Reviewing of my IP objectives
When we first applied to go for this International Practicum, we were required to submit a one-page write up about ourselves and our objectives for this teaching stint. This post is for me to review my objectives again and to check if they are met, or if not, then how I can meet them before I leave.
My 3 main objectives for this IP were:
1. To explore the appropriate teaching styles for different age groups, especially when teaching Gymnastic and Outdoor Education
2. How talent development programme or CCA is being structured in school to prepare children
in competition
3. Managing a class with varying abilities and discipline
Objective 1
In Berzeliusskolan, I am attached to the the 7th Graders. They are 14 years old, equivalent to the Secondary Two students in Singapore. I have never taught or observed PE in the secondary school setting, and the only experience I have is when I was a student myself. Thus, all that I observed were fresh, leaving me to wonder if I can adopt or tweak some practices in my own PE teaching for my primary school students in the future.
The students here are banded according to subjects or ability level. Just like in Singapore, where at the end of lower secondary (Sec 2), students are required to choose the subject they want to 'specialised' in - science, humanities, home economics, design & technology, art etc. In Berzelius, there is sports class, science class, special needs class etc. Students of the same kind are grouped together. This makes teaching and learning easier to facilitate as teacher are able to work with one-size-fits-all strategy. For example, with the sports class 7G, the teacher was able to do a tabata workout with the students because he knows that they would be able to do it and sustain the high intensity. With the students with autism class 7S for example, the teacher was able to quickly inform the students of the instructions and reporting time before starting the orienteering activity because he knows that they are able to do it because they are academically inclined. With the special class 7I on the other hand, activities are carefully planned with progressive stages to ease the students to achieve small successes. Thus, teaching styles varies from class to class.
Singapore on the other hand have a different approach - inclusivity. There is no one class with students with special needs or autism. Instead, these students are scattered in different classes. Teachers in Singapore uses a wide variety of teaching approaches so as to meet the needs of the diverse learners.
I was given a chance to observe how gymnastic and outdoor education lessons are being conducted. Being a beginning teacher myself, I have always wondered how gymnastics and outdoor education can be taught effectively because these two skills are what I find most challenging to teach. I was very amazed at how daring and skillful the students are here - they can do somersaults and backflips after jumping on the trampoline, some even stick their landing perfectly like a gymnast! However, I feel like PE teachers in Singapore are bounded with restictions and rules. This could perhaps be the potential danger and complaints from the parents if something bad were to happen to their children. Perhaps, Singaporean parents should encourage their children to play more, so as to develop crucial fundamental motor skills during an early age instead of staying home for tuition, revision or playing computer games. The more unstructured play they have, the more opportunities are created to hone their social-emotional intelligence while interacting with their peers as well as movement skills such as knowing how to break their fall safely without injuring themselves.
Sweden is filled with beautiful green spaces for outdoor activity outside of school. The students here are able to read a really complicated map and still manage to find their way to the checkpoints. The teacher does not have to worry about having the students to go in pair to watch after one another in case anything were to happen. Instead, the students here are encouraged to go on their own, and troubleshoot any issues themselves. Again, Singapore's system have the student's safety as the top priority - students are required to go in pairs in an unfamiliar environment etc. After watching the lessons here, I do believe that the Singaporean students can perform such activities themselves too, after some scaffolding to better prepare them to take on the task. One plus point about the OE in Sweden is that they do not need to have risk management strategies. Everything is so lax and easy for the PE teachers because of their experience in the woods and the trust that they have with their students in taking care of themselves.
All in all, I think the main takeaway from my first IP objective is: to not be afraid to try out something that the students are afraid of. The first step is always the hardest but as a teacher, I have to guide and encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. (I once tried the assisted handstand with Primary 4 students and I was filled with worries and concerns if they are not able to withstand being in the inverted position for a brief moment). At the end of the day, I realised that there was nothing to worry about because they could actually do it. I just need to believe in them.
Objective 2
There is no CCA or after school programmes for the students here in Sweden. They do not have interschool competitions for sports, performing arts, uniform groups or clubs and societies etc. Instead, students join external clubs outside of school if they want to pursue their passion. In fact, there are many diffrent clubs - football, floorball, gymnastics, cheerleading, ice hockey etc. Students get to make decisions for themselves on what their passion is and they then manage their own school and training workload. It would be nice, to see students representing their schools in competition because this would instill a sense of belonging and pride to be in the school they are in.
Objective 3
As mentioned in objective 1, the classes here in Berzelius are according to abilities. Thus, the students generally have the same standards. However, within the class, there are also some students who are better than others in some ways and some who are not as proficient in other ways. The teaching style that the teacher adopt is mostly self practice where they are given a task, and they try on their own, and if they need help then they will approach the teacher. So, students are focused on their on individual skill level for improvement. Teacher also vary the task to suit the different abilities.
I think the discipline here in Sweden is very lax. Students are treated like adults and are very vocal to speak their opinion in class. They even call their teachers by their first name. However, sometimes I feel that students here in Sweden gets away easily after being reprimanded and that there is no consequences to their misbehaviour. Personally, I think that it is important to have routines and structures in place for a good class management because only then, effective teaching can take place. Consequences should also be acted on so that the students knows what is expected of them. Ultimately, one's character supersedes his achievements, at character is something that has to be nurtured consistently.
It has been 5 weeks already in Berzeliusskolan and I really enjoyed my time here. This experience has allowed me to look at Singapore's education landscape with a new perspective and appreciate the system a lot more. It has also allowed me to think outside the box on what I can try and what I can do with my students on certain pedagogical styles and approaches that I have not tried before. All in all, IP was a huge success for me and I would like to thank my mentor, Mr Magnus Erlands, for everthing that he had shared for me to be a better teacher. He is truly an inspiration.
