4.1 Support student participation.
4.2 Manage classroom activities.
4.3 Manage challenging behaviours.
Within a diverse year 7 visual arts classroom of 25 students it was essential to understand and caters to the learning needs of the students to best support student participation (4.1), manage classroom activities and manage (4.2) challenging behaviours (4.3) (AITSL, 2011).
Thirteen students had identified learning needs, ranging from English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD), vision impairment, Autism, and ADHD. Additionally, six of these students had a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) and as a result there was always a school officer present to provide support for these students.
The class was completing a Pop Art Unit, specifically focusing on creating an artwork. Students were required to select an image of a celebrity they like, the teacher would then photoshop the image so that students are able to trace the image in preparation to paint, then paint the image.
Employed a range of strategies for this unit to best support student learning and create a positive learning environment.
The management of the some of the challenging behaviours within the classroom and ultimately managing the classroom activities was approached proactively, following the 10 essential skills for classroom management (Artefact d) (Education Queensland, 2007). Clear expectations were established, choices were given when behaviour was not meeting the expectations and there was follow through with consequence outlined (Rogers, 1995). One instance where this was demonstrated was in a phone confiscation. The student had their phone out, they were given a warning and directed to put the phone away. When this redirection did not work, the student was given a choice, either put the phone on the desk for the lesson or take it to the office and collect it at the end of the day. When the student still refused to meet the expectations of the classroom, they were directed to take the phone to the office (Education Queensland, 2007).
A seating arrangement also played an important role in behaviour management and supporting student participation. The students who had low vision and reading difficulties were sat at the front to increase engagement and participation (Lewis & Carrol, 2016). In addition to this the PowerPoints included larger and more simplified text to better support these students. The student with PLPs were seated together at the back of the classroom so that they had easy access to support from the school officers. Students that did not work well together were separated to limit disruptions in the class.
Recognised that some students had difficulties with fine motor skills, and therefore found tracing difficult the activity was modified to ensure full participation of those students. Instead of tracing the imagine student were to either paint on the back of their celebrity print out, or if that was too challenging they were able to paint over the top of their image, depending on their skill level (Basit, 2012).
To manage the painting activities effectively a PowerPoint presentation/reminder at the beginning of class outlined both the learning objectives and emphasised behavioural expectations. The served as a consisted reference point for students about the rules and expectations of the classroom activities (Education Queensland, 2007).
As a result, I felt the lessons and lesson activities often ran smoothly and students aimed to meet my expectations within the classroom. I felt the classroom environment was positive and supportive which allowed me to develop rapport with the students.
Reference
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2011). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Queensland College of Teachers. https://cdn.qct.edu.au/pdf/QCT_AustProfStandards.pdf.
Basit, T. N., & Tomlinson, Sally. (2012). Social inclusion and higher education. Policy.
Education Queensland. (2007). Better Behaviour Better Learning: Essential Skills for Classroom Management. Queensland Government. https://teacherprofessionaldevelopmentservices.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Essential-Skills-for-Classroom-Management.pdf.
Lewis, R., & Carroll, F. (2016). Creating seating plans: a practical application. The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 67(11), 1353–1362. https://doi.org/10.1057/jors.2016.34
Rogers, B. (1995). A Whole School Approach Behaviour Management. Scholastic. Gosford.
