Collegial+teaching+activity+1

Collegial Teaching Activity 1


 * Discussion prior to activity **


 * Teachers involved: **

Rachel Caras Narelle Bean


 * Date: ** Monday 29 August


 * Professional learning focus for practice: **

// What do I want to learn from working with another colleague? The answer becomes the learning focus of this teaching activity. Refer to Standards 5 and 6 as a guide and consider focusing on engaging students in meaningful learning, assessing student learning and providing feedback to students, or managing a safe and challenging learning environment. //

> > - Management of student behavior: engaging students who have previously shown a lack of focus in class. > - Management of clear and consistent expectations, resources and space to create and maintain a safe and challenging learning environment for all students. > > > - Effective communication: clear explanations, instructions and feedback.
 * Teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments
 * Teachers use a range of teaching practices and resources to engage students in effective learning

I want to learn new and different strategies that I can apply in my classroom towards all of my students, in particular the ones who have previously shown a lack of interest in certain subjects. By applying these newly learnt strategies I hope to find ways of engaging all students in their learning and to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning.


 * Outline of the planned learning activity **

// What are the learning outcomes in relation to the content? What do I want students to learn? //

This lesson was planned in order to revisit and refresh the students on naming, estimating and measuring different angles. It was planned as a revision lesson as most students had shown in their pre assessment that they were familiar with the types of angles and how to measure them.

The learning focus for this session was ‘Review our understanding of angle types, estimating angles and measuring angles.’ The success criteria was as follows: The warm up activity involved students finding an angle within the classroom and sticking two strips of paper to identify the angle and the name of the angle.
 * 1) I can identify and correctly name different angle types.
 * 2) I can estimate angles and then measure them using a protractor.

Other contextual information


 * This class is a year 8 class consisting of 25 students.
 * There are a couple of students who are working below expected level.
 * As a result of the pre assessment that was conducted before this unit was planned, it was evident that all students were aware of the basic angle types and were able to identify them.


 * Discussion following the activity **

// A summary of the teaching and learning //


 * Warm up game had students instantly thinking mathematically which meant they were ready for the following activity.
 * The students were engaged – as a result of the warm up activity being a hands on activity students were instantly interested in what they were required to do and were competing against each other as to who could find the most creative angle within the classroom.
 * Communication of all explanations and instructions were clear and concise, there was not too much for the students to take in.
 * Teacher used appropriate mathematical vocabulary but explained the meanings in a way that students could understand and relate to.
 * Teacher had positioned students in their seating plan in a way that students were grouped with students of similar ability (without them realising). This was so that students who were struggling with the class did not feel like they were the only one struggling and also to promote peer tutoring.
 * The individual activity differentiated in a way so that all students felt they were able to access the learning and so that all students achieved success.


 * Reflection on the activity **

// What did you observe the students doing? How did this link to the teaching focus? //

Students were instantly engaged when the teacher explained that they were to find the most creative angle around the classroom and stick their paper strips to it with their name. Most students became instantly competitive with the activity, which then lead to them being engaged and interested in what they were doing. The teacher then engaged all students in a class brainstorm of the different types of angles they know and encouraged them to draw the angles on the board. She then asked another student to estimate the size of the angle that had been drawn on the board, once this was done she then asked another student to measure the angle using a large protractor. The teacher chose students at random which kept all students focused on what was happening because they knew that they could be the next one chosen to participate. I found this an effective strategy to keep all students engaged and paying attention during modeling time. I also liked the strategy of asking the students to draw the angles and measurements on the board so that it was not only the teacher up the front of the room. Students were then set to their individual task.

// What did you observe happening in the class that supported the learning of students? //

I noticed that all students were engaged in their independent tasks because they all felt that they could access it and achieve success as a result of the class being very much a revision lesson for them and because of the whole class model that was undertaken. Also, the teacher was constantly moving around the room, observing what students were doing, asking them questions about what they were doing and providing assistance to those who needed it. This kept the students focused and on task and wanting to complete what had been set. Finally, throughout the lesson I observed the teachers passion and encouraging tone of voice which engaged the students, as opposed to a standard mono tone voice.

// What have you learnt about your own teaching practice? How can this learning be applied? //

I learnt that I should plan for more hands on and engaging warm up tasks in order to get the students interested in the tasks to come. Particularly because I have some students who cringe at the thought of a maths session but who are ok once they feel they can achieve success. I will adopt the idea of using the students to assist with modeling components of a lesson and calling on them at random. This approach kept all students focused on what was happening at the front of the room. I will also move around the classroom more throughout sessions instead of focusing only on those students who need assistance.

// What professional learning does this prompt you to pursue as a result of this reflection? //

I will continue to observe other teachers when they are teaching not only maths sessions but also all other subjects in order to gain ideas to better engage and challenge students in the classroom.