SWOT analysis Reflections on my teaching during EDFX

Affordances

Constraints

of my professional knowledge, practices and engagement

of my professional knowledge, practices and engagement

These are my strengths

I used many different strategies focused around the transitional phase

of each task. This was carefully considered prior to the lesson and
required me to partition the activities within the lesson. This was a
highly effective strategy as it further enhanced my behavioural
management of the students. This was enacted by short, simplistic
activities only allowing students minimal time to complete followed by
allowing them extra time for other activities that may require more
time. Other strategies included moving students to and from the floor to
ensure they were constantly engaged within the learning.
Tune-In activity of having students run around the perimeter of the
yard assisted students to connect the ideas associated with the term
perimeter meaning the outside of an object. This experience of
physically running around the perimeter made for an overall deeper
learning experience.

These are possible opportunities to make my weaknesses

strengths

I noted that I left out a key part of the lessons teaching during the tuningin phase of the lesson. Although I was able to explore the ideas and
concepts related to area and perimeter, as well as most students being able
to distinguish between the two terms, I forgot to connect this learning to an
authentic context.
I remembered this at the conclusion of the lesson, having guidance from my
AT, which I managed to discuss the authentic contexts that area and
perimeter can be used in. Although this greatly assisted all students to
understand the reasoning as to why we might need to know the area or
perimeter of an object, this would have been better placed at the beginning
of the lesson for students to connect their background knowledge of area
and perimeter to new, deeper learnings in authentic context.

These are my weaknesses

These are

I need to continue to work on my transitional techniques of my lesson.

This includes getting the students to line up prior to entering the
classroom, having students stand behind their desk and following the set
instructions of the teacher (teacher limiting instructions to short,
simplistic gestures).
As gathered from today, this greatly influences the overall behavioural
management of the classroom. When classroom expectations are clear
and precise in a sense that all students know what is required of them
for set task and general acceptable classroom behaviour, the lesson
content becomes much easier to teach as there is a much more ambient,
learning-centred environment. I need to establish these expectations and
environment at the beginning of the lesson for students to understand
what is required of them for the remainder of the day/lesson.
Commented [K1]: 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 Identifying the
positives, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in my lessons
or daily teaching, I am engaging in professional learning and
improving my own teaching practices. Each of these
possible threats to my opportunities
reflections was provided to my ATs for them to review and
To overcome these weaknesses identified, I have already begun to note provide me with verbal feedback as to what I could consider
for the next lesson. This acts to further student learning as I
the strategies used by my AT to maintain a good level of classroom
develop my own professional practices that enable and allow
behaviour, as well as specific techniques used to more thoroughly
for deeper learning experiences.

explain a task so that all students understand what is required of them.

These techniques include: simpler and more easily understood
terminology (particularly throughout the introduction of a new topic),
having students moving to-and-from the floor area for quick task or
demonstrations of a skill in order to more actively engage students in
the task.

Commented [K2]: 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 I have identified

several effective teaching strategies utilised by my AT that
actively engage students in their own learning. Also through
using a wide range of reflective resources (PMI, SWOT and
Compass Reflections), I am engaging within my own
development and transition into the teaching profession.

PMI chart Reflections on my teaching during EDFX

P positives, successes, and
achievements related to your
professional knowledge, practices, and
engagement

Students are able to connect their

learnings from the inquiry topic May
The Force Be With You to the science
experiments conducted.
Some students are able to connect their
learnings to new findings explored in the
lessons such as the forces of friction,
elasticity and heat energy.
I have identified areas that the lesson
could be adapted for a deeper learning
experience for the students, such as more
deeply explaining each experiment and
the transition of activities.
Most students were successful in
following the text structure of a
procedure to create a successful
experiment.

M minuses, challenges, improvement

areas related to your developing
professional knowledge, practices, and
engagement

I needed to further explain the purpose of

each science experiment as students of
different groups were completing their
task very early meaning they were left
bored or not focussing on their own
work but what others were doing.
I need to reassess and modify some of
the behavioural management strategies
used in the transitional period of a lesson.
Such as gaining student attention by
stating Hands on Heads and enforcing
all students to freeze with items out of
their hands.

I improvement ideas, future

strategies, ways forward for developing
the challenges into successes

I need to continue trying new techniques

of behavioural management strategies for
the transitional periods of lessons. Such
as being explicit in my language that
students need to completely stop what
theyre doing, everything should be out
of their hands, and all eyes on the teacher
at the front of the classroom for
instruction of what to do.

SWOT analysis Reflections on my teaching during EDFX

Affordances

Constraints

of my professional knowledge, practices and engagement

of my professional knowledge, practices and engagement

These are my strengths

I have been able to critique my lessons throughout the classroom

rotation program so that although I am continuing to teach different
students the same content, it is presented in a more effective manner to
create a deeper learning experience.
Post-lesson reviews with my AT: I have been able to identify most to all
of the areas I could have possible improved the lesson for next time.
This although may indicate my lessons may need to improve the
learning opportunities for the students, it is positive to both receive this
feedback as well as being able to personally identify the same areas of
focus I could possibly improve for the next lesson. For example, after
todays modified lesson, which was overall a smooth and highly
productive lesson, both my AT and myself afterwards identified other
areas that could be altered for the next lesson to further enhance the
learning of students as well as classroom management.

These are possible opportunities to make my weaknesses

strengths

I have found the classroom rotation programs (teaching the same lesson to
different students) a really beneficial learning process for both the students
at this time of the year, and also for developing my own pedagogy.
The rotation system allows me to teach, receive feedback, review and
critique a lesson before teaching the same lesson again to a different class
within the next 2-day period.
I have found this both highly interesting and productive from a teaching
perspective as it provides me with the opportunity to mend possible
difficulties I may have had within the deliverance of the first lesson,
identify what was highly beneficial for students and alter the lesson to
improve the overall lesson content, learning opportunities and management
of the class.

