Teaching Practice 1

TP701
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 Prescribed Reading

This module requires you to read the prescribed textbook below.

• Du Toit, E.R., Louw, E.P. and Jacobs L. 2021. Help, I'm a student teacher!
Skills development for teaching practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.

The above-prescribed textbook is the primary resource in this module. You will
be told when to read various sections of it as you work through this study guide.

Recommended Readings

 Bashant, J. (2014). Developing Grit in Our Students: Why Grit Is Such a

Desirable Trait, and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Schools Journal
for Leadership and Instruction, v13 n2 p14-17 Fall 2014. [online].
Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1081394.pdf .
[Accessed on 30 September 2024].
 Bertram, C. 2011. What does research say about teacher learning and
teacher knowledge? Implications for professional development in South
Africa. Journal of Education, 52(0), 3-26. [online]. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carol_Bertram/publication/23412
7995_What_does_research_say_about_teacher_learning_and_teacher_
knowledge_Implications_for_professional_development_in_South_Afric
a/links/09e4150f6b6147051a000000.pdf. [Accessed on 30 September
2024].
 Department of Basic Education. South Africa. 2012. Curriculum
Assessment Policy Statement: Senior Phase: Grades 7-9. Pretoria:
Government Printing Works.
 Department of Basic Education. South Africa. 2012. Curriculum
Assessment Policy Statement: Further Education and Training Phase:
Grades 10-12. Pretoria: Government Printing Works.
 Halim, S., Wahid, R.A. and Halim, T., 2018. Classroom observation - A
powerful tool for continuous professional development (Cpd).
International Journal on Language, Research and Education Studies,
2(2), pp.162-168. Available at:
http://jurnal.uinsu.ac.id/index.php/ijlres/article/viewFile/1479/1322
[Accessed on 30 September 2024].
 Mathew, P., Mathew, P. and Peechattu, P.J. (2017). Reflective practices:
A means to teacher development. Asia Pacific Journal of Contemporary
 Education and Communication Technology (APJCECT), 3(1), 126-131.
[online]. Available at: https://www.apiar.org.au/wp-
content/uploads/2017/02/13_APJCECT_Feb_BRR798_EDU-126-
131.pdf. [Accessed on 30 September 2024].
 SACE Code of Professional Ethics. [online]. Available at:
https://www.sace.org.za/assets/documents/uploads/sace_58684-
2018-11-22-Ethics%20brochure.pdf. [Accessed on 30 September 2024].
 Table of contents

Heading Page number

MODULE PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES 1

TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO TP701 4

1.1 Introduction 4
1.2 Requirements for School-based Teaching Practice Placement 5
1.3 Roles and Responsibilities of Principal and Mentor Teachers 6
Summary 8
Self-Assessment Questions 9

TOPIC 2 ROLES AND COMPETENCES OF A TEACHER 10

2.1 Introduction 10
2.2 Characteristics of a Good Teacher 11
2.3 Seven Roles of a Competent Teacher 18
2.4 Professional Development for Teachers 20
Summary 22
Self-Assessment Questions 24

TOPIC 3 LESSON PLANNING 25

3.1 Introduction 25
3.2 Sections and Phases of Generic Lesson Planning 26
3.3 Value and Design Features of Lesson Objectives 35
3.4 Educational Media 43
Summary 45
Self-Assessment Questions 47

TOPIC 4 BEING A REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER 48

4.1 Introduction 48
4.2 Conceptualising Teacher Reflection 49
4.3 Value of Reflection for Teacher Professional Development 51
4.4 Guidelines for Effective Reflection 53
Summary 57
Self-Assessment Questions 59

TOPIC 5 PROFESSIONALISM IN THE WORKPLACE 60

5.1 Introduction 60
5.2 Values in Schools 61
5.3 SACE Code of Professional Ethics 66
5.4 Workplace Etiquette 67
Summary 70
Self-Assessment Questions 72

GLOSSARY OF TERMS 73

REFERENCES 75

ANSWERS TO SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 80

Topic 1 Self-assessment answers 80
Topic 2 Self-assessment answers 81
Topic 3 Self-assessment answers 81
Topic 4 Self-assessment answers 82
Topic 5 Self-assessment answers 82
 Module purpose and outcomes

Module Purpose

This is the first of two teaching practice modules, the purpose of which is to
contribute towards developing beginner teacher competence, to equip you with
the necessary knowledge and skills to facilitate the curriculum for your subject
specialisation and to design phase and age-appropriate lessons. The module also
aims to develop teachers who display a positive attitude towards teaching in a
culturally diverse society whilst managing themselves effectively, both personally
and professionally.

The module consists of two components: an institution-based teaching practice

(ITP) component and a school-based teaching practice (SBTP) component.

ITP includes lesson planning, lesson presentation, classroom and behaviour

management, practical teaching strategies and the art of reflexive practice. You
will practice the formulation of lesson objectives and lesson activities as well as
assessment strategies for constructive alignment. You must complete lesson
plans which integrate appropriate educational resources and ICT skills and
techniques into your lessons. Sample lesson plans and videos of teaching will
assist you in improving your planning and presentation skills by taking into
account the diversity of learner context and needs. You will also learn the value
of researching topics using the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
(CAPS) as well as CAPS related documents, pertaining to the Programme and
Promotion Requirements of the National Curriculum Statements Grades R-12.

The institutional teaching practice component provides you with the opportunity
to find solutions to challenges that you may have faced whilst on school-based
practicum and to adopt new ideas from your peers as well as from your respective
mentor teachers. Opportunities are created in an online space for interactive
discussion forums to take place, where you can relate any experiences that they
may have encountered during their teaching practice. You will share good
practices observed during school-based practicum and cultivate a practical
understanding of teaching and learning in a diverse range of South African
schools. You will engage in self-analysis and learn to critically reflect on your own
teaching to become a successful professional teacher.

The school-based teaching practice component of the module consists of time

spent in a school. During this time, you will observe the routine school

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programme and become involved in classroom practices by assisting your mentor
teacher(s). The duration of the period is determined as per the institutional
calendar.

You will develop an understanding of the school environment, school policies and
rules and will be able to interact with teachers, learners and the wider school
community.

Furthermore, you will shadow your mentor teacher(s), engage in structured

observation and be encouraged to become fully involved in the life of the school.
You are expected to demonstrate the ability to plan and present lessons in your
registered subject specialisation(s) in the Senior Phase and/or Further Education
and Training Phases as per the subjects for which you are registration. Drawing
on the pedagogical content knowledge developed in the relevant teaching
specialisation modules, you will be able to apply appropriate strategies, including
the use of different resources and the integration of appropriate ICT in your
lesson presentation, taking into account the diversity of learner context and
needs in order to be able to teach successfully in a diverse South African
classroom. You will also be able to draw on the general content knowledge and
theoretical foundations covered in the Education Studies modules to link theory
with practice in schools.

The module will also prepare you to be an ethical professional teacher and
provide an understanding of the teaching professionalisation pathway.

Module Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the essential qualities of becoming an effective teacher.
2. Design and present age-appropriate lessons for a specific grade/phase,
including assessment activities and resources, using the guidelines
provided in the CAPS or other relevant school curriculum documents.
3. Share good as well as challenging practices observed and experienced
during practicum.
4. Comprehend policy and working conditions related to the profession.
5. Design and integrate a variety of educational media in lessons,
including original resources.
6. Manage learners effectively in a school environment.
7. Display a positive attitude towards teaching in a multi-cultural society.
8. Provide opportunities for learners to reach their full potential.
9. Accept responsibility for professional growth and development.
10. Exhibit professionalism and accept the demands expected of a teacher.

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11. Keep a record of evidence of work completed during practicum.
12. Become involved in extra-curricular activities at the school.
13. Interact and communicate effectively with mentor teachers, learners,
and staff at the school.
14. Reflect critically on experiences and develop strategies for
improvement.

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 Topic 1
Introduction to TP701

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This topic relates to the following module outcomes:

11. Keep a record of evidence of work completed during practicum.

12. Become involved in extra-curricular activities at the school.
13. Interact and communicate effectively with mentor teachers, learners,
and staff at the school.

This is a compulsory module and forms an important component of our

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Senior Phase (SP) and Further
Education Training (FET) Teaching programme, as it provides you, as a student
teacher, with the opportunity to practically apply the theory and skills you have
learned in the various modules of this programme.

The TP701 module consists of an institution-based teaching practice component

(ITP) and a school-based teaching practice component (SBTP). The institution-
based teaching practice (ITP) component includes several units or topics with
which you need to be familiar.

In this topic, you will gain knowledge in the following areas:

1. The integrative nature of the campus-based institutional practice (ITP)

and school-based teaching practice (SBTP).
2. The requirements for school-based teaching practice, including the
roles of the principal and the mentor teacher.

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1.2 REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL-BASED TEACHING PRACTICE
PLACEMENT

Carefully select a suitable, functional secondary school where you plan to

complete your teaching practice. You must attend from Monday to Friday for at
least seven (7) hours or the full duration of the school day. Ensure that the school
caters to the subject specialisation(s) for which you are registered in the
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) program.

The criteria for the suitability of a school for workplace learning (TP) include being
a functional and registered school with a DBE EMIS number, following the
CAPS/IEB/Cambridge curriculum and having a minimum of 12 learners in a class.

Home schools, tutorial centres, special schools, and Accelerated Christian

Education (ACE) schools are not suitable schools for teaching practice.

Full-time students (one year) must engage in teaching all their subject
specialisations during teaching practice, covering either two or three subjects as
per their registration status. Similarly, part-time students (18 months) are
required to teach all their specialisations within this period. Part-time students
on the two-year track must teach their single registered subject specialisation.
Those registered for two specialisations must teach both subjects.

If you are employed as a professionally unqualified teacher at a school, you must

teach in both the Senior and FET phases according to your subject registration
status during the PGCE program. Ensure that you submit all relevant school
placement documentation as outlined. Additionally, you must provide a letter of
employment from your school. This letter should be written on official school
letterhead and must include your employment dates, the subject(s), and
grade(s) you teach and must be verified with the signature of the Principal or the
head of the institution and the official school stamp.

If you are employed in a primary school, you will need to arrange to attend a
secondary school for 50% of the teaching practice period to observe and teach
your FET subject.

While TP701 is the first teaching practice experience for your PGCE, you must
understand that it is a Department of Higher Education (DHET) requirement as
set in the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ)
policy that PGCE (SP & FET) students must complete their Teaching Practice in

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different school contexts. While you do not have to go to different schools for
TP702, you will need to use this knowledge to plan accordingly for Teaching
Practice 2 – TP702.

As part of practical learning in an initial teacher education qualification, “Students

must be exposed to the concrete experience of the varied and contrasting
contexts of schooling in South Africa” (MRTEQ, 2015, p 18).

Different schools can be determined using the following criteria:

• Public schools
• Private/Independent schools
• Quintiles (1-5)

You may not do Teaching Practice in private schools only.

1.3 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRINCIPAL AND MENTOR

TEACHERS

1.3.1 Principal

Principals are expected to select appropriate mentors for student teachers during
teaching practice. One teacher from the Senior Phase (grades 7-9) and one from
the Further Education and Training (FET) phase (grades 10-12) should be chosen
based on their extensive teaching experience and exemplary track records. These
mentors will play a significant role in the professional development of the student
teacher. You can only have the same mentor if the mentor teacher teaches both
of the students’ subject specialisations.

