Task S6/1

Learning about your school and MST

Visit TP School to meet the Principal and Science coordinator/Teacher.
-

Objectives:
Student teachers visit TP schools and meet the Principal and Science coordinator/teacher
and other relevant personnel. Student teachers will:

Present an overview of Teaching Practice Tasks for this Practicum stressing the fact that
EPR student teachers will:

Focus on teaching science

attend the setting in accordance with the HCT, RAKWC schedule (Table 1 above) i.e.
ideally for one day per week for five consecutive weeks (though this may vary) and
then for 5 days over the course of three weeks.

work with the Science coordinator/teacher to complete prescribed observation and

interview tasks and act as a TA as appropriate.

teach a minimum of 10 whole class lessons including four connected lessons during
the five week block

Discuss guidelines for EPR MSTs as outlined above.

Discuss issues of professionalism and of the importance of reflective practice together

with the need to maintain clear, explicit communication between the MCT, MST and the
student teacher in building relationships and achieving the specific aims of the
practicum.

Discuss the need for the MST to allocate a specific amount of time for discussing issues,
areas of interest, co-constructing or advising on student plans as appropriate.

During this time the student teacher should also:

complete the School Profile (Table 3),

document important dates (holidays, school events, trips etc.) on the School
Calendar

obtain copies of the termly/weekly / daily class schedules for the science
coordinator/teacher

Document topics that are being covered currently and that will be covered for the
next 4 weeks.

Obtain or create a map highlighting place you will be in the school as well as
places where any specific labs, materials, resources, and or any relevant outdoor
learning spaces that could be used for your year group

Tour the school in order to complete the profile and to identify the location of the
Principals office, classrooms, Science room, relevant science facilities/labs/prep-rooms,
the outdoor play areas, dining areas, library, resource room and any other areas that
you may need to use. If possible obtain/copy a map of the school.

Obtain the used Lesson Plan template/format/ or an example from which you can
plan/mirror your lesson plans.

Discuss what will be taught when you are in TP next and how you will participate/

Procedure:
You will need:

EPR MST Guidelines

Teaching Practice Tasks booklet for Practicum 3b

Table 3: B.Ed School Profile

Table 4: TP Discussion Board Guidelines

a digital camera
Before implementing these tasks:
Discuss each of these tasks with your colleagues. Decide what each of you will do. Discuss
the tasks with your MST. (Ask for permission to take photographs.)

Whilst implementing the Tasks:

Make notes about any areas of interest or issues you would like to discuss with your MCT
and/or MST.
Photograph evidence for the tasks and portfolio.

After completion of the tasks:

1. Clearly label, PDF and store all school documentation in the your TP e-portfolio.
2. Complete Table 3: School Profile: PDF and upload it to TP e-portfolio. Email tasks, etc. to
gdesravins@hct.ac.ae using the correct file names/subject lines.

3. Complete your TP Discussion Board on BB Learn and reply to 2 others.

Table 3: School Profile

Name of School:
Gems Westminster school
Principal:
Lachlan Mackinnon

Address:

PO Box

Location:
Alseah- Alburerat
Tel:
07-2035999
Fax:
07-2268777

Senior Management Team Members & duties:

Science Coordinator &/or Lead Science Teachers:

Mr Lachlen, Mr Akram
Ms.Mangeelit, Ms. Manlthe
Ms.Hally, Ms.Nada

Mr.Akram
Mr. prathapa singh Jacob, Ms Manju Radhe
Ms. Saritha, Ms. Dhanya, Ms. Sonia
Ms. Tripthi, Ms.Zam

Staff Start/finish Time:

7:30\ 4:30

Student Start/finish Time:

Total Number of Teachers in the School:

Total Number of Students in the School:

Kg1,kg2: 7:30-12:15
Grades: 7:30- 2:45

1211

Teacher / student ratio:

1:25
1:30(year)

Total number of classes & Year groups: (e.g. 8

classes; 2 Y8, 1 Y9 etc.)
Kg1:6, kg2:7
Y1:7, y2: 6, y3:3 ,y4:3 ,y5:3, y6:3, y7:2, y8:2 ,y9:2

Other specialist teachers at the school: (e.g. SEN;

ESL; Arabic: Music, Art, PE)

School Nurse:

ART: Kholud, Harshpriya

PE: Amar, Regea,sujith, Praveen
Music: Suhail

Girls nurse: Shaini muttical

Boys nurse: Reema Varghese

Technician / Resource Manager:

Librarian:
Shobhavathi

Number of Specified Science Classrooms & available

facilities in the school:

Type & range of Science materials/ resources

available in each classroom:

Classrooms: from year 1- 9

Science laboratory- biology-chemistry and physic

Display board
White boards
Projectors
Flash cards

Other relevant science facilities / areas within the school:

Science lab-2 (biology, chemistry, physics )

models

Discussion Board Notes- Completed weekly

Write your Discussion Board posts in paragraph form on BBLearn. They should be a
minimum of 100 words and where possible illustrated with photographs. Answer the
questions set in each Discussion and remember this is a personal account of your thoughts,
feelings and reactions during your time in the school. Consequently, you may choose to focus
not only on the discussion points raised and/or use one, all or none of the following focus
points in your post.
You can use this table to make notes / jot down ideas during TP. It would also be helpful to
consistently reflect on your professional development with reference to the TP Competencies.
Remember to also reply to two other posts.
Table 4: TP Discussion Board Notes
How did you feel about TP today/this week? What areas are you focused on and what progress have
you made? Explain.
The first week was interesting which we understand how the school works. Furthermore, in this week
we meet the staff in the school and the principle which they look very specialized and treat as in a
good way. At the beginning I was afraid from teaching grade six but after meeting the students I feel
that I can be their friend. Most of the students were kind and respectful which it raise my motivation
to teach them in a very good way because they are helpful students. Moreover, I feel very comfy
with my MST which she was very nice and treat others in a professional way. At this training we will
be more focusing on science and understanding what grade six lessons and topics. Moreover, this
week I look at grade six curriculums and I search for a creative way to teach them by it. However,
knowing students levels before teach the student can improve my teaching so I focused on the
students and understand how they involve in the class.

Students science book

Grade 6

Students classroom

What duties / activities did you carry out during the school today? Critically Reflect: Did you feel that
you did a good job?
The duties this week were attending all the lessons that my teacher was responsible about. Moreover,
involving at these lessons helped me to understand the levels of the activities that I have to use with
the different students. After being worried and nervous about grade six I felt comfortable because of
the helpful students. My feeling was wonderful which I can give more because I am happy with my
class and my MST.

What was the most interesting science activity or strategy you saw? Why did you think it was
interesting and worth noting/remembering?

There is some of the activity that the teacher did made the classroom interesting. Students have to
create a big poster about the respiratory system which they have to draw it and label the name of the
organs on it. This activity was interesting because student like to use art and drawing while studying
and using the information. moreover, our brain have two side one of them for art and the other for
information so by connecting these two side the human brain will be improved.
What did you try out? Was it successful? Why/why not? Which TP competencies do you feel you
achieved and which do you think that you need to focus on next time?
At my first lesson I tried to use interesting things while teaching. Moreover, I used creating posters to
let the student explore what they will take in the lesson. This way leads the student to think more
about the topic and investigate more about it. However, there are some of the TP competencies that
I achieved which they are controlling the classroom and the misbehavior. In contrast, I need to focus
more on the time management and controlling the time.

What was the most important thing you learnt about students or teaching science today? Can you
think of any way you could better engage students in any activity you saw today?
Teaching science is something easy which some of the students feel comfortable with science and
with me. Moreover, engaging students is something important which I can be more creative with this
stage. Engaging student by showing a video or let them hear a voice to guess what is it will motivate
the students. The teacher usually engage student but reviewing the previous lesson by asking them
or brainstorming.

Critically Reflect: Identify an aspect of your own behaviour (e.g. time / behaviour management) that
you feel you could improve upon. Discuss ways in which you could improve this.
My problem is managing the time which sometime I need more time to teach my students. However,
I can improve this by put a specific time for each stage at my lesson and try to not exceed the time.
Moreover, stopwatch may help me which the watch show when I have to start and finish the activity.

What are your agreed responsibilities for your next day/week in TP? Be specific
The next week I think will be very busy week which science lessons will be increased so we can teach
more lessons. Improving at teaching science is one of my responsibilities which I have to learn more
things about science to cover all the students questions during the class or outside it. Over all as a
science teacher I have to be professional and covered more than what the science curriculum said
with grade six.

Students schedule

Document topic being covered in the next week

Teacher schedule

School map