BEd1 Programme Learning Portfolio

 Classroom Environment Classroom environment was mentioned in one of my lectures this week and it got me thinking about how I felt in classroom environments that I have experienced and the hopes I have for my own classroom setting one day. As a child I never felt comfortable asking questions in class or putting my hand up to answer and if I was singled out to answer a question on the spot I would have turned a shade of crimson. I hope to have an open and friendly classroom environment with reciprocal relationships established between me and the children I teach.

Chapter 5: The Puzzling mind of the four-year-old Tizard, B. & Hughes, M. (1984). Young children learning. Oxford: Blackwell. A reading “The Puzzling mind of the four-year-old” from my Early Education module got me thinking about children’s learning. It’s based on the study of the ‘why’ questions children ask. You’d be hard pressed to find someone that isn’t familiar with this phase in childhood, we’re all aware of it but I never realised how paramount it was to children’s learning. It’s often been the case where I’ve assumed a child’s incessant questions are a bid for attention, an excuse not to go to sleep yet or a delay tactic for something else they don’t want to do. I have always entertained children ‘why’ questions and attempted to answer them to the best of my ability but I was astonished to learn of their importance. I honestly feel quite guilty having jumped to such conclusions without giving the subject more thought.

Picture Books e.g. Floss by Kim Lewis Our reflective tutorial about children's learning got me thinking about what we have been learning about in Early Education and how children predominantly learn through language. One significant tool in language development is the use of picture books. I always knew books were important but I never really knew why. It’s been so interesting because it’s has led me to reflect on my own childhood experiences, to discover that half the time I didn’t even realise I was learning at all! It also made me think about how I’ve unknowingly adopted some of these techniques myself when reading to the children in an after school I worked in e.g. subconsciously asking lower and higher order questions because it felt like the right thing to do; little did I know the profound effect it can actually have in advancing their language development.  

An Important Dimension or Idea Connected to Childhood When I think back to my childhood my most prominent memory is playing with my friends from the estate. We played all sorts - ‘tip the can’, biking/scooting to putting on plays. We reenacted the likes of Rugrats/Teletubbies, organising costumes and performing for our parents in a driveway. Reflection upon these nostalgic memories led me to think about children today and how they are less inclined to play outside, as much as they would have done in the past; especially older children. As you can see in my artefact photo the age range varies greatly and I don't think this would be as common a scenario today. In my opinion this is largely due to parental fear for safety and an increase in the use of electronics today. Teletubbies Rugrats

“Every Child Needs a Champion” - Rita Pierson I  think I went unnoticed in school. There were the smart kids, popular kids, the ones that got in trouble and then there was me. As a teacher I want to notice every child. From working in childcare I know how demanding some children can be but I have this overwhelming feeling that every child should feel special.   In a   lecture this week we watched Rita Pierson where she alludes to this and emphasises the significance of relationship in education. It wasn’t until I watched this video that I made these connections with my own schooling. I knew I had always felt this way, but I didn’t know WHY. https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion?language=en

Mascots I learned what a useful tool a ‘mascot’ can be in the classroom. The thing that struck me the most about using a mascot is what a diverse multidisciplinary tool it can be in regard to the development of skills. I was able to produce a positive learning outcome for every activity I could think of e.g. if children take turns in bringing the mascot home it promotes taking responsibility; writing and depicting an account of their experience will advance writing skills; presenting their account to the class encourages discussion and develops communication skills, as well as confidence. A mascot can help teach lessons e.g. hibernation. If the mascot went home with the students a second time later in the year, it could be used to show a child’s progression - comparing their first account with the second. The idea of class mascot was a new one to me and I think it is an absolutely brilliant idea. It is something that I would love to implement in my own classroom one day.