Initial
Journal Analysis
I have
looked back through my BAPP journal at the observations I have made about my
professional practice. Mainly focusing on the classes in which I prepare
students for examinations. I have used the same categories that I identified in
my interview analysis to organise my data.
Extra-Curricular
Although I
do teach classes within the school day, all of the exam preparation classes are
extra-curricular. The drama classes in school time are used to aid learning of
other topics on the national curriculum e.g. history- Ancient Egyptians. This
relates to Finlay-Johnson and Cooks (1917) who early on raised the debate about
drama as a learning tool or a subject in itself. “Drama in Education practitioners frequently proclaim the benefits of
creating drama without the intention of performing for an audience.” (Landy
& Montgomery. 2012: p11). This comes from the ideas of Winifred Ward in the
early 1930s. However, Warner (1997) says, “Any
act of theatre requires both actors and audience.” This could show how our
attitudes towards drama have changed over time. Since the early twentieth century
drama has become more accessible to the mainstream because of television and
now in the twenty first century, the internet.
Engagement
In my BAPP
journal I have made regular observations on how my students are engaging with
the lessons and with the exam syllabus. I have made note on how the age of the
student can affect engagement. Younger students are better taught in a group;
they find it hard to be left to their own devices. This can become hard for me coming
into the last few weeks before an exam; when I need to see each child
individually. The others become disengaged when having to sit and watch
everyone perform. I have made notes on techniques that I tried to keep the
students engaged in these instances. For example, allowing them to work on
their own play in groups. It changes up the class from constant exam work and
keeps them busy. It was interesting that those who take the exams seriously
produced the best plays with a clear story.
I also think a big part of
engagement is managing student’s expectations. If students assume they will do
well they will disengage and not try as hard. I have noted that it is great
when the students are asking lots of questions as it shows me they are invested
in what they are doing.
Home learning/Responsibility
One issue
that comes up frequently in my BAPP journal is my concern over how much time I
have in class to ensure that the students are fully prepared. As you move up
the levels of the LAMDA syllabus there is more theory questions that the
learner has to prepare for. They have to read the book that one of their
performance pieces come from and be prepared to answer questions on it. As well
as questions about their understanding of both their pieces. When I have 15-20
people in a group I often don’t have enough time to see each child perform their
pieces each week and offer feedback. I then also have to put aside time to
prepare them for questions they may be asked in the exam. More recently I have
tried to encourage the students to take responsibility for learning this
outside class. I have made information sheets for the students to take home
that outlines what is required. This has worked well as their parents can help
them. Unfortunately, I noted that not all students used these effectively.
This, along with what I found in my interviews, prompted my artefact idea. To
create something interesting that the student could use for home practice. I
say in my journal that I want my students to do well not only through my help
but by “encouraging self-reflection and responsibility
for learning at a young age.” (Meiklejohn, 2016).
Type of assessment
The exams
that I prepare my students for (LAMDA: Verse and Prose) are summative. The
students perform their pieces in front of a LAMDA examiner and answer their
questions. The exam is a 10-15 minute process. The students are being assessed
at the end of a unit of work. However, through my journal I have noted how
important it is that I take it upon myself to give my students formative
feedback throughout the term. It is important that problems are addressed at
the time. Like Spendlove’s (2009) idea of ‘quality assurance’. None of my
students should be going to the exam feeling anything less that confident. You
can see from my BAPP journal that I am becoming more confident in my own
assessment of my students. It is not me that gives them the final grade but I
will not push them into something that I know they are not ready for.
Feedback & Communication
I think this
is key in effectively preparing students for an exam or an assessment. I have
to give appropriate feedback, I also encourage peer feedback and communication
with parents. I have to communicate to my students what is expected of them. I
have to ensure that they are meeting all of the exam criteria. With the
students on higher grades, who have more criteria to meet, I have spent quite a
bit of time discussing with them the learning outcomes. I noted in my BAPP
journal how this has had a positive outcome for the students. “By understanding these LOs the children were
able to self-critique and give better peer feedback.” (Meiklejohn, 2016). Previously students were shy to offer
each other advice when asked, I think this was because they didn’t know what
they were looking out for.
My plan now
is to take these reflections from my journal and continue to compare them with
my interviews and literature. Time to get started properly on my draft and try
to focus in all this information!!
References
Landy,
R. and Montgomery, D. (2012). Theatre for change. New York: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Spendlove, D (2009). Putting Assessment for Learning into
Practice. London. Continuum.
Warner, C. (1997) The Edging in of Engagement: exploring
the nature
of engagement in drama, Research in Drama Education: The
Journal of Applied Theatre and
Performance,
2:1, 21-42
No comments:
Post a Comment