Thomas Gibbs Personal Learning Plan

Plan of: Thomas Gibbs

Goal number
01
Goal(an aspect of my teaching I want to improve)
Classroom Management I want to be able to command the
attention of the class, without raising my voice excessively.
Baseline data (my current situation)
The class is attentive for the first half of class, but as they become
more relaxed it becomes harder to gather the students.
Performance indicator (how will I know I got there)
The students remain engaged and listening, asking good
questions and maintaining interest.
Target (where I want to be)
The students are engaged and interested in the class content, whilst
offering attention upon request.

Action Personnel
(Who is involved?)
How will I complete the task?


Start
date
Finish
date
Data collection
(How will data be collected and by
whom?)

Action 1



I will not speak until
the entire class is
silently listening.
I hope to encourage peer maintenance of student
behaviour. If I wait patiently until I have the attention
of the entire class, I am hoping that well-behaved
students redirect the attention of students who
misbehave.

28/04 23/05 Short Weekly Personal
Reflections
Action 2


My presentations
will be engaging.
I will use VAK Learning Styles in order to engage
students of differing learning styles. I will minimise
my lecture time, so that the students retain interest.

28/04 23/05 Student Questionnaire
Action 3 I will speak using
language that the
students understand.
I will be aware of my speech, and avoid using large
words without an explanation of the meaning.


28/04 23/05 Student Questionnaire

Detailed
reflection &
evaluation in
relation to the
goal
Action #1 I will not speak until the entire class is silently listening

Week 1: Though I have managed to control the attention of the students, I often find myself needing to raise my voice and
discipline the students. It has been difficult to remain consistent, and wait until the entire class has been listening. On three
occasions this week I moved students to separate tables because they werent giving me their attention. In order to
establish a classroom culture that doesnt require the teacher to raise their voice, I have been raising my hand, and using
this signal as a prompt to gather attention. This strategy has also been helpful as a personal reminder to silently request
classroom attention. I hope to phase this out soon, when the students become more familiar with my presence, and know
my own expectations.

Week 2: This week I have phased out the hand raising management tool, and instead I have quietly requested student
attention. I have avoided raising my voice at any time. This was difficult during the first class of the week, but eventually,
when I patiently waited, students began to tell other students to be quiet. This was an exciting and surprising success. The
problem, however, is that I struggled to sustain the flow of the lesson with the constant interruptions.

Week 3: This week I experimented with a new classroom management technique. I experimented with my physical
presence within the classroom, and constantly walked around the room whilst teaching. This was a great tool that
noticeably commanded the students attention. By weaving around the classroom tables I defused any student distractions
through the use of body language and redirection of attention. As a result, I found that there were less moments in which I
needed to discipline the class and request full attention.

One challenge during the week took place when I shadowed the art teacher, and taught new students in open planned
classrooms. I taught 2 classes, and each lesson had 60 students. It was very difficult to command the attention of 60
students, and the students didnt respond to silence, because we hadnt previously established relationship or expectations.
I find classroom management to be easier when there is time to establish a culture and expectations.

Week 4: I feel that a classroom culture has been established. The students have largely displayed respect, and when
students are misbehaving their peers generally correct them before I have to intervene. I was also able to wait patiently
when the students interrupted without compromising time management. My mentor wrote in the feedback, Time
management is excellent. Clear instructions for time use and kept to his planned schedule.


Action #2 - My presentations will be engaging.

Over the 4-week placement I have worked to diversify student activities during each lesson. I have noticed that the
students often loose concentration after 6 8 minutes of teacher talk. I have worked to diversify my lessons, and prepared
multiple activities within the lesson plan. I have tailored these activities around the VAK learning styles, so that students
can learn through visual, auditory and kinesthetic experience. I have use PowerPoint presentations, group conversations,
music, picture prompts, role-plays, word lists and independent research, all as activities that can reinforce the learning
criteria.