Moreover, principals should encourage these chosen mentors to maintain a

positive disposition towards the student teacher during their tenure at the school.
A supportive and welcoming environment significantly enhances the learning
experience for the student teacher.

1.3.2 Mentor Teacher

A mentor is defined as an experienced and qualified individual who offers

another, less experienced person sound guidance and advice. Mentor teachers
are expected to read through the whole Mentor Teacher Pack provided to them
by the student teacher. This is a fundamental step in understanding the

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responsibilities and expectations placed upon the student teacher during their
Teaching Practice.

To facilitate a successful mentoring relationship, it is recommended that the

mentor has an in-depth conversation with the student teacher regarding the
various assessments. This is to ensure clarity of all expectations and to provide
additional support where necessary. Finally, mentors should sign the student
teacher's attendance register, signifying acknowledgment and validation of their
participation.

Mentor teachers should introduce the student teacher to the school's code of
conduct, procedures, and discipline policies. This crucial activity will ensure that
the student teacher understands the professional and behavioural standards
expected within the school setting.

Mentor teachers must provide student teachers with opportunities to practice

various teaching styles, skills, and behaviours as it is essential for their
development. These practical experiences enable the student teacher to refine
their teaching methodologies and adapt to different classroom dynamics.

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 Summary

When selecting a secondary school for your teaching practice placement, you
must choose a functional institution that aligns with the Postgraduate Certificate
in Education (PGCE) requirements. The school must offer your registered subject
specialisations, be registered with a Department of Basic Education (DBE), have
an EMIS number, follow recognised curricula (CAPS, IEB, or Cambridge), and
have at least 12 learners per class. Schools such as home schools, tutorial
centres, special schools, and ACE schools are not suitable for teaching practice.

For full-time PGCE students, all subject specialisations must be taught during the
teaching practice period. Part-time students must also teach all their
specialisations based on their registration, with two-year students teaching either
one or two subjects, depending on their registration status.

If you are employed as an unqualified teacher, you must teach in both the Senior
Phase (Grades 7-9) and Further Education and Training band (Grades 10-12) as
per your PGCE registration. You must also submit necessary documentation,
including a letter of employment from your school. If you work at a primary
school, you must arrange to complete 50% of your teaching practice at a
secondary school to gain FET experience.

Your teaching practice in the PGCE must occur in varied school contexts as per
the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ), which
may include public, private, or quintile schools (1-5). Teaching practice cannot
be conducted exclusively at private schools.

Principals are responsible for selecting experienced mentors from the Senior and
FET phases. Mentors must guide student teachers, clarify assessments, and
introduce them to school policies on discipline and conduct. This mentorship is
critical for developing professional teaching skills.

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 Self-Assessment Questions

1. What are the daily expectations, in terms of time spent at the school,
for student teachers during teaching practice?

2. What are the criteria for the suitability of a school for workplace
learning?

3. Can you do both Teaching Practice modules (TP701 & TP702) at the
same host school?

4. What are the principal’s responsibilities during your teaching practice?

5. What are the mentor teacher’s responsibilities during your teaching

practice?

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 Topic 2
Roles and Competences of a Teacher

2.1 INTRODUCTION

This topic relates to the following module outcomes:

1. Demonstrate the essential qualities of becoming an effective teacher.

3. Share good as well as challenging practices observed and experienced
during practicum.
7. Display a positive attitude towards teaching in a multi-cultural society.
8. Provide opportunities for learners to reach their full potential.
9. Accept responsibility for professional growth and development.
10. Exhibit professionalism and accept the demands expected of a teacher.

In this topic, you will gain knowledge in the following areas:

1. Characteristics of a good teacher.

2. Seven roles of a competent teacher.
3. Professional Development for teachers.

Prescribed Reading

Du Toit, E.R., Louw, E.P. and Jacobs L. 2021. Help, I'm a student teacher! Skills
development for teaching practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers:
 Chapter 2: The Student Teacher and the Teaching Context

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 Recommended Reading

Bertram, C. 2011. What does research say about teacher learning and teacher
knowledge? Implication for professional development in South Africa. Journal of
Education, 52(0), 3-26. [online]. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carol_Bertram/publication/234127995_W
hat_does_researchsay_about_teacher_learning_and_teacher_knowledge_Impli
cations_for_professional_development_in_South_Africa/links/09e4150f6b6147
051a000000pdf. [Accessed on 30 September 2024].

2.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEACHER

The quality of education depends on the quality of its teachers. (Châu, 1996)

Teachers all over the world have a deep responsibility to ensure that they are
doing everything they can to provide their learners with an excellent education
every day. The above quote from Châu places a lot of pressure on the shoulders
of teachers, but the reality is that parents and guardians send their children to
school every day to learn with the expectation that the education the school
provides is of high quality. Teachers must rise to the occasion daily to give the
learners what they deserve: the best. This is done in a myriad of ways, including
thorough preparation, concise and clear communication, and a willingness to
think outside the box to help learners master objectives.

Barber and Mourshed (2007) identified four lessons from an international

research project on successful education systems. They are:
1. The quality of the school cannot exceed the quality of its teachers
2. The only way to improve outcomes is to improve teaching
3. High performance requires each learner to succeed
4. Every school needs a good leader

In your first years of teaching, what can you reasonably control? You can control
your desire to learn more to be better in the classroom for your learners every
day. With that in mind, you can be the best teacher possible, ensuring that the
quality of the school and the outcomes learners achieve consistently improve.

So, what does it take to be a good teacher? There are many different qualities
that a good teacher might have, and it is difficult for any one teacher to hold all
of these qualities. However, it is important to have an understanding of what

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these qualities might be so that you can accurately and genuinely identify your
areas of strength and improvement as it relates to these qualities. In Help, I’m
a Student Teacher, Du Toit et al. (2021) suggest that a good teacher should:
 Have a sound knowledge of the subject matter that s/he teaches
 Have sound pedagogical knowledge and skills
 Have good classroom management skills
 Be demanding but supportive
 Provide systematic feedback on learner performance
 Work in an ortho-didactical way, providing opportunities for learners to
reach their full potential
 Be committed
 Demonstrate moral conduct
 Have knowledge of the self
 Demonstrate reflection and independent judgment
 Have psychological insight
 Have good knowledge of the education system’s aims, curricula, policy
documents and available materials
 Have good knowledge of teaching strategies
 Contribute to society at large
 Be passionate and curious about the profession (Fwu & Wang, 2002;
Grossman, 1995; Postlethwaite & Ross, 1992).

While the above list might seem like a lot, it’s important to remember that these
skills, qualities, and characteristics are sharpened over time. You will not master
them all immediately. You should, however, aim to improve in each of these
areas regularly. Continual improvement is the only way to effectively and
consistently provide your learners and your school community with what they
and it deserve: an excellent education.

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 Activity

Complete Activity 2.5 on pg.34 in Help! I’m a Student Teacher

Set up a table consisting of three columns in which you will compare your best
and your worst teacher in Grade 12. Name the first column "Aspects" in which
you list the above aspects. Name the second column "Worst teacher" and the
third column "Best teacher". In the second and third columns, tick any of the
aspects you can recall that are true of the specific teacher. Express the number
of aspects identified in the "Best teacher" column for each teacher as a
percentage. What do you think can be done to improve the profile of each teacher
so that s/he can really become a "best teacher"?

2.2.1 Role and Competence

Role

A teacher is required to wear many hats throughout the year. On any one day,
a teacher might be required to act as a counsellor to a learner experiencing
challenges, a cleaner who deals with messes in the classroom, a travel agent
scheduling a trip, or a banker collecting money for activities. You will play a
plethora of roles throughout your career as a teacher.

Table 1: A teacher is expected to be

A Teacher is Expected to be:
Information Provider – Lectures the Role Model – Learners look to
learners on a particular subject teachers as examples of professional
through lessons that build on adults, so it is important for teachers
learners’ prior knowledge and move to always reflect a positive image
them toward a deeper understanding and teach children things like
of the subject at hand. respect, trust, and responsibility.
Discipline Controller – Teaching is Foster Parent – Most parents are
impossible without effective group working many hours and are unable
management and control, as it is the to be with their children. As a result,
key to all children learning to their certain learners lean on you for
full potential. support and come to you for advice
or to share their good news.

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 Assessor – Teachers must assess Administrator – Most administrative
each learner’s growth and mastery of work is done by teachers outside the
the lesson objectives. This classroom. However, taking
assessment can happen informally attendance, announcements,
through classroom observation or distributing and collective papers, or
through formal methods like quizzes break duty are always there.
and tests.
Source: https://www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/teachers-1500-decisions-day-
number.jpg

Competence

Malm (2009) posits that competence is “the ability to successfully meet complex
demands in a particular context”. Being competent suggests that you are able to
do something well. As it pertains to teaching, are you able to effectively
implement all 15 qualities of a good teacher from Du Toit (2021)? Can you do
them all well every day? Can you do them all well every day in any context?
Certainly, this would be incredibly difficult to accomplish. The point, however, is
that you do your best in all of those qualities and you gain competence over time
through your experience and your development.

Figure 1: Competence is where Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude Meet.

Source: Petri, 2018

As you can see in Figure 1, competence can be achieved when combined

adequately with skills (techniques and know-how), attitude (determination and
desire to do something), and knowledge (what you know and the information
you have available to you). Before we dig into the knowledge, however. We need
to discuss context and how it impacts your lessons.

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Context

A teacher’s work is highly influenced by contexts within the system. As Bertram

(2011) states, these contexts have undoubtedly led to “most South African
learners perform(ing) poorly on national and international learner tests”.
Contexts must be seen to operate at levels within the system.

According to Fleisch (2007), the first contextual level is the macro societal level,
where unemployment, inadequate access to quality health care, and
governmental corruption directly impact learner outcomes. The next level in the
system is the community level, where drugs, alcoholism, and gangsterism most
usually occur in less-affluent areas, while safer neighbourhoods with facilities like
high-quality libraries occur in more-affluent areas. Moving one level up in the
system is the school level. Soudien (2007) described this level as including
schools that are under-resourced and plagued by poor leadership. The last level,
the classroom level, is the smallest level within the system. It speaks to teachers’
content knowledge, ability to manage a classroom, and attitude to teaching.

Classroom
Teacher Effectiveness

School
Resources, Leadership

Community
Drugs, Gangsterism, Safety

Society
Unemployment, Poor Health Care,
Government Corruption

Figure 2: Contextual Levels that Affect Education

Source: du Toit et al., 2021

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 Activity

Complete Activity 2.1 on pg. 27 in Help! I’m a Student Teacher

Write down the forces that you can recall that influenced the teaching-learning
situation at your school or university and describe how they influenced your
learning.

2.2.2 Teacher Knowledge

Shulman (1986) asked the question, “What does a teacher need to know?” and
determined that within the model of teacher knowledge, there are four
domains.

