are given with either a time or completion challenge,

also with a challenge to improve on their results in the next lesson.

Management for non-conforming individuals was swift and to the point; my mentor

has student services on her phones speed dial, who are able to assist in collecting a

student that refused to follow directions. She used many seat changes also, to break

up disruptive pairs and get them onto their work.

The classroom environment is simple, fans create some noise & discomfort but are

better than still, stuffy room. Texts and some folders in the classroom cupboard;

materials not necessarily provided though. I leant a student my own pen; realising

later that this may have been a big mistake as its not reinforcing the idea that they

should bring their own pen or see student services for a loaned pen.

The head of learning held a meeting in the staff room today; the teachers are a close

group with very young graduates and senior teachers approaching retirement age.

This diversity is a strength; the voices of experience sound out their advice gently.
 Day 2: Assembly, Class laptops, Teacher Meeting on School Review

First period today was a school assembly; ordered progression of senior teachers and

students taking seats at the front; summary of performance of 2016 year 12s

discussed, awards presented. Impressive that most classes were able to sit still for an

hour.

Very impressive presentations from Bushranger Cadets, an outdoors school program.

Leadership form students to develop own video on a Positive Behaviour Support

(PBS) item. Discussed options from the PBS matrix, choosing lining up at the canteen.

Class of year 8s with Dell laptops great setup but many IT issues.

Year 12 Essentials class great discussions, working with surface area and geometric

shapes. Relaxed presence helps work get done, a safe environment promoted.

After last period, teachers all gathered in the library for a discussion about the

schools report for the Independent Public School Review; noting the socio-economic

zone and special programs the school runs.

Statistics can be adversely affected by non-performing individuals, this may push

schools to direct lower performing students away from WACE units.

Behaviour management is a large issue; content delivery is important but I expect Ill

manage; managing the class is the big challenge. Students (even tough ones) are still

generally keen to at least try, there is an intrinsic motivation to perform well.

Assessment methodology had clearly laid out A, B & C level questions (reflective of

marks), with students advised of what an A, B or C level question may be. I

wondered if this would affect students motivation; advised this is a better approach

for low ability students and that high ability students not affected.
Day 2 Reflections:

With the presence of bright, enthusiastic students the challenges from the few non-engaged

students is less of an issue. For behavioural management actions, Ive noticed my mentor

acts quickly and early, preventing an issue developing.

The laptops were considered a treat for the class, but with a heap of IT issues they didnt

really deliver as promised. Around half the class could log on and use the Mathletics

program. One particularly impatient student continued to grumble, eventually losing his

computer time. This was not really a large penalty as his laptop was one of the ones facing

IT problems. Considering how this can be best managed, I believe it would be better to have

a lab, or have the laptops all ready to go as they walk in. Handling and plugging in laptops

repeatedly is risky; the machines risk being bumped, the screens and plugs damaged.

At the end of the school day the principal held a meeting for all staff that the other pre-

service teachers and I attended. It was interesting to see the school run as a business. The

meeting was called to go through a review paper presented by the school for an

independent schools review board. Many programs were mentioned that I had not been

aware of including a breakfast club, act-belong-commit activities, the music program

entering the local band competitions and others aimed at getting students into various

outdoors activities.

One class of year 8s had been observed as misbehaving during the assembly; they were

required to stay back during recess to practice sitting still for an assembly some more. This

impacted on my mentor teachers plans, having to walk them to the gymnasium and stay

with them there meant that she missed a short section of the leadership form (year 10s)

thankfully, being a mature group and were able to progress with the work they had to do

without guidance, however it shows that sudden changes to plans have consequences.
Day 3:

Assignment preparation session in office, standardising assignment questions

Student received assessment sheet, refused to follow instructions & took sheet

outside; subsequently will be awarded a 0, parents to be notified.

Marked some assignments for Yr12 Essentials class all will do ok, but some basic

mistakes common to the class. Marking took a long time around 3 in one hour!

Preparing to sit in on a lesson tomorrow on differential equations (revision)

Contacted STEM representative & discussed options to be involved in Engineering

program; arranged to attend sessions on upcoming days.

