Inclusive Education Case Study

PST Interview Questions for Data on the Action Learning Sub-Topic

How do pre-service teachers engage students using classroom management?

1. As a PST, what did you find most challenging about your professional practice
experience/s?

I2PST

Definitely managing bad behaviour. I am only a small person so in most cases, these
students were taller and stronger than I am. I am secretly very intimidated by them. I
often found myself struggling to refocus a class when I had lost them due to a distraction
or disturbance. My mentor noticed this about me and said I often clasp my hands to stop
them from giving myself away. I didn’t notice this about myself before he mentioned it.

2. Were you able to observe or take part in any situation that required the teacher
to conduct classroom management practices? If yes, can you give one example of
a situation you observed or were a part of?

I1PST

Yes, it is quite often in a STEM class that requires all teachers to conduct classroom
management practices throughout the whole lesson. Due to STEM containing a
minimum of 4 teachers and a total of 60-80 students in a class. Teachers must ensure
that the environment is friendly, safe and all learners in the classroom are given the
opportunity to build their knowledge and learn in a way that best fits them. The teacher
display this by containing the miss behaved students and by collectively circulating
around the classroom to ensure all students are on the right track and achieving the best
outcome possible.

3. What classroom management strategies did you observe or implement to resolve

the situation?

I1PST

As mentioned earlier, my most successful management strategy was by differentiating

the class to have students complete the given worksheet and having those who showed
no interest in the worksheet to create different composite shapes which I had drawn on
the board for them to build. By doing this, it allowed those students to keep not only
themselves occupied but those students around them to continue to work through the
given worksheet.

I3PST
In this case, I feel like the kids I worked with just need more attention. And by giving
them attention, I mean being fair and interacting with the students on a teacher and
student level.

I4PST

There is a variety of cards that is coloured coded for a specific behavioural type. So, after
each lesson the students with the coloured cards are to have them signed by their
teacher. Teachers will write how well the student behaved or misbehaved.

4. Can you name three reasons why students might need classroom management?

I1PST

- Safe and sound environment where all students feel welcome and respected.
- For students to develop the necessary skills, values and knowledge to prepare them
for the life after school.
- Create a safe place for students to build friendships, knowledge and skills in all
subject they desire.

I2PST

- Engagement
- Safer environments
- Better learning

I3PST

- Attention
- Misunderstanding
- Student Teacher Rapport

5. Student engagement can be used as a tool to help manage classroom behaviour,

can you name one strategy you could use as a PST to engage students in
learning?

I1PST

As discussed earlier, by exploring the topic volume with blocks, students were able to
engage more in the actual unit by visually seeing how volume looks as an object and
they were able to collaborate into groups as well.

I2PST
I have found that students love visuals and if I incorporate these, along with outdoor
lessons, then I have more hope of engaging students with the content.

I4PST

I would use compliments. Try to create a student and teacher relationship. But as a pre
service teacher, the 6 week period of working with the kids I think is not long enough to
create a proper relationship. Acknowledging the students complaints about a teacher, to
make them feel that we’re on the same page. You have to agree with them in order to
disagree with them.

Interview: Ending Questions

6. As a pre-service teacher, what feedback or advice have you taken on board from
one of your supervisors in regards to classroom management?

I1PST

Engage with all students and show that you care for them and you want them to learn
and build their knowledge and skills

I2PST

My mentors have all suggested I work on my settling strategies and I have found myself
getting better at it. However, I often find myself wasting large amounts of time either
silently waiting for students to settle or implementing management strategies which
only work for minutes at a time.

I3PST

From PP1 the best advice ive taken from my supervisors was, get to know the student,
like really get to know them. Know their hobbies, know their interest, find out about
their lifestyle, so you can understand them a lot more. Understand their circumstances.
Then the students will always see eye to eye with you, like they respect you for taking
the time to get to know them a little bit better. The teacher from my PPCE was the same,
she was like “get to know the students, get to know the system”.

7. A large percentage of student engagement is a result of a teachers personality

and/or characteristic trait. What personality or characteristic trait do you
believe you will bring to the classroom to further engage students in learning?

I1PST
I personally interact with students throughout the lesson, I also circulate throughout the
lesson and offer support when needed. It is important to display a side/personality that
shows that you care. However, I need to build my teaching philosophy to display this in a
way but also showing that I am also a teacher who will ensure that the classroom or
lesson is safe, and students are able to follow any given clear instructions as well. I
personally believe that building a strong teacher-student relationship is very crucial as it
allows students to ask questions regardless of how important or non-important it may
be. Not only that, it allows the teacher themselves see how each individual student
learns, works and how you can use it in your lesson to bring out the best in their
learning.

I2PST

I can only hope that students can see that I am not there to “lead” or “direct” them in a
dictatorial kind of way. I hope that they can see that beneath it all, I am just a human
like them, and I am trying my best to provide them with something they can take away
and remember years from now.

I3PST

The personality trait I will bring to the classroom is kindness and fairness. Being able to
respect the kids on the same level they do with each other. That’s what I’d like to bring. I
hope I bring that. And, encouraging them to reach high expectations. Getting to develop
some responsibility, some resilience, some autonomy. Be able to be individuals in the
class. Not having to be directed all the time.