Journal Entry on Saturday 26th of September 2020

 

September 26^th September, 2020

On Saturday, my students and I went to Moroni High School(MHS) field to join the Touch Rugby Competition between all the Junior secondary schools. This time we were working as a team and I felt pride because being part of a team is something that in everything you do, not only you did by yourself but with that of the group (students) as a whole.

In the first match, between BTC JSS team and TUC 1 JSS team (our students) but before the match, I gathered all members of our team to give them advices. Because this was the first time they experienced this sport, I could see that they felt nervous, fear, anxiety, shame and so forth. And this was also going to me, I felt the same feelings but because it is a must to avoid, I pretended that there I felt so grateful. I told them to be focused and avoid other emotional feelings. This is because emotional feelings can be either negatively or positively affect everyone’s “effort, decision making, memory, behavioral responses, and interpersonal interactions” (Ruiz and Robazza, 2020).

 In this first match, we won because we got two (2) try and BTC JSS team got zero (0) try. So, in the first match we won and how proud we are of our students. The next following matches were performed by other junior secondary school teams which are Animwarao JSS Stdents and Moroni Junior Secondary. After that match, the winners which are Moroni Junior secondary and TUC 1 Junior secondary performed another match for finding the winner of this touch rugby. This time, my students looked so afraid of their opponents but what I did was trying to encourage them that they can make it. I reminded them of their techniques in playing this sport. This was the first time that I experienced a heart beating in which that all I wanted was to make this team win this game. While I was talking to them, they all listened very carefully. This shows that they have great heart in playing this game and they really want to win.

For the first time, both of the teams got 1 try, we were draw in getting a 1 try and this lead the team to find the final try. This means that in next match, the team that lose to get or break the rule is the winner of the game and this is more challenging in playing this game. I was happy because they got 1 try but a big worried is in the next action. Because of this, I took 5 to 10 second to ask God for giving my team the winner. And, surprisingly when I opened my eyes, my team were winning this match by getting a 1 try. Wow! They made it!!. This was the first time I felt so happy because everything we did during the trains and practices were very useful in which that they learnt very effective.

To conclude, this experience has given me a very important message in which that the more you train your students the better skill they performed. Not just that but also if your students got emotional feeling in sports then try your best to calm their emotional feelings and encourage them with the heart so that their feelings can be reduced. This is because feelings

Reference: 

Ruiz, M. C., & Robazza, C. (Eds.). (2020). Feelings in Sport: Theory, Research, and Practical Implications for Performance and Well-being. Routledge.

Journal Entry on the 27th August, 2020

 

Journal Entry on the 27th August, 2020

Today is a great day in having an experience of inviting a guest speaker to the classroom. Inviting someone who is the expert from the community on the subject (class topic) is one of the most important tool which can be used to deepen the student learning. Mullins (2001) mentioned that the reason of having someone who is an expert on the topic inside the classroom is not to make or prove our responsibilities, but to enhance the students’ learning. So that was why I invited this old man named Taebo Maritino who is an expert on how to perform one of the local dances that students need to learn.

First of all, because I already inform my students of having a guest speaker, they really eager to see and learn from someone new. They looked forward and when he came, they all sat down and pay respect to the oldman. How amazing was it!!  in the way they engaged by this old man. For the introduction part of the lesson plan, the guest speaker introduced himself to the students and he also introduced well the topic. Students were listening very carefully and they paid attention to this old man. In the development part, students were all stand up and do thehand-on learning with this old man. They did the practice of how to perform this local dance. By looking at them, I could see that they were really enjoying this learning style and this is because the lesson was related to their real-life experience and also since they experienced the learning of the dance.

However, throughout the learning process, for the first time and some of the students did not want to learn how to perform the dance. This is because some of them hated the local dance, they preferred the modern dance and some of them they were the members of the religious that banned the dance. So that was why they never do the practical. What I did was to forced them to do it and I think that this is very bad. Even though they found that this dancing was very fun but they were afraid of performing it so I forced them and they did it. This time, I hated myself because I forced them but what I all wanted was to achieve our learning objective in which to perform this local dance.

