Student Teacher of History
Competences
Intercultural sensitivity
A teacher who has developed the intercultural competence is aware of the dynamics of their own culture, understands that these dynamics may, or may not apply, to the rest of the world, and values these differences.
Now, more than ever, this competence carries significant weight to be able to accomplish as a teacher in today's international world, with its highlight, the "Black lives Matter" movement.
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ITTes is one of many classroom examples to represent the competence of intercultural sensitivity, taking in students from the Netherlands, Ireland, Chicago, and Zambia, to name a few. All these students, who have their own culture and nationalistic view in the world, are placed in one classroom, which requires some level of cultural sensitivity.
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Considering my background, being part of Irish and Dutch descent, I believed to reach some level of cultural sensitivity. Having been raised by two individuals who stand for different views in the world and each having their traditions.
The different journeys I have made in and outside of EU, have helped me to become more aware of many different cultures, and behaviours among locals, but also the language barriers that are still very strong. I came to understand that, just because I was fluent in two languages, that this did not excuse me for not being able to communicate with people in a non-English speaking country, nor Dutch-speaking.
After this realisation, I made sure to prepare myself before every trip. Being able to know and understand some basic words, that helps not only me but also shows respect to the people who's country I was visiting.
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Of course, when it comes to a classroom with many different backgrounds, having each student to learn basic words of all the languages that are present, makes it a bit complicated. Therefore English is the primary language to communicate with within International schools, making it available for everyone.
However, not everyone's level of English is equal. Some might have spoken it all their life, like me, and others are only just starting to learn the basic words.
As a student-teacher of ITEss, I created a goal for myself, within intercultural competence:
I am capable of differentiating the needs and quality of the students in the English language.
Even as a history teacher, it is essential to meet the needs, based on language skills, of your students, especially with it being an important skill to develop and helping the student to understand the teacher, their peers, and the discussed material during class.
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During my first-year at ITEss and my internship in Haren, Groningen, I tried to accomplish this goal.
In order to accomplish it, I had set myself some sub-goals, by observing different classes and teachers, creating specific lesson plans and activities, and being aware of my own English and its accent.
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Sadly, I have not been able to do everything I wanted to, nor do I feel accomplished yet.
I hope to bring this experience and newfound knowledge with me next year and to my next internship.
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Communication
As a teacher, you have to be able to create a clear communication line between yourself and the student. Establishing clear oral communication is important for a teacher, for they have to make themselves understood.
In order to establish this, you need to have great control of the English language pronunciation and vocabulary, which is not being influenced by the slang of foreign, or different English, accents. With that, a teacher is capable of expressing enthusiasm in their subject, create more personal connections with their students, and can communicate so effectively and efficiently.
I am not considered a native speaker, even though my father always has spoken English to me, making me merely a fluent speaker of the English language.
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As a fluent speaker, I never encountered any issues with my communication towards others. However, haven never spoke on an academic level with my father nor at high school, limiting my English speaking skills comparing to others. As has the Irish accent of father and his family, influenced my own accent. Making me less understandable for people who are less familiar with the language.
This became noticeable during my CAE exams.
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And again during my internship.
One of the feedback points I was given by my mentor teacher and by, one or more, students, is to speak slower.
And English teachers of ITEss advised me to practice on my accent, to make it more neutral in order to make myself more understandable.
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Showing that I am not quite there yet.
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The most important thing with communication is confidence. If you are not confident in your speech, nor knowledge of it, then this will hold you back from growing.
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Pedagogics
As a teacher, you are responsible for a group of teenagers. This responsibility does not stop at improving their academic ability.
This competence is one of the most important competencies to achieve as a teacher. It shows that a teacher is capable of listening to the students emotional and mental needs. When a teacher reaches this competence, It shows that they are capable of creating a safe and healthy learning environment for their students.
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To achieve this competence, you need to develop multiple skills, for example, classroom management skills, empathy, and understanding.
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In my PersonalDevelopmentPlan, I created a goal for myself:
I am capable of improving my classroom management to create a safe learning environment for the students.
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In practice, I have been able to prove this twice, during the two lessons I have taught at my internship, however I do not yet see this as accomplished considering the complexity of this competence.
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Nevertheless , it is this competence which I am most interested and motivated in, to accomplish.
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During this school year, we had to write a research paper for Educational Studies.
