Reflection

Reflection

// What worked well in the teaching program to progress student learning? Why? //
 * Having the pre assessment data from the Angles and Lines pre test to distinguish what knowledge students had that could be built on
 * The teaching program flowed as a natural progression of knowledge, once the students grasped a concept from one session most were ready to learn the next concept in the following lesson
 * Maths cluster groups worked extremely well to encourage peer to peer learning and to develop confidence
 * Hands on and engaging warm up activities really got the students attention and prepared them for the lesson ahead, particularly the competitive activities.

// What did not work as well as expected for both you and the students? Why? //
 * The initial instruction/model of the parallel lines task did not work as well as I hoped. The visual diagram was not clear enough for students to read from their seats and therefore they became confused with the concepts and different angle types.
 * The time that was available to work with those students who needed extra support and for those students who needed extending was not ideal. It became apparent that some students needed a lot more attention than the others and because of this I would not have enough time to work with/observe other students.
 * The post assessment task was very clearly set out and the requirements were clear and easy to read, however some students focused too much on drawing their design and did not focus enough on the rubric and what information was required in their assessment. This meant that some students missed out on marks simply because they did not read the instructions properly, even though they had shown throughout the unit that they are capable of completing those particular tasks

// What would you do differently given the opportunity to teach this idea or concept again? //
 * I would include more hands on/open ended activities for the independent task aspect of the lessons. The independent tasks were very much about working straight from worksheets.
 * I would play the Angles Battleships game together with the measuring angles lesson as they work hand in hand, as opposed to teaching it later on in the unit.
 * Use more concrete materials for those students who do not grasp the concepts, especially in relation to the relationship between angles and parallel lines.
 * Ensure that all students are aware of the rubric and what its purpose is. I would prepare a checklist for students to be able to tick off what they have/have not included in order to ensure students obtain the total marks possible.

// Did the learning activities provide you with enough information to assess student learning? //
 * Anecdotal notes I found to be the most beneficial assessment tool for this unit. They were quite detailed and gave enough information along with work samples to assess the students. These notes were taken whilst children were completing their task as the teacher roved around the classroom observing and listening to the conversations and learning that took place.
 * The rich open ended assessment task had great potential to provide enough information to assess student learning at the end of the unit, however as a result of it being conducted at the end of the term and together with another assessment task students left out crucial information. Therefore it is important that I use that information together with my anecdotal notes.

// What changes will you make to your teaching as a result of this analysis? //
 * I will change the warm up activities that I set at the beginning of each lesson. I will make them more hands on, engaging and relevant to the content that is going to be taught in the lesson to come.
 * I will encourage more student input into the modeling activities as it kept students engaged and some students found it easier to understand what their peer was saying because it was being explained in another way.
 * I would regularly assess students in order to extend them or provide more support depending on what is required.
 * I will ensure that students completely understand the task that is required of them before setting them to task.
 * Ensure that learning activities cater for all student learning styles. For example have more hands on activities for those students who work better with them or have more visual displays around the classroom for those students who are visual learners.
 * In terms of assessment tasks I will work with all students prior to them completing the task to ensure they have included all of the information they are required to include.

// In reflecting on this component of your work, which areas of professional learning would you like to investigate further? //
 * Observe effective maths lessons taught by colleagues throughout the college
 * Professional development based on different approaches to teaching maths
 * Professional development based on differentiation with the class room