Cheers,
Siti Muliyanti
My 3 main objectives for this IP were:
1. To explore the appropriate teaching styles for different age groups, especially when teaching Gymnastic and Outdoor Education
2. How talent development programme or CCA is being structured in school to prepare children
in competition
3. Managing a class with varying abilities and discipline
Objective 1
In Berzeliusskolan, I am attached to the the 7th Graders. They are 14 years old, equivalent to the Secondary Two students in Singapore. I have never taught or observed PE in the secondary school setting, and the only experience I have is when I was a student myself. Thus, all that I observed were fresh, leaving me to wonder if I can adopt or tweak some practices in my own PE teaching for my primary school students in the future.
The students here are banded according to subjects or ability level. Just like in Singapore, where at the end of lower secondary (Sec 2), students are required to choose the subject they want to 'specialised' in - science, humanities, home economics, design & technology, art etc. In Berzelius, there is sports class, science class, special needs class etc. Students of the same kind are grouped together. This makes teaching and learning easier to facilitate as teacher are able to work with one-size-fits-all strategy. For example, with the sports class 7G, the teacher was able to do a tabata workout with the students because he knows that they would be able to do it and sustain the high intensity. With the students with autism class 7S for example, the teacher was able to quickly inform the students of the instructions and reporting time before starting the orienteering activity because he knows that they are able to do it because they are academically inclined. With the special class 7I on the other hand, activities are carefully planned with progressive stages to ease the students to achieve small successes. Thus, teaching styles varies from class to class.
Singapore on the other hand have a different approach - inclusivity. There is no one class with students with special needs or autism. Instead, these students are scattered in different classes. Teachers in Singapore uses a wide variety of teaching approaches so as to meet the needs of the diverse learners.
I was given a chance to observe how gymnastic and outdoor education lessons are being conducted. Being a beginning teacher myself, I have always wondered how gymnastics and outdoor education can be taught effectively because these two skills are what I find most challenging to teach. I was very amazed at how daring and skillful the students are here - they can do somersaults and backflips after jumping on the trampoline, some even stick their landing perfectly like a gymnast! However, I feel like PE teachers in Singapore are bounded with restictions and rules. This could perhaps be the potential danger and complaints from the parents if something bad were to happen to their children. Perhaps, Singaporean parents should encourage their children to play more, so as to develop crucial fundamental motor skills during an early age instead of staying home for tuition, revision or playing computer games. The more unstructured play they have, the more opportunities are created to hone their social-emotional intelligence while interacting with their peers as well as movement skills such as knowing how to break their fall safely without injuring themselves.
Sweden is filled with beautiful green spaces for outdoor activity outside of school. The students here are able to read a really complicated map and still manage to find their way to the checkpoints. The teacher does not have to worry about having the students to go in pair to watch after one another in case anything were to happen. Instead, the students here are encouraged to go on their own, and troubleshoot any issues themselves. Again, Singapore's system have the student's safety as the top priority - students are required to go in pairs in an unfamiliar environment etc. After watching the lessons here, I do believe that the Singaporean students can perform such activities themselves too, after some scaffolding to better prepare them to take on the task. One plus point about the OE in Sweden is that they do not need to have risk management strategies. Everything is so lax and easy for the PE teachers because of their experience in the woods and the trust that they have with their students in taking care of themselves.
All in all, I think the main takeaway from my first IP objective is: to not be afraid to try out something that the students are afraid of. The first step is always the hardest but as a teacher, I have to guide and encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. (I once tried the assisted handstand with Primary 4 students and I was filled with worries and concerns if they are not able to withstand being in the inverted position for a brief moment). At the end of the day, I realised that there was nothing to worry about because they could actually do it. I just need to believe in them.
Objective 2
There is no CCA or after school programmes for the students here in Sweden. They do not have interschool competitions for sports, performing arts, uniform groups or clubs and societies etc. Instead, students join external clubs outside of school if they want to pursue their passion. In fact, there are many diffrent clubs - football, floorball, gymnastics, cheerleading, ice hockey etc. Students get to make decisions for themselves on what their passion is and they then manage their own school and training workload. It would be nice, to see students representing their schools in competition because this would instill a sense of belonging and pride to be in the school they are in.
Objective 3
As mentioned in objective 1, the classes here in Berzelius are according to abilities. Thus, the students generally have the same standards. However, within the class, there are also some students who are better than others in some ways and some who are not as proficient in other ways. The teaching style that the teacher adopt is mostly self practice where they are given a task, and they try on their own, and if they need help then they will approach the teacher. So, students are focused on their on individual skill level for improvement. Teacher also vary the task to suit the different abilities.
I think the discipline here in Sweden is very lax. Students are treated like adults and are very vocal to speak their opinion in class. They even call their teachers by their first name. However, sometimes I feel that students here in Sweden gets away easily after being reprimanded and that there is no consequences to their misbehaviour. Personally, I think that it is important to have routines and structures in place for a good class management because only then, effective teaching can take place. Consequences should also be acted on so that the students knows what is expected of them. Ultimately, one's character supersedes his achievements, at character is something that has to be nurtured consistently.
It has been 5 weeks already in Berzeliusskolan and I really enjoyed my time here. This experience has allowed me to look at Singapore's education landscape with a new perspective and appreciate the system a lot more. It has also allowed me to think outside the box on what I can try and what I can do with my students on certain pedagogical styles and approaches that I have not tried before. All in all, IP was a huge success for me and I would like to thank my mentor, Mr Magnus Erlands, for everthing that he had shared for me to be a better teacher. He is truly an inspiration.
Cheers,
Siti Muliyanti
Comments
Post a Comment