I have continued my professional development with dedication and motivation to the holistic development of young people. As a teaching assistant, higher level teaching assistant, and trainee teacher, I have worked with a range of pupils within a variety of settings from EYFS through to KS4, including pupils who are Academically More Able, Special Educational Needs/Additional Learning Needs, and Pupil Premium. This has given me a broad insight as to the range of provision implemented, early help provided to families, and the process undertaken to obtain an EHCP, along with collaborating with outside agencies.
My school experience, coupled with teaching placements, has enabled me to reflect on my philosophy and pedagogy. This has enabled me to recognise the importance of valuing each child as they are all unique and they matter. I am committed to ensuring the learning I generate is interesting, creative, and exciting. I enjoy seeing children engaging in a variety of activities whether that be in the classroom or the vicinity of the school grounds. This tells me that they are learning and are expanding their cognition through discovery and investigation.
I am always looking to engage with opportunities to progress my pedagogy further into my profession. In view of this, I hope to find a school where access to good quality educational experiences beyond the classroom is of great importance. I genuinely believe that core subject attainment can be considerably enhanced, especially in areas of Pupil Premium, when learning is applied to practical activities. An example of this would be teaching Science-circulatory system and living things- Maths -which maths mastery was implemented- English -through precision teaching and the carrying out of shared writes and History when pedagogy cross-curricular lessons of the Greek gods and the Olympics-both ancient and modern-day, using a range of resources to explain the different parts, such as artifacts of Greece, heart, and lungs, respectively. Another example would be, creating a medium-term plan “Earth's Unleashed” topic which entailed Geography, History, and Science cross-curricular lessons to investigate how and why human disasters happen. From the onset, immersing these topics help to bring them to life for the children but it also teaches the classes respect and provides an excellent opportunity to develop a new and very effective behaviour management strategy, ‘teamwork’. When planning and delivering the “Earth’s Unleased” topic, I introduced visual photos and related the lesson focus on Art when painting, using an array of coloured pencils and a variety of resources, such as sponges and cotton wool. At this point in my training, I gained further experience in planning and delivering lessons that are imaginative and creative, aiming to encourage engagement from all learners.
I understand the importance of assessment and use both a range of assessment strategies from observations in schools, as well as formulating my own. In every lesson that I teach, I use a range of formative assessment strategies, including thumbs-up, peer marking, and questioning, supported with verbal and written feedback. During my most recent placement, my mentor regularly highlighted that verbal feedback is one of my biggest strengths, along with Maths. I am fascinated by how children learn and what they are learning. I find dialogue to be a highly effective method of assessment, as when discussing in pairs or groups I can identify any misconceptions and address them, acknowledge their interpretation, and help secure their cognition for life-long learning.
I find it immensely informative to track pupils' progress after every lesson. This enables me to identify the most appropriate pedagogy to enable their cognition to develop further. Throughout my career in education to date, I have acknowledged that teaching needs to be adapted either every day or during the actual lesson, for children to acknowledge and understand the concepts. However, I use both formative and summative assessment to directly inform my planning, as time is valuable.
My ethos as a teacher has developed further during my teacher training. I place significant value on communication and the development of listening skills, as it is my ambition to expand my knowledge and the implementation of Philosophy 4 Children within the classroom. I will provide opportunities for groups wherever possible, as this is a proven method of increasing attainment. I will ensure the children in my care achieve their full potential, supporting them dynamically, and adapting my teaching to suit their learning. Throughout my teaching experience I have spent many hours working with Pupil Premium and SEN children, this also enables relationships to build and to get to know each other’s interests.
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Catherine G.
Tutor, Teacher, Instructor
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