3.3 Use teaching strategies
- Include a range of teaching strategies
3.4 Select and use resources
- Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
- Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement
At the beginning of the school year in a catholic primary school I completed a three week professional experience in a prep classroom. The class had 18 students in total, with two students being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, one student was in the process of potentially being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and three students identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The demographic was from low to middle socio-economic backgrounds. In the first week of school, it was vital to set clear expectations of behaviour, rules and routines (Alford & Herbert, 2019) which were implemented through verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement, standard 3.5. I utilised various resources and teaching strategies to set up the classroom expectations to ensure all students could engage, understand and follow the directions being given.
Before any effective teaching can take place a safe, inclusive learning environment must be established that is built on trust, respect and consideration. Verbal communication included clearly explaining and modelling the meaning of ‘Give me Five’ in regard to classroom behaviour and its importance to learning. A non-verbal cue for classroom behaviour and management was the implementation of coloured floor dots, one clearly labeled for each student in a seating plan. The seating plan (Alford & Herbert, 2019) was devised to ensure all students could access and participate in the teaching and learning task. For example, the students with diagnosis’ who required additional support were seated near the teacher, so I was able to redirect off-task behaviour and provide affirmations when they were meeting expectations in a quiet and respectful manner. The seating plan also allowed for quick transitions between tasks.
Additionally, I implemented a behaviour management ladder, which ensured all students were on task and ‘ready to learn’. This strategy requires both verbal and non-verbal communication to be effective. When students were off task and had been quietly redirected with no result I would pause, and signal through a stop hand gesture followed with an explanation of their off-task behaviour and how it was affecting their fellow learners. According to Piaget’s stages of development the preoperational stage 2-7 years using gestures, signs, sounds and words to represent and convey meaning an appropriate strategy (Churchill et al., 2019). After acknowledging the student, I would then ask them to come and move their name to stop and think, this allowed the student to take ownership of their behaviour. Once the learning task was completed, I would then follow up with the student individually, allowing them the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour and when they were ready, they can move their name back to ‘ready to learn’.
As a result of implementing these resources, (aligning with standard 3.4 demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources that engage students in their learning), with appropriate teaching strategies, (relating to standard 3.3 include a range of teaching strategies), the classroom ran smoothly, and effective teaching took place in a safe learning environment.
Please see link to artefact for standard 3. https://create.usq.edu.au/renee-cook/examples-of-teaching-impact-for-standard-3/
References
Alford, G., & Herbert, P. (2019). The beginning teachers’ companion. (3rd ed.). ITC Publications.
Churchill, R., Godinho, S., Johnson, N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., Mackay, J., Mcgill, M., Moss, J., Nagel, M., & Shaw, K. (2019). Teaching making a difference. (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
