Standard 6: Engage in professional learning

 Focus area & descriptor demonstrated:

• 6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice: Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices

Critical reflection:
My mentor teacher often provided me a feedback sheet which consisted of the things I did well (positives), things that I should improve on (future learning) and the things that I should consider next time (questions). In this particular mathematics lesson (Figure 1), although it was great that I read with the students the learning intention which was “Great learners understand the link between multiplication and division”, I should have explained it to make sure that all students understood before learning the next part of the lesson. I had learned that students even though having read the learning intention, they may not have understood what it meant. In my following lessons, I have always asked students to highlight the key words of the learning intention, ask them to explain what the learning intention meant to them and then drawing on their prior knowledge of what they had learned previously. The days leading up to my mid-point review, I felt successful with my teaching as evident in my mentor's note as seen in Figure 2. I am thankful that I was able to work a variety of teachers who helped give constructive feedback towards my teaching practice.

Figure 1. Mentor teacher's feedback form. This column in my feedback form from my mentor teacher helped me realise the things I needed to work on in my teaching practice. In this critical reflection I will be referring to "Make sure you explain the learning intention" and how I improved my teaching practice in later lessons.

Figure 2. Mentor teacher's feedback during Mid-point assessment. My mentor had noted that I had taken on feedback and used it to improve my teaching strategy showing that I had sought feedback and applied it in my teaching.