To conclude, inviting a guest speaker to the classroom has given my students a very important experience where they expose their learning through to real-world life situations. Not only that but for me, as a teacher, this experience has given me a very important lesson in which that it is a must for all teachers to invite someone who has a high knowledge and skill on the topic so that students can be helped to reach their learning potential.

Reference:

Mullins, P. (2001). Using outside speakers in the classroom. APS Observer, 14(8), 1-3.

Journal Entry on the 29th of May, 2020

 

On the 29^th of June, 2020, I was assigned to conduct a lesson delivery in the year 8D level. And this is the first time I met the disabled students. A few of the students in this class have different learning disabilities. There are four of them who are disorders in which that they have a problem in their sight, hearing, speaking and thinking. Also, in this class, there is a young man who was an interpreter. His job in this form is to help those kids in translating what the teacher is saying into the sign language.

I was grateful to have those kind of kids in this class because I learnt a lot of new things in having them. One of the things that I learnt was choosing the best teaching resources so that those students can be assisted in their learning process. In regarding to my teaching aids, I used big printed text on the charts and the black board. This is where I could help those who have a problem with their eye sight (low vision ones). Not just that, but also my voice was big that day so that they could hear me very well. It was a successful teaching-learning process, where those kids were really enjoying my delivering. Also, in the group, I mixed those kids with the normal students (capable ones). How happy they were in which that they really appreciated in the group work. This time, no child left behind throughout the teaching-learning process that would positively empower the students learning process.

Also, this time we I used the positive reinforcement and I treated both the boys and girls equally so that they could feel loved, accepted and valued. Walker and Buckley, (1968) suggested that practicing positive reinforcement in classrooms have significant positive effects on students and when they are all treated equally through the use of inclusion and positive reinforcement, the learning environment will be fruitful and encouraging. Because of this, when my students completed their individual work, I wrote positive comments such as 'fantastic!', 'you did great today', 'well done!!' and so forth and this is positive reinforcement. Not only that but because I always stayed positive even when they make mistakes, they felt that they are accepted and loved. 

However, throughout the learning process, I could find that there were few of them did not achieve the last learning outcomes. Even though they were very engaging but in achieving the last learning outcome which involved the application where they are needed to use their thinking skills (cognitive skills) to apply their knowledge and skill to solve the word problem. When it came to the marking, I found that a few of them including the disabled students could not answer the questions which are related to the solving problem. Those kids could not make it to reach or achieve this learning outcomes and this was the hardest part for them and what I felt was depressed. I also felt sorry for those kids and I learnt that next time, I will use another approach that is more powerful and effective for those kind of kids.

Finally, in order to tackle this kind of problem, I will use the most effective teaching approach which can make the students achieve all the learning outcomes. One of the strategies that I think the most powerful was a students centered approach which makes students learn through hands-on which is related to their real life experience. The second one is to make myself very clear in explanation. I will do this through repeating the question to make sure that they are all understand what I am talking about or what I am trying to explain the lesson. Therefore, this teaching experience has given me a very important lesson in dealing with the disability ones inside the classroom. Those weaknesses and strengths of this teaching-learning process are very important in which that I could use them for the betterment of my future teaching-learning process.

References: 
Walker, H. M., & Buckley, N. K. (1968). THE USE OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN CONDITIONING ATTENDING BEHAVIOR 1. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(3), 245-250.
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Journal Entry on the 29th May, 2020 Friday

 

Journal Entry

On the 29^th May, 2020 which is Friday, there were lot of meetings that I attended, mathematics department meeting, the year 8 staff meeting and the last is the school staff meeting where all of us, teachers, the principal, deputy principal and the committees gathered together in the mwaneaba.

In the department meeting, subject teachers (math teachers) and our Head of Department (HOD) were gathered together to share discussed and record new ideas from teachers.  This is a one team where we were working together to do our best to meet our student needs. This time, I heard about some of our colleagues issue which was students did not engage in learning mathematics. So, I gave them my idea based on using the strategies that more effective. One of the best strategies that I shared this time to teachers is the use of games or involving fun games throughout the teaching-learning process. In this case, we supported out students’ learning needs and this is very important because we shared together new ideas which can best satisfy our student needs.