Year 7s good natured class, ran through basic exercises with them on handling

fractions (addition & subtraction, comparing) went well but was reminded to focus

on basics as a foundation for future work.

Cooperation between teachers observed; all working to meet common standard for

assessments. One teacher had written the questions, the other would check and

provide comment the Head of Learning Area (HOLA) for Mathematics would also

check on the questions, making sure the learning objectives were being correctly and

fairly tested.

Discussion on structure of subjects for the year, with some content intended to be

taught before others to form a platform for learning (scaffolding). For instance,

students need to understand linear equations come before quadratic equations,

indices before moving on to scientific notation.

Day 3 reflections

Took my first hold of the class today; the experience went well in all, with the year 7s

completing an exercise sheet dealing with manipulating fractions. There was some giggling,

minor chatting but all up theyre a good natured class that was easy to manage.

I noted that any time the teacher isnt fully engaging some classes, the students have the

potential to stray off topic & chat. Mature classes (year 11s & 12s) can stay on task for much

longer even without the teacher in the room, even gearing conversations around the topic.

It is vital to be aware of the maturity and capability of the class.

The different year group levels are streamed by ability level. The streams are handled in

very different ways. There are common threads, but the level to which the students are

challenged and the expectations of maturity vary greatly.

As an example, the year 7 high ability class is given a great deal more leeway to chat and

discuss topics than the low ability year 9s, who are given firm directions and work better

alone. The Yr 12 Essentials course is a smaller class, so there is a far greater latitude in

dealing with off-topic discussions, having an informative discussion about international

current affairs issues rather than just focussing on maths problems. Where the opportunity

arose the mathematics would be tied back into real world situations.

I am working to understand in detail the arrangements made to set up the years teaching

plan to meet the requirements of the curriculum; there were some suggestions that the

approach to cover subjects may not be something agreed upon by all teachers. Some

subjects must logically be taught before others (area formulas before volume formulas,

algebra before linear equations) in this sense I can see the application of concept mapping

methods we are leading in to currently in the Mathematics subject.

Day 4: Observations

Joined in with an extracurricular activity (Band practice) on invitation from the music

teacher. Found this is a great way to meet the students in a formal but fun setting.

Attended Year 11 and 12 classes looking at more advanced topics (combination &

permutation choices, counting rule, differentiation rules and some maximising and

function handling).

Observed another teacher doing a revision class for year 8s prior to a test (next

Monday); using activities and a game as a reward for completing set tasks.

Discussions on standardisation of assessment questions and timing, policy to have an

investigation assignment as a pre-requisite for receiving a mark for a validation test.

Started out on lesson planning for Thursday classes (year 7) will teach on areas of

rectangles, triangles and parallelograms. Use of warm-up activities, task setting,

good audio-visual aids to use to convey concepts.

Assisted with marking some assignments an investigation on surface area nets for

letterboxes. Stressed that process is important; to write the equation down, input

knowns and then solve this process helps eliminate errors.

Noted that its clear to see errors where students attempt to use the process

suggested, very tricky to understand their thought process otherwise!

Discussion with a student on motivation 1 on 1 chat to work out why he was not

engaged with the lesson; rewarding experience. The student was open to the

conversation, understood the content but had other interests over mathematics.
Day 4 Reflections:

I had one great moment with one of the year 7s who had not been engaged in the class, sat

at the back with his head on the desk, not continuing with the work. I found out from him

that he wasnt really interested in the work, always got As for the tests, was more

interested in music and languages. He showed me that he could complete the last questions

on the worksheet (without a calculator, though the question suggested using one), giving

me confidence that hell be fine with the material. I found this a rewarding experience; the

student openly shared his preferred subjects. Its hard to say if there was more going on, but

the conversation proved that disengaged students are not always of low ability.

The morning rehearsal was great fun, working with the students in the musical setting was

very rewarding and I believe they appreciated seeing me there too, as a fellow musician. I

received some good-natured challenging talk from a year 12 who was wondering why

another adult was joining them, but still I felt well accepted. I know not to take sass from a

string bass player! Students there are of very mixed ability levels which I find helps the

senior musicians bring the junior musicians up to a higher level and gain confidence,

reinforce learning themselves in the process.

