Page 36: Bubble closure and Online Teaching

 Page 36: Bubble Closure and Online Teaching ...

This truly has been a fantastic placement. Throughout my time developing and learning, I have truly got to experience all possible aspects. From starting of teaching just a bubble of 12, to re opening schools after months off due to the covid-19 pandemic, to teaching to the new restrictions, whilst on my final part of placement, I got to experience home learning twice too!

During my second block of placement, due to a postive covid-19 case, by bubble had to shut and myself and the other members were to isolate for 10 days. This obviously was not planned hence no preparations or plans in place, I really learnt a lot in a very quick time which I believe has truly been essential for my CPD. After we safely retuned all pupils to their parents, it was time to leave school. For this week I was on phonics planning, so I grabbed the phonics box, the RWI (read, write, ink) cards, Fred the frog and the rest was up to me. I travelled home to immediately complete a covid test (thankfully I was negative) and it was time to get started to progressing onto online learning.

Being placed in the EYFS, large proportions of the day are usually spent in continuous provision. Due to this the sessions that we needed to provide online were mathematics, phonics, communication and story time. I took on the role of delivering the phonics online lessons as well as the story time sessions. I was really eager to get involved as much as I could with providing these elements as I cannot explain how much I missed the routine if school, being in the classroom with the pupils face to face and being that inspirational teacher. 

I had initially planned 3 differentiated phonics sessions to be taught by three teachers in the class for the week. My first task was to take these plans, and adapt them into one video that provides enough support and stretch for all members of the class. To incorporate this in the most efficient way possible, I used the listening and attention activities from the lower ability plans to engage all learners into the session, used the sounds from the middle ability group with majority of students confident with these, and when handwriting provided the opportunity to write full words for the higher achievers. I can say for certain, when reflecting upon my first to last prerecorded lesson, my confidence and knowledge grew exponentially, in hand with me becoming more familiar and confident using the schools online platform so I was able to incorporate a variety of practical activities the students could directly submit linking elements in the lesson.

The way I chose to conduct the online phonics lessons was through 10-12 minute daily videos with a corresponding practical task. As a subject, phonics is heavily teacher led, structured and modelled. I therefore felt the most successful way to ensure pupils were receiving the correct modelling (as well as supporting the parents in future learning) was to film interactive videos that all pupils were easily able to follow along with. I left gaps for response to model 'my turn your turn' giving pupils to opportunity to feel they are still in the session and receiving the exact same level of high quality learning that they would in person. The response was varied. Many pupils engaged well with parents sharing videos of the pupils following along and engaging with the tasks in the videos as well as sharing images of the handwriting that the pupils focussed on writing. I personally found it very rewarding when comparing progress of the letter formation from the start to the end of the weeks sessions, concluding that I the level and support and scaffolding was still there and accessible for all pupils. However, as you can most likely assume for online learning, some pupils did not send responses in. This necessary did not mean that didn't engage, they may have watched and followed along in with the video and just not shared any activities, but it must be accounted for some pupils not getting involved. Resultantly, a disadvantage of this online work can be drawn from being unable to clearly track and measure progress. Not only from who is/isn't engaging but level of assistance from parents too. 

As well as delivering the phonics session, I filmed a daily story time to 'read' to the pupils. This helped to still provide opportunity for school routine whilst the children are learning from home, and provide them with this enjoyable shared experience at home. The stories that I chose to share were (we started this on the second day):

1. The very hungry caterpillar

2. We are going on a bear hunt

3. Funny bones

4. Owl babies

5. A day at the zoo

6. Commotion in the ocean

7. Handa's surprise

What I found particularly special and lovely about sharing these books with my class, were they were all personal copies and the direct stories from my childhood that I loved reading and wanted to share! I brought them to university with me to share on placement and could not come in more useful so I was able to provide a daily story time for the children! I have shared a version of some of these as a series on my teaching instagram (@_missyeoman) that you are more than welcome to access and use!

Online teaching has been a real learning curve. I learnt a lot in a really quick timescale and it really sped up my development and in particular confidence in teaching phonics. At the start of my placement, I certainly felt least confident in phonics compared to the other subject areas simply down to lack of experience and prior knowledge. I however feel now, after really delving into my phonics planning and teaching and the different pedagogical approaches to so, I feel confident and happy in this subject area and looking forward to developing this more in my BA3 placement. Another great element of online teaching was the ability for literal self review and reflection. This inevitably came with being extremely critical to my videos, and being my own biggest critic, but I was able to watch my teaching, adapt what I didn't want to happen to provide the best level of education possible. I was also able to reflect from feedback of the parents responses sharing pupils work and adapted different elements of my sessions to find the best mix of what worked well online and did not. 

A great element which I found really beneficial for my general development as trainee teacher was my opportunity to be able to fully engage and build relationships with all the parents. Although in school, I meeted and greeted the parents daily, speaking through the gate, due to covid-19 they had only been able to see me behind a mask, never mind in a teaching situation. My lessons and story times allowed the parents to get to know me, see my teaching style and engage with so alongside their child. Building these stronger connections with the parents through my engagement online (with is a vital foundation for all teachers) was illustrated how when we retuned to school the more they were confident in discussion there pupils progress and daily classroom life with me. This was extremely rewarding.

I will end today's page with a quote that perfectly sums up how good learning can take place anywhere. Everybody can learn, anywhere.

"The students of the future will demand the learning support that is appropriate for their situation or context. Nothing more. Nothing less." - Marcus Specht

- Miss Yeoman