After having a lunch, I went to another meeting which is the year 8 level meeting which is known as Block 2 staff meeting. In this meeting, all teachers in the year 8 level were gathering together to share and discussed things which are very essential for the benefits of the students’ learning process (Year 8 students). This meeting focused on the classroom management where all teachers (form teachers) should prepare and decorate their classroom with students’ work display. Also, subject teachers were told to fill in their subject corners inside their classroom. All of those things are very important which can also empower the students’ learning process. The classroom and that is full of many display can also attract the intention of students to learn effectively. For me, this meeting is very important in which that I learnt not only on how to make things beautiful inside the classroom but also on how to create the most effective and productive learning environment. This is because teachers, shared some of their strategies which can make the classroom more effective and comfortable for students to learn.

Finally, after the school hours, all staffs including the school committees were gathered together inside the mwaneaba. This is a formal meeting where it was opened with positive conversation made by the principal. The principal gave a welcoming speech to all staffs and school committees members. This meeting benefits the school in which that things were discussed related to the running of the school. We were collaborated as a team by providing feedback, sharing ideas and asking questions. Also, in this meeting, we discussed the school financial oversight and the scope of required school required needs to be carefully made decision on. The Budgets for the school needs was also discussed in this meeting. Everything was clearly discussed and because I was included in this discussion and decision, I felt motivated in this school.

To conclude, those three meetings were very important to me especially for my future teaching strategies in which that I learnt most of the things which can improve the student learning process. Not only that but I also learnt that I should be involved in all the meetings so that I can create the most effective and productive learning environment.

Journal Entry 20/11/20

 During this week, I discovered that it is very important to build good relationship through respecting others and caring others for their learning. In this case, you can build the most effective and productive learning environment. It is a good way to make things run smoothly throughout the teaching-learning process by creating the most amazing learning environment. 

In order for me to create an effective communication throughout this week, I was being an active listener to all my students so that they can feel free to ask more questions. When I did this, I found it very effective to make them learn at their fullest potential. Being a good listener and speaker to everyone in the school is the the best way to create the smoothest process of the teaching and learning process. And that is how I make the communication very effective in my teaching experience.

One more thing that I found which is very important is teaching the language throughout the teaching-learning process. And this is can create the communication more effective and productive (Richard & Schmidt, (2014) . In the reading activity, I taught students to decode the word when they hard to pronounce it. I did this because I wanted them to learn how to pronounce the word in an appropriate way. Not just that but also to let them understand the meaning of that word. Teaching them to pronounce the words is part of how to make communication very effective. Beside that, I provided them new vocabularies according to the note that they are going to learn. Because of this, students have no complaints and they really understood all the note. When students are fully satisfied, the communication will be also effective and most of all when they learn the language effectively, their communication will be in a high quality. 

Moreover, What I have done was to be always a good listener and speaker to everyone even to my colleagues and all staffs in the school. For me, by doing this I can make the learning environment the most effective learning environment. Inside the classroom, I always listened to each of everyone in the learning environment. When each of them asked a question, I did not ignore but I answered them very well. Not just that but in any meeting that I attended, I always pay attention to those who speak and pay respect to them. This is one of the good ways to create effective communication, the more you respected them, the more they respected you as well. 

Not only in the meeting but also inside the classroom, I respected each student so that they can feel accepted and valued throughout the learning process. When I respected students, I discovered that they feel motivated and they were always willing to participate throughout the learning process. Being oneself respect, everyone can move forward to do high-quality work. I respected the way they learnt no matter what. I stayed positive in front of them when something went wrong. I did this because all I wanted is to make them feel loved and from that they can produce positive outcomes. 

To conclude, effective communication is not only about having a conversation but also it includes how you develop good relationship which is the only way to make others feel comfortable, valued and accepted in the teaching and learning process.

Reference: 

Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. W. (2014). Language and communication. Routledge.