From a discussion with a current Primary school principal, as a not-so-new graduate Ill

have experience to fall back on to add credibility to my status as a teacher and more

experience with task management. Id expect the parenting experience will help also, having

a thorough understanding of how children grow and mature.

A primary focus of the assessment methodology is fairness; the options of having A, B & C

grade questions lets students know how theyre performing. I asked if this affects students

level of involvement, if they already hold an expectation of their best performance; from my

mentor this isnt a concern - all ability levels tend to give harder questions a go anyway.
Day 5 observations:

Lead a small group of year 8 students on a sampling exercise some disruptive

behaviour but the task progressed well.

Two students having fun during sampling session, eventually with one getting the

other into a headlock. Stepped in with raised voice to direct the pair back on task,

then moved back to the content summarising what theyd just been doing.

Experience of 1 on 1 conversation on topic, the student wanted to share her life

story though! Important for her to know that I was both listening and teaching.

Lesson planning for Area of Rectangles, Triangles, Parallelograms lesson next week.

Content is fine, most of the discussion with my mentor was to work out what type of

activity would work well in the end and lead on to other topics or reinforce the

lesson content. Im advised against putting too much content into one lesson.

Staff meeting at morning tea with a Morro award; great to see the staff bonding

across different teaching area teams. The Science team put on a great meal!

Discussion on working activities for warm up tasks. Noted that this settles the group

in to a working mode, also starting with a quiet activity sets the ground level volume.

Working on maths problems is best carried out in silence.

Assignment validation discussion: the teachers worked together to compare

performance against different class groups to ascertain how their students are

performing, identify areas that need more work or students that need attention.

Depth of analysis takes time, but from what I observed the senior teachers do this

well, providing meaningful information from summarised data and looking at

outliers (surprises or anomalies).

Day 5 Reflections

The disruptive behaviour in the sampling task was challenging not so much because it

interfered with the lesson, but that the students were (for want of a better term), happy.

They were troubling themselves and others nearby, but werent too concerned at first with

my attempt to convince them they shouldnt be putting each other into headlocks.

At the end of the activity one student was visibly panicking, stating that shed not

understood anything of the lesson. I briefly summarised what wed covered which she

seemed quite ok with. The real reason for her anxiety came out next she was concerned

about her family situation. No wonder the mathematics isnt getting through; everything

else in her world was getting shaken up. I listened, but felt that theres not enough time in

the classroom environment to effectively deal with this situation; I spoke to my mentor who

suggested student services can check in with her, providing someone she can talk with.

The staff group at the large meeting was an interesting mix; many younger teachers, mostly

very well presented and confident. In conversation, I found it very encouraging that I was

comfortable with the Mathematics and Science groups. They seem to hold similar values

and interests to myself, some even correctly identifying my musical instrument by its case (a

euphonium) I was very impressed!

We had several discussions on segregated groups by ability; this allows teachers to structure

lessons differently, but also reinforces deficits of ability. The lower ability students know

who they are; the challenge becomes building their confidence up, taking simple steps and

breaking things down with careful explanations and clear plans.

The high ability classes need to be challenged, even brought down a peg or two in the

teachers words to ensure they take time to use the steps taught to clearly explain their

reasoning instead of leaping at the answer.

Day 6: Observations:

Year 12s went through a practice test, my mentor reassured them that though

some questions were hard a methodical process would keep them on track.

Discussion with another teacher on preparation time; she would ensure that 2-hours

per night was available, but also considered her family commitments (all things in

balance!) With mentor, ensure keeping less than hour to hour of teaching.

Went to the Engineering Class impressive challenges being set for the year 11

group, constructing a marble race requiring two motors, pipes, wood, set base area.

Limited resources; individual performance, working on concept phase of design.

Class instructional method is much more open; students working on their designs.

Taught a year 7 class areas of rectangles, triangles and parallelograms feedback

received & appreciated! Class went relatively well, but had to rush at the end.

Discussion in the staff room about the curriculum content and progression of

concepts, considering carefully how the years teaching should be structured

between different groups. Classes are cross-checked to confirm progress towards

assessment milestones before tests are delivered.