 Content knowledge - knowledge about the content that needs to be

taught. Teachers must have an excellent understanding of the essential
concepts of their subject specialisation.
 General Pedagogical Knowledge - knowledge about different teaching
strategies, assessment strategies, and classroom management strategies.
Teachers must have an excellent understanding of how classrooms are
organised, how to communicate in a classroom, and how to effectively
engage learners.
 Context knowledge - knowledge about the background of the learners or
the organisational culture of the school.
 Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) - the way that the teacher re-
contextualizes content knowledge so that it can be understood by the
learner. Teachers must know how to take what they know about the
content, what they know about the context in which the learners exist,
and what they know about teaching to effectively teach the subject.

Another way to look at teacher knowledge is to consider Knight’s (2002) more

broad approach to understanding teacher knowledge.

 Practical knowledge – also known as procedural knowledge, that includes

both behavioural and cognitive skills. Teachers must gain this knowledge
informally through participation in professional activity in the context of
their practice.
Propositional knowledge – also known as declarative or higher-order knowledge,
includes facts and ideas. Teachers must be able to make sense of the themes
and principles that ground their subject specialisation.There are many other

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thoughts about teacher knowledge, but another important area to highlight is
what Connelly and Clandinin (2000) call personal knowledge. This personal
knowledge speaks to the teachers’ beliefs on the purpose of schooling, the role
of the teacher, and the role of the learners, many of which are developed as a
result of the teacher’s own schooling experiences and their family and cultural
norms (Allender and Allender, 2006; O’Sullivan, 2004; Samuel, 2008). An
important consideration for all teachers is to wonder whether they want to
provide a similar learning experience to their learners that they experienced as
learners. Of course, a lot would have changed in the years since you were a
learner, and just because you were taught in a specific way does not mean that
you have to teach in that same way. This is the time to consider what type of
classroom you want and how you would like to be remembered as a teacher.

Bertram (2011) developed the figure below to show the relationship between the
different types of teacher knowledge and organising systematic learning. There
is a lot that goes into ensuring a single learner can understand a single topic
within a subject. All of this knowledge must be filtered into devising the best way
to teach your learners in the moment.

Figure 3: Mapping the relationship between different kinds of teacher

knowledge
Source: du Toit et al., 2021

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2.3 SEVEN ROLES OF A COMPETENT TEACHER

The Department of Education (1998) developed “seven roles of a teacher”, which

are viewed as norms (values, customs, and traditions) for teacher education in
South Africa (Du Toit, 2021). The roles below and related competencies are
descriptors of a competent teacher. Do not make the mistake of treating them
as a tick box to determine your competency or effectiveness as a teacher. The
description of the seven roles and competencies below is taken verbatim from
the National Education Policy Act, 1996, Norms and Standards for Educators.

1. Learning Mediator – The educator will mediate learning in a manner which

is sensitive to the diverse needs of learners, including those with barriers
to learning; construct learning environments that are appropriately
contextualised and inspirational; communicate effectively, showing
recognition of and respect for the differences of others. In addition, an
educator will demonstrate a sound knowledge of the subject content and
various principles, strategies, and resources appropriate to teaching in a
South African context.

2. Interpreter and designer of learning programmes and materials - The

educator will understand and interpret provided learning programmes,
design original learning programmes, identify the requirements for a
specific context of learning, and select and prepare suitable textual and
visual resources for learning. The educator will also select, sequence, and
pace the learning in a manner sensitive to the differing needs of the
subject/learning area and learners.

3. Leader, administrator, and manager - The educator will make decisions

appropriate to the level, manage learning in the classroom, carry out
classroom administrative duties efficiently, and participate in school
decision-making structures. These competencies will be performed in
democratic ways, which support learners and colleagues and demonstrate
responsiveness to changing circumstances and needs.

4. Scholar, researcher, and lifelong learner - The educator will achieve

ongoing personal, academic, occupational, and professional growth
through pursuing reflective study and research in their learning area, in
broader professional and educational matters, and in other related fields.

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 5. Community, citizenship, and pastoral role - The educator will practise and
promote a critical, committed, and ethical attitude toward developing a
sense of respect and responsibility towards others. The educator will
uphold the constitution and promote democratic values and practices in
schools and society. Within the school, the educator will demonstrate an
ability to develop a supportive and empowering environment for the
learner and respond to the educational and other needs of learners and
fellow educators. Furthermore, the educator will develop supportive
relations with parents and other key persons and organisations based on
a critical understanding of community and environmental development
issues. One critical dimension of this role is HIV/AIDS education.

6. Assessor - The educator will understand that assessment is an essential

feature of the teaching and learning process and know how to integrate it
into this process. The educator will understand the purposes, methods,
and effects of assessment and be able to provide helpful feedback to
learners. The educator will design and manage both formative and
summative assessments in ways that are appropriate to the level and
purpose of the learning and meet the requirements of accrediting bodies.
The educator will keep detailed and diagnostic records of assessment. The
educator will understand how to interpret and use assessment results to
feed into processes for the improvement of learning programmes.

7. Learning area/subject/discipline/phase specialist - The educator will be

well grounded in the knowledge, skills, values, principles, methods, and
procedures relevant to the discipline, subject, learning area, phase of
study, or professional or occupational practice. The educator will know
about different approaches to teaching and learning (and, where
appropriate, research and management) and how these may be used in
ways that are appropriate to the learners and the context. The educator
will have a well-developed understanding of the knowledge appropriate to
the specialism.

Activity

Discussion on "Seven roles of a competent teacher."

Consider the seven roles of competent teachers, and then rank them in order of
importance to you. Rank 1 as the most important. Write down the numbers and,
for the first three, add an explanation for why you have chosen to rank the roles
in this way.

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2.4 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS

Diving into the fourth role of a competent teacher - scholar, researcher, and
lifelong learner – it is imperative to recognise the importance that high-quality
professional development can play in the growth of a teacher. Teachers must
understand that due to the ever-changing nature of the job and ongoing research
occurring all over the world, professional development is crucial for teachers to
continue to experience throughout their careers. Too many times have teachers
uttered the words, “I’ve been teaching for 15 years. What else is there to learn?”
We could substitute 5, 10, or 20 for 15 in the previous sentence, but the attitude
stays the same. It is an attitude that is in direct opposition to the Roles of
Competent Teachers and suggests that just because they have been doing the
job for a number of years, and that they have been doing it so well, they have
nothing else to learn and cannot improve in any way. Objectively, that statement
is ridiculous! We all have something more to learn and we can all get better in
some shape or form. You are encouraged to believe that no matter how many
years you have been in the profession, you can still grow in the role of teacher
to ensure that you are providing your learners with the best education possible
every single day.

Bertram (2011) highlights several types of professional development for

teachers. One of the more effective ways for teachers to learn is through direct
modelling, which provides clear examples of the strategies and skills for teachers
to learn and implement. Direct modelling can be done in person or using video
footage (Ball and Cohen, 1999), but it is most impactful when teachers are
allowed to practice and then receive feedback on how well they implemented the
new strategy both in practice during the professional development session and
when using in the classroom with learners (Shalem, 2003).

Other school-based professional development has also proved incredibly useful

for the teacher who is a lifelong learner. Liebermann and Pointer Mace (2008)
found that teachers feel like they learn best when they can engage in professional
development that encourages collaboration and dialogue that focuses on learner
mastery of core content. The bonus to this type of professional development is
the strengthening of supportive working relationships.

Darling-Hammond et al. (2017) determined that there are seven characteristics

of effective professional development and that most successful professional
development models simultaneously contain several of these characteristics.
They found that effective professional development:

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 1. Is content focused – to have an impact on learner achievement,
professional development must focus on the content that is taught. This
gives teachers a chance to study learner work or a specific part of the
pedagogy used for that content.

2. Incorporates active learning utilizing adult learning theory – professional

development must also focus on how teachers learn. This means
acknowledging teachers’ prior knowledge, giving teachers a chance to
choose their own learning experience, and providing teachers with regular
opportunities to reflect meaningfully.

3. Supports collaboration, typically in job-embedded contexts – thoughtful

opportunities to collaborate with colleagues – one-on-one, small group,
school-wide – during professional development have been found to
promote positive school change.

4. Uses models and modelling of effective practice – as mentioned above,

modelling provides teachers with clarity on what excellent practice looks
like so that they are better able to implement this in their classrooms.

5. Provides coaching and expert support – professional development that

includes this characteristic gives teachers the chance to focus on their own
specific needs with the input of a content or pedagogical expert.

6. Offers opportunities for feedback and reflection – teachers must have the
opportunity to regularly receive feedback on their work, reflect on their
actions, and determine appropriate next steps to continue their
improvement.

7. Is of sustained duration – teachers must have enough time to learn and

internalise the strategies and concepts shared during professional
development sessions. In any one session, they might have to learn,
practice, implement, and reflect. This works best over the course of the
year instead of stand-alone, one-time sessions.

As a teacher, you will be exposed to a variety of professional development

throughout your career. Some will certainly be better than others, but the hope
is that you will be able to identify why some professional development is superior
to others. Ultimately, this will result in you benefitting positively from the
experience and being able to utilise learned teaching techniques in your lesson
planning, classroom management, or instructional delivery of lessons.

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 Summary

Teachers bear the significant responsibility of providing their learners with high-
quality education every day, a demand echoed by both parents and guardians. To
meet this expectation, teachers must engage in thorough preparation, clear
communication, and innovative thinking to help learners succeed. According to
Barber and Mourshed (2007), successful education systems hinge on the quality
of teachers and the improvement of teaching practices to ensure each learner's
success. In their early years, teachers must control their desire to learn and
improve, thereby enhancing the quality of education and outcomes for their
learners. A good teacher should possess a deep understanding of their subject,
pedagogical skills, classroom management, supportive yet demanding attitudes,
and a commitment to continual improvement, among other qualities. Although
mastering these skills takes time, striving for regular improvement is crucial to
providing learners and school communities with the excellent education they
deserve.

Teachers are required to fulfil numerous roles throughout the year, including
acting as counsellors, cleaners, travel agents, and bankers. Malm (2009) defines
competence as the ability to meet complex demands in specific contexts,
suggesting that while it is challenging to excel in all aspects of teaching every day,
gaining competence over time is key. This involves a combination of skills,
attitude, and knowledge. Context significantly impacts teaching, with factors at
the societal level (such as unemployment and government corruption), community
level (like drugs and alcoholism), school level (including resource availability and
leadership quality), and classroom level (teachers' knowledge and classroom
management) all influencing learner outcomes. These contextual factors are
particularly evident in South Africa, where many learners perform poorly on
national and international tests.

Shulman (1986) identified four essential domains of teacher knowledge: content

knowledge (deep understanding of subject matter), general pedagogical
knowledge (teaching strategies, assessment, and classroom management),
context knowledge (background of learners and school culture), and pedagogical
content knowledge (adapting content for learner understanding). Knight (2002)
expands on this by distinguishing between practical knowledge (behavioural and
cognitive skills gained through professional practice) and propositional knowledge
(facts and principles of a subject). Additionally, Connelly and Clandinin (2000)
emphasize personal knowledge, which includes teachers' beliefs about education
shaped by their experiences and cultural norms. Bertram (2011) further explores

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the interrelationships among these knowledge types and their role in organizing
systematic learning.

