The tables and chairs were arranged in a semi-circular fashion around the teachers station and did not need to be moved to accommodate the lesson plan, however, there were some excess chairs stacked in front of the fire exit which needed to be moved to avoid obstruction in case of an emergency exit being required. For safety reasons the T.V. and Video station was pushed back against the wall to avoid connecting cables being present across the access to the white board. The heaters were switched on to warm the room, and the cupboard where files and other stationery necessities were stored was opened for independent access during the lesson.
INTRODUCTION
The teacher began by talking to the students about their work placement experiences from the week before, generally checking that they were happy with them and progressing adequately. Last week’s session topic of health and safety in the workplace was discussed in relationship to their work placement experiences, and linking in with this the teacher stated what was going to be covered during the lesson. The day’s date and the topic heading ‘First Aid’ were written on the white board.
PRESENTATION
The teacher sat informally on the desk and engaged the students in general discussion on the various aspects of first aid. The students were asked what they knew about the subject and if they had any experience in it. This allowed the teacher to quickly assess their individual levels of knowledge. During this process the teacher used the white board to write down bullet points and rough notes from what the students were saying, and moved around the classroom engaging individuals in demonstration of certain first aid techniques. When the whole topic had been covered the teacher wrote explanatory notes on the white board for the students to copy, and passed around printed hand-outs for filing. To finish there was a concise recap of the overall session topic which involved discussion and question and answer assessment.
ENVIROMENT
The classroom was in the Allen building at Truro college which is a timber frame construction outside the main building. It was quite small, square in shape and cold first thing in the morning before the heaters had time to take effect. The walls were cream in colour with a fair deal of student work being exhibited on them. The desks were joined together around three sides of the room, facing the teachers desk and the white board. I found the room quite uninspiring at first and noted how noisy the Allen building was. However, this was all quickly forgotten as I observed the skill of the teacher in creating a warm and friendly environment where learning is easy and fun.
ATTITUDE TO STUDENTS
I observed that the relationship between teacher and students was one of mutual respect and understanding. The teacher managed to gain control and attention of the students from the start by good communication. Verbally this was achieved by delivering the information at an appropriate pace, in a volume and tone that conveyed enthusiasm for the subject matter. Non verbally, body language, facial expression, eye contact and the actual characteristics of the teacher, seemed to be the key to the good psychological communication. The feeling in the classroom was one of friendly motivation and encouragement. The group dynamics were good and there was a general sense of purpose and achievement.
CLOSURE OF THE SESSION/SUMMARY
At the end of the session I noted that the teacher had managed her time well. The students were involved in copying out structured notes from the white board until about five minutes to twelve. During these last five minutes the teacher gave a recap of the session topic, and assessed the level of the students understanding by motivational questioning. This was followed by a brief explanation of the session topic for the next lesson before allowing the students to go for lunch
FEEDBACK
I found observing the development of this lesson a very pleasurable experience. However, there were a few questions I needed to ask in order to make it even more useful to me. They were as follows:
Question: Why did you discuss the session topic in full and then write structured notes on the white board covering the same, when a hand-out was given.
Answer: Open discussion and student participation is the more interesting way for the students to learn, however, repetition of subject matter by this process can be very useful for retention of information.
Question: What was the reason for the way the session was structured.
Answer: I find students to be at their most receptive and informative for the first half of the lesson, which is why I structured the note taking into the second half. I also find that towards the end of the session students attention can waver as they start to think about lunch, so a more formal atmosphere is advantageous.
Question: How do you assess the students progress.
Answer: By feedback, questions and answers, recap, occasional questionnaires or quizzes. Criterion referenced assessment – module tick boxes and portfolios.