Discussion on tests & sending them home its considered unlikely for all of them to

be returned; a good practice but the effort to chase up the test results was not

considered worthwhile.

There is some disagreement on what should come first in the years teaching plan for

years 7-10; discussed in the staff room. This relates again to concepts that are

prerequisite to other concepts.

Day 6 Reflections

My first lesson went well; I enjoyed the preparation and delivery, felt that the students were

doing what Id asked them to do and were appreciating the structure of the lesson that I had

set. I worked out with my mentor teacher that I could teach the formula for the areas of

triangles, rectangles and parallelograms using paper and scissors approaches to the

geometric formula. Grid squares as a first step to appreciate the area can be considered as a

multiplication, then halved to become a triangle, then using the offcut ends of the

parallelogram to show that its equivalent to a rectangle.

As advised, there was not enough time with the activity included to complete all of the tasks

that I had set in my lesson plan. I consider this to be of benefit; it would be far worse to run

out of lesson content and not adequately challenge students who wanted more from the

activity, especially for this group. They were high ability year 7s, keen to participate and

generally well behaved.

The start of the lesson was a group activity was somewhat chaotic. I realise this was due to

the structure of my instructions; I had set information up showing the cuts to be made on a

PowerPoint slide, then provided further detail on the whiteboard. A better arrangement

would have been to do the activity with the task camera, checking in with their progress at

each step. While Im comfortable with computers I did not fully understand how to operate

the system; I am aware from this experience that I need to practice for a while with a new

application or unfamiliar equipment prior to delivering a lesson. Learning how the machine

works during the lesson would impede my awareness of how the students are taking in the

lesson content.

It is also vital to ensure that there is some time at the end allocated to cleaning up the

classroom after an activity with paper cutting!

Day 7 Observations

Mentor away this week watched & assisted with a relief teacher.

Covered probability with year 9 group, running through exercises on the board and a

worksheet. Relief teacher not from a strong maths background; had the lesson plan

to go on but I was able to help explain concepts on the board. Good to be

appreciated!

Very different approach to classroom management; less familiar, more formal and

insisting on absolute quiet before proceeding with instruction all in a calm voice.

Observed another teacher male teacher, one troubling student, handled him well

though with clear instructions and a sense of humour.

Can see that the difficult students wear on the patience of teachers even for

experienced teachers; strategies to deal with difficult behaviour are vital, as well as

strategies to tone down to a good working level once undesired behaviour stops.

It is vital to get working once the expected behaviour level is reached (whether it is

silence, attention or a task completion). In this sense, it is important to plan ahead to

ensure the students are actively engaged in the lesson.

PBS discussion what is appropriate to give PBS points for? Teachers are encouraged

to give out multiple PBS points each class.

Observed in staff office: Ranking of difficult students for each class as a coordinated

effort lead by HOLA interesting approach, planning to relocate or tackle disruptive

behaviour at a higher level; also ranked the students by ability different approach

taken for high ability disruptive students.

Day 7 Reflections

The role of a relief teacher is a tough one; every time in a new classroom the working

relationship starts out anew it is very hard to build this up over a brief time frame such as

one week. The relief teacher I was observing has been doing relief work for some time, so I

observed carefully the way she sets the class up for success, finding these key points:

Set firm rules at the outset to establish the expected standards of behaviour.

Clear instructions, confident presentation,

Not too familiar, but still aim to get to know students names and learning styles.

Teaching effectively is about building strong relationships. I could see that the relief teacher

was cautious with the content as it was not necessarily her strongest subject, however she

made every effort to communicate clearly with the students and set the working

environment to be positive but controlled. My mentor has commented several times that

mathematical thinking is best done in silence; I can relate to this, having sat examinations

and completed tasks under stress or with external distractors present. The cognitive

processes work best when fully focussed.

I observed earlier an awkward situation for another teacher, where a student was

reprimanded, was silent for some time (as required by the reprimand) then the teacher

continued to comment on the behaviour that had already disappeared all still in the

classroom environment, with the whole class waiting even longer for the teacher to finish

on a rant. While setting behavioural expectations is important, I had considered it would

be more appropriate to discuss this with the student outside the class, just to get on with

the teaching rather than labour the point.