The fourth role of a competent teacher—scholar, researcher, and lifelong learner—

emphasises the necessity of continuous professional development due to the
evolving nature of teaching and ongoing global research. High-quality professional
development is crucial for teachers to improve and provide the best education for
their learners. Effective professional development includes direct modelling,
practice, feedback, collaboration, and sustained learning. Teachers benefit from
opportunities to engage with content-focused learning, active learning principles,
expert support, and reflective feedback. Recognising the characteristics of
effective professional development, such as those identified by Darling-Hammond
et al. (2017), helps teachers continually enhance their skills and knowledge,
fostering positive changes in their teaching practices and student outcomes.

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 Self-Assessment Questions

1. What is Pedagogical Content Knowledge?

2. Why is continued professional development important?

3. Where did the seven roles of competent originate?

4. Which contextual levels should you consider when planning a lesson?

5. What are the four lessons Barber and Mourshed learned from an
international research project on successful education systems?

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 Topic 3
Lesson Planning

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This topic relates to the following module outcome:

2. Design and present age-appropriate lessons for a specific grade/phase,

including assessment activities and resources, using the guidelines
provided in the CAPS or other relevant school curriculum documents.
5. Design and integrate a variety of educational media in lessons, including
original resources.
8. Provide opportunities for learners to reach their full potential.

In this topic, you will gain knowledge in the following areas:

1. Sections and phases of generic lesson planning

2. Value and design features of lesson objectives
3. Educational Media

Prescribed Reading

• Du Toit, E.R., Louw, E.P. and Jacobs L. 2021. Help, I'm a student teacher!
Skills development for teaching practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik
Publishers:
o Chapter 5: Effective implementation of educational media
o Chapter 9: Planning your lesson

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3.2 SECTIONS AND PHASES OF GENERIC LESSON PLANNING

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” – Benjamin Franklin

Think about lesson planning as a map between Point A and Point B. All of the
learners have piled into a car, ready for the journey. They are at Point A, the
start of the journey or the very beginning of the lesson. You have to figure out
how to get all the learners in that car to Point B, the destination. In this case,
Point B is mastery of the lesson objective. Along the route, just like in any
journey, there might be detours that will require you to change your route or
lesson plan. You might have to slow down because of traffic cameras or when
not all learners are grasping the concept, and you might have to take a shortcut
in the journey by eliminating a planned activity to get all of your learners to the
destination on time. Let’s be clear. You will not be able to reach your destination
if you do not have a plan to get there. And the destination is always mastery of
the lesson objective.

There are many reasons to plan lessons. The process provides teachers
confidence that they know what needs to be done, allows for management of
possible constraints such as lack of resources and learner concentration spans,
promotes good time management, and enables the teacher to scaffold tasks and
activities into the lesson. Arguably, the most important reason, however, is that
effectively planning lessons shows your learners that you are prepared and
taking this responsibility of teaching them seriously. Learners are smart. They
will easily identify when you do not know what is going on or are unprepared.
When you have a well-thought-out lesson plan that has an engaging introduction,
a well-communicated objective, and planned activities to help learners learn the
content, you prove to them that you are trying your best to give them the
excellent education they deserve.

Let’s consider the pattern below designed by Petty (2004) on almost any
purposeful human behaviour. This figure is also found in Help! I’m a Student
Teacher on pg. 186.

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 4. Evaluate the
action
(Did you achieve your
aims?)

1. Decide on your
3. Action aims
(Carry out the plan) (What do you wnt to
achieve?)

2. Plan the action

(How best can you
achieve your aim?)

Figure 4: A purposeful human activity

Source: Petty, 2004

The above figure connects so well to lesson planning because it includes all of
the most important components. You can also closely relate it to the above simile
on lesson planning as a route on a map.

1. What do you want to achieve?

- This is the lesson objective or lesson objectives

2. How best can you achieve your aim?

- These are the instructional strategies you plan to use to help learners
master the objective. This should also include making predetermined
decisions on classroom management strategies that will help your
instructional strategies to be even more effective. This should also
include possible adjustments you might have to make based on how
things are going.

3. Carry out your plan

- This is you executing your lesson plan. When in doubt, stick to the
plan!

4. Did you achieve your aims?

- This is you taking time to reflect on how things went. Did your learners
master the lesson objective? Why or why not? Could you get through
your lesson plan in the time provided? Why or why not? Most

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 importantly, what are you going to do next based on your evaluation?
We’ll get into reflection later on this topic.

While there is a lot of research on lesson planning and many different ways to
think about lesson planning, this study guide will introduce you to three distinct
phases of lesson planning. They are the Pre-Interactive Phase, the Interactive
Phase, and the Post-Interactive Phase.

3.2.1 Pre-Interactive Phase

The Pre-Interactive Phase is when you will spend time planning your lesson. This
phase sets you up for success when you are ready to deliver your lesson. This is
the only phase that you can completely control, and the success of your lesson
depends on the quality of this phase.

Before you start planning, you should consider all the things that might impact
your lesson. These should include the content of the lesson, the time of the year,
the time of the day, but also the various contexts discussed in Topic 2. Jacobs et
al. (2018) suggest when in the Pre-Interactive Phase, teachers should consider
the learners, the learning content, the school, the classroom, the learning
environment, the community and the diversity of the learners.

Pre-Interactive Phase

• Determine the initial state: classroom context

• Aims and objectives
• Select learning content/identify a theme
• Formulate instructional outcomes/purpose of
lesson
• Plan teaching and learning ativities
• Select instructional learning media and resources

Figure 5: Structure of a lesson plan: Pre-Interactive Phase

Source: Du Toit et al., 2021

Examining the routine information available to you forms a large part of the Pre-
Interactive Phase. This can be thought of as the Curriculum (CAPS, IEB,
Cambridge, etc.) that the school uses and the textbook that accompanies the
subject.

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All curricula documents are structured differently, but most will include the topic,
the concept/content area, the time allocated to the topic, and the specific aim of
the topic. Some curricula documents will also provide you with Medium- or Long-
Term plans that include when in the year to teach the topics and how many days
or lessons to spend on any one topic.

Textbooks will usually provide the concept or content area of the topic you want
to teach. Furthermore, textbooks might give you ideas on teaching methods or
strategies to use when teaching a specific topic and resources that might help to
deepen learner understanding of the topic. Textbooks might even provide you
with suggested learner activities to implement in your lessons. It should go
without saying, but you should also add to the information from the textbooks
by researching the topic via your reading and research.

Let’s go back to Figure 5. In the Pre-Interactive Phase, you have completed Steps
1 and 2 in the Purposeful Human Activity Cycle. You have decided on your aims
and charted your plan of action. To use another simile, the Pre-Interactive Phase
is when you gather all the ingredients to a recipe and decide the steps to put
those ingredients together for a delicious meal. The next phase is when you get
to execute your well-thought-out plan!

3.2.2 Interactive Phase

Simply, the Interactive Phase is the lesson delivery. This is when you drive the
car or cook the meal. In this phase, you are carrying out your plan. There are
several components of the Interactive Phase and the first one is the Introduction.

Introduction

This section is an attention grabber, or a hook, that will motivate (or capture!)
your learners to want to pay attention and learn about what you plan to teach.
This is also when you should explain the purpose of the lesson to the learners
and, as much as possible, link it to real life. The introduction should last between
5-10 minutes of a 60-minute lesson or around 15% of the lesson.

Activating prior knowledge is crucial during the introduction. Prior knowledge is

existing knowledge that the learners had when they walked into the classroom.
A great way to activate prior knowledge is to have a short activity called a Do
Now.

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Do Now

Lemov (2014) describes a Do Now as a short activity that the teacher has written
on the board or is waiting for learners before they enter the classroom. When
done effectively, a Do Now can bring serious power to a classroom because it is
an activity that learners can complete by themselves without any discussion with
the teacher or classmates, should take no longer than 3-5 minutes, requires
writing something down to be more engaging but also hold learners accountable,
and should either preview the day’s lesson or review a recent lesson.

The key to making the Do Now work is to prepare one for every lesson every day
and ensure consistency of placement (same area of board) so that learners know
to expect it when they arrive in your classroom.

Activity

Watch this YouTube video on the Do Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O84M11roewc&list=PL388ERi1zCk9hz6s4M
bLQu5fXAoETRtGT&index=11

Create a Do Now for an upcoming lesson that you will teach.

The learners in this video are in Primary School, but this technique is great for
High School, too. The video was made by a South African non-profit organisation
called Edufundi (https://edufundi.org.za/)

Facilitation of Learning

The focus of this section is on the concepts (the what) you want to teach the
learners and the methods (the how) you will use to teach those concepts.
Questions you might ask yourself during the development section include:

 How will I guide the learners throughout the lesson?

 How will I create opportunities for the development of core content?
 How will I contextualise this content by linking it to the real-life
experiences of my learners?
 How will I monitor the understanding of new knowledge to determine if
my learners are understanding what it is I am trying to teach them?

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This is the section where you will clearly describe, in detail, what you will do to
teach the content to your learners.

The Gradual Release of Responsibility from teacher to student offers helpful steps
in the facilitation of learning. The first two steps are the I Do and the We Do. The
last step is called the You Do, which occurs during consolidation.

I Do

In the I Do, the teacher explains what learners need to understand or models
how to do a process. You’ll remember from Topic 2 that effective teacher
professional development includes direct modelling. Well, it’s no different for
learners! This is the time for you to tell your learners what it is they need to
know and show them how to execute the skill from the lesson objective. It is
crucial that while you show, or model, how to execute the skill, you demonstrate
what to do by working through an example. While conducting this demonstration,
you share your thinking in what is called a “think aloud”.

The key to an effective I Do is to script it out. This will help you to not only teach
the content well but also to show the learners that you know your stuff!
Bambrick-Santoyo (2016) emphasises the importance of scripting out your I Do,
by stating that “if you don’t script it out, you might stumble over your words,
and this will make it hard for the learners to follow what it is you are trying to
say.’ Another great element of the I Do is that it is the only part of the lesson
where only the teacher is speaking. You can control everything during this section
of your lesson because it is not a time when you are asking or answering
questions. You are simply modelling skills to your learners and showing them
how you are thinking about executing this skill. The I Do should take 5-10
minutes of a 60-minute lesson to complete. This accounts for about 15% of the
lesson. You risk losing learners if you spend longer than this on the I Do. Once
you are done with the I Do, you are ready to move on to the We Do.

We Do

In the We Do, the teacher assists learners by asking questions about the next
steps in the process or by using partially completed work to have learners show
everyone what comes next. This section is where students are provided
opportunities to practice with guidance. Here, the teacher guides learners
through the work or material taught to them (or shown to them) in the I Do. In
this section, the teacher must not do the work or the thinking for the learners.
The teacher guides the learners while the learners share what happens next in
the process. The teacher must get the learners to think about what it is they

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need to solve the problem or master the skill, and this can be done by asking
questions that will help learners retrieve information from a previous lesson or
from the I Do model. It is reasonable to spend about 10-15 minutes of a 60-
minute lesson on the We Do. This accounts for about 25% of the lesson and it is
time well spent because it is when learners make meaning of the new content.
You do not want to rush through this step.

Consolidation and Independent Work

During consolidation, you must determine whether or not your learners

understood what you taught them during the lesson. The question is not, “Did
you teach it?” The question is, “Did they learn it?” Remembering this subtle but
vital difference will set you up for great success in teaching. It is not good enough
just to have taught the lesson. The goal is for your learners to have mastered
the objective of the lesson.