For this, I chose the topic 'Mental health in the classroom'. With the research paper, we also had to create an educational design. In this design, I am mainly focused, on creating a safe and sound learning environment for the students to discuss mental health.
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Evidence :
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After clicking on the button below, you will find a lesson plan, an information/worksheet for the students, and a description of different exercises in the lesson
Evidence :
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'click'button to download research paper 'Mental health in the classroom
'Research paper - Mental health in the classroom
Evidence :
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After clicking on the button, you will find my lesson plan - absolutism, and with it the reflection forms of both classes
Evidence :
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In every lesson plan, decisions are made based on creating a safe learning environment.
Subject & didactics
It is important as a teacher to be passionate about your subject and to "sell" your subject with great enthusiasm.
With that you also need to be confident in your subject, to be confident you need to truly know your subject and the topics you discuss. This takes time and determination. For even years after graduating it might still happen that you need to improve your subject knowledge.
In your lessons, you try to make it as attractive and easy as you can for your students, by incorporating including fun and educational activities or make use of visual aids such as an informative, animation video.
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For my internship I created the goal:
I am capable of creating a lesson plan that will include an "Active learning" activity that can engage and motivate the students.
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Throughout ITEss and the Education classes, I came to understand what Active Learning meant the effect of its activities. This made it my goal to be able to create my own, original, set of activities, which I can use during my teaching practices and in the future.
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Evidence :
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After clicking on the button below, you will find a lesson plan, with two active learning activities in it, information about these two activities and one of its end results: Exit cards --> students feedback
Evidence :
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'click the button to download.
Information sheet 'who or what am I' Active learning
Classroom management
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When having great classroom management control you show, as a teacher, control, leadership, organisation, and trustworthiness.
Classroom management is not only an important skill for the competence Organisation, but also that of Interpersonal.
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When achieving good classroom management, students will start te create a routine and set behaviour when stepping into your class, and with time, start feeling comfortable and safe.
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Classroom management is also very important for the teachers well being. When being able to control a class, it takes away a lot of extra stress. The process of creating this competence, however, can be very stressful in the beginning, maybe even frustrating.
Nevertheless, in the long run, it is good to have sound classroom management.
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Ways of creating proper classroom management this;
- Create a set of rules and share these with the class during the first lesson
- Be consistent in your ways
- Be prepared for people to break the rules
- Be firm in the first week or 2, as rewarding behaviour you show more room for "fun"
- Be on time for your classes
- Be prepared for your classes
- Be in charge
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In my only lesson that I created for teaching practice, I included 5 rules in my PowerPoint, which I stuck with throughout both classes.
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Colleagues
Being a teacher, automatically, means that you are also a team player.
When speaking to your (future) colleagues, you address them with respect and understanding.
During my teaching practice, I have been able to talk to multiple teachers, all who gladly discussed either educational topics or personal.
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The first time I walked into a teachers lounge, as a student - teacher, I was 19, much has changed since then.
Then, I was scared, I kept to myself and sat alone most of the time.
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This year, I engaged in lovely and informative conversations with many different teachers.
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One of the conversations was with an Irish woman who was a Mathematics Teacher at the international school in Haren. She shared with me a strategy when correcting students on talking without permission.
It is these talks that will help me most during my teaching practices.
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Working environment
A teacher is part of an organisation within a school. A school has many different branches and functions, some involving administration, others more student-oriented, and functions that are more subject-oriented.
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If this I have little knowledge. However, it is only recently that interest has sparked into needing to know more about this competence.
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Resulting in more for next year.
Reflection
Reflection is an important skill to manage as a teacher.
For as a teacher you will encounter many times, of receiving feedback, that might not always be as positive as other times.
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During Educational studies we have practised multiple times in giving positive feedback and in receiving this in a respectful manner.
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Feedback is an important tool that a teacher can use to improve personal growth, something I have experienced many times this past year but also in my previous study.
Evidence :
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After clicking on the button below, you will find a lesson plan of my micro class. In here is also an improved lesson plan after having received my feedback.
Evidence :
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After clicking on the button below, you will find my lesson plan for TP an the reflections I wrote after teaching the class.
Vision
Your vision is what motivates your reflections and actions as a teacher. With this, you would also add theoretical concepts.
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This is something I struggle a lot with. I understand the outcomes of these theories we learn, however, I find it hard to connect them in the correct manner with my work.
Making it a point of attention for the following year.