EDFD 220 Teaching and Managing Learning Environment

Assignment 1 Reflective Journal

Reflections regarding recent practicum experiences
Placement is supposed to be a period of time where the pre-service teacher puts their
knowledge obtained throughout her studies into practice and receives constructive feedback
to help them develop in their profession. Throughout my own placement, I believe I was
given the opportunity to practice teaching in a professional setting and receive some
feedback on the lessons.
The biggest aspect of teaching that I believe I have gained the most knowledge in is how to
manage inappropriate behaviour. My school was an open learning environment therefore
there was three grade 1!"s in one large classroom. This often made it hard for both students
and teachers to concentrate on their own teaching and learning, and was often a problem for
those few students with behaviour difficulties. #onsidering this was my first placement in a
primary setting I was unfamiliar with effective techni$ues to control a full classroom, as well
as maintain the attention of those students with difficulties. %hen I first began teaching I was
not informed about four students in my class that had behaviour complications. &fter a few
lessons of me attempting to control these students as well as teach the remainder of the
class, it was brought to my attention. I monitored my previous associate teachers strategies
to deal with them, however most of it included constantly telling them off or even isolating
them as a means of getting them to calm down. 'owever I realised that this strategy was
ineffective as they would $uestion why they are the only ones being told off and cause them
to become more agitated.
(ollowing another teachers behaviour management strategies, I realised that it is more
beneficial to acknowledge the students who are behaving correctly rather than those who
are not. Positive reinforcement and redirecting the focus to the students who are behaving
appropriately, provides opportunity for the child who are in the wrong to stop and mimic
those children, as they too, would like to be acknowledged for their good behaviour. &fter
further observations, I realised that the most important factor in dealing with inappropriate
behaviour is consistency. This is most beneficial for the students because it sets out an
e)pectation that they must always try and work towards. The *epartment of +ducation of
,orth Ireland -!..1/ states that 0#onse$uences should be consistent, promptly applied,
reasonable and related to the behaviour concerned." (or instance, when trying to get the
class"s attention I would stay $uiet and acknowledge student"s who gave me their full
attention. +ventually students would automatically go $uiet and encourage others around
them to do the same. 'owever if they didn"t give me their attention they would be asked to
move away from the group and sit alone1 acting as a warning students would always try and
avoid this.
2ne thing I did seem to $uestion was the idea of rewarding children, such as giving stickers,
as a mean of improving their behaviour. I was against this because children would be on
their best behaviour up until they received their reward therefore it was merely used as a
bribe. 'owever 3urke -144!/ states that 05einforcement is given to bring about desirable
change and to teach students to take responsibility for behaviour." Therefore rewarding
students in such a manner can have more advantages and a greater outcome then not
rewarding at all.