Du Toit et al. (2021) say that the success of your lesson depends on your ability
“to determine to what extent the instructional objectives have been achieved”.
If you do not know what your learners achieved, your lesson was unsuccessful!

You Do

You should endeavour to dedicate about 25 minutes of a 60-minute lesson on

the You Do. The goal should always be to spend about 40% of your lesson on
independent work. Learners need time to practice the new skill you have just
taught them. They can only repeatedly practice the routine or the procedure until
they are performing it correctly if you provide them with the necessary time to
do so.

Learners are working independently during this time. It is not group work time
and you are not facilitating learning through direct instruction. The tasks you
have them complete should be similar to the ones you modelled in the I Do and
worked through together in the We Do. Do not have them do something that you
didn’t teach them how to do!

During the You Do, you should be circulating the room to monitor what learners
are doing and giving them feedback on how effectively they are completing the
task. Most often, you will give this feedback individually, but if you notice multiple
learners are making the same mistake over again, you should stop the class and
provide them with whole-class or batch feedback.

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Exit Ticket

You should aim to end your lesson with a single question or a progression of
problems that every learner must complete so that you can determine who
learned what. Lemov (2014) describes the Exit Ticket as giving teachers great
data to gain important insights about the lesson and what learners understood.

Effective Exit Tickets are:

 Quick – They should be one to three questions and must be aligned with
your lesson objective. Again, don’t ask them to do something you didn’t
teach them how to do!
 Data yielding – Focus on one key part of the objective so that if learners
get it wrong, you’ll know exactly why.
 Great Do Nows – Start the next day by analysing the previous Exit Ticket.
It’ll give you a chance to re-teach difficult content.

Activity

Watch this YouTube video on the Exit Ticket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwLapV35KrA&list=PL388ERi1zCk9hz6s4M
bLQu5fXAoETRtGT&index=4

Create an Exit Ticket for an upcoming lesson that you will teach.

The learners in this video are in Primary School, but this technique is great for
High School, too. The video was made by a South African non-profit organisation
called Edufundi (https://edufundi.org.za/)

Gradual Release of Responsibility

The I Do – We Do – You Do steps are based on the Gradual Release of

Responsibility model. The responsibility lies only with the teacher in the first step
(I Do). The teacher encourages participation in the We Do, as some responsibility
is relinquished and shared with the learners. In the last step, the You Do, the
learners shoulder all the responsibility while completing independent work.

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Figure 6: Gradual Release of Responsibility
Source: https://classful.com/gradual-release-of-responsibility-grr/

Executing this phase is the only way to see if you have arrived at your destination
or to taste the meal you made. Now that you know if you arrived or not, and if
your meal has received a thumbs up or thumbs down, it’s time to reflect on how
things went and the decisions you made in the third and final phase, the Post-
Interactive Phase

Interactive Phase

• Introduction
• Functionalisation/assessment for and of learning
• Exposition of new content/differentiation

Figure 7: Structure of a lesson plan: Pre-Interactive Phase

Source: Du Toit et al., 2021

3.2.3 Post-Interactive Phase

Van Aswegen et al. (1993) describe the Post-Interactive Phase as “analysing the
results of the teaching effort”. During this phase, you will look at everything
together – your planning and your execution – to determine how you might
improve the next time you teach. In Topic 4 you will learn about the importance
of regular and consistent reflection. The Post-Interactive Phase is when that
reflection can truly begin to take root.

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An effective approach to the Post-Interactive Phase is what Killen (2018) calls
“reflection-on-action”, where teachers think about the instructional decisions
made during the lesson and the impact those decisions had on the overall success
of that lesson.

This is a great time to consider your achievements within the lesson. What went
well? Why did it go well? What could be even better? How could you make it
better?

Post-Interactive Phase
• Evaluation/selection of assessment instruments
• Methods/objectives demonstrated
• Reflection
Figure 8: Structure of a lesson plan: Pre-Interactive Phase
Source: Du Toit et al., 2021

3.3 VALUE AND DESIGN FEATURES OF LESSON OBJECTIVES

Lesson objectives (if you did not already know!) are the goals, aims, targets, or
purposes of the lesson. It is what you want your learners to achieve, or be able
to do, after you have taught the lesson. This is why we always write lesson
objectives with the prompt, "By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to…”.
This will also force you to use full sentences when writing your objectives and
give you a built-in timeline for when the objective must be achieved… by the end
of the lesson!

Jacobs et al. (2004) state that a lesson objective “refers to a desired task, skill
or set of behaviours which a learner should be able to achieve at the end of a
learning experience.” The lesson should have a goal of teaching something
specific to learners, and that goal should be measured by determining whether
or not the learners understood what was taught.

3.3.1 Three Domains of Holistic Development of Learners

In our STADIO lesson plans, we expect students to produce lesson objectives

that speak to each of the three domains of holistic development of learners. They
are the Cognitive Domain, the Psychomotor Domain, and the Affective Domain.

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 Pyschomotor
Cognitive Skills Affective Skills
Skills
• Thinking, • Emotional • Physical
problem-solving growth, activities
• Encouraging interpersonal • Activities in
leaners to think development classroom
and solve • Leading learners leading to
problems to more experiential
methodically interaction with learning
peers, as well as
self-confidence

Figure 9: Three domains of holistic development of learners

Source: https://lcicg12zb.weebly.com/learning-domains.html

Objectives in one domain cannot stand in isolation from objectives in the other
domains. They are interrelated. For example, a learner cannot use a graduated
cylinder in science (psychomotor domain) without knowing the scale of the
cylinder (cognitive domain) and wanting to excel at science (affective domain).

Cognitive Domain

These are knowledge objectives that assess “what we know”. Learners must
think and problem-solve to develop and strengthen these skills. Du Toit (2021)
describes cognitive objectives as those that “refer to what learners will be able
to do intellectually as a result of instruction.”

Teachers should use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help write objectives in the Cognitive
Domain. Bloom’s Taxonomy consists of a hierarchy of six cognitive levels in
increasing order of thinking skills from lower- to higher-order.

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Figure 10: Bloom’s Taxonomy
Source: https://ja.dh.duke.edu/content/course-admin-resources

Cognitive Domain objective examples

 By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
o Describe the three types of seed dispersal
o Explain why seed dispersal is important for plants

Psychomotor Domain

In this domain, learning depends on the ability to execute physical skills. Like
the other domains, objectives in the psychomotor domain should move from
simple to complex because mastering one step depends on mastering the
previous step. Activities in the classroom lead to experiential learning in the
psychomotor domain.

Psychomotor Domain objective examples

 By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
o Collect at least five different seeds
o Draw and label the collected seeds

Affective Domain

Skills learned in the mastery of objectives from the affective domain speak to
the learner’s interpersonal development and levels of emotional growth. Learners

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become more self-confident as they are required to interact more frequently with
peers.

Affective domain objectives relate to beliefs and opinions that learners must
develop as a result of the instruction that they receive from the teacher (Killen,
2018). As such, it is more effective to write objectives that describe beliefs and
opinions to encourage learners to care more about the topic and to grow from
the experience.

Affective Domain objective examples

 By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
o Develop an environmental awareness
o Appreciate the necessity of planning indigenous gardens that allow
seed dispersal to become part of a sustainable ecosystem.

3.3.2 Writing Learning Objectives

Writing strong learning objectives does not come naturally to many teachers. It
is a skill that you must constantly practice and refine over time. You are
encouraged to receive feedback on your objectives from your mentor teacher,
peers, and colleagues. Remember that planning your lesson, including the lesson
objective, is one of the few teaching activities you can completely control because
it takes place before you walk into the classroom. Do it thoughtfully and you set
the stage for your success.

Begin with the End

You should always start your planning by thinking about and creating your
objective(s). Do not ask yourself, “What will my learners do today?”. Instead,
ask yourself, “What will my learners understand today?”. This is a subtle but vital
shift in thinking. You want to measure if your learners achieved an objective and
not if they did an activity. Learners can complete an activity well or poorly, with
or without enthusiasm. Completing, or not completing, an activity does not
determine whether learning took place. You are only able to determine the level
of learning if you test it against a measurable objective.

Lemov (2014) suggests that when you begin to create your objective, you
should ask yourself the following questions:
 Why are you teaching the material you are teaching?
 What is the outcome you desire?
 How does this outcome relate to what you will teach tomorrow?

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  How does the outcome relate to what your learners need to have
learned to be ready for the next grade?

The questions above are important to ask because they do not exist in a vacuum.
The answers are related to previous and future lessons. By answering these
questions, you are not planning your lessons or your objectives one by one but
intentionally considering how they are pieces of a whole. This forces you to
consider how those pieces fit together and in what order.

So, Begin with the End in mind. What is it that learners must know by the end of
the term? How will you design a series of lesson plans to ensure that they know
what they need to know before you go on holiday when the term ends? Here are
three helpful steps to consider when planning:
1. Refine and perfect lesson objectives based on how well learners
mastered the previous day’s objective.
2. Plan a short daily assessment (Exit Ticket!) that shows if the objective
was mastered.
3. Plan the activity, or series of activities, that lead learners to mastery of
the objective.

Use a solid Determine how to

Decide on the
objective to define assess the
activity/activities
the goal of each effectivess in
to reach that goal
lesso reaching that goal

Figure 11: Three Planning Steps

Source: Lemov, 2014

The 4Ms

Objectives are too important not to do well. What follows is a guide for how to
make any lesson objective excellent.

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  Manageable

You must be able to teach a lesson objective in a single lesson. Your objective
must be realistic in the sense that you should be able to teach your objective and
your learners can master the objective in a single lesson. This might result in you
breaking up larger concepts into smaller pieces over several days. Additionally,
you are discouraged from creating too many objectives for one lesson as it is
unlikely you would be able to teach them all in a single lesson.

 Measurable

As has been pointed out numerously in this study guide already, your lesson
objective should be created so that your success in achieving it can be measured.
You will not know if your learners understood what you taught them if you do
not assess their learning, and you cannot assess their learning if your objective
is not measurable.

To help you with writing measurable objectives, you should use the action verbs
from Bloom’s Taxonomy. It is inappropriate to use verbs such as know,
understand, or think because these are not measurable. You cannot measure if
a learner understands or knows something. You cannot measure thoughts. Stick
to the action verbs used in Bloom’s Taxonomy when creating your objectives.

 Made First

As with Begin with the End, a good objective guides the activity and not the other
way around. The objective must always come first, and then an activity must be
created for that objective.

 Most Important

Your objective should be guided by what is most important for the learner to
understand so that they are ready for the next grade. You are discouraged from
creating objectives for content that is not in the curriculum or plays a very small
role in the curriculum. That is not what is best for learners.

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 Activity

Using the 4Ms method, create a clear and measurable objective for any topic in
each of your two subject specialisations.

Steps to follow:

Choose a topic from each of your subject specialisations.

For each topic, apply the 4Ms method to formulate an objective. Ensure your
objective is:
• Manageable: The objective should be realistic and achievable within the
lesson.
• Measurable: Clearly state how you will measure student success in
achieving the objective.
• Made First: Ensure the objective is crafted before planning any activities
or assessments.
• Most Important: Focus on what is most essential for students to learn in
the lesson.

