Element 1
Teachers know their subject content and how to teach that content to their students.
I have included a Subtraction unit I did with stage 1 as evidence for this element as it clearly highlights the in depth research and planning I undertook to create the lesson sequence. The Mathematics groups where graded and my class was the second top group, however there were still of course a range of abilities. The students were very visual learners and enjoyed tactile tasks. I have created a range of individual, group and paired activities in the lesson sequence as this was the most effective method to teach my student’s and it is important for student’s to work in different grouping styles. This method of teaching is supported by Glasser’s Choice Theory which is based around meeting student’s basic needs; the need for belonging and social interaction, to some degree greater freedom, fun and a sense of power.
I will continue to research and plan lessons and units of work with a variety of learning styles. The inclusion of the Interactive White Board (IWB) into this lesson sequence was something I will continue to use as it allowed students to use and see Mathematics in another mode. If an IWB is not an option I will explore the many other technologies available.
I need to be flexible in my teaching, as the style of my teaching will need to change depending on the content and the most effective way to teach it to my student’s. I need to evaluate and re-evaluate lessons in order to maintain they relevance to the student’s, which is one of the three key areas of the Quality Teaching Framework.
I believe that each subject area requires an enormous amount of investigation and research. Knowledge is not stagnated but rather dynamic thus as an educator I believe it is my responsibility to thoroughly understand the subject content I am teaching and know the most effective method to teach it to my students.