BEd1 Programme Learning Portfolio

In Special Inclusive Education (SIE) we are learning about SEN. On the topic of Social, Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) I was struck by the internalisation and externalisation of behaviours. I always thought it was just a stereotype that males were more prone to   reacting externally than females internally however it is proven. Children that internalise frequently go unnoticed in the classroom and depression more often manifests as irritability as opposed to stereotypical gloom and sadness. Symptoms of internalisation is an area that I have a particular interest in and as a future teacher it is vital to have this information. Balfe, T. (2019): Special Education Department, St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra, D9 - Internalising BESD

I taught my first lesson on placement, I chose Gaeilge because it is the subject I am most anxious to teach. I wanted to get as much practice as possible before visits from placement tutors begin. It went better than I intended, however, the hours that went into my planning were ridiculous. I was upset and frustrated with myself for how long I spent because I have so much other work to do. I find it quite hard to do something when I don’t know if I am doing it correctly. It is trial and error so all I hope I get more efficient with time.

Perspectives on the Lives of Children & Teachers  In our tutorial today we watched a video about a school called Summerhill in the UK founded by A.S. Neill in the 1920’s. He set up the school on the basis that children have complete freedom. He wrote “All crimes, all hatreds, all wars can be reduced to unhappiness”. The school still stands today, it provides a wide range of subjects however there is no compulsion for the pupils to attend. This really resonated with me as I have been learning about the importance and development of self-regulation in my Assessment module. Self-Regulation builds confidence, discipline and tolerance. It is a huge step to give total freedom to children but it did make me wonder, how effective is ‘partial’ freedom? Does it undermine children - ‘we trust you, but only a little bit’. Is this building them up or holding them back?

Life in Classrooms for Children & Teachers  In regard to my reflection tutorial today, I watched a video from Kingston Park Primary in Newcastle. They really highlight the significance of the language that we use as adults in schools and the importance of differentiating without drawing attention to it i.e. not identifying or separating students according to needs or referring to special needs classes, as all children are special. I think this is really important because when I was in school, if I had have been told I needed to go to the resource room, I would have thought there was something ‘wrong’ with me and that I wasn’t as clever as everyone else. Video: Differentiation in the prmary school https://loop.dcu.ie/mod/resource/view.php?id=863432&redirect=1

Classroom Environment & the Child in the Classroom  Today’s reflection tutorial was about the importance of creating a classroom plan. Before the course, I never really how much detail went into it but everything is somewhere for a reason. We are frequently asked how we would potently organise our classroom if we had one but I still find this quite difficult to answer. I only have the experience of my current placement classroom and I think it is an important personal process that will take time to develop. I want to experience as many classrooms as possible so that I can determine what works the best and most optimally for me and my class as a whole.

Classroom Displays In the majority of my coursework, in particular my literacy and school placement modules, there has been a big emphasis on classroom displays. It is widely accepted that classrooms should be bright, vibrant rooms full of children’s creations and work. However, in my SP classroom, there isn’t all that much colour or decoration in the room and I wasn’t sure why. I have since come to learn that there is a child with ASD in the class; for this reason displays are limited to avoid overstimulating or overwhelming the child. It has really put into perspective the different challenges you can come up against in the classroom. The thing that struck me the most was how vital it is going to be to strike the right balance to cater for the needs of the general population of the class simultaneously to that of a child with SEN.

The Classroom Environment In our reflection tutorial, we discussed classroom environments and our experiences/opinions regarding them e.g. displays, atmosphere. We watched a video of a School principal and an environment evaluator debating their stances on classroom environment. The evaluator argued that an excess of colourful displays can be over-stimulating and distracting to the pupils; the principal argued such displays are an integral aspect of primary and if the lesson is stimulating the children will be engrossed. I can appreciate both sides of the story and hope that in my own classroom I can utilise the best of both schools of thought. In my experience I have seen classrooms with too much and too little; neither are particularly effective or inspiring. I hope my classroom environment is a balanced - displays of the children work to motivate them and make them proud, content that speaks to the children’s interests, inspires them and reinforces/aids learning and producti

I felt quite anxious starting back semester two, despite college now being familiar. There are quite a few big things happening this semester e.g. our first school placement, the Gaeltacht. Both of which I am quite nervous for - the unknown and fear of inadequacy in placement, I don’t know anybody going to the Gaeltacht that I am going to and Irish is a weakness/source of anxiety for me. There was an issue with the timetables as well and some of my classes/lectures were omitted as a result. I like to be organised and it makes me feel like I’m starting my coursework off on the back foot.  

What kind of teacher do I want to be? I hope to be the kind of teacher that creates an inclusive classroom setting; where each child feels comfortable to speak, has a sense of belonging and that they are important. I think it is essential because it was something that I was lacking from my school experience and I don’t think that I was better for the absence of it. I strongly believe that such an environment will make my classroom feel like a safe and comforting place. I won’t always be aware of what is going on in the personal lives of my students, for this reason it is crucial to me that my classroom is a familiar space, a constant in their lives and an environment that my pupils can rely on regardless of what is going on elsewhere.   It is imperative to me that I am a fun teacher. Children are more likely to be engaged and learn more if they are enjoying themselves. Fun also creates a positive association and attitude to education that will hopefully stand to them in the f

Thinking about learning: Perspective on the Learning Process This tutorial resource video I watched had a very interesting theory that 'learning styles don't exist'. We commonly hear that we are usually a visual, audio or kinesthetic learner however this video argues that what we want "students to learn is not visual or auditory or kinesthetic information, it's meaning based". Which means regardless of whether you see, hear or feel the item, it won't necessarily help you to learn it because it is the meaning you need to learn and not the word, sound or item. It is out of context. I thought this was a really interesting concept and something that will be good to keep in mind going forward as a teacher.

How Children Learn All children learn in different ways and we as teachers need to learn how to accommodate them. One of the ways in which we can adapt our teaching styles to suit our learners is through the use of technology in the classroom. I watched a resource video from my reflective tutorial and came across an interesting quote "Teachers will not be replaced by technology, but teachers who don't use technology will be replaced by those who do" - Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach. I don't think technology is the be-all and end-all but I do think it very important to adapt for each individual child. Children growing up today have also been born into the 'digital revolution' and technology is not only a successful means in which to teach, but it is also vital they are digitally literate as their success in the future is likely to depend upon it.