The students completed a questionnaire upon the completion of my teaching rounds, and ticked a number scale that
answered the question, How engaging are Mr Gibbs lessons. The students answers averaged to 8.33 / 10. The students
were asked to circle a list of words that describe Mr Gibbs lessons, 22/23 students circled either fun, interesting and
engaging.

Action #3 - I will speak in language that the students understand.

After teaching at university level, I have been surprised by the amount to a teacher must modify their language for the
standard of year 9 students. This has been one of the main critiques from my mentor teacher, who wrote, Clear
communication, however, needs to be mindful of the language he uses (a little high for year 9s at times)... should moderate
language to suit the particular student/students that he is communicating with.

I began working on this area of concern by repeating large words, and asking students if they understood the meaning.
Most of the time, students didnt understand what I was saying. This initially shocked me, because I assumed that the
words I were using were quite commonplace. For a while, I began to modify my speech, and quickly realised that this was
quite a difficult task. Eventually, I decided to continue using large words, but to clarify each word as I spoke. I believe that
this was an important decision, because the exposure can help students to enlarge their vocabulary and literacy skills.

The students completed a questionnaire upon the completion of my teaching rounds, and ticked a number scale that
answered the question, Does Mr Gibbs use language that you understand?. The students answers averaged to 8.2 / 10,
with a polarizing effect. 6/23 students rated at a 7 or less. This shows that many students did struggle to understand the
words that I used. The students were also asked to consider ways that Mr Gibbs could improve. The 3 most repeated
criticisms were as follows;

1. Needs to improve spelling
2. Needs to use smaller words
3. Needs to be more strict


Template based on: Commonwealth of Australia. (2010). What Works: The work program. The workbook tools. Retrieved September 27, 2010 from
http://www.whatworks.edu.au/dbAction.do?cmd=displaySitePage1&subcmd=select&id=402


Thomas Gibbs - 4492627

Emerging Toolbox

Australian Centre of Contemporary Art
Excursion/Incursion Resource - https://www.accaonline.org.au/learn/education-
resources

ACCAs education resources supports visits to the gallery with exhibition
information and classroom activities. All resources are designed to meet student
learning outcomes, responding to AusVELS and the VCE curriculum. ACCA is
unable to respond to individual student enquiries. (As stated on website)

ACCA will be a useful educational resource for excursions and professional
development.


Australian Centre for Moving Image
Excursion Resource - http://www.acmi.net.au/education.htm

Australian Centre for Moving Image runs units that art tailored for Studio Art
students. For example Exploring Ideas and Styles in Artworks is a unit for year 11
students that explores issues related to Studio Arts - Design concepts and
includes a lecture and tour through ACMI's exhibition spaces.


Class Tools
http://www.classtools.net/

Class tools is a great website that provides daily interactive aids for classroom
management. Tools such as the Countdown Timer, Random Name Picker and
Random Table Allocator are interactive tools that encourage group activities
and simple time management.

Todays Meet
https://todaysmeet.com/

Todays Meet is an online interactive tool that runs an online classroom feed in
real-time. Students are able to independently research ideas, and post their
findings onto an online chartroom that can be projected onto the classroom
board. I have already used this during a lesson and found it to be very time
efficient for classroom brainstorming sessions, and engaging for the students.

Essential Art, Victorian Essential Learning Standards 5-6
Book Publication by Glenis Israel

This is a great publication by Glenis Israel that lists key artworks and art
movements, provides explanations specific to years 5 and 6, and practical
activity ideas. Each activity lists the relevant VELS standards, which are now out-
of-date, but can be updated to Aus Vels

Artwise Visual Arts for the Australian Curriculum Years 7-10
Book Publication by Glenis Israel

Like Essential Art, this book is specifically written to address the Visual Arts
learning area within the Australian Curriculum. It provides a stimulating
resource for students in Years 7 to 10, with a broad range of Australian and
international artists, and a balance of traditional and contemporary examples.

Edutopia
www.edutopia.org

Edutopia is an online resource that is designed to help educators implement
strategies that integrate learning domains, help students to work collaboratively,
and communicate with clarity. The website has provided many helpful tips, and
is an online reference for professional development.