Teaching practice and school placements are in full swing this month. Regardless of whether you’re completing your first , second or third placement here are some tips to make it that little bit easier.
- Be organised with your photocopies, printing and folders. I know it sounds like an obvious one but when you’re on teaching practice placement you are expected to have all resources ready at hand. This means you have to do all the photocopying, printing and laminating at home and not using school resources. Without a doubt teaching practice is an expensive couple of weeks.
- Implement your own behavioural system as opposed to using the class teachers. Inspectors and supervisors will want to see this.
- To save time try and get your reflections and observations done during the day in school. You might get time straight after a lesson or near lunch time. Doing this will save you vital time in the evenings when you are planning for the next day.
- Questioning is a word that inspectors and supervisors love. Try and ask a wide range of both higher and lower order questioning from day 1 when teaching lessons. This will get you in the habit of doing so and when you are being observed it is something that won’t go un noticed.
- If you are teaching to a theme and the class teacher has requested a subject or topic to be taught that doesn’t fit your theme don’t stress about it. Write clearly on your plans that it is “teacher request” . Inspectors are very aware that it’s not possible to theme everything and there is nothing worse that forced linkage.
- Differentiate your lessons. Ask lower or higher order questions to children who need it. Create a worksheet that is more or less challenging for children when necessary. Supervisors will be looking to see differentiation
- Remember that everyone had to complete teaching practice to get where they are . Don’t be afraid to ask the class teacher for advice during your teaching practice.
- Lastly teaching practice and school placement is nothing like real life teaching. Just think it’s a couple of weeks and then it will be another hurdle passed and you will be one step closer to the finish line.
Good luck to all going on teaching practice or school placement now or in the near future.
Lessonplans Team 🙂
