REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Principles of explicit instruction I use in my classroom

• Contiguity - ideas that need to be associated are presented together in sequence.
  
• Multi-literacies - material is presented in verbal, visual and multimedia forms.
  
• Testing Effect - testing is aligned with important content to facilitate learning.
  
• Spacing Effect - spaced schedules are used to optimise long-term retention.
  
• Exam Expectations - students’ skills are tested frequently before the exam to favour familiarity with the content.
  
• Generation Effect - students have to generate answers and not just recognise them.
  
• Multiple Examples - Use of grammar structures (for example article/noun/adjective agreement) is illustrated by multiple and varied examples.
  
• Feedback Effect - Immediate feedback is given to reduce the possibilities of learning wrong information, but also to enhance self-esteem.
  
• Desirable Challenges - students are presented with challenging tasks  that make learning effortful, thus have positive effects on long-term retention.
  
• Goldilocks Principle - tasks are not too easy nor too difficult, they are just right for the students’ level of skills and prior knowledge.
  
• Segmentation Principle - a complex lesson is broken into manageable cognitive loads (for instance, key vocabulary for new units is taught over few lessons).
  
• Deep questions - students are encouraged to ask deep questions (Why? Why not? How? What if...?)
  
• Acknowledging students’ imperfect meta-cognition - students’ capacity to calibrate their comprehension, memory and/or general learning should not be trusted (for example, important information is reiterated even if the students said they understood it).
  
• Discovery learning - most students have trouble discovering important principles of their own, therefore careful guidance, scaffolding and individual tutoring are given in the classroom and outside.
  
• Self-regulated learning - students are trained to self-regulate their learning and cognitive processes (for instance, students are introduced to strategies for succeeding in long and/or demanding tasks). 

Things that work

Things to improve

• Active listening 
  

I make a point of listening and reminding what the students tell me about their families and lives. I indicate my interest with both verbal and non verbal cues.

• Empathy

I am genuinely interested in the students’ social and cultural background, and in the difficulties they might be experimenting in and out of school. 

• Effective communication

I have worked on voice projection, clarity and modulation. I employ strategic questioning techniques, I-messages, and non-verbal communication to manage effectively the learning environment and to engage students.

• Enthusiasm

I show the students enthusiasm for my subjects and the school in general.

• Commitment 
  

I am focused and attentive in the class. I try to use peripheral vision, to notice lack of engagement and investigate on reasons. I make an effort to model positive behaviour in every occasion, inside and outside the classroom.

• Willingness to share and cooperate
  

I appreciated every opportunity to co-plan and share ideas with my colleagues. As a member of the Modern Language Teachers Association Queensland (MLATQ), I share strategies and unit plans with other language teachers. I use Google Docs and Dropbox, as well as social media, to keep in touch with IB Psychology teachers.

• Resourcefulness  
  

I look for ways to promote deep understanding, using concrete materials, pictorial models and ICT to scaffold the construction of knowledge. 

• Patience and Persistence
  

I work with students individually and in small groups, during and after class, to promote fluency.

• Confidence
  

I feel very confident in my pedagogical content knowledge. 

• Classroom Management 
  

I employ a range of behaviour management strategies, focusing on preventative strategies and acknowledgement of positive behaviour. I use ClassDojo with younger students, but I prefer to count on intrinsic motivation to engage students. I often refer to the strategies listed in the Essential Skills for Classroom Management booklet. 

• Effective Organisation
  

I am prepared and organised when delivering lessons. I always have a Plan B, and sometime a Plan C too.

• Feedback Seeking
  

I prompt feedback from students, HOD, subject coordinator and other teachers.

• Ethical Behaviour
  

I always abide by the QCT Code of Ethics and the Staff Handbook. 

• Professional Development
  

I welcome professional development opportunities in school and out of school.

• Technology
  

I enjoy using ICT in the classroom and I have set up virtual classrooms the students can access 24/7.

• Reflective Practice

I write reflections on my lesson plans, as soon as I get the chance after the implementation. I have also started a reflective journal to record ideas and possible resources. I  use the goal setting tools provided by the school.

• Classroom management
  

I find difficult to identify off-task students sometimes. I keep moving in the classroom to monitor students’ behaviour, but when writing on the whiteboard it is challenging to use peripheral vision. I have recently started using the AB tutor, which allows to check what is on the students' screens.

• Time management

I need to manage my planning time more effectively. 

• Effective communication

Verbal and non-verbal communication strategies can be improved. I would like to have some voice coaching to learn how to take care of my voice.

• Involve parents in the feedback process

Teaching should not be a disconnected nor isolated practice, and I would like to give more space to parents' feedback.

• Appropriate lesson closure

I run out of time at the end of the lesson sometimes, but I need to work on how to close lessons properly without rushing.