Day 8 Observations

Plans made to teach two classes next week (short sessions) and one the week

afterward.

PBS discussion continued teachers are encouraged to give out as many PBS points

and awards as possible; I was curious to see if this was something that could be a

detractor from the PBS system, particularly if the students start expecting or asking

for PBS points to be allocated. HOLA and mentor consider this is less of a concern,

more important to get the system well used, valued and working at this stage.

Discussion: Voice control, avoid overuse by projecting with the diaphragm.

Discussion: Student motivation for misbehaviour tried to identify what the

students goals were and how they would be counteracted.

Different management methods discussed today at some length - Upper school

option discussed, where teachers send the misbehaving student to a different

classroom to continue with their own work, alone.

Moving students to different classes is customary practice, arranged through HOLA

to break up disruptive groupings. Sometimes removing the individual solves the

issue, sometimes it only moves the issue elsewhere.

Observed teachers setting up students outside with a desk, working alone. Can see

this would work in a situation where the student needs to work quietly without

distracting or being distracted by other students; however, without the teacher

monitoring the student. Not suitable for a test that requires invigilation.

Valuable conversation with the year 10s on where mistakes are made- importance

of following steps in a process, that mistakes are generally made in the earlier steps,

not the final calculation.

Day 8 Reflections

I expect that as a new teacher in a classroom where the trust relationship has already been

established its important to know where to pick up hopefully the future mentor teachers

provide good notes and feedback. Seating plan, class background would also be helpful to

know. Ill take this on in the event I become a mentor in the future; setting up new teachers

for success requires careful preparation.

In the way of introduction; Ive noticed that in most cases Ive been invited to join in, then

not introduced to the class. It seems counterproductive to me, as having guests in meetings

(even as non-participants) I would have introduced them by name and explained why they

are attending. I was left wondering whether students are not expected to care?

At every instance where I offered help I would be accepted. This seemed an effective way to

divert off-task behaviour; ask how the student is going on the problem, check their results &

process. I also tried to engage them in off topic conversation (picking up wherever I

overheard them their basketball game or a recent injury for instance), then change the

topic back to the class material.

The greatest challenge I faced today was considering a response to non-involved students,

who simply couldnt be bothered doing the set tasks. Disruptions can be addressed,

enthusiasm tempered, but how do you motivate a student who puts their head on the

desk?! I tried the conversational approach, advised them theyll need this for the tests, for

future problems or other subjects without success. I tried some bargaining, but the student

was convinced they would be fine in tests and wanted nothing from me. Possibly the lesson

that I can take away from this is that sometimes students may have a lot going on at home

or they cant see the point or they know it all already, but for whatever reason, they will be

in my classroom and be utterly unready to learn anything, despite my best efforts.

Day 9 Observations

Taught two small group sessions; both of 20 minutes duration:

First: Revision class for a group of mid-level year 10 students who had not done well

with their recent test involving factorising polynomial equations, circumference of

circles. I checked their tests and focussed on the most common incorrect responses.

Workshop with students, targeting questions they all had trouble with. Tests handed

back to the students to review, with an interesting effect students took ownership

of their problem-solving methods and were open to discussing them.

Difficult to keep the information coming through on a level footing one student

wanted to hold the floor and talk only about the questions he had gotten wrong.

Others were silent, allowing him to dominate their side of the conversation.

Second: Year 9 students from a lower ability class, ran through expansion and

reduction of size of a figure by a scale factor. Brought in a Matchbox car to use as a

model to design a new concept car from. Scale factors applied to the template.

Year 12 group starting on the basics of trigonometry: sine, cosine and tan ratios

within a triangle. One particularly bright student was looking for more of a challenge

so I demonstrated how the triangular relationships can extend to a circle the next

step in utilising these relationships. He appreciated being challenged, having an

audible Aaaah moment when it made sense to him.

Discussion point with my mentor; is it appropriate to challenge one student more

than others? Advised that this is ok, but to proceed with caution! Easier to deal with

the class all together rather than having segregated instruction tailored for individual

students, also running the risk of confusing the brighter students if instructing on

content beyond what theyre required to know for assessments.

