Page 30: Policy and Practice

Page 30: Policy and Practice...

Wow! I know I said this at 20, but we are now 30 pages in! I have throughly enjoyed sharing my academic and placement experiences so far as a trainee teacher as well as discussing some key academic issues.

This week, I thought to take a break from sharing some of my placement experiences back to some academic university literature. Through our most recent unit, exploring evaluating teaching and learning through a research project, one of the areas delved into was policy in terms of practice. This is an area I personally find extremely interesting and I have throughly enjoyed reading supporting literature around so.

A key document for any trainee teachers and NQT's is the Department for Education's Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework (2019). This document is vital as all practitioners must be satisfactory in all of the areas. Each strand of the framework directly links to the vital teaching standards. To support working towards the document, each section is split into the helpful and handy areas of 'learn that' and 'learn how to' ...

Today, I am delving into these areas further, exploring each element, some key practice areas and one recommended academic article/book for each.

High expectations:

Sharing expectation and responsibility with children is vital in facilitating learning. Through many factors such as exploring motivation and behaviour teachers setting and making clear specific expectation allows them to feel in control of their learning as well as using this to highlight shared values too. Examples of how teachers can approach and facilitate this standard is by sharing clear and consistent activities to provide enough challenge for pupils as well as using consistent language and routines in the classroom to set expectations to promote challenge and aspiration. 

Reading - Motivation interventions in education: A Meta-Analytic review (R Lazowski and C Hulleman)

How pupil's learn:

Every child, therefore every learner is different. Resultantly there is not a on way fits all approach that can be used in the classroom. There are multiple factors such as prior knowledge, memory (long/short term as well as working) and regular, purposeful practice, that should all be considered in harmony when planning. Through considering ideas such as cognitive load theory proposed by Dr John Sweller, pupils' who suggest that if our cognitive load is over stretched we will suffer with information fatigue syndrome as out working memory is limited as there is only so much information our cognitive memory can remember at one time. It is therefore the role of the teacher, in incorporating and accounting for these factors of not overloading working memory and building on prior knowledge to ensure all pupils' learning is accounted for to the highest standard. 

Reading - Working memory, long-term memory, and instructional design A journal of applied research in memory and cognition (J Sweller)

Subject and Curriculum:

There is a plethora of key subject and curriculum knowledge thats vital for teachers to become familiar and confident with. Learning is limitless and as teachers we are continually learning and becoming more knowledgable to an extent larger than the limits of the required subject and curriculum knowledge in the curriculum. School's create their own curriculum based upon the requirements and recommended areas of learning in the national curriculum, to allow every child to have a broad and balanced high quality education. When teacher's knowledge themselves is secure, this can reflect on the pupils and their learning that is taking place. 

Reading - Content knowledge for teachers: What makes it special? (L Ball, M Thames and G Phelps)

Classroom practice:

Every teacher is different and therefore their practice is varied but doing so to a high standard is crucial as "effective teaching can transform pupils' knowledge, capabilities and beliefs about learning" so though techniques such as modelling, introducing new material in clear steps, scaffolding and questioning they can facilitate their practice and learning environment to facilitate high quality classroom talk to support learning. In practice, routine is key linking to back to the above setting high expectations but it is additionally all about variety. Using a mixture of individual, paired and group work opens up their learning from supporting and learning from each other. This can really be aided by reflected and analysing your own practice with expert colleagues in your setting. 

Reading - Dialogic Teaching: evaluation report (T Jay, B Willis, P Thomas, R Taylor N Moore, C Burnett G Merchant and A Stevens)

Adaptive Teaching:

This is one of my favourite (although they are all equally important) that I have actually decided to base my current assignment on. This is a large standard which has lots to be delved into. From the effectiveness of grouping and the effect of mixed/same ability grouping as week as differentiating in lesson and teaching pupils with SEN or EAL requirements, adaptability is a essentail and what believe to be a required skill of all teachers! It is key for us to recognise how all pupils learn at different rates and that we must consider and incorporate so into teaching. Through so, it allows opportunity of success for all children as learning is tailored to the specific expectation of every child.

Reading - Teaching stratgies and appraoches for pupils with special educational needs: A scoping study (P Davis, L Florian, M Ainscow, A Dyson, P Farrell, P Hick and M Rouse)

Assessment:

It is through assessment (it is most effective when a mix of both formative and summative assessment opportunities) that teachers not only are able to reflect and adapt future lessons to support the current academic and developmental rates of the pupils but for their own practice too. They are able to draw from the reflections and the children's knowledge gaps to support their personal professional development and proficiency in planning, teaching and assessing. To support pupils the best, this should always result in feedback (both written and verbal) as this really encourages change and engagement further in gaps of learning. When assessing and feeding back, it is just as important to share the positives too! In summary (can refer to by previous page addressing the both types of assessment) formative assessment monitors and supports children instantly and throughout the learning, whereas summative assessment tests learning at the end of a taught module/unit for example SAT examinations,

Reading- Developing the theory of formative assessment: Education assessment, evaluation and accountability (P Black and D William)

Managing behaviour:

Behaviour management is such a crucial role in the class room. Teachers having a good grasps, forming strong relationships and setting clear behaviour expectations is vital to allow postive and engaging learning to take place through being a calm and controlled setting. Reinforcing routines supported though postive reinforcement helps create the effective learning environment so excellent teaching and learning can take place. Through building strong relationships with your students builds trust which aids a good working professional relationship in the classroom. 

Reading - Social-physiological interventions in education: they're not magic (D Yaeger and G Walton)

Professional Behaviours:

The last strand of the CFF standards is to no less importance! Through reflective practice it allows multiple professional development strategies to be implemented to support the quality of your teaching. This area is not just about yourself. It is vital for every practitioner to establish good and professional working relationships with other adults such as parents, teaching assistants and leaders such as pastoral and SENCO. Through this relationships through these, it ensures all pupils are safeguarded to the highest standards, their learning us supported my additional adults to support the development of academic and social areas as well as arguable the most important relationship - the parents! Like all the strands, it is continuous area that teachers are always working and improving towards.

Reading - Schools guide to the 0 to 25 SEND code of practice (Department for Education)

(Reference/information taken from the DfE ITT CFF 2019. In addition, these are all CFF selected reading references which I personally found of good interest and accessibility).

Becoming confident and working towards these areas are vital in improving your practice and furthering your personal professional development. Whilst on placement and teaching, this is where it is key to really ensure you are working  towards these and always refer back to this essential document when planning and reflecting. It must be additionally noted how it is equally important to continue working towards these in the academic side of your studies when further reading and working towards assignments. I will end today's page with a fitting quote to further emphasise the importance of like the strand 'high expectations', setting yourself expectations and goals to be continually improving your own knowledge and capabilities in teaching around the key areas:

"Set high standards for yourself and don't settle for anything less. You are the best judge of yourself and your capabilities." - Tony Robbins

- Miss Yeoman