It may be summer holidays in much of the world, but that has not stopped our Teach2030 teachers from upskilling themselves. Today, we focus on those who have considered where they stand in the classroom and celebrate them for their focus on improving the standards of education for the children they teach.
As teachers, we often think that the best place we can stand is the front of the classroom. It is important to lead our students when we are explaining a task. But, is this the best place for us to be for the whole lesson?
Hayley Huizinga from South Africa explains her views:
The Teach2030 course ‘Fresh Thinking for My Classroom’ was very helpful and I will encourage other teachers to do the same. I reflected on my own teaching. You learn a lot about yourself. A regular mistake I make is to stand right in front of the black board and students find that very annoying. I definitely had to move away from the black board more often and encourage learners to participate more in class.
I used reflection in the course to reflect on areas that I was not so confident about. I feel more confident about identifying the areas that I think can be developed.
I also did a survey in class to find out how students see me and find the lessons that I prepare and the feed back was positive. I interacted more with students and they participated more. Also take more time of to listen to the students instead of just rushing through work. We definitely did build better relationships now.
Faith Akalazu, a Nigerian teacher also considers the impact where she positions herself in her classroom:
I filmed myself while teaching. I watched it afterwards and took notes. I also went on the internet to check for questioning techniques and I’ve applied it already to my teaching plan.
I got a student from another class and my learning partner to film me using their smart phones. I collected videos and watched, criticised it and noted where I had to make corrections. I saw that my positioning was bad. At some point, I stood, with my back to the students most of the time, which caused an obstruction for them and therefore tired out. It has helped improve my positioning and also improved the communication between my students and I. I feel fulfilled because my learners now feel more supported.
It is during independent learning that teachers can consider where to stand in the classroom. At this point, students will be working on a task by themselves, or in pairs or groups. This is the time when you can circulate your classroom effectively. This means walking up and down the classroom aisles. But, what is your role at this moment?
For more information on this topic, you might want to re-watch our November workshop and complete the post-event activities by visiting this page.
And remember, if you want us to focus on a particular area of teaching, or celebrate your teaching achievements, just send us an email at [email protected]
