ZIZIPHO AMANDA MHAGA

22046577

observation assignment
1. What did I learn about my subject?
a) Teaching subjects are Life Orientation and Mathematical Literacy. Life Orientation in
grade 10 themes included; the development of self in society which entails
strategies learners need to develop one’s self. These included self-awareness, self-
esteem and the self-development. Learners are to be taught how to immerse
themselves in the society while being aware of who they are and of those who are in
the surroundings. The second theme is physical education, in which they will be
taught about the importance of understanding one’s body, how to take care of it as
well as the factors included in physical education. The third theme focused on
careers, ways to choose a career, different career options and the socio-economic
factors that may impact an individual’s chosen career path. The last theme is about
democracy and human rights where leaners will be taught about bill of rights and
understanding the relevant concepts such as discrimination, prejudice and diversity.
b) FOCUS Textbook
Life orientation Learner’s Book
Grade 10
Authors: E. Rooth, A. Seshoka, S. Steenkamp, S. Mahuluhulu
c) Some of the key challenges of teaching Life Orientation include little to no
concentration from the learners when it came to being taught the subject. The
learners had a biased attitude towards the subjects; they deemed it unimportant
and more of a “easy to pass” subject. Secondly, the educator was sometimes
interrupted during the lesson when another educator had an announcement about
their subject which they often referred to as more important and therefore urgent,
which discouraged the LO educator and consequently contributed to the subject
being undermined.
2. What did I learn about organisation?
a) The first day of the school leaners were instructed to write down their names which
were taken to the admin office to be printed out for class registers. The educator
together with the admin clerk drafted a timetable for the subject based on the hours
 that were to be attended a week. The educator did a roll call for a week to ensure
that all the learners were in the correct classrooms and to ensure that their names
appeared on the register in order to sign the attendance. The school’s staff prepared
and arranged the classrooms according to the number of learners on each subject.
b) The staff in the school experienced registration issues with the learners. Some
registered late, others were asking for transfers while already put in the school’s
system, the issues with paying for the registration fees and overall financial issues.
The educators whom have started with the classes had to revisit some important
announcements in class so as to ensure that the learners who registered late were
updated with the content. The stationery and resources were an issues as well, as
some learners lacked in such and those who were in that grade in the previous year
did not return the textbooks which impacted the learning in the classroom because
they had to share a book.
3. What did I learn about classroom teaching and learning?
a) The learners paid attention only when the educator was in their presence, they did
not seem to have any interest in what was being taught as they have convinced
themselves that it was only week one of school and therefore they did not feel as
though they needed to concentrate as much in class. The teacher had to adopt a
strategy of being one with the learners; this included being free minded, allowing
learners to incorporate their daily life experiences in the content. This way their
attention was captured and they started engaging with the teacher.
b) The teacher assessed the learners verbally. She asked questions in class after each
topic that was discussed. The questions were open-ended which allowed the
learners to elaborate and explain further which was an indication that they
understood the content. She expected each learner to give a real life example and
incorporate it with the theory to ensure that they truly understood what was being
taught in class. Lastly, they were given small tasks, to complete individually within a
short period of time to assess their performance.
c) The learners thrived when they were all given an opportunity to answer, to be
wrong and to be corrected. They mostly preferred working in groups as they
believed it is how they learn and to assist each other where necessary. The teacher
was calm and patient with the learners, she allowed them an opportunity to attempt
at answering the questions, to ask for more clarification where necessary. The
teacher together with the learners established some ground rules for the classroom;
these rules included time management in tasks being completed in class, allowing
each other an opportunity to speak in class, to respect each other’s views as well as
encouraging one another to participate in class.
d) The school did not have any technological tools present during the observation
however, the teacher did mention that sometime during the year they will fix the
projector for use. In the meantime, the teacher made used of the textbook and the
posters that were on the walls of the classroom. The teacher did encourage those
who had smartphones to watch some videos for further elaboration and to share
with others who did not possess smartphones.
e) The classroom was arranged in a manner that was convenient for both the leaners
and the teacher. The desks were arranged in rows with aisles in between them to
allow the teacher to maneuver through when necessary as well as allow the
students to work effectively. The leaners would go inside and get seated quietly
while waiting for the educator to come and begin with the lesson. Time
management was an essential factor which was respected by all. The teacher
adopted an authoritative style in the classroom to which leaners were allowed their
individual freedom however, the teacher ensured to foster discipline for the better
management of the classroom. I have observed and realised that the teacher came
prepared in class which ultimately led to the lessons being run smoothly and the
learners were at ease as they knew what was to expect and how the lesson would
unfold.
f) The learners came from different socio-economic backgrounds and had different
upbringings. The teacher did put an emphasis that the life orientation subject
 entailed was easily one of the subject you can connect into the wider world. The
content that is being taught is what each and every learner was experiencing, have
experienced, or will in the near future. The learners were able to make connections
between the content and their daily life experiences. For example, grade 10 leaners
are teenagers who are in the stages where they are experiencing self-development
issues, identity issues, and are in the phase where they have to choose the correct
subjects which will inform their career choices in the future. It was quite obvious
that they could relate the subject to the world.
g) Each lesson began with the teacher asking the learners to each comment on the
topic for the day. The teacher would write on the board for example, she would
write “Self-development” and ask the learners to tell her what they know about the
term on the chalkboard. She would make a mind-map with the concept in the
middle while pointing arrows with the answers from the learners. After collecting
the answers, she would then start by adding her notes on those of the learners and
they would all discuss their answers further. I have realised it was much simpler
done this way, the learners showed more enthusiasm and confidence in what was
being taught as this strategy made them realise they already possess a certain
amount of knowledge.
