WEEK TEN DAILY REFLECTIONS

06/02/23 – 10/02/23
06/02/23

St. Brigid's Day Bank Holiday.

07/02/23
Sharing to build relationships with students.
I had a very impactful experience today in a substitution class. I was having a discussion with 3 rd
years about growing up in the area. We quickly came to a realisation that we were a lot more
alike than some of them may have liked to admit and that the path they're currently on is not
the only option.
During the discussion we talked about growing up in the area, going to the same primary
school, having the same teachers, going to the same supports, evening knowing a lot of their
family members. They continued to show interest in my life and asked probing questions into
trying to establish how familiar with the area I really was. I knew what they were fishing for,
with their designer coats, shoes, and watches costing more than my college fees despite
growing up in a low-income area.
The moment I realized how important this conversation really was, was towards the end of the
class, after the discussion had tapered off and focus had shifted. A few of them were still
discussing me being from the area and they said to each “he got out, he got out of this place”.
At that moment I realized I was no longer just another teacher, or an annoying authority figure.
I was a role model, a real role model. Some one who lived up right beside them, took the same
classes just a few years ago, faced the same difficulties and still managed to go college, get a
degree and be the first of the family to do so, breaking out of the vicious cycle low-income area
are subject too.
I knew this is where Im supposed to be, in a DEIS school, with my roots. This is where I can truly
make the most difference beyond my classroom walls.

08/02/23
Growing
Growing in the classroom can take many forms and is something that needs to be worked on
every day.
These daily reflections are an important aspect of that growth, peering back at the actions or
inactions you took, reflecting on the outcomes and consequences to see how we could have
changed them. Looking at the day or class as a whole to improve on can be overwhelming at
times and can leave you feel deflated about your practice. But breaking it down and looking at
the individual aspects or moments in the class that were pivotal, is much more effective and
efficient method of improving.
Growth is slow and continuous; you're not going to improve by leaps and bounds overnight.
Breaking a moment or activity down to its bones, applying some research and change's, giving it
another go and comparing the results is the only way to show how well your students are
actually engaging with and absorbing the knowledge. And its not always going to work, you
might fail, go in the wrong direction, or what works with one group wont work with the next
but the important is that you tried, you developed and now your teaching is better for it. “The
successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way” Dale Carnegie
09/02/23
Improving formative assessment methods.
After completing a third inspection, an important point of potential improvement was
highlighted about improving my formative assessment, especially at the end of the class. Just
something to for to establish they're understanding that goes beyond verbal questioning.
In graphics and DCG this is something I struggled with, with the subject consisting of only
graphically illustrated ideas, beyond verbal questioning about the question and topic at hand I
found it hard to create an effective, simple and quick assessment method that could be
completed by the class during its closure.
Reflecting on past placements and thinking specifically of how my co-op teachers managed this
their classrooms. I was reminded my co-op a few years ago, something I had let slip my mind
but something i would now be bringing forward into my everyday lessons. His method involved
the teacher handing out a piece of paper, no bigger than an A5 sheet, with a printout of the
question at some point in its completion. Be it just the set up, missing a few points or nearly
completed. He would then have the students sketch the answers up to a certain. Sometimes he
would set a timer and get them to complete as much as possible, other times he would set a
goal such as “find both vps”
This was a highly effective method as it achieved 3 separate but important goals. 1. It
established where there understanding of the question, 2. It improved their speed in
completing question, making the principals second nature and 3. It improved their sketches
skills. Im annoyed at myself for forgetting a technique like this but, again, highlights the
importance of reflecting on your past experiences to grow.
10/02/23
Final day of placement.