3.3.3 Constructive Alignment

At its simplest, constructive alignment is assessing the learners on what was

taught by the teacher. Constructive alignment is what occurs when what is
intended to be taught, how it was taught, and how it was assessed all come
together perfectly.

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 Intended Learning
Outcomes
What should learners
know or be able to
do?

Constructive
Alignment

Teaching &
Assessment Tasks
Learning Activities
How will learning be
How will the
measured?
learners learn?

Figure 12: Constructive Alignment

Source: https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/goto.php?target=wiki_1631765_Constructive_Alignment&lang=en

On too many occasions, a teacher spends the lesson teaching learners how to
identify something and then asks them on the exam to explain that something.
This is not only unfair, but it is unethical. You should only assess learners on
what you have taught them.

In Help! I’m a Student Teacher, Du Toit et al. (2021) suggest questions teachers
can ask themselves to realise constructive alignment and ways to identify when
misalignment might occur.

Table 2: Questions teachers can ask themselves

Questions to Ask to Realise
How to Identify Misalignment
Constructive Alignment
What should learners be able to Assessment tasks do not match the
demonstrate at the end of a learning stated learning objectives.
experience?
Which most suitable teaching and Assessment criteria do not match the
learning activities will enable learner learning tasks or the learning
engagement to attain the learning objectives.
objectives?
How will the successful attainment of Assessment criteria are unknown to
the learning objectives be learners.
determined?

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 Learners do not understand the
learning objectives or the assessment
criteria.

3.4 EDUCATIONAL MEDIA

In this study guide, educational media is defined by De Corte et al. (1989) as an

instrument that is used by the teacher to address certain aims or objectives in
the teaching-learning situation. Another way to think about educational media is
that it is anything the teacher uses to help learners master the lesson objective.
Du Toit et al. (2021) believe that educational media provides incredible value to
a lesson because it can maximise the quality of the teaching and learning process
by bringing reality into the classroom that activates one or more of the senses.
Learners’ ability to retain information is greatly enhanced when they can make
sense of new knowledge through educational media.

When incorporating media into a lesson plan, you should ask yourself questions
to determine if the media is appropriate for the lesson. Du Toit et al. (2021)
suggest asking the following questions when considering what media to
incorporate into a lesson plan:
1. Does the media contribute to the objectives?
2. Is the media the most effective to facilitate the learning content?
3. Is the cost of the media justifiable?
4. Are the media readily available?
5. Does the media require additional equipment?
6. Are the media in good working order?
7. Does the media allow learner involvement?
8. How many learners can be involved when using the media?
9. How versatile is the media?
10. Is the media easy to use?
11. How is the media used best (individual, group, as an aid)?

3.4.1 Types of Media

Low-end media include non-digital, easily accessible, and available traditional

media. High-end media include digital, projected, e-learning, and more modern
media. In this instance, “projected” means displayed on a screen or wall using a

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Table 3 Types of Media
Low-end Media High-end Media
 Chalkboard  Calculator
 Whiteboard  Cell phones
 Overhead projector  Tablets, laptops, & desktops
 Smartboards

Whichever educational media you decide to use, you must always be able to
justify the use of that media. If it does not aid in moving learners toward mastery
of the objective, then it is not worth using.

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 Summary

Lesson planning can be likened to mapping out a route from Point A (the start of
the lesson) to Point B (mastery of the lesson objective). Teachers must anticipate
and adapt to detours, slowdowns, and the need for possible shortcuts to ensure
all learners reach their destination (mastering the objective) efficiently.

The Pre-Interactive Phase involves planning your lesson to ensure successful

delivery. This phase is crucial as it is the only one you can fully control, and your
lesson's success hinges on its quality. The Pre-Interactive Phase also involves
examining routine information, including the curriculum (e.g., CAPS, IEB,
Cambridge) and accompanying textbooks. Curriculum documents usually detail
the topic, concept/content area, allotted time, and specific aims. Some may also
provide medium- or long-term plans indicating when to teach topics and how
many days to spend on each.

The Interactive Phase is the core of lesson delivery, akin to driving the route or
cooking a meal, where you execute your teaching plan. Start with the Do Now,
a brief, independent activity set up by the teacher before learners enter the
classroom. It should involve writing to engage learners and hold them
accountable, and either preview the upcoming lesson or review a recent one.
Throughout the Interactive Phase, the teacher should incorporate the Gradual
Release of Responsibility model that transitions from full teacher control (I Do)
to shared responsibility (We Do) to complete learner independence (You Do),
ensuring learners master the lesson's objective. End the Interactive Phase with
an Exit Ticket, a single question, or a progression of problems that every learner
must complete so that you can determine who learned what.

The Post-Interactive Phase involves analysing the results of a teaching effort,

combining both planning and execution to identify areas for improvement in
future lessons. This phase emphasizes regular reflection, known as "reflection-
on-action" (Killen, 2018), where teachers evaluate their instructional decisions
and their impact on lesson success. Key questions to consider include what went
well, why it went well, what could be improved, and how to make those
improvements.

The three domains of holistic development of learners are cognitive, where

learners are encouraged to think and solve problems methodically; affective
where learners are led to more interaction with their peers to develop

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interpersonally and grow emotionally; and psychomotor, which includes physical
activities.

Follow the 4Ms when writing learning objectives. They include manageable,
measurable, made first, and most important. It helps to begin with the end in
mind when creating lesson objectives, so work backwards from the end-of-term
goals.

Constructive Alignment is assessing the learners on what was taught by the

teacher. Constructive alignment is what occurs when what is intended to be
taught, how it was taught, and how it was assessed all come together perfectly.
Use the Exit Ticket to ensure that your lesson is aligned constructively.

Educational media provides incredible value to a lesson because it can maximise

the quality of the teaching and learning process by bringing reality into the
classroom that activates one or more of the senses. Only use educational media
that will help learners master the lesson objective(s).

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 Self-Assessment Questions

1. Compare and contrast the Do Now and the Exit Ticket

2. What is the Gradual Release of Responsibility and how is it supported

by the I Do – We Do – You Do steps of lesson planning?

3. How do the three domains of holistic development of learners impact

learners in the classroom?

4. What are the 4Ms of an effective lesson objective

5. Why is it so important to have constructive alignment in your lesson

plan and presentation?

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 Topic 4
Being a Reflective Practitioner

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This topic relates to the following module outcomes:

3. Share good as well as challenging practices observed and experienced

during practicum.
7. Display a positive attitude towards teaching in a multicultural society.
8. Provide opportunities for learners to reach their full potential.
9. Accept responsibility for professional growth and development.
10. Exhibit professionalism and accept the demands expected of a teacher.
14. Reflect critically on experiences and develop strategies for
improvement.

In this topic, you will gain knowledge in the following areas:

1. Conceptualising teacher reflection.

2. Value of reflection for teacher professional development.
3. Guidelines for effective reflection.

Prescribed Reading
• Du Toit, E.R., Louw, E.P. and Jacobs L. 2021. Help, I'm a student teacher!
Skills development for teaching practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik
Publishers:
- Chapter 4 Section 4.7: The teacher as a reflective practitioner (pg. 88)

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 Recommended Reading

Mathew, P., Mathew, P. and Peechattu, P.J. (2017). Reflective practices: A means
to teacher development. Asia Pacific Journal of Contemporary Education and
Communication Technology (APJCECT), 3(1), 126-131. [online]. Available at:
https://www.apiar.org.au/wp-
content/uploads/2017/02/13_APJCECT_Feb_BRR798_EDU-126-131.pdf.
[Accessed on 30 September 2024].

4.2 CONCEPTUALISING TEACHER REFLECTION

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung

4.2.1 What is Reflection?

In everyday life, we consciously or subconsciously make meaning of our

experiences by reflecting. Reflection draws on previous learning and knowledge.
In doing so, one reviews our range of experiences and learnings to find new
approaches or solutions to the variety of complex problems faced daily. This
process is integrated into our daily lives as experiential learning. Loughran
(2002) states that reflection is a well-defined and crafted practice that carries a
very specific meaning and associated action.

As a teacher, you should constantly reflect on the decisions you make throughout
the day. Blacklely, Redmond, and Peel (2021) found that teachers make an
astounding 1,500 decisions daily! That’s a lot to reflect on, so let’s dig into the
reflection process.

4.2.2 Reflecting as a Teacher

Some folks have a misconception that reflection is just a naval gazing activity.
Something that you do to pass the time while you think about something else.
This is neither accurate nor productive. True reflection is about deep thinking.
Perhaps even writing down your thoughts on the event or the experience and
then critically analysing what happened and why. It is a process that draws on
action-based experiential learning and knowledge that is concrete. Fraser (2006)
found that teachers who can engage in quality reflection are better able to adjust
to change, explain why they made changes to their practice, think of solutions

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to barriers to learning in their classroom, and accurately identify the quality of
the teaching and learning in their classroom.

4.2.3 Reflecting as a Student Teacher

You must reflect on a series of activities you will have experienced during your
teaching practice. These will include reflecting on lessons you have taught,
instructional decisions you have made, and classroom management strategies
you have used.

Reflection on your Lesson Plan

In the STADIO Lesson Plan template, there is a section available for you to reflect
on the success, challenges, and improvements of the lesson you planned and
presented.

It is important to highlight the successes and the reasons for those successes
during reflection. People rarely spend time on the things that went well and want
to immediately jump to the things that are not going well. Why spend time on
successes? When you recognise what is positive about your planning and your
presentation, and why it was positive, you will be able to replicate that behaviour.
You’ll do it again! You must build on the successes that you achieve and keep
doing the things that you are doing well.

Of course, you must also reflect on what did not go well. What were the
challenges when you were planning your lesson? What did you think would work
on paper but failed miserably in the classroom? Why do you think that happened?
What had you not considered? This reflection is for you. Be honest with yourself.
The most concerning reflections are those where there are no challenges. How
ludicrous! Everything went perfectly? Everything?! This just does not happen in
a classroom. There will always be something that didn’t go well or a challenge
you didn’t plan for, so please be self-aware enough to identify those challenges.
If you plan a lesson and present that lesson and you are unable to identify any
challenges, you are not only not being reflective enough, but you’re also not
being honest with yourself.

The last step in the lesson reflection is an opportunity for you to consider some
improvements. This requires you to consider what you will change so your future
lesson plans and lesson presentations are better. Taking it a step further, how
will you incorporate those changes? What will you do in those moments? You are
encouraged to write down the actions you will take if that experience or event
happened again. A helpful way to think about it is, if you could relive that

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experience, what would you do differently to get the outcome that is good for
you and the learner(s)?

4.3 VALUE OF REFLECTION FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

4.3.1 Importance of Teacher Reflection

Reflection helps us to re-capture, re-live, make sense of, think about,

contextualise, and evaluate an experience to make decisions and choices about
what we have experienced, how we have experienced it, and what we will or
won’t do next.

Allowing yourself to regularly reflect in a meaningful way on your practice will

result in you changing how you teach. You will not come to class every day doing
the same thing over and over again. You will become energised and inspired
because you will feel yourself growing as a practitioner.

