CRITICAL REFLECTION

REFLECTION ON WEEK 2: Planning for the unexpected

When teaching in an educational setting it is important that you plan ahead for classes to

ensure you are giving your students the best opportunity you can offer them. But there are

also some things you can just never prepare for or expect that may disrupt your future classes

which causes you to adapt and overcome and this is what separates effective teachers from

the rest. “An effective teacher is one who is able to use certain strategies which will result in

improved academic achievement” (Hunt, 2009)

The beginning of this week was greeted by some very unusual and surprising news. Met by

the vice principal on my arrival she broke the news to me of a flood within both wood

technology classrooms would force me to use alternative classrooms in the foreseeable future

until the rooms are safe to return. A pipe burst in the ceiling due to freezing weather, had

filled up the suspended ceiling of water, and when it could hold it no longer it all came down

together, flooding the workbench rooms and deeming it unsafe to work within the walls of

the classroom as some machines may have electrical damage now. This would cause massive

changes and disruptions to my future classes as alternative classes would need to be located

every day for these classes and no practical work could be carried out for at least another

month. This would also cause disruption to my lesson plans I had already planned out for this
week as I had planned to do a certain amount of practical class with my students which will

now have to be parked up and placed on hold for another day. My students weren’t happy

when I broke the news to them. But this will give us a good chance to cover the theory work

now while we can and then when the work bench room is back up and running, we can have a

good run at the practical material not worrying about the theory as we will have it covered.

We will be effectively making the best out of the disruptive situation. “The message to

embrace adaptation remains consistent, as supervising teachers coach them to adjust to

ongoing contingencies. The daily schedule itself is constantly subject to change, and school

events and activities frequently intrude on instructional time in ways unanticipated by teacher

candidates” (Everitt, 2018). As a studying teacher it is regular to receive new challenges and

disruptions daily as you aren’t always kept in the loop and some disruptions may be out of

your control. This is good learning though as it challenges you to overcome and adapt to

these challenges to be as effective as possible in the future.

References
Everitt, J. G. (2018). Lesson Plans: The Institutional Demands of Becoming a Teacher.

Rutgers University Press.

Hunt, G. (2009). Effective Teaching. Charles C. Thomas.