Professional Knowledge
1.1 - Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
1.2 - Understand how students learn
1.5 - Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
1.6 - Strategies to support full participation of students with disabilities
Practice Described
During my placement, I was delivering an English class which focused on inferencing and interpreting visual and textual stimuli. It was 5th period at the time, so students had already consumed their last portions of food are more likely than not to be tired and exhausted. As its the last period, the students were eager to jump out of their seats as soon as the bell struck, so I was readily aware of certain hindrances to classroom learning.
As I was delivering the lesson, I found that a few students had already finished the set tasks much earlier than I expected, and were complaining that all the work that they've been assigned was repetitive; a spoon-feeding of same information for a number of months by the teachers before me.
Rather than continuing my lesson, I decided that it was time to revitalise and draw the bored students back. Instead of their standard classroom, I moved the children into a library classroom, obtained a collection of great graphic novels and story books and ‘sold’ them to the students, as if I had a background in sales and marketing. The students happily chose the book ‘The Lorax' for the lesson, and became increasingly shocked and awed by each turn of a page. By the end of the classroom, students didn't realise the bell had gone and had stayed in the classroom 5 minutes after the bell!
As I was delivering the lesson, I found that a few students had already finished the set tasks much earlier than I expected, and were complaining that all the work that they've been assigned was repetitive; a spoon-feeding of same information for a number of months by the teachers before me.
Rather than continuing my lesson, I decided that it was time to revitalise and draw the bored students back. Instead of their standard classroom, I moved the children into a library classroom, obtained a collection of great graphic novels and story books and ‘sold’ them to the students, as if I had a background in sales and marketing. The students happily chose the book ‘The Lorax' for the lesson, and became increasingly shocked and awed by each turn of a page. By the end of the classroom, students didn't realise the bell had gone and had stayed in the classroom 5 minutes after the bell!
Practice Explained
As a teacher specialising in English and Literature, I was definitely eager to deliver a lesson to my students in an invigorating, exciting manner. However, as the students were lulled by my lesson, it was time to be versatile with my lesson and my teaching practice. There are 2 elements to the practice of Professional Knowledge advocated by the VIT Standards of Professional Practice for Full Registration, which align with my teaching practice and the goals for that lesson;
Practice Theorised
Graphic novels are capable of expanding the depth of a text by introducing a plethora of modes for students to activate their analytic skills vital for inferencing and interpretation. Utilising different methods of stimuli such as the use of graphic novels in the classroom allow children to unpack and decipher information using different modes, otherwise known as multiple intelligences, to learn to the best of their ability (Gardner, 2006). When people read, one is unknowingly following a linear order of text set by the author; the sequence in which the story is developing. However, when people perceive images, one must work out for themselves what the relationship is between each image, what is omitted or focused by the author and how the images manage time and space in its story (Cited in Buck, 2013). Due to the nature of graphic novels, students are constantly unpacking not only the text, but the images that complement the novel, dual-coding the information for comprehension and the extraction of information (Paivio, 2006).
Practice Changed
As a teacher, it should be mandatory for teachers to look for engaging novels that are not of the literary canon as it restricts the learning experience for learners with different capabilities, likings and learning profiles. I intend to mix non-canon, graphic novels and picture books in my future lessons.
A long time ago, I was once a student. I remember being bored and unimpressed with some of the books I was insisted to read. Bland and lifeless, I didn't care too much about reading those books. Like me, The students were very bored and un-engaged with reading novels constantly being pushed by teachers. By utilising new and refreshing texts, the lesson set by the teacher will enhance the learning experience, promoting multi-modal unpacking; tapping into more multiple elements that rely on a deeper level of analysis and interpretation.
A long time ago, I was once a student. I remember being bored and unimpressed with some of the books I was insisted to read. Bland and lifeless, I didn't care too much about reading those books. Like me, The students were very bored and un-engaged with reading novels constantly being pushed by teachers. By utilising new and refreshing texts, the lesson set by the teacher will enhance the learning experience, promoting multi-modal unpacking; tapping into more multiple elements that rely on a deeper level of analysis and interpretation.