With this second diary entry I would like to use the format of Gibbs (1988) and Schon (1991).
Arrivals:
- 3 at 9am
- 4 at 9:15am
- 1 at 9:24am
- 2 at 9:40am
It is worth noting at this stage, the one student who arrived at 9:24am was the student who arrived at approximately that time last week; as were the later two. I find myself wondering if this has become habitual time keeping and how can this be changed? (See action plan below).
I awaited the students at the door as usual and greeted the ones who were on time. Today the lesson centred around revision of the muscles for anatomy and physiology. Attention spans seem better (approximately 10 minutes due to a combination of activity and creation. A greater amount of talking over each other occurred which made giving instruction quite difficult. I also dealt with some anger today due to personal matters which was sad.
I feel that this behaviour, inability to concentrate and disrespect for each other stems from learned behaviour. Possibly reinforced by previous teachers/parents (classic and operant conditioning. Skinner (1938) ). It makes me feel sad this is the outcome of 15/16 years of education. Also frustrated as I know the potential is there.
What was good today?
- Better time keeping from some
- Better work achieved
- Concentration skills improved
What was bad about today?
- Complete lack of respect for each other. Displayed in speaking/shouting over each other, not listening when the other person speaks and not helping with work
- I didn’t achieve everything I wanted to
I found this morning to be very frustrating. The remainder of my time is spent with the make up artistry students and their behaviour is completely different. I know it is important to not compare one group to another/others. This is only the second week so I fully believe in patience and consistency.
Action plan for 19th March 2019:
- Greet arrivals at the door (on time)
- Show more of an interest in them and their work (although I am good at this…it’s never too late to show more)
- Utilise stronger members of the class to repeat instructions
Gibbs, G. (1988) ‘Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods’. Oxford: Further Educational Unit, Oxford Polytechnic.
Schon, DA. (1987). ‘Educating the Reflective Practitioner’. London: Temple Smith.
Schon, DA. (1991). ‘The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action’. Aldershot: Avebury. d0 Smart Link;
Skinner, BF. (1938). ‘The behaviour of organisms : an experimental analysis’. The American Journal of Psychology. Volume: 52: 4: 659
Kill Them With Consistency 