Activity

Write a response explaining why being a reflective teacher is important for

effective teaching and learning. Your response should include the following:

• Definition of Reflective Teaching: Briefly explain what it means to be a

reflective teacher.
• Benefits for Teaching: Describe how reflection helps teachers improve
their teaching practices and make informed decisions.
• Impact on Learning: Discuss how reflective teaching enhances student
learning and outcomes.
• Examples: Provide at least one example of how reflection has improved
teaching and learning, either from your own experience or based on
research.

Your response should be clear, well-organized, and 200-300 words in length.

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Why is Reflection Important?

Reflective practice is the ability to reflect on an action to engage in a process of

continuous learning (Mathew et al., 2017). One of the roles of competent
teachers discussed in Topic 2 is to be a lifelong learner. If you are not engaging
in honest reflective practice about your classroom experiences, then it will be
difficult for you to improve the quality of education you are providing to your
learners. Furthermore, Jasper (2003) observed that teachers who more regularly
participated in reflective practice became more autonomous, qualified, and self-
directed in their work.

Teachers who consistently engage in truthful reflective practice provide

themselves with an unbelievably healthy source of personal and professional
development (Mathew et al., 2017). You can attend provincial workshops, read
academic articles, or enrol in Short Learning Courses that will help you improve
your practice, but conducting true reflection regularly will grow you the most
over time. Take the time to understand your practice and determine if it is most
effective for your context – your school and your learners.

This critical self-reflection is also an important way for you to bring together
theory and practice. You will have learned about different theories through your
studies, and reflection will allow you to put those theories into practice. Mathew
et al. (2017) posit that when teachers collect information about their classroom
and analyse and evaluate that information, they are better able to identify and
explore their practices and beliefs. Comparing these practices and beliefs with
theories and articles will undoubtedly serve you well throughout your career as
a reflective teacher. Kettle and Sellars (1996) found that student teachers who
participated in meaningful and honest reflection were more likely to challenge
existing theories and their preconceived ideas about teaching.

4.3.1 Reflecting on Experience

Du Toit et al. (2021) provide a series of questions to help guide you through your
reflection.

 What happened?
 Why did it happen?
o Search for explanations in the context of the teaching event by
consulting literature and talking to colleagues.
 How did I respond? Why did I respond this way?
 What are the key issues I need to be aware of?

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  Do I have information available to help me act differently? What do I need
to find out to help me deal with similar situations in the future?
 How would I deal with similar situations in the future?
 What are the implications for my practice? What do I need to change?
 What worked well today during my teaching? Why?

Gravett & De Beer (2010) believe that guided reflection enables teachers to find
meaning within regular daily events, and journalling helps teachers to conduct
meaningful reflection more effectively.

Activity

Complete Activity 4.8 on pg. 90 in Help! I’m a Student Teacher

Read the following problem that Joe experienced as a science teacher. Help him
think through the problem by using a reflective-action cycle.

In my last Science lesson, I taught my learners how to balance chemical

equations. I spent 35 minutes of the 70-minute lesson explaining how chemical
equations are balanced, showing learners the steps they should follow, and
providing them with examples of how this is done. I did not think this was very
complicated to do. I gave the learners ten equations to do in class while I
attended to some administration work at my desk. Just before the bell rang, I
asked the learners to leave their books so I could mark their work. I later
discovered that half of the learners in the class got all the questions wrong. I was
very frustrated! What happened? (SAIDE, 2012).

4.4 GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE REFLECTION

4.3.1 David Kolb – Experiential Learning Theory

David Kolb presented his Experiential Learning Theory in 1984 and it still
reverberates as one of the most frequently used models of learning styles. It is
based on the supposition that people learn from direct experience or by doing.

The cycle starts with the concrete experience, which is the individual having the
actual experience. Let’s imagine that the experience is a teacher asking a
question in class and a learner immediately raises their hand. The teacher notices
it’s the same learner who always answers questions but accepts the raised hand

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and hears the answer. The answer is correct. The next stage of the cycle is
reflective observation where the individual reflects on the experience. The
teacher thinks, “That learner always answers my questions. I wonder if other
learners know the answer.” The answer is that the teacher has no idea if the
other learners know the answer. Abstract conceptualisation, where the individual
learns from the experience, is the next stage in the cycle. The teacher has
learned that she does not know if the other learners know the answer because
she always takes the answer from the same learner who puts their hand up first.
She decides to provide some wait time for all learners to think and construct an
answer in their head before cold calling on a learner for their answer. The last
stage of the cycle is active experimentation where the individual tries out what
they have learned. In our example, the teacher implements wait time after
asking a question and cold calls a learner to give their answer.

Active Concrete
Experiment- Experience
ation
Having the actual
Trying out what experience
you have learned

Abstract Reflective
Conceptual- Observation
isation
Learning from the
Reflecting on
experience the experience

Figure 13: Experiential Learning Theory

Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

4.3.2 Graham Gibbs – Reflective Cycle

Graham Gibbs presented his Reflective Cycle in 1988. It remains prevalent as a

model for reflection and is used in education, healthcare, and management. What
is most helpful about Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is it provides a structured way to
reflect on events experienced.

To effectively use Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, one should answer the questions in
figure 14 starting at the top with “description”. Let’s use another example from
the classroom. A teacher who is struggling with classroom management uses the

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cycle to reflect after a challenging day. He realises that there are some strategies
he is using to manage his classroom that are not working, but most of all, it is
clear to him that he is not setting clear expectations for his learners. So, he
adjusts his current plan to begin to implement the changes he has identified.

Figure 14: Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Source: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/10.12968/jpar.2012.4.3.161

4.3.3 Donald Schön – Reflective Practice

Donald Schön presented his thoughts on Reflective Practice in 1983. The big
difference between what Schön presented and the other two models above is
that it emphasises how reflection should take place during, or within, the learning
process. He postulated that reflection could happen in two ways: reflection-on-
action and reflection-in-action.

Reflection-on-action

This is most closely aligned with what folks generally know about reflection.
Thinking about events that have already happened. When thinking about past
experiences, teachers consider what happened in a particular moment,why it
happened,and why they responded as they did and what they can do differently
the next time to improve on their practice.

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Reflection-in-action

This type of reflection happens in the moment. Teachers can reflect on the things
that are happening in real time and make decisions about their actions to adjust
how the event might develop while it is still developing! Let’s think about a lesson
presentation that isn’t going to plan. You’re surprised by this because you spent
a lot of time planning the lesson, but the learners just don’t “get it”. So, you
decide to adjust your presentation. You’re basically experimenting. You take the
lesson in a different direction, and you make a new understanding of the event
and you’ve changed the situation.

Figure 15: Schön’s Reflective Practice Learning Process

Source: https://polgovpro.blog/2022/08/26/x-marks-the-spot-for-reflexive-practice/

Activity

Discussion on Being a Reflective Practitioner

Once you have been in the school and have had a chance to teach a few lessons
during teaching practice, please reflect on the following:
1. Briefly describe one aspect of teaching that you need to improve.
2. Briefly discuss what steps you will take to improve in this aspect.

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 Summary

Reflective practice involves critically analysing one's actions to foster continuous

learning, which is essential for teachers to become lifelong learners. Regular
engagement in reflective practice helps teachers improve the quality of education
they provide and enhances their autonomy, qualifications, and self-direction in
their roles. It offers significant personal and professional development by
integrating theory with practice. Through honest reflection, teachers can better
identify and explore their practices and beliefs, compare them with theoretical
knowledge, and challenge existing ideas about teaching, leading to overall
growth and effectiveness in their careers.

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), developed by David Kolb, posits that learning
is a process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of
experience. According to Kolb, effective learning occurs when students are
engaged in a cycle of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract
conceptualisation, and active experimentation. This cyclical model emphasizes
the importance of students actively participating in their learning, allowing them
to draw on their experiences to deepen their understanding of concepts and
skills. ELT encourages educators to create learning environments that foster
discovery and problem-solving, enabling learners to connect theory with practice
and develop critical thinking abilities. By incorporating experiential learning
strategies into lesson plans, teachers can enhance student motivation, retention,
and engagement, ultimately promoting a richer learning experience.

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988, serves as a

systematic approach to reflective practice, enabling learners to engage
effectively in the process of experiential learning. The cycle comprises six key
stages – description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan.
This model enhances self-awareness and encourages continuous development by
fostering a structured environment for reflective practice, leading to improved
learning outcomes.

Donald Schön's concept of reflective practice emphasises the importance of

reflection in professional learning and development, particularly in fields that
involve continuous decision-making and problem-solving. Schön distinguishes
between two types of reflection: "reflection-on-action" and "reflection-in-action."
Reflection-on-action occurs after an experience, allowing practitioners to think
back on what transpired and consider what they could have done differently. In
contrast, reflection-in-action happens during the experience, enabling individuals

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to adjust their actions in real time based on immediate feedback. This continual
cycle of reflection fosters a deeper understanding of one’s professional practice
and encourages ongoing experiential learning. By engaging in Schön's reflective
practice, educators and professionals can effectively adapt their approaches,
enhance their skills and ultimately improve their outcomes in their respective
fields.

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 Self-Assessment Questions

1. Why is it important to regularly engage in meaningful and honest

reflection?

2. When will you be required to engage in reflection as a student teacher?

3. Which of the seven roles of a competent teacher will you become if you
are a reflective practitioner?

4. What is reflection-in-action?

5. Which of the reflective models most resonates with you and why?

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 Topic 5
Professionalism in the Workplace

5.1 INTRODUCTION

This topic relates to the following module outcomes:

4. Comprehend policy and working conditions related to the profession.

10. Exhibit professionalism and accept the demands expected of a teacher.
11. Keep a record of evidence of work completed during practicum.

In this topic, you will gain knowledge in the following areas:

1. Values in schools.
2. SACE Code of Professional Ethics.
3. Workplace Etiquette.

Prescribed Reading

Du Toit, E.R., Louw, E.P. and Jacobs L. 2021. Help, I'm a student teacher! Skills
development for teaching practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers:
• Chapter 1: Value-driven schools
• Chapter 2: The student teacher and the teaching context. Section 2.9
Ethical Code of Conduct

Recommended Reading

• Bashant, J. (2014). Developing Grit in Our Students: Why Grit Is Such a

Desirable Trait, and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Schools.
Journal for Leadership and Instruction, v13 n2 p14-17 Fall 2014.
[online]. Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1081394.pdf
[Accessed on 30 September 2024].
• SACE Code of Professional Ethics. [online]. Available at:
https://www.sace.org.za/assets/documents/uploads/sace_58684-
2018-11-22-Ethics%20brochure.pdf [Accessed on 30 September 2024].

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5.2 VALUES IN SCHOOLS

“Professionalism is not a label you give yourself. It’s a description you hope
others will apply to you.” – David Maister

5.2.1 Values and Ethics

We have previously covered how teachers make thousands of decisions every

day. Each one of those decisions is determined by your value system. Your value
system is determined both by what you value and your ethics. Du Toit et al.
(2021) define value as “your own conviction about what is good, important or
desirable, which is then expressed through ethical conduct.” Put another way, it
is how your actions link up with your value system. On the other hand, ethics
are your norms or standards that determine how you interact with others.
Rossouw (2014) states that ethics are how “other people witness and experience
you in your dealings with them.” So, values and ethics go hand in hand because
they are a part of who we are as people and how we determine how we interact
with the world.

