Write a reflection essay on current module in 1000 words

An example of a short reflective assignment - GIBBS’ Model

This example uses the headings described previously to demonstrate the kinds

of things you might need to put in each section. The references are made up,

as is the content of the assignment, it is purely to show how a reflective

assignment might look. DON’T USE SUBHEADINGS in your essay. It is written

below to show you what needs including in each section – only to explain to

you.

Assignment – write a reflection of around 1000 words about an incident which

occurred during the first few weeks of your teaching placement. Use Gibbs’

model, and structure your assignment using Gibbs’ headings.

Description

I am currently on a teaching practice placement in an adult education college

in the south-west of England, learning how to teach GCSE maths to various

groups of adults. I have only just started the placement, so I am mainly

assisting the class tutors and have just started planning and delivering a small

part of each lesson. The incident occurred in an evening class during which I

was due to deliver my very first session. The class tutor had been teaching the

learners about fractions, and my task was to carry on with this, looking at how

to multiply two fractions. When I got to the whiteboard, I became so nervous

that I could not start speaking to the group. I fumbled about with my papers

and pens, and stumbled over my first sentence so that it did not make sense.

The students were quite understanding, as they are all mature students who

are aware that I am new to teaching and am nervous, but the class teacher

snapped at me to stop being ridiculous. She came up to the front of the

classroom and took the lesson overfrom me, and Isat at the back of the room

trying not to cry. I left the session as soon as the class was over, and did not

speak to anyone.

Feelings

I felt so miserable at the time that I considered leaving my teacher training

course. I was embarrassed and upset by my own inability to speak in front of

the group, but I was also extremely angry with the class teacher for snapping at

me in front of the learners. I felt afterwards that she had not given me enough

time to gather my thoughts, and that she should have left me alone to get over

my nerves. I was so mortified that I rang in sick the following week, and it was

only when I had calmed down that I decided I needed to speak to the

placement supervisor about this. I also realised later that it was perfectly

natural to feel nervous, as I am not used to speaking in public.

Evaluation

At the time, I did not feel that the situation had been resolved at all. I very

deliberately left at the end of the class without speaking to the class teacher or

the learners. When I got home, I telephoned a fellow trainee and he made me

feel much better. I realised that everyone feels scared at first and probably

stumbles through their first few classes. This is clear in the relevant literature,

as Greene (2014) explains, saying that nine out of ten new trainee teachers

found their first session “incredibly daunting”(p.43). It appears that most

trainee teachers have moments of being “tongue- tied” and “losing their way

with the lesson” (Parbold, 2009, p.223).

Analysis

The situation was made worse by both my own actions and those of the class

teacher. I feel that I should have stood up to her, rather than letting her take

control of the lesson, and that I should have spoken to her immediately after

the lesson about how I was feeling. Dealing with situations like this

immediately is preferable, as Cooper (2011) points out. Instead, I spoke to my

placement supervisor several days later, and did not see the class teacher

again until a formal meeting consisting of myself, the teacher and the

supervisor. Daynes and Farris (2013) say that, by not dealing with situations

immediately and personally, and instead taking it to an authority figure, the

situation can be made worse. The class teacher could have felt that she was

being “ganged up on” (Thomas, 2015, p.22), which could lead to future

problems. The teacher’s actions also made the situation worse, because she

did not give me time to overcome my fears and she deliberately embarrassed

me in front of the class. She claimed that she had thought she was helping me

out, but I do not believe that to be the case. However, as we only spoke about

the incident over a week later in the meeting with the supervisor, she rightly

argued that I should have said something to her at the time.

Conclusion

In retrospect, I would do several things differently. I should have spoken to the

class teacher immediately after the session and voiced my opinions. I should

also have been braver and stood up for myself so that I retained control of the

lesson. However, I think the main thing I learned from the incident is that I had

built up no relationship whatsoever with the teacher in the preceding weeks,

and that I should have made an effort to do so. I would then have been able to

explain how nervous I was beforehand.

Action Plan

In future, I will make sure to build up more of a relationship with colleagues. I

am working alongside several different teachers during my placement, and I

will speak to each of them about my nerves. I have already had a good

conversation with one of them, and we have worked out a way of team-

teaching for the next few weeks so that I do not feel so pressurised. I need to

do this with the other class teachers, as I cannot expect them to understand

how I feel if I keep quiet. I also need to speak to my fellow trainees more often

about how they feel, as I think I will be able to learn from them. In terms of

training, I have booked onto a presentation skills workshop at University, and

intend to follow it up by attending the practice sessions afterwards. I need to

gain more confidence with presenting and feel this is the best way to start.

References

(these are not real sources!)

Cooper, P.T. (2011). Managing situations at work. London: Rufus Publications.

Daynes, J. & Farris, M.M. (2013). The ManagerEmployee Relationship. Oxford:

Oxfordian Books Ltd. Greene, F. (2014). Teacher Trainees: The Truth. York:

Education Press.

Parbold, L. (2009). Feedback from newly-qualified adult education teachers.

Journal of Teacher Training, 12(3), 23-38.

Thomas, F.G. (2015). Dealing with difficult employees – a manager’s guide.

Glasgow: Meriddan Ltd