Lesson presentation:
The lesson began with a recap on the previous session and the pupils were able to identify several different aspects of the lesson such as types of movement and balances used in the sequence development work. It became apparent from the video that pupils were starting to use key terminology such as ‘body tension’, ‘levels’ and ‘control’ which was encouraging. This recap was quite brief but it was a clear start to the lesson and enabled the pupils to get back on task in the overall scheme of work. The learning objectives for the lesson were also mentioned to the group but not discussed.
Once the apparatus had been set up and the pupils had warmed up the learning objectives for the lesson were written on the whiteboard and discussed with the pupils. From this discussion and through use of question and answer, the pupils identified the criteria that I had planned to be included in the sequence. This criteria was written on the whiteboard so that pupils could refer to it at any time through the lesson.
During the early sequence development in pairs or threes, pupils were constantly challenged to make their sequence more difficult whilst keeping it under control. This was achieved through guided discovery and question and answer. Three individual groups were used to demonstrate more complex and specific skills using limited body parts or inversion showing control. Some pupils were able to take on a more self-check teaching style – comparing their own work against the set criteria as mentioned in Mosston’s spectrum of teaching styles (Mosston and Ashworth, 1994). At a later stage in the lesson the groups were paired together to evaluate each others performance which utilised a reciprocal teaching style. This reciprocal style was used to finish the lesson with half of the group performing whilst the other half observed.
Lesson management:
The apparatus was organised and set up by the pupils who were already aware of safety issues and how to set it up from previous lessons. However, this still needed to be monitored and I must have checked all apparatus before it is used. The pupils decided on who they worked with and were then designated apparatus to work on. Once pupils had been set on task I moved around the groups quite well to monitor how pupils were getting on. Moving around the groups allowed for individual and small group feedback to be given which enabled me to differentiate tasks to challenge the pupils further. However, I could have been more vocal across the gymnasium to make my presence felt more by the pupils. This could have helped keep certain pupils more focussed at all times.
The pupils were stopped every few minutes for various teacher and pupil demonstrations involving brief discussions to ensure that pupils were ‘on task’ and working towards meeting their learning objectives. I found this to be extremely effective as pupils could be picked to demonstrate what they had done so far they knew they had to keep ‘on task’. On one occasion I also stopped the group to point out a general observation which I had made. Many of the pupils were using simple balances which were not challenging and so I challenged the whole class to make their balances as difficult and as interesting as possible by reducing the number of body parts being used for example.
The pace of the lesson was good as the pupils were constantly challenged further and were never on one task for too long. However, the evaluations of the performances at the end were fairly brief because of a lack of time which is something that could possibly be improved. More time would have allowed for every group to receive feedback but in this lesson only some of the groups received feedback in the final performance.
Classroom climate:
Throughout the lesson pupils were praised verbally and with the reward of merits in some cases which gave pupils the confidence to offer suggestions and answers. Pupils were also encouraged to use key terminology and attempt various gymnastic movements. Pupils were encouraged to show their work to both myself and other pupils. This was evident within the lesson because several groups wanted to show what they had done so far. Once they had performed to myself or other pupils several groups gained enough confidence to perform in front of the whole group. Pupils always had to applaud a performance then give positive feedback first, followed by possible improvements that could be made. This positive reinforcement helped to give the performer the confidence to try and improve upon their work. It also gave other pupils both the willingness and the confidence to perform in front of their peers.
Although the pupils appeared to be predominantly ‘on task’, the noise level throughout the lesson was generally quite high. Keeping the noise level down slightly would help to keep pupils more focussed on the task and highlight pupils who were not ‘on task’. Constantly referring performance to the set criteria allowed pupils to gain understanding of what they were achieving and how they could progress further.
Discipline:
Pupils began the lesson by sitting in silence on the floor for discussion of the previous lesson and the new learning objectives. Pupils must always raise their hand before answering a question or offering an opinion. When a pupil spoke without raising a hand they were warned and reminded of how to answer properly. The pupils were aware of the importance of safety considerations when using apparatus in gymnastics and the possible consequences. Pupils set up apparatus sensibly and were not allowed to use or alter the apparatus without my permission. Two pupils were warned using the school disciplinary procedures for inappropriate behaviour on the pile of mats.
The pupils were only allowed to use their own apparatus throughout the lesson. When the class was stopped for a demonstration or discussion, pupils had to sit up in silence on their mat, not touching the apparatus. When pupils were performing those observing had to do so in silence at all times. If observers were not silent they were suitably disciplined.