Day 9 Reflections

I believe that both small group classes went well, with my students suitably challenged and

provided with an opportunity to learn. The test revision session was interesting; the

students took ownership of their mistakes. The discussion was focussed on what theyd

done, what they had trouble with and there was a good deal of enthusiasm towards

reviewing their mistakes, even a bit too much enthusiasm! I noted that the keen ones will

speak up more frequently, even to the detriment of the lesson.

From the second small group session, the enthusiasm was also quite clear and well

controlled. The group were keen on the idea of designing the new model of Matchbox cars,

appreciating that a larger detailed design can be scaled down from a template. I like the

idea of bringing props into the classroom though Ill have to ensure they come back at

the end of the class! Some of the boys were keen on keeping my car.

Im aware that content must be delivered with a little grace and understanding. If progress

is too fast the content is not clear for everyone. Teachers still need to find effective ways to

challenge bright students while still engaging those that need time to absorb the content.

Options include worksheets which can keep extending knowledge or extension tasks.

Ive considered the possibility that individualised assessment may be a more appropriate

approach than structuring the progression of topics by classes. Even in the high ability

classes some students will catch on to a concept well ahead of the others.

I am aware that I am of a different personality to my mentor and see this as a positive

feature of this professional placement, seeing her strengths and techniques in use. I expect I

will be strong with understanding the content, using applications and creativity in delivering

theory. I need to focus on classroom management methods, ways to achieve the results

with greatest efficiency and to bring everyone along, not just challenging the brightest.
Day 10 Observations

Discussion on classroom management & voice control, non-involved students with

HOLA; make a note, but if not being disruptive, possibly no response required.

Delivered 2nd full length lesson Geometry: volume formulas for pyramids

(including cones). Delivered well with a great activity, however there were many

improvements I could make in terms of behaviour management strategies.

PBS system: saw a Year 12 helping another student whod fallen over, provided this

information back to mentor teacher. Heart-warming to see burgeoning adults in the

schoolyard.

Engineering class still involves very little direct instruction, students working on

their marble race designs. I helped source and discuss applications of magnets for

and with some preparation for a school review (setting up display robots). Enjoyable

activities and realia to work with.

Year 12 class looking at census information; mentor teacher worked to keep the

content fact based, providing information on how the census is used and making the

data meaningful by discussing house price rises, increasing levels of owner

occupation, rent rises and the impact of mortgages as a means of saving money.

Year 12 class-teacher relationship; these students are verging on adulthood, so can

handle and appreciate much more mature conversations. They are actively involved

in matters concerning finances, budgets and practical design the teaching content

is best adjusted accordingly, to make the maths problems real world based.

I am encouraged to focus on creativity, proof of concepts through hands-on

activities. The classes with paper were a little harder to manage but yielded superior

results the activities are remembered more than a series of problems on paper.
Day 10 reflections:

I had a troubled feeling immediately after the second lesson, concerned that I had not

controlled the students behaviour as well as expected. My mentor did comment on this in

the feedback provided, however confirmed that the students will test boundaries for a new

teacher, so some of the misbehaviour is to be expected. With my mind focussed on

activities and content it was hard to spot everything going on; one student was whistling

during a group activity for long enough to irritate nearby students who asked me to

intervene. Im aware that Ill have to be more attentive to distractions within the classroom

and set a base sound level so that students attention returns and everyone listens when

more information is being presented. I also noted that if a correction for an unwanted

behaviour is given that the teacher ensures it is followed and stays followed.

The group activity (cutting out a pyramidal shape, three of which form a cube) was regarded

highly by my mentor teacher Ive been advised to keep on doing these creative activities in

classrooms to introduce and explain content.

Technology was a distractor; as I did not have access to the classroom earlier it took some

time to set up the PowerPoint presentation I had planned to use; it would be better to

ensure there is some other activity the students can continue with such as revision while

everything else is being set up.

I had a conversation with a teacher nearing retirement that works more with the indigenous

students. He emphasised the importance of being human, being the adult and having a

sense of humour when approaching students, especially those from a rougher background.

Once they see that you can be approached the trust relationship is easier to build.

As a final note, I have felt welcomed by the Newton Moore staff and students, gaining

confidence that Im suited to a career in education as a Mathematics teacher.