Reflecting on Learning and Practice

Since November 2014 I have been studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice through The Mindlab. The past seven months have been challenging, yet rewarding in what I have learnt about myself as a teacher, learner and leader.

MYSELF AS A TEACHER
Through this course i have realised that my style of teaching has often been too autocratic and that I need to allow greater student voice and choice in the classroom. As a result, I have created a student voice wall where the children can voice their opinions on topics covered, their overall enjoyment of school or simple offer suggestions of what they want to learn about. Student choice has also become more visible in my programme, particularly in topic. The children are given options of what they would like to study and the topics are guided by their driving questions. The children have greater ownership over when they complete tasks and the order in which they do them. I have noticed positive changes in the children's attitudes towards activities and a greater feeling of empowerment. Through this course I have become more aware of blended learning practices and use this as a way of engaging the students in the learning process. As the access to technology in the classroom as increased I am now able to plan learning experiences that provide a balance between face to face learning and online content.

MYSELF AS A LEARNER
I have learnt that I am a team player. I enjoy collaborating with others and feel that the work I am able to produce is of a higher standard. This approach enables me to learn from others, whilst supporting them. Working in a collaborative environment has also encouraged me to invest greater time and effort into the work I deliver, as others are relying on me. Through the positive collaborative experiences I have engaged in I have started to implement this style of learning into my classroom practice. The children are encouraged to work with others and tasks set provide guidelines of what this would look like. The children have a framework to self-assess themselves against and are able to identify their next steps to ensure all members of the group are included, valued and held accountable for the work they produce.

MYSELF AS A LEADER
At the beginning of the course I identified myself a 'Laissez Faire' leader. As someone who was new to a leadership role I did not want to come across as too authoritarian and therefore allowed a lot of freedom for the members of my team. This had both positive and negative outcomes. The members of my team commented in my appraisal that they enjoyed the level of autonomy I provided but felt at times there was a lack of expectation and this led to some confusion. As a result, I have made changes to the way I lead my team this year. I have become more transformational in my approach, moving from a more managerial style to that of an empowering leader. As a team we have highlighted a clear vision of what we hope to achieve throughout the year and our meetings are driven by student data analysis. From this we set clear expectations for ourselves and support each other to create a clear framework for achieving them.