As a teacher...
Prior to beginning this course I was very much as
an autocratic teacher where I told the children what they would
be learning and how they would know if they were successful or not. I
supported them to create goals based on the information I provided them. Now I
feel I have adapted my teaching to allow for students to take greater ownership
over their learning and have greater student agency. I provide students
opportunities to attend workshops that they can sign up for depending on what
they feel they need to learn. I give my students time to develop and refine
skills through personal choice. I support opportunities for the children to
collaborate and work on tasks of personal interest to them where the skills
they have been taught can be showcased. Digital technologies are now used to
create rather than consume and students can select how they wish to present
their work. This work is then shared on the class blog and commented on by
parents and other students. Through discussions with my class they have commented
that they prefer having a choice over their learning and what order they will
complete learning tasks as it gives them the opportunity to be independent. The
children are more able to talk about their learning and their goals as they
have a clearer understanding of what they need to learn next through the
use of work models and access to their assessment and tracking sheets. Overall,
I believe this course has taught me to be more flexible in my teaching and that
even very young children can be accountable and take ownership over their
learning.
As a leader...
Through this course I have explored in depth the
different leadership styles. I have reflected on my past leadership roles and
how I have adapted and changed with experience. The course has also shown me
which leaderships styles are more favourable and which styles suit different
situations. I am now more aware of my teams personalities and approach them as
individuals rather than as a group. I recognise the importance of a shared
vision and how team members need to feel ownership over the changes that are
being implemented and I am now striving to be more of a transformational
leader.
As a learner...
As Burns (1978) suggested "working
collaboratively is better than working individually" and I
have discovered that I enjoy collaborating with others on tasks and feel that
through this approach I am able to learn from others while supporting them
also. By collaborating I take more responsibility over my role as a team member
as I am aware others are relying on me. By experiencing how collaborating
has had a positive influence on my learning I have begun to use
this teaching approach in my classroom. As a learner I have also started
to reflect more on my practice and how it impacts on my students learning, thinking
carefully about three core questions:
- What is happening?
- What is not happening?
- What can I do to influence this?
By deeper and more specific reflections I have been able to pinpoint what is successful in my teaching approach for my students and what may need to be adapted and changed to ensure my students are engaged and are able to learn.
References
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York:
Harper & Row retrieved from
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