REFLECTIVE PRACTICE OF THE SIWES PROGRAM I UNDERGONE
Description: I am
currently on a teaching practice placement in an adult education college in the
south-west of England, learning how to teach Management Science to various
groups of adults. As my placement is in the early stages, I am mainly assisting
the class tutors and have just started planning and delivering a small part of
each lesson.
Feelings: I
was so embarrassed and upset by my own inability to speak in front of the
group, but I was also extremely angry with the class teacher for her response
in the presence of the students. I felt afterwards that she had not given me sufficient
time to compose myself, and that she should have allowed me to address my
nerves.
Evaluation: At
the time, I did not feel that the situation had been resolved at all. I very deliberately
left at the end of the class without speaking to the class teacher or the learners.
I realized that everyone feels nervous before their first few classes.
Analysis: The
situation was made worse by both my own actions and those of the class teacher.
I feel that I should have stood up to her, rather than letting her take control
of the lesson, and that I should have spoken to her immediately after the
lesson about how I was feeling. She claimed that she had thought she was
helping me to overcome my anxieties, but I do not believe that to be the case.
Conclusion: In
retrospect, I would do several things differently. I should have spoken to the
class teacher immediately after the session and voiced my opinions. I should
also have been more assertive by advising the tutor that I could continue with
the lesson. However, the incident made me realize the importance of building up
a relationship with the teacher. If I had developed a professional relationship
with the teacher in the preceding weeks, I would have been able to explain how
nervous I was beforehand.
Action: In
future, I will ensure that I build up a relationship with colleagues. I am
working alongside several different teachers during my placement, and I intend
to speak to each of them about my nerves. This experience has made me realize
that I need to gain more confidence with presenting, and I feel addressing my
presentation skills will help me to do this.