Page 9 - SASTA Journal 2017

Number 02 / 2017 SASTA Journal 7 Again as a teacher who has taught in the one school, who has never been out of Australia, my self re ection on
teaching practice has been eye opening.
Yesterday, I taught a lesson that I have often taught as a fun skills building exercise for younger students on Observations and Inferences. Coming from a school where I know everyone, they know me, we have a rapport, we speak the same language (most of the time) they know my body language, cues and the hidden expectations that underline your lessons.
I felt more out of my depth than on my rst day of teaching. I didn’t realise that signals I used inherently wouldn’t work for that class. That there would be lags in information understanding, not just the language as we had 3 way conversations where I would speak, the amazing translator would interpret then provide translation and then students would respond then the translator would explain back to me, but a barrier in skills.
I teach ‘working as a scientist skills’ in my classroom, speci c and separate to content. This is not the case in Japan so for the rst run through, my understanding of what I was teaching did not come across clearly. The lesson was all taught on my feet, modifying on the go. Trying to ask questions to students using hand gestures and simple words.
As it was observations in closed boxes (thank you Kate) having enough simple vocabulary to describe what was going on, without losing the meaning was dif cult. I am pleased to say though, that by the students’ second box there was progress. I had also asked that if they had thought the answers provided by fellow students were inferences rather than observations to move them to the side. This task was enjoyed by students, allowing an analysis of others’ understanding to build on their own.
My last message today is apply next year, or if you can’t, move out of your comfort zone. Don’t spend all of your professional development time to sit and listen to others tell you what they do great, re ect on yourself. Try something new, if it doesn’t work the speci c way you wanted, look at why that was the case. Was it you, how could you do it differently, was it the day, time, student group or equipment.
Challenge yourself and don’t get stale.
Day 5: The Fantastic Four - by Alex Fowler
Today marked the halfway point of our Japan Trip. There was much anticipation and excitement as the nal four of us stepped up to take lessons. We split into two groups and attended University of Tsukuba Elementary School and University of Tsukuba Junior High School. I went to the Elementary School. We were greeted and welcomed very kindly into the school.
The rst lesson we attended was an interesting lesson on pendulums run by Ken Tsuji. Students walked into the classroom and knew exactly what was expected of them for setting up their practical lesson.
Working in groups of four they set up their pendulums with a 10 gm weight and a 30 cm length. Students were lead through the lesson and tested the differences in period if amplitude is changed. Students worked very methodically and while the Sensei (teacher) lead the lesson and guided students; the students directed the discussion. The lesson was part of a longer series of lessons and this one took part in the middle of the series.
It was very interesting to watch the way in which students approached the task. The whole class was engaged in the task and they took time to think through their approach. One group even used their ruler to help with accuracy of period. The lesson took place at their benches in groups of four.
I have noticed the elementary schools we have visited have specialised science labs. They are fantastic and the students start working one scienti c method from an early age. The labs are just like shrunken high school labs, proper benches and sinks as well as having proper equipment such as beakers, retort stands and microscopes.
The second lesson was run by Reyne Pullen on Chromatography. Reyne approached his lesson with a short engagement activity using lter paper, water and M&Ms then lead the larger investigation from the perspective of a crime scene. Students separated the ink of ve different black pens and had to determine which suspect was guilty. The students again were very engaged in his lesson and worked in groups of four.