Assessing pupils’ progress:
Assessment is an on-going process that helps pupils to make progress in their learning (Spackman, 2002; Capel, 2004). This on-going assessment enables the teacher to cater for the individual needs of every pupil as tasks can be set in accordance with their previous performance and level of ability (Ofsted, 2003). This was done through using the planning, delivering and evaluating cycle mentioned earlier as well as constant monitoring throughout the lesson. Bailey (2003) states that sound assessment is essential in effective teaching and learning as it can enhance the pupils’ understanding of what is to be learned at different stages throughout a lesson.
The learning objectives were shared with the pupils at the beginning of the lesson which made it clear what was expected from them, what they will be learning and why they are learning it (Capel, 2004). These were constantly referred to throughout the lesson to ensure that pupils understood what was expected of them and what they were progressing towards. The specific criteria for the sequence development were also written on the whiteboard which would allow both the teacher and pupil to monitor and determine whether the criteria had been met.
Questioning was used throughout to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding and it is one of the most commonly used strategies by teachers according to Wragg (1993). I have found this method to be very effective and easy to use. Different types of questioning can be used to obtain relevant information. I used open and closed questions depending on what information needed to be obtained or checked and I directed questions to specific pupils or groups. This allowed the pupils who do not regularly offer their answers to speak up. This was also used to keep students on task by directing questions at the pupils who are not engaged. Capel (2004) has also suggested that using pupil questioning can give the pupils the opportunity to ask questions to encourage progression in lessons.
Throughout the lesson I used a variety of feedback strategies such as constructive verbal feedback, observation of performance with discussions and student demonstrations. These can all be used to help keep pupils on task and ensure that they understand and develop their knowledge whilst progressing their learning (Gipps and Stobart, 1993).
It is vital that pupils are involved in their own learning for it to be effective and therefore self and peer assessment can be very useful for the pupils’ development and progression (Spackman, 2002). This was used within my lesson as pupils worked in pairs in which they were encouraged to observe and assess one another. Many pupils performed to the whole group whilst all pupils had to perform their work to half of the group. The other half observed and gave constructive feedback about what they liked and what they thought could be improved. This was very informative as it demonstrated the extent of the knowledge that the pupils had gained.
Reflecting and evaluation:
The plenary at the end of the lesson showed that all but one group had fully achieved the learning objectives meeting all of the set criteria. Overall, I was very pleased with the lesson in general with what is a well behaved and hardworking class. I was particularly pleased with the number of different types of teaching style and assessment that took place throughout the lesson.
Reflecting now however, there are several improvements which I feel could have been made to the lesson. Firstly, one group only managed to meet half of the criteria within their sequence. This pair had not worked together previously and did not communicate very well. Using this knowledge I could have moved other pupils around to incorporate these two pupils into more suitable pairings. I also feel that some pupils could have performed longer, more complex sequences in the time given and therefore I should have encouraged those groups to include more than the set criteria on the board. Watching the video back the noise level also appeared to be quite high and this is something that I had not realised but can easily eradicate through simple class management strategies. The final improvement I would have made would have been to leave more time for the peer observations and evaluations at the end of the lesson.
I feel that this has been an extremely beneficial task and that I have developed my own knowledge and understanding surrounding the various factors that contribute towards effective teaching and learning which I aim to put into practice throughout my teaching career.
Reference List
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Bailey, R. (2003). Teaching Physical Education: A Handbook for Primary and Secondary Teachers, Kogan Page, United Kingdom.
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Capel, S. (2004). Learning to Teach in the Secondary School: A Companion to the School Experience. Routledge, London.
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Gipps, C and Stobart, G. (1993). Assessment: A teacher’s Guide to the Issues, Hodder and Stoughton.
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Kyriacou, C. (1998). Essential Teaching Skills, 2nd Edition, Nelson Thornes, UK.
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Mawer, M. (1995). The Effective Teaching of Physical Education. Longman, London.
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Mosston, K and Ashworth, S. (1994) Teaching Physical Education, 4th Edition, McMillan Printing Company, USA.
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Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). (2003). Good Assessment Practice in Physical Education. Ofsted Publications, London.
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Spackman, L. (2002). Assessment for Learning: The Lessons for Physical Education. Bulletin of Physical Education. 38 (3): pp179 – 193.
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Wragg, E.C. (1993). Primary Teaching Skills. Routledge, London.
Appendix One
