Written by John Andrius | 
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Practicum Tips - Handling group and individual work
This tip helps to create an awareness of how to get students started
When To Do This
Shortly after starting practicum.
Who Fills This In
A fellow student, or a fellow teacher.
What To Do
Try to do this exercise with the same fellow student and the same class as in 'Vigilance'. If this is note possible do it with another class or another student. Choose a lesson when children are likely to be doing some individual or group work. Make sure your fellow student understands what must be done in the analysis section below. A watch will be needed for this exercise.
Analysis
Date: _______________________________
Class: _______________________________
Subjec:t _______________________________
(To the observer: Read the instructions carefully for each section as the procedures are a little more complex than usual.)
Getting Down To Work
Make notes about the few minutes before the class commences individual or group work. Is there a brisk start? Are the class's tasks made clear by the teacher or is there confusion? Does work begin promptly or slowly?
Moving Around
Once children have started their work, track the teacher's movements as follows: for FIVE MINUTES only mark the teacher's approximate position in the classroom with an X at ten second intervals on the plan below. Join each X to the previous X with a line. You should thus assemble about 30 such X marks in five minutes and they should all be joined together showing how the teacher moved.
Teacher-Pupil Contacts
After you have tracked the movements, use the following table to record ten successive contacts between teacher and pupil. Record briefly what happened, using shorthand such as T for Teacher and P for Pupil. Try to be specific, eg. 'T asked P question about outcome of experiment' or 'P asked T what to do when he had finished', 'T reprimanded P for knocking books on floor', 'T praised P for good work' etc. These ten contact do not have to be with the same pupil, any pupil may be involved.
Follow-up
- Discuss the lesson with your fellow student. Ask yourself these questions:
- Has the setting up at the beginning properly carried out?
- Did you move around the groups and individuals? As you knew your movements were being tracked were you more mobile that usual?
- What sort of contacts do you have with children? Do they know what to do when they have finished: Are you quick to notice and deal with misbehavior: Do you encourage children? What sort of questions do you ask them?
- During future lessons with this class try to work at your mobility during group work, and think about the contacts you have with individuals or groups. Find one or two individuals or groups where you feel that what they do during group or individual work is disappointing, and see if you can work with them, particularly during the next lesson or two.
- Reverse roles with your colleague and observe his lesson using this format