These are my weaknesses

One of the weaknesses identified from todays lessons that I have aimed
to focus on over the remainder of the week are the processes involving
class transitioning. This transition does not specifically relate to the
conclusion of one lesson to the next, however the transitions involved
within one-particular lesson. This includes seemingly simple and often
overlooked processes such as sitting on the floor, standing behind seats
and achieving an acceptable level of classroom volume.
I am also continuing to work towards changing some of the terms I use
in the explaining of a task. I need to remind myself that these students
are of a Year 1/2 Level, which does not mean that they to be spoonfed information, but will require further guidance and assistance prior
to commencing a task or activity. I need to practice this more so over
this placement and has become one of my new key focusses towards
exemplifying a gradual release of responsibility in lessons.

These are possible threats to my opportunities

I am continuing to work on my behavioural management strategies as a

key focus of this placement, however as identified over the past few
lessons particularly over the classroom rotation lessons, one of the key
areas associated with classroom management is the transition phases of
each lesson.
This has become one of my new key focuses over the remainder of my
placement, as I believe this will improve both my classroom
behavioural management techniques and strategies.

PMI chart Reflections on my teaching during EDFX

P positives, successes, and
achievements related to your
professional knowledge, practices, and
engagement

I was excited to see the high levels of

engagement of students been each other
and the task about what it means to be
Respectful.
Students were actively respectful when
working as a group to brainstorm the
definition of respect.
Teaching strategies to captivate the
attention of students were highly
effective. Eg. Do this, do this, do this,
do that.
Questioning techniques were highly
effective to not only commend students
on good responses but promoting higher
level thinking answers. Eg. Hmm you
said we could be respectful by not lying,
which is a great answer. Whats a good
word we can use that begins with H that
describes not lying and trusting one
another? Honesty.
I am feeling more and more confident
with my ability to teach every day as I
get to know all aspects of the school
area, classroom environment, students,
staff and learning abilities of the students
in my class.

M minuses, challenges, improvement

areas related to your developing
professional knowledge, practices, and
engagement

One of the key challenges of this

placement, however is with all
placements (particularly at the
beginning), is trying to understand what
learning styles work best for all students
of the class, and asking myself: How
can I modify my activity/lesson to further
incorporate
visual/kinaesthetic/audio/verbal
learners?
There are two or three students of the
classroom that require further attention
and guidance to ensure they understand
what task are requiring them to do. This
requires me to more thoroughly explain
the task in easy-to-understand terms for
all students NOT TO ASSUME OR
PRESUME PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.
This is one of the areas I can improve on
towards becoming a teacher and my own
pedagogy style: to have clear, coherent
and precise instructions prior to going
into an activity. This is notable between
activities such as putting books on desk
prior to coming to sit on the floor, or
lesson transition procedures.

I improvement ideas, future

strategies, ways forward for developing
the challenges into successes

To improve my teaching, I need to

consider more effective lesson transition
procedures. This can be easily adjusted
however simply needs to be further
considered when planning lessons.
Simple initiatives such as leaving
worksheets on tables before coming to
the floor area as a means of limiting the
number of possible distractions for
students.

Compass point reflection Reflections on my teaching during EDFX

3. What do you need to know more about in terms of 1. What are you excited about in terms of successes with
successes with your professional knowledge, practice, your professional knowledge, practice, and engagement?
and engagement?
Having completed my first lesson in the
Foundation Grade, it is important to reiterate the
main focus points of the lessons in the Lesson
Conclusion.
Need to expand knowledge of how to manage
expectancies of students in the Foundation Level
such as fiddling or being easily distracted when
completing task.

2. What are you worried about in

terms of successes with your
professional knowledge, practice, and
engagement?
I continue to stress the importance of
setting high standards in regards to behavioural
management methods and the clarity of which
students need to know these practices.
I am stressing the time management of classroom
lessons, being in the Foundation Level of which
today I found that even the simplest of task (sitting
up, not touching one another) can be proven to be
considered a difficult task.

I am excited towards teaching my first lesson

managing a specialist unit of Religion particularly at
the time of the year that has a strong focus on the
topics of Christmas and what is the importance of
Christmas.
Methods tested in my first lesson surrounding the
focus of Bike Education Week were generally
positive, especially methods of behavioural
management.

4. What specific suggestions do you have for yourself to

improve?

Reaching out to as many students of the class in

order to get to know and remember students for not
only their names, but more so their learning
tendencies and what learning style is best suiting
for their development.

Compass point reflection Reflections on my teaching during EDFX

3. What do you need to know more about in terms of 1. What are you excited about in terms of successes with
successes with your professional knowledge, practice, your professional knowledge, practice, and engagement?
and engagement?
I need to continue to grow in confidence when
delivering a lesson and know exactly how to
explain the lesson to the students in more basic
terms of which they will understand.
Need to know how to manage student
misbehaviour in a way that doesnt stop whole
class productivity due to one students individual
behaviour.

2. What are you worried about in

terms of successes with your
professional knowledge, practice, and
engagement?
I am somewhat nervous as to how my first PE
lesson will proceed, having never taught a lesson
before. However having said this, I am more so
excited to see the implementation of theories and
games learnt throughout EDPH this year.

I am excited towards teaching my first lesson

physical education lesson next week and using all
the games, methods I have learnt throughout EDPH
this year.
I was excited to see how far the students have
come to learn about Bike Education Week and the
amount of road signs/rules they have recorded.

4. What specific suggestions do you have for yourself to

improve?

I need to develop a behavioural management

strategy that caters only to those 1-2 students that
are consistently misbehaving throughout lessons.
This strategy must also not stop the progression of
the lesson within whole-class task.