
SECONDARY
MR Jones was preparing for a 1 hour Physical Education Lesson with a year 9 class of boys and girls, first up after recess. He wished to teach them about water safety skills. (In preparation for class camp)
FORMAL ASSESSMENT
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to integrate what you have learned via class sessions, readings, and presentations.
Examine the attached vignette and indicate:
What you perceive to be the major concerns.
And the approaches / possible solutions you would offer. In doing this, you must consult at least three references sources apart from the textbook, to support your ideas.
Some possible pedagogical aspects to consider in your responses are:
Management Techniques
Motivational Issues
Group and relationship Considerations.
Non Verbal communication
Planning Rationale
Instructional Techniques
Deep learning
Diversity of learning
ME AND MR JONES,
HAVE GOT A THING GOING ON.......
I decided I would to analyse poor Mr Jones lesson by applying the guide to lesson planning provided by Notre Dame.
So we know our lesson takes place at 11.30 to 12.30, its directed at a Year 9 Class of boys and girls.
Key learning Area, Physical Education,
Outcomes Water safety
Life skills outcomes, preparation and understanding for safety on camp.
Target Outcomes, focus on river conditions and what to do if a member of their group fell in and was unable to get to shore or get out.
Lesson Topic water safety procedures.
Students prior Knowledge
Mr Jones has shown no consideration or connection to the student’s prior learning, knowledge or life experiences. At that age 14 group, students love a dark tale or graphic details and descriptions. (Look at the computer games they play, the Gothic fashion, and music) Gardner No consideration to Piaget, Brunner, or the construction of learning, Mr Jones didn't seem to embrace the idea that age group has got attitude and opinions of value coming from previous experience. Look I cannot be too hard on the poor sod he does seem to be relying on some form of prior knowledge of the students, they must be drawing on something about their understanding of the " Play Acting Task".
Also the students are "arriving disorderly quite worked up, vigorously discussing something that had happened at recess" in my opinion, what happened at recess seems to be affecting the values and attitudes the students are bringing to this lesson.
I feel Mr Jones missed such a sweet opportunity to connect, to engage, to show his students he cared, to bring the class together centralise conversation and discussion, God heaven forbid even used the incident! For example if the incident at recess had been an accident requiring medical help and attention, then this incident could be used as a lead to the idea of accidents happen? They happen all the time unexpectedly, at school, home, at the beach on camp and on the roads.
I would encourage the students to express their feelings and information about the incident to be heard and engage others for opinions. I would of been kindly interested in what happened, even if it turned out to be a trivial matter, it obviously concerned the students. (What if Mr Jones was missing out on a physical abuse issue, bullying issue, a personal issues) Meeting our student’s needs is fundamental to our student’s ability to learn, apply and create. Love , Fun Belonging, Power, the foundation to self-actualisation, and deeper understanding. Glasser and Maslows hierarchy of needs and where was Mr Jones not even building the basics of establishing good relationships. As the students settled I would of asked other students what they knew as a way of making sure I had the class's attention at least focused on the incident so the connection to todays task would be understood still maintaining a casual concern.
I would lead on to encourage the students to discuss other accidents or incidents as a building on method of understanding. I ask the students to remember personal incidents or accidents to do with water safety, even if some reference a book or a movie, a TV show, a friend of a friend story. To encourage inclusion, and its a time the teacher can observe any discomfort about the subject i.e. fear of water, death of a parent or family member due to an accident, or unknown Fear. Pain
Unlike Mr Jones I would not have had the scenario on the board. I would have been writing key points and questions on the board as the students were discussing the movies and incidents. mind mapping.
Making the connections of different scenarios. I would be mapping ideas and building the scenario possibilities in preparation for the "play acting task" Directing or guiding to make sure my key questions, content and outcomes are being understood and achieved. BOS requirements.For Example while discussing what is the most important thing to do in a rescue / first aide situation ?, is making sure of your own safety and not putting yourself in danger or at risk. Talk about recent flooding how two people got swept away trying to help someone else. real world During these discussions if I notice a student or students having trouble settling or calming I would ask them to act as Scribe or contribute an idea or story.
What concepts, principles and Provision for learner Diversity.