4. What did I learn about schooling in South Africa, during my observation?
a) In a positive manner: the parent’s involvement and dedication in their children’s
education was what topped them all. This included parents paying the school fees,
buying the stationery needed by the school, paying for the lost textbooks,
registering their children on time as well as attending the meeting in the school
when summoned. Teachers admitted that having supportive parents have made
their jobs as educators simpler because the learners come to school ready and
prepared for the year. These parents were mostly those who came from middle-
class families and whom were nuclear families. Secondly, the support from the
school’s community had a huge role to play, the whole community went to the
school during the first day to come for a prayer session for the year as they believed
 it helped with managing their children and it was a way to motivate them learners to
work hard. So the school’s stuff felt the support and care from the community.
In a negative manner: The Department of Education in the Eastern Cape especially in
the rural areas, has a slow service sometimes non-existent. This had a huge negative
impact on both the teachers and the learners as they were waiting for the books and
stationery provided by the government. Those learners who are dependent on the
the free stationery suffered during the two weeks as they could not afford to
purchase. Secondly, the issue of the parents who were negligent when it comes to
their children’s education. For instance, such parents were not attending meetings
that they were requested to, they were not adhering to the school rules and
regulation in any way. While the school staff understood that most of them come
from impoverished backgrounds and therefore could not necessary afford all the
school necessities, it was rather negligent of them to not even report to the school
about their situation.
b) The learners were all from one race, they spoke the same language therefore, there
was no language barrier in the classroom. However, in terms of gender the teachers
treated everyone in the school the same whether boy or girl. The only time learners
were separated according to their genders was during the sports because the school
had netball for girls and soccer for boys. In term of religious beliefs, all the learners
were expected to attend the assembly for a morning prayer on daily basis, this did
not seem to be an issue and no learners were against the rule, therefore the
teachers encouraged all the leaners to attend assembly before commencing with the
classes. With regards to the learner’s ability academic wise, the teacher took it upon
themselves to group learners who were struggling with those who quite understood
the content well, they believed peer-teaching plays a huge role in the betterment of
their studies.
c) The schools can aid in this by providing equal opportunities and access towards
marginalised communities. This can be done through providing education that is free
and accessible to all learners who are from these communities. Allowing all the
 learners to voice out their opinions and express themselves freely regardless of their
socio-economic backgrounds. The schools can instill values which include being fair
to all, equity as well as justice within the school’s staff and the learners. It is
important for schools to realize that they work hand in hand with the communities
they are in, and it is imperative for the school’s leadership structure to recognize the
value of traditional leaders and the role they play in said communities. Together
with the traditional leaders the schools can start organizations and invite influential
people who will come and educate the learners and community members on social
issues that they face such as unemployment , sex education, HIV/AIDS awareness
campaigns and other projects necessary for the community’s growth.
5. What did I learn about myself?
a) I observed that the learners struggled when it comes to communicating effectively in
English. This was due to the fact that the teacher mostly used IsiXhosa to explain and
elaborate more even though she was teaching a subject that is in English. I would
suggest that the teachers make use of the English language more both in writing and
communication in the classroom, this will enable the learner to acquire a level of
proficiency in the language which will allow them to communicate better,
understand it better and therefore perform well in class. Secondly, all the work was
done in class and less was given to learners as take home activities therefore, I
would suggest that the teacher should give the learners homework. This will enable
the learners to revisit the content that was taught while home, and while assessing
the homework the teacher will be able to see the progress of the learners.
b) My approach to becoming a teacher is informed by valuing the sense of
responsibility. I have been fortunate to be taught by teachers who looked at a
classroom filled with learners and saw a need, a responsibility that was theirs to
bare. Being a teacher gives one a sense of responsibility towards the future of
learners in front of them. This is relevant to being a teacher as it is the teachers
whom hold the power to affect a learner’s life whether positively or negatively.
Perseverance and patience are values that inform my decision to become a teacher.
 Teachers are patient beings, they have adopted and mastered the attitude of
practicing patience towards their learners because they are main goal is to ensure
that at the end of the day every learners leaves the classroom with knowledge. This
teaches the learners to persevere in during difficult times regardless of their
backgrounds with the knowledge that it is their perseverance that will change their
situations.
c) I am confident that I have a greater potential of becoming a teacher. I possess the
qualities that teachers need to become an educator, as they have been modeled by
those who came before me. There is room for improvement in any situation
however, I perceive that as a stepping stone to becoming a better version of who I
am becoming. I love to learn; I value life-long learning as I believe every individual
cannot have enough knowledge. We learn as we live. Being able to transform a mind
of someone else in a positive light is rewarding for both myself and the person I am
teaching.
6. Concluding comments
a) The two week that I have observed in the school did not necessarily provide all that
one needed to know when it comes to teaching, or becoming a teacher. It was
merely an introduction to what one can expect. The learners were new in the grade,
and to what was being taught therefore, it was a learning curve for everyone in the
classroom. The observation however, did highlight very important factors such as
classroom management, how to engage with learners especially when they are new
to that grade, as well as ways to teach and grab the learners’ attention in the
classroom. Those expectations were quite met well.
b) The only difficulty I experienced was having the learners come to me for assistance
with something they did not quite understand during the lesson. I was instructed not
to do anything other than to observe during the lessons. Therefore, it was a bit of a
challenge having to turn the learners away to follow the rule.