REFLECTIVE SUMMARY

  

Get set! Ready! Go!

 I was equipped to start the Grade 06 class. When I said ‘Good Morning!’, they greeted me with a blessed ‘Good Morning’, but I expected more energy. So, I made the class to be more energetic and got a good start. In the lesson I conducted about Adjectives, two major strategies were employed to create an engaging and effective learning environment: a warmer activity and positive reinforcement. These strategies were chosen to foster student engagement, motivation, and overall learning outcomes.

As a student, I tend to lose interest and concentration in any subject when the lesson is monotonous. Thus, by taking my own experience into consideration, I tried to use a variety in my demonstration through teacher interventions. Although the time was limited, it was my responsibility to establish core values within the class.

My first tool was taken out.

A warmer! “A warmer removes the anxiety. It helps students feel relaxed and confident enough to speak for the rest of the lesson” (Garrison,2017). So, I introduced the warmer named “Round Robin” where students were asked to continue telling adjectives. The rule was; that the next adjective should start with the last sound of the previous adjective.

I was able to maintain eye contact and make the bond strong while the warmer, and it served as a means to activate prior knowledge, stimulate interest, and mentally transition students from their previous activities or mindsets into the current learning context: learn about adjectives and their usage in sentences.

 

Moving to the next phase of the lesson my second tool was taken out.

Positive reinforcement! 

According to Brown (2001), when teachers consistently provide students with reinforcement, students’ achievement in the classroom will be better time by time. Positive reinforcement was employed throughout the lesson to acknowledge and reward students' active participation, contributions, and achievements. This strategy aimed to motivate and encourage students to engage in the learning process willingly and enthusiastically.

Out of Cutton's reinforcement strategies (1988), tangible rewards and praise were used as strategies in my teaching while 'Praise' was my favorite. For instance, when students were working collaboratively and responded to the task by writing creative sentences with adjectives I appreciated them as I was equipped with positive reinforcement.

Challenges not only put you in difficulty but make you find the way out even in the future aspects; as I have mentioned a teacher should expect the unexpected and be ready with the tools. While the lesson incorporated effective strategies such as a warmer activity and positive reinforcement, it also encountered some notable challenges that provided valuable insights for future improvements. These challenges are essential for a reflective analysis of the teaching experience.

The time given for the warmer was reduced with the idea that the warmer will go beyond the time limit, this requires more precise planning and execution to ensure that all learning objectives are met. Also, I understood I should further consider the importance of giving feedback along with reinforcement to make it more effective, that way learner confidence will be improved more. Further, I realized that observing each student individually and smoothly correcting students’ mistakes through on-the-spot error corrections without hindering students ‘confidence is also can be added to my teaching.

While teaching,  I was able to check comprehension by asking questions. However, Long (1996) pinpoints the necessity of grading the language through elaboration,  speed, and repetition which I did not do justice considering the learner proficiency level. 

In conclusion, these challenges encountered during the lesson underscore the dynamic nature of teaching. They emphasize the importance of adaptability, Nevertheless, self-reflection led me to recognize the need for effective usage of utilizing. 

Attention !!!

Be prepared for the changes, accept, adapt, and have your own toolkit to face the unexpected challenges.

References

Garrison,E.(2017). Warmers, fillers, and coolers. Retrieved from: https://teflinstitute.com/

                  wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TEFL-Institute-Warmers-Fillers-Coolers-Sample.pdf

Brown, H.D.(2001).Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. Longman.

Cutton,K. (1988). Instructional reinforcement, Office of Educational Research and 

                     improvement (OERI). U.S. Department and Education.