Reflective Summary

 

I set out on a voyage of profound learning, self-discovery, and professional progress during my teaching internship. I gained useful classroom skills from this experience, but it also gave me a greater grasp of the science and art of teaching.

As I think, education is a strong instrument that can open up countless opportunities for people, I try to establish a safe environment where kids feel empowered and appreciated. This encourages cooperation and teamwork, which helps to improve their learning experiences in a lighthearted and enjoyable way. Chaos inevitably follows freedom, but as a teacher, I think that everything is achievable with the correct methods. To create a disciplined and encouraging learning atmosphere, I made sure to provide positive reinforcement, set clear expectations for my kids, and develop consistent routines. I was able to efficiently run my classroom and make it a comfortable environment for all the students.

Difficulties are to be reckoned with when you are put in a classroom with raging hormones, but in my view, teaching is multidisciplinary, or rather a teacher is an all-rounder who can be a mother, a friend, a mentor, or instances even a disciplinarian to the students. I perceived and encountered my students by identifying the roles I am to play in their lives depending on the situation, time, and surroundings.  Most importantly, the teaching implications had to be well curated and carved to suit the students of Grades 7, 8, and 9 at Sussex College – Wennappuwa.

Particularly, for the Grade 7 and  8 students, the lessons were planned and conducted liberally with implications of several hands-on activities like Roleplaying to enhance their communicative abilities, games and quizzes like Simon Says, Hangman and Who Said to Whom to retain their focus, improve enthusiasm and encourage the students with competitive triumphs.

On the other hand, the Grade 9 students had a much more restricted timeline as they were being prepared and practiced to face the Edexcel Ordinary Level Examination in the coming year. Hence, their lessons were more explanation, and time – efficient and their practices struck a balance with in–class activities conjoined with exam practices.

I encountered a range of good and poor elements in the lessons I taught during my teaching internship. Using multimedia materials to improve student understanding and engagement was one useful strategy. Students' attention was effectively drawn in and a deeper grasp of difficult subjects was assisted by the integration of films, interactive presentations, and online simulations. On the other hand, there were instances when the class objectives and directions were unclear, which confused some pupils and made the approach unsuccessful. This demonstrated how crucial clear communication and a defined lesson plan are to maximizing learning objectives.

I received positive feedback on my engaging and dynamic lesson delivery during my observatory session, as well as my effective use of various teaching strategies, the creative use of visual aids, the style of teaching, and learner engagement were some of the appreciated factors of the lesson observation as appreciated by my Teacher – in Charge. The students during these stages of school are quite visual and engaging learners, therefore, visual representations are mandatory and the use of 3D and 2D visual aids was a thoughtful incorporation. 

Teaching a language is one of the hardest tasks there ever is, the learners could vary with their proficiency levels and standards, and the activities conducted in class must be well thought out and planned to suit the necessities of each student. The time management and the practical evaluation of the learners in this regard were challenging as some learners easily completed the provided tasks while others took time. This is a result of their cognitive development and schemata, and being inexperienced, I was oblivious to the proficiency levels of the students at the beginning stages of my internship. I regard this as constructive feedback to be noted and considered in the future of my teaching prospects. Another challenge that I encountered was the time constraint, hence, as the lessons run at a stretch and subjects switched from one concept to another, the retention of the core subject areas is crucial. Therefore, I reviewed that it would be best to introduce the topic through a warm-up activity full of engagement and enthusiasm; making acquaintance of the core concepts of the lesson. This experience made me realize how important it is to provide each student in the classroom with tailored help, to use language effectively, to communicate clearly, and to modify my lesson plans to suit their requirements. It made me think about how important tailored learning experiences and differentiation are for beginning students.

 I used interactive exercises, interactive communication, prompting replies, hands-on activities, and a variety of visual aids to creatively deliver the subject to the learners in order to keep my audience interested. Through the use of these tactics, students were encouraged to actively participate in the learning process. I was able to establish a welcoming and stimulating learning environment by posing challenging questions and giving pupils the chance to express their opinions.

 

 

 When evaluating the suitability of the instructional strategies used, I discovered that a diverse approach produced the best outcomes. To accommodate a variety of learning styles and promote active engagement, a combination of direct instruction, group projects, and practical activities was used. Nonetheless, there were times when specific teaching strategies didn't work as well as expected, especially when they didn't meet the needs of each individual student or didn't match the learning objectives. This emphasized how crucial it is to be adaptive and flexible when choosing instructional tactics in order to maximize student involvement and comprehension.

The chance to see and pick the brains of seasoned teachers was one of the most important parts of my internship. Observing their methods of instruction approaches to managing the classroom, and abilities to establish connections with students provided priceless insights into successful pedagogy. These insights gave me the basis on which to develop my teaching approach, incorporating components that spoke to me and tailoring it to the particular requirements of my pupils.


By actively participating in the planning and delivery of the lessons, I was able to apply my theoretical knowledge to practical situations. Working together with a mentor. I received practical experience creating dynamic, student-centered classes that accommodated a range of learning preferences. Furthermore, getting helpful criticism on my methods of instruction allowed me to hone in on my strategy and never stop trying to get better.

Making genuine connections with students was probably one of the most gratifying and difficult components of my internship. A favorable learning environment was primarily created by addressing individual needs, building trust, and cultivating a good classroom climate. I developed relationships with them that went beyond the classroom by being patient, empathic, and genuinely interested in their academic and personal growth.


Observing my pupils' development over time was a very rewarding aspect of my internship. celebrating their successes, working together to overcome challenges, and experiencing epiphanies.

I am appreciative of the opportunities for growth, challenges, and victories that my teaching internship provided. This experience has inspired a lifelong dedication to professional growth and ongoing learning, in addition to providing me with the skills and information I need to pursue a career in education. As I begin my career as an educator, I can't wait to share the knowledge I've gained and the connections I've made with the next generation. I want to inspire and empower them.