Assessment - it's the future!

Yesterday evening Margaret came to College to give me feedback on the session she observed last week. I found it really useful because, of course, it was focused on my own individual performance and it was also good to have another opinion of my teaching methods. We discussed and highlighted a number of areas for improvement including controlling the learning environment more closely and using directed questions to include more learners. We completed our conversation by highlighting assessment as an area to focus on for my next observation.

Now you see, I'm the sort of person who only needs to be told something once... In the class that followed I started to put into practice a lot of what we'd discussed. For one of the group activities I mixed the groups up as students had become accustomed to working with the same people. When asking for feedback from the activities, I chose the people to feedback and purposely picked the students who usually prefer to let others do it. These couple of changes seemed to be successful and I felt a lot more in control.

So next time I will focus on assessment - it's the future!

SOWs and other animals

The focus on this week's class was on schemes of work (SOWs) and it highlighted the fact that I don't think there is one for the course I'm teaching. This is where I had a light bulb moment as SOWs seem to fill the gap on something I've been struggling with. I was given a course timetable at the beginning of the year and I've been using this as a way of structuring learning week by week. This is where I've struggled as, unlike last year's, the timetable has blocks of 6-8 weeks with just a module title. I've been using the CIPD professional standards (which outline the objectives which should be met) and I've been slotting the content into the weeks. I didn't think this was the best way to do it but in the absence of anything else...

Naturally, I was initially annoyed that I didn't have a SOW to work from. I decided to ask my boss at the College (quite innocently) if she could send me the SOW, and she did. Then I felt a bit daft for not asking for it in the first place. That was until I read it! It clearly hadn't been updated for some time and included topics which weren't even part of the professional standards.

So it looks like I'll be writing a new SOW for the assignment which is due in the week after half term - oink!

Observer, thy name is Margaret

Last night Margaret observed my session. I think it went pretty well although I'll have to wait 'til next week to receive her feedback.

I mentioned in a previous post that I'd considered changing what I planned to deliver in light of Margaret's attendance. In the end I kept the content the same but moved things around a little. For example, there was no point Margaret observing one of my regular features - exercise, game or activity of the week - as this is learner led. I'd warned my students that I was being observed and they were as good as gold - until Margaret left that is.

I found the process of putting my session plan into the recommended format, writing the rationale and creating a task management pack for the exercises, quite time consuming. It was useful though as it (well the rationale anyway) made me think about why I was doing something a certain way, rather than just doing it. It also highlighted some areas for development as I'm not that familiar with the domains of learning and my differentiation activities leave a lot to be desired.

Confusion guaranteed

I attended the first PGCE class tonight - the first for me anyway - and confusion was the order of the day. I learnt long ago that the first session on a new course is usually like this and, as Margaret says, the red mist will clear. What was clear is that there's a lot of work to do and a lot of associated paperwork to complete. Infact, as the proformas and booklets were handed out, I could hear in the background the reving of chainsaws and of trees being felled.

I also booked in a time for Margaret to observe me teaching (first of four). I've already planned out the session so now I have a dilema. Do I run the session as planned or do I make lots of changes in light of what we've covered in this first session? I think run it as planned although I will transfer the session plan into the suggested format.

Prologue

Well, that's not a word I'd normally use (in fact, I had to check the spelling) but it fits what I'm going to do in this post. I wanted to give a overview of the story so far not least as it might seem strange, due to the purpose of this blog, to start at the beginning of the calendar rather than the academic year.

I did originally start the PGCE back in September and attended the induction session. Because I'd previously done a Certificate in Training Practice, I didn't need to do the first term of the programme.

I did have to complete a bridging assignment which involved me observing two experienced qualified teachers and writing an essay on what I had learnt and how I would apply that learning to my teaching practice. I observed a fellow lecturer (Barry) at Stockport College and a friend who teaches holistic therapies at Trafford College (Davide). I learnt very different things from each of them and I have applied both aspects to my lessons. From Barry, I liked the way he used the interactive whiteboard to record responses from students and to illustrate points. I have now started using the whiteboard in my classroom (having avoided it for a whole year) and the students have responded well. It means the people at the back of the room can see rather than having to squint at the flip chart. From Davide, I liked his use of practical exercises and, although I haven't asked my students to strip off and rub each other with hot pebbles, I have included more exercises in my lessons.

The final thing I wanted to talk about in this post is to outline my teaching experience so far and why attending this programme is such good timing. I only started teaching in September 2008 - although I have been delivering training for the last 10 years. My first class was small (only 10 students) and I taught the CIPD Learning and Development elective, which is part of the professional development scheme. This was good group to start with and 9 of them passed the exam at the end of the year. I'm particularly proud of them as the exams are set at masters level and the national pass rate usually hovers at around 55%. This year's class is something quite different and involves 22 students, with a range of skills and abilities, completing a level 3 qualification, assessed primarily through coursework (and the marking that entails). And it's this class which makes the timing of the PGCE really good. It means that I can apply learning from the course which will really make a difference to my teaching.

Confessions and points to note

Well, I suppose I better start with some introductions.

I'm a student studying for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at Stockport College. It's my second year as an hourly paid lecturer so I thought it would be a good time as any to do the course. As part of the PGCE I'm required to keep a professional diary and this is where it's a good time to tell you about my first confession.

Confession 1 - I'm not very good at reflecting on what I've done and (more importantly) what I've learnt from it. I tend to move onto the next thing so I'm hoping that the process of writing this blog (which is my first) will provide the rigour to make sure I do some reflecting. I had to do a similar exercise on a previous course (with the same tutor strangely enough - maybe she has a fetish!) and I must confess (that's another one) that I found the process a chore. It was a while ago and I don't think blogs existed back then - this is where my second confession comes in...

Confession 2 - I stole the idea of this blog from a fellow student! Now, theft might seem extreme but, when I saw he'd chosen to use a blog to record his learning rather than a paper diary, the idea just seemed to fit better with me. My hand writing is terrible and this way I at least have the opportunity to correct my spelling and have some kind of sentence structure. To make up for this grande theft, I should at least provide a link to the person who I actually give credit to for the original idea.

That's it for the confessions (for now anywho) so it just leaves me to explain the name of blog. One of the teachers I remember most clearly from school was an English teacher called Mr Hillditch. He was very much old school and seemed to specialise in fantastic catchphrases. One aspect of his lessons I used to dread was when you had to read out a passage from a book in front of the class. Of course, most people stuttered and mumbled and, in response, Mr H would bellow "loud and clear so all can hear" and "speak up (surname)". So, in memory of this most respected teacher, I have called this blog after the phrase that was often left ringing in my ears after one of his lessons - "speak up Wales".

Welcome

Dear reader,

Welcome to my professional diary for the PGCE qualification at Stockport College. I hope you find this diary an interesting reflection on my learning from the programme and teaching practice.

Andrew (speak up) Wales