What experiences!
I would already have an outline of how I pictured the lists of ideas were to develop and how my outcomes would be reinforced in the play acting task. How with the help and information from the students during this preparation discussion they get a say in the rules and boundaries of the four different Scenarios’ all based on river themes.
Poor Mr Jones doesn’t seem to lift in excitement or sense of fun about the task even his picture of how he saw the task unfolding was lifeless and boring and how unrealistic was his expectations.
It seems no one has told poor Mr Jones it is important to plan how to react or respond to student’s behaviour. Especially taking a year 9 class.
So we see Mr Jones attempt to get the task going, and go not quite as Mr Jones had planned. I would of played a game of Lucky Dip and the students would of been engaged because, one, it’s a game and fun, two, the students helped in the rules and scenario possibilities so there is a sense of ownership to their learning experience. Depending on the student’s level of engagement, I would of controled the "group combinations", or if things were going along well, I may have guided judgments and made sure all students felt included. The fact Mr Jones only set one scenario means he limited the scope the students could experience understanding and learning. Sure he had a group social activity chosen but with no scope for freedom, or taking our students to what I've nicked named " The ZONE " Vygotski's Zone of proximal Development.
I'd control the props (provide clothing to add a bit of fun in the task) and equipment, by nominating students or groups to be responsible for particular props, evenly distributing the responsibility and house keeping.
Pacing and flow of the lesson plays a major role in keeping students involved and interested.
We could be arguing now about poor Mr Jones, Yes he has tried, he has! props, group activities, and maybe all would or could go as planned, and maybe he had anticipated being able to build knowledge during the "Play Acting" viewing and presentation.
Water Safety and First Aide are traditionally intrinsically interesting, they as subjects pictorial, as subjects they engaged the multiple intelligences theory, and offer so many choices of resources and materials in how a teacher can achieves out comes / life skills on a deeper level. So my assessment of Mr Jones effort so far to present a relatively easy subject matter, has produced a poor result to say the least, and he has established zero connection or relationship to his year 9 students.
Duty of Care
I am sure Mr Jones's School has one, a code of conduct or duty of Care Code and where is his Personal code about his chosen career and his approach to his classroom management.Rudolf Steiner
"As human beings, we call the highest things we can look up to the "Divine", and we must imagine that our highest aim and calling have something to do with this Divine element"

ME AND MR JONES,
HAVE GOT
A THING GOING ON.......
LOOK AT ME !...
And what of the two groups allowed outside?
As a teacher you may have notice, my concerns are one of Duty of Care to the individual, to the whole class. Where did that other group go? As a teacher it's important to respect and realise the responsibility of the student and at that age group it's important the student feel autonomy, respected, trusted, and a sense of self responsibility about themselves and their learning. So as the teacher I would of allowed the two groups to go outside, But I would of nominated the choices of "where they could go to" those places I would be able to site from the classroom door. Then I would of had some fun with the students even the ones staying inside,
by playing a game of synchronising watches, with clear defined times about returning and readiness for presentation, appoint a few students to act as time keepers as well. Allowing the students involvement in the decisions and rules as well as responsibility to maintain agreement and self regulate the process, this empowers the learning and the power of their group to respect each other. It also turns a disturbance i.e. "can we go outside" "Can our group as well," can we", "Can we" into a learning experience for the students.
"These moments of true disturbance are great gifts"
Margret J Wheatley Bringing Schools Back to Life.
I am very concerned that Mr Jones left the Classroom to look for the missing group; again I feel this is not wise action, and it certainly did not help the class achieve the learning outcomes for the day’s lesson.
Mr Jones had no strategy or plan in place for this type of incident. At our school we complete the lesson and immediately report missing students, we spend the next hour (2 hours, all up from time of missing, then report to police).
I would have drawn the students attention to the lateness, through the appointed time keepers, and how this lateness was disrespectful, ill-mannered, and how they had not be responsible in honouring their/our agreement. I would write their names on the board and quickly move our focus back to the fun of our play Acting presentations and assessments.
