Journal Entry that focused on Alternative Curriculum

On 12^th April, 2019, I went to teach KCS the Year 7I students at JSS TUC 1. It was an amazing day where I met students with different learning abilities. Some are slow learners, some they smart but also there were two children who have physical disabilities. One of them has a very low vision and the other is mute.

I was lucky because before I teach this class, I did a co-plan with their KCS teacher and during the co-plan, she told me about her students, she explained everything about them and that is why I felt so grateful in which that I had no problem because I also prepared an inclusive lesson plan (See the lesson plan I prepared) so that everything was provided in order to meet every students’ individual needs. Not only that, but also with the help of an interpreter, everything is flew well in which that children with disabilities can fully access the learning process.

I came early to arrange the setting so that these two kids should be at the front so that they can fully learnt from me. I also asked the interpreter to stand beside me so that everything I said can be easily transmitted to them through the sigh language so that these kids will not miss things from me, the teacher.                                                   

In the learning process, I grouped students into five groups to do a discussion. In a groups, I mixed the disability ones with the normal ones so that they can be involved and have fun with the normal ones. This strategy was very good for them in which that they helped each other. Also the normal ones helped the disability one in many cases. Here in this case, students developed a good relationship and understand each other and that is a good way to empower the student learning.

During this teaching experience there were many things I did for these two kids. For the low vision one, I explain all the pictures I provided and also faced the class to dictate what I was writing on the black board. Every text I wrote on anything was big printed so that she can see them. In this case, the low vision student can still follow the learning process and also she can take notes while I am explaining the notes or the pictures. In addition, I always gave oral instructions for every activity. For the mute one, I always used non-verbal communication with him by nodding, pointing and using pictures. I did not force the child to speak but I always let him talk to me using nodding and pointing. Many things that helped him were comes from the interpreter where he always used a sign language and explained things vice versa to me and to the kids. The interpreter always talked to me when they have something really need. This time the interpreter is the messenger between these two kids and me and that was a good way of learning for them from the teacher. 

Teaching experience

Last Wednesday, I taught the Year 7 students mathematics at JSS TUC 1 but before that,  I did a Co-plan with their math teacher. The teacher told me to do a lesson plan according to the topic that they should cover which has been assigned in the syllabus. The topic that I am going to teach is mainly focused on arranging fractions in ascending and descending order. And that's what she told me.

However, while I was preparing my lesson plan two days before, I thought that everything will be flow well in the teaching and learning process because I prepared everything about the lesson according to what their teacher told me during the co-plan. I included everything that will meet the needs of students learning. But,  this day I felt something that is very horrible because when I asked students what they have learnt yesterday on mathematics and they told me that their teacher didn't come, they waited for the teacher but there was no one came. For me, I was really sad because even their math teacher didn't came but still there was no one who came to stand in the class. So I continuously asked them "and what have you learnt from your teacher this week?" and they replied that they learnt number patterns.  How surprised I was because the lesson that I am going to teach them is based on how to arrange fractions in ascending and descending order, it is not the thing that they should learnt because in fractions they should cover from the basic but this time they will skip to the complex one.

I was confused because their teacher didn't come and she told me to teach them fractions. I wonder why she did this. For me this kind of situation is a serious one and I didn't know where to start. I thought that everything I prepared for are all in upside down. I was really felt angry with this kind of teacher and also the school as a whole because when I came, they didn't told me what was happening even the principle or teachers. I tried my best to proceed well the lesson which I have been prepared, It was really new to them but I tried to mainly proceed from the basic one to the complex one. In the process of the learning, I found out that most of them understand and this makes me more happy, feeling better and proud because they did the very best.

To conclude,  the most important thing I have learned is about commitments. If teachers have poor commitment in doing their job,  student's learning will be negatively affected and at result they may fail the exams. Thus, in my future teaching, I will never come late and in case if I get sick, I will tell the principle to make sure there will be a teacher to stand in my class otherwise students will miss out what they should learn. Not only that but from now on, as a teacher trainee, I will practice good commitment and be punctual so I will pass at the end of the semester and also to prove that I will be a great teacher in the future.

Journal Entry on the Friday, 17th of July, 2020

Journal Entry  17th June, 2020

It was a great day to meet new students with different learning abilities at the JSS TUC 1. I realized that some of them have a problem with a hearing, speaking and eye sight. But how lucky I was when there was an Assistant teacher who is the only one who always stayed there with a teacher to help the disabled ones in many cases. There are a lot of things that I learned from him especially on developing a good relationship with them and providing a great care for those kids.

Inside the classroom, I felt nervous and I thought that my teaching will not flow well because it was my first time to teach the JSS level but I tried not to nervous and tried the very best to success my learning outcome. I did this because I want to make my teaching approaches the most effective and productive. It was also my first time to meet the disabled ones in my teaching experience. For the first time I was afraid but in the end I found out that it was great and enjoyable to have a good relationship with them because when they felt how I care for them throughout the learning process, they like me more and they want me to be as their real teacher.

The most important thing to do for children inside the classroom is to show how you care for them because I was experienced that they do like me and they hate me to leave their class at the end of the lesson. When this happened, I also felt great and supportive to be a great teacher in the future. I told them that next Wednesday I will come and I also told them that next time our lesson will be more fun and great.

During my teaching, I was always smiling, I showed how I care for them, I always supported them in their discussion and I always praised their effort even when they did not participate well but I gave some word of encouragement so that next time they will make it better. I tried to make good communication with them so that they will not get shy to ask for more clarification about the lesson. When I did all this, I felt great, comfortable and proud of myself that I can make them felt great and happy inside the classroom.

Another thing I found according to the learning of the children with disabilities is that it was hard to make them understand the lesson thus, it is better to have an assistant teacher inside the classroom to demonstrate or to do a sign language. In this case, I think, it is better for us, teachers trainees to learn how to do a sigh language so that we can help those kids. For example, in my experience I was sad because I cannot do the sigh language and I can see in the eyes of those kids that they need me to do a sigh language. What I did is that when the ability ones get understand the lesson, the assistant teacher and I went to each of the disabled ones to do a clarification on a lesson and it was worked. Therefore, it is very important to be a skillful teacher so that every child can be satisfied throughout the learning process.

Finally, the good thing that is really important as a teacher trainees is to observe student’s learning abilities because they are all different. The more you know them well, the more effective and productive teaching approaches so it is better to understand them well and create a good and strong relationship with them. Not just that, but if you want to make them improved try to be creative in your teaching methods.

To conclude, it was delightful to have this kind of experience because it was my first time to have the disability ones in a classroom. I changed a lot of things in my lesson plan because of a short notice in realizing that some students are disabled so I changed my approaches in which that the application of the lesson plan I make groups and in a group I mix them so that the disability ones can socialize with the ability ones and can make a good relationship while they discuss their group activities. In this case, they interact each other and they help each other, therefore, grouping students is a one way to develop a good relationship between students and also to have a good relationship between you, the teacher and your students and that will make the learning more effective and improved.