Well now that he left the room and is not achieving his outcomes, due to the physical break down of the class " The boy yelling from on top of the table, the other student leaving to find the others. What's the poor Mr Jones do next, he forgets that the only behaviour we can control is our own or (Responsible Thinking Process " When one person attempts to control another, counter control may occur"
So what's he do? Yes he tries a bit of yelling himself, and his class get a laugh, and sort of complete the task with vague ideas and no sense of accomplishment or higher learning possibilities. Poor Mr Jones's ego is left battered and bruised, his life seemly having no relevance and the students feeling Mr Jones and his subject has no relevance to them.
Mr Jones is questioning his calling perhaps he should.
The students response to the lesson indicate Mr Jones had not been able to give their learning experience meaning, value, stimulate interests, connect and scaffold to higher learning or connect to other subjects or life experiences. Mr Jones could not even connect the learning to the preparation for camp, very disappointing results and outcomes and what is the pattern that has been set for next lesson.
I feel the students felt board and unattached to the learning and their behaviour.
No teacher will deny it, Year 9 can be difficult, but that's their job to question, challenge and practice interaction with their developing adolescents and ideas about themselves, they love a chat with each other. Mr Jones did not engage them at all and at times the balance between teacher control and Students Autonomy could of been interpreted as anarchy.
If we some up what we have so far about Mr Jones lesson, Firstly he could of got off to a great start with the incident, educational experience and as a lead to motivate participation, but instead Mr Jones conceded defeat and competed with the students conversation, showing no interests to the students needs, so the students showed no interest to his needs or conversation and the consequence is no deep learning, no scaffold, no connection to prior learning and no continuity of lesson or subject.
Mr Jones never really targeted his age group with his tasks, they didn't challenge, they didn't connect, no question the students had fun, was it creative fun.
Mr Jones missed so many opportunities, even when that group over acted and made the class laugh again he could of use the scene as a learning experience, humour as an educational tool, to Guide the students to what the funny group did wrong or right eg. "Any one been Dared to do something silly that got them scared or resulted badly", draw the students back to the points on the board to the key questions, "what's important about rescue" the summing up about the content and reflection, assessment.
Even the boy on the table I would had a laugh and said your group is next to give presentation, as a way of responding to his wanting attention.Dreikurs Theory.
Students are less likely to misbehave where lessons are interesting and stimulating, offering variety and challenge.Edwards & Watts
When the late group finally decided to return, Mr Jones Firstly, should of reminded the Class of the time and how disrespectful it is, request the students see him at the end of the lesson, their group is up next, and moved on to allowing the disturbance to be a quick recap, Discuss the funny points and high lights of the presentations so far, ensuring late group feel they did miss something, even if was funny.
As the class came to an end Mr Jones could of placed himself at the door to shake hands good bye and to get quick responses to recapping questions or recall safety signs, lists of procedures answers, as a game on leaving.
In Mr Jones Case even if he could of placed himself in the doorway to say good-bye only, he may have made at least one connection in his class.
Civics, Courage, integrity, values, Inclusion, co-operation and Safety.
Sapon-Shevin. (1999).
Mr Jones himself seems to have no sense of community he demonstrates this so strongly in his dis- interests in what was troubling the class on arrival.
Right from kick off he was on the wrong foot and the wrong side. One can only feel sorrow for Mr Jones he went into teaching I am sure with good faith, he just got so out of touch, withdrawn from his subject and students, I am tipping he either leaves teaching or my preferred treatment is he takes a holiday that challenges him and places him well out of his comfort Zone and especially reminds him of the kid he use to be.
Everyone can shut their eyes and picture "a Push Bike and a Sunny day" you can, feel the sun on your face and the breeze in your hair.
Maybe Mr Jones needs a bike;
he seems to think it's the students that need to get on their bike.
As my dear friend often said Compassion to Strangers is our hardest test of Faith
and when all else seems impossible there is always The Prayer To St Francis.
Bibliography
Classroom Discipline & Management an Australian Perspective.
Clifford H. Edwards Brigham Young University.
Vivienne Watts Central Queensland University.
John Wiley & Sons Australia.
other references :
Piaget
Brunner
Vygotski
Gardner Multiple Intelliences.
Glasser Choice theory
Maslow
Blooms
Board of Studies