If you are ever unclear about your actions and whether or not they could be
defined as ethical conduct, Landman (2009) suggests you ask yourself these
eight questions.
1. Am I acting lawfully?
2. Are my actions permitted by my school’s code of conduct and policies?
3. Do my professional standards permit my actions?
4. What would my ethics role model have done?
5. What would my actions look like on tomorrow’s front pages?
6. How do my actions make me feel?
7. Am I comfortable enough with my actions to be able to share these
easily with my closest family?
8. Do my actions pass the Golden Rule test: do unto others as you would
have them do unto you?

You are encouraged to ask yourself these questions if you ever find yourself in a
situation where you are uncertain about the ethics of your behaviour.

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 Activity

Complete Activity 1.3 on pg. 3 in Help! I’m a Student Teacher

Watch the interview with Christo Spies (Spies, 2015) at the link below.

Christo Spies - School Chaplin at St Michael's School in Bloemfontein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BsPeLagq-M

Identify the five main pitfalls to avoid in the classroom and write a short mission
statement for your class.

5.2.2 Restorative Justice

Your classroom must have rules, but those rules should be founded on values
(De Klerk-Luttig, 2011). The most effective classroom rules are those that have
been developed with input from the learners and determined collaboratively.
When values give meaning to rules, the rules are much more meaningful, and
learners are more likely to follow those rules when they are rooted in values and
they have had a hand in developing the rules together.

Restorative justice is a powerful way to help people right the wrongs they have
caused. It provides both the victim(s) of the transgression and the transgressor
an opportunity to find closure as a result of the incident. Effectively using
restorative justice in your classroom and with your learners is only possible if a
strong foundation in values is already present in your classroom.

In a classroom that effectively practices restorative justice, the transgressors

accept responsibility for their actions (Du Toit et al., 2021). In this way, the
transgressor not only receives a punishment for their actions but also has an
opportunity to repair the damage done to fix relations with the teacher or
classmates. A great example of restorative justice being used effectively in the
classroom is having learners who were the victims of having their learning
disrupted by a misbehaving student explain to the transgressor how that
learner’s behaviour negatively impacted them. The transgressor then has the
opportunity to apologise to the classroom for disrupting learning. This might be
done in the form of a letter or a short speech, but the learner has accepted the
responsibility for his actions and apologises for the harm those actions caused
(Reyneke, 2013).

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 Activity

Complete Activity 1.4 on pg. 5 in Help! I’m a Student Teacher

Watch the video on Restorative Justice at the link below.

A Restorative Approach to Discipline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1yvyP141U

After watching the video, answer the questions listed below

1. Explain the role of the teacher in the restorative justice process.
2. When taking such an approach, what would you expect from the
transgressor?
3. How would you respond to the victim?

5.2.2 Grit and Resilience

Grit is the quality that enables individuals to work hard and stick to their long-
term passions and goals, and it is often the quality that sets highly successful
people apart from everyone else (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews & Kelly, 2007).
The best thing about grit? According to Duckworth et al. (2007), grit can be
taught to learners. By teaching learners that mistakes are part of the process of
learning, and not a sign of failure, they are more likely to continue to try. Grit is
working hard towards a goal regardless of the challenges faced along the way.
It requires a marathon mentality, instead of a sprint mentality, to keep going to
overcome barriers.

Resilience, as defined by Perkins-Gough (2013), is the ability to appraise

situations without distorting them, and thinking about changes that are possible
in your life". This is closely aligned with grit because part of what it means to be
gritty is to be resilient when challenges present themselves (Bashant, 2013). As
so many of the learners in South Africa experience incredible hardships at home
and in their communities, it is important to make grit and resilience a part of
your classroom. One way to teach this to learners is by explaining and practicing
a Growth Mindset.

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Growth Mindset

Carol Dweck, a researcher at Stanford University, coined the terms Fixed- and
Growth Mindset in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
Dweck said that someone with a Fixed Mindset believes that talents, intelligence,
and abilities cannot change over time. On the other hand, someone with a Growth
Mindset believes that talents, intelligence, and abilities can be learned and
improved over time.

According to Dweck, when people with fixed mindsets experience challenges,

they are unable to cope because if they do not already have the ability to
overcome the challenge, they never will because there is no chance of
improvement. Growth mindset individuals see every challenge as a learning
opportunity and believe that they can gain the necessary skills and knowledge to
succeed.

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Figure 15: Growth vs Fixed Mindset
Source: https://fs.blog/carol-dweck-mindset/

Growth Mindset in the Classroom

Jacovidis et al. (2020) developed the following list of practices that teachers
can use to support a growth mindset in their classroom:

1. Establish a classroom environment that supports a growth mindset

2. Frame mistakes as important for learning
3. Model growth mindset thinking

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 4. Use growth mindset language
5. Establish high expectations for all learners
6. Explicitly teach learners about the brain
7. Structure learning tasks to support a growth mindset

5.3 SACE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

The South African Council for Educators (SACE) was established in 2000 and is
the statutory professional body for qualified teachers in South Africa with the
authority to regulate the teaching profession. All qualified teachers are required
to register with SACE before the commencement of their duties as teachers.

SACE has a core purpose of professionalising teaching and holds three main
functions:

1. Registration of professional educators to keep an up-to-date database of

qualified teachers
2. Promote professional development by requiring teachers to accumulate a
minimum number of 150 SACE points through continuous professional
development through accredited sources over a three-year cycle.
3. Set, maintain, and protect ethical and professional standards for
educators.

The SACE Code of Professional Ethics for teachers was created to unite teachers
in certain social values above those of income, power, and prestige (Du Toit et
al., 2021). It puts all teachers on the same playing field and provides a code by
which to behave daily. According to Parker (2002), the code advises teachers
that they should:

 “act in a proper and becoming way such that their behaviour does not
bring the teaching profession into disrepute,
 Acknowledge, uphold and promote basic human rights, as embodied in
the Constitution of South Africa,
 Exercise authority with compassion”

All relationships within the school community – teacher and learners, teacher
and colleagues, teacher and employer - are dissected by the Code of Professional
Ethics in a way that can be used by teachers to ensure that they are behaving
ethically at all times.

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As professionals, teachers have professional autonomy (independence and self-
sufficiency) to make judgements in situations that are complex and risky and
professional, and professional accountability, which is regulated by the
controlling body of the profession (SACE) that assures its members are
competent, responsible, and accountable and are adhering to the published
codes of conduct at all times.

Activity

Reflect on the SACE Professional Code of Conduct and consider how you will
embody the qualities of a professional, ethical teacher during your teaching
practice. Explain how the principles outlined in the Code of Conduct will guide
your behaviour and decision-making in the classroom and within the school
environment. Be specific about the ethical standards you plan to follow and how
you will demonstrate professionalism in your interactions with learners,
colleagues, and the school community. Your reflection should be thoughtful,
clear, and grounded in practical examples that illustrate how you intend to
maintain professionalism throughout your teaching experience.

5.4 WORKPLACE ETIQUETTE

As a contributing member of the school team, you will need to effectively interact,
collaborate, and learn from all of the individuals you come into contact with
during your teaching practice. While this might not be surprising, it is much
harder said than done. The folks at your host school might span several
generations, including Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation
Z. Being a member of one of these generations will help you find community
through your shared experiences. We encourage you to embrace this sense of
community. However, the reality is that the host school is a multigenerational
workplace where you will encounter people who do not share your worldview,
and this could lead to a lack of understanding. You will need to navigate these
differences to make the workplace a healthy and positive space.

Table 4 includes some brief descriptors of people from each of the above-
mentioned generations.

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Table 4: Different generations
Generation Born Between Brief Description
 Optimistic
Baby Boomers 1946 – 1964  Team- and service-oriented
 Value process and relationship
 Cynical and informal
 Direct and self-reliant
 Desire a work-life balance
Generation X 1965 – 1980
 Believe the workplace should
have a sense of family and
community
 Confident and assertive
 Global-minded and open to
diverse viewpoints
Millennials 1981 – 1996
 Able to multitask
 Seek praise for work they
perform
 Highly-collaborative
 Self-reliant
Generation Z 1997 – 2012  Pragmatic
 Seek workplaces that reflect
their values

Understanding the differences between generations will allow the student teacher
to understand how and why people born in a particular year approach workplace
situations in a certain manner.

Abrams and von Frank (2014) outline several advantages and challenges of
working with each of the generations that you should be aware of before you
start your teaching practice. Table 5 shares some of these advantages and
challenges.

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Table 5: Different generations – Advantages and challenges
Generation Advantages Challenges
 Hesitate to disagree
 Driven to do with peers
Baby Boomers whatever it takes  More self-focused
 Want to please  Put processes ahead
of results
 Adaptable
 Impatient
 Work independently
Generation X  Poor people skills
 Not intimidated by
 Cynical
authority
 Struggle to accept
criticism
 Confidence to try  Communicate using
something new technology and not
Millennials
 Work well in groups personal interaction
 Value helping others  Do not follow the
traditional chain of
command.
 Technological
 Balancing
expertise
expectations
 Adaptability and
Generation Z  Adapting to
resilience
traditional structures
 Diversity and
 Limited experience
inclusion focus

Please remember that you are a guest at the host school and all your interactions
with employees of the host school should be steeped in respect and a desire to
learn. The descriptors of the generations above are intended to make you aware
of your own behaviour when interacting with someone from a different
generation.

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 Summary

Restorative justice, in the classroom, is an approach to addressing misbehaviour

that focuses on repairing the harm caused rather than simply punishing the
transgressor. It involves engaging all stakeholders—victims, transgressors, and
the community—in a collaborative process aimed at understanding the impact of
the wrongdoing and finding mutually beneficial resolutions. By prioritizing
dialogue and accountability, restorative justice seeks to foster healing and
reconciliation, ultimately promoting a sense of closure and empowerment for
those affected. This framework encourages offenders to take responsibility for
their actions while providing victims a voice in the process, enhancing the
possibility of restoring relationships and community trust.

Grit and resilience are essential qualities that can significantly impact learners’
experiences in the classroom. Grit refers to the passion and perseverance that
students show in pursuing long-term goals, while resilience is the ability to
bounce back from setbacks and challenges. Cultivating these traits helps learners
navigate the ups and downs of their academic journeys, encouraging them to
embrace difficulties as opportunities for growth. Teachers can foster grit and
resilience by creating a supportive environment that promotes risk-taking,
celebrates effort over immediate success, and teaches problem-solving
strategies. These qualities empower students to remain committed to their
learning, even when faced with obstacles, ultimately leading to greater academic
achievement and personal development.

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed
through dedication, hard work, and resilience. Coined by psychologist Carol
Dweck, this concept contrasts with a fixed mindset, where individuals see their
talents as inherent and unchangeable. Embracing a growth mindset encourages
learners to approach challenges with an open attitude, viewing failures as
opportunities for learning rather than as setbacks. This perspective fosters a love
for learning, a commitment to self-improvement, and a willingness to persist in
the face of difficulties. By cultivating a growth mindset in educational
environments, educators can inspire students to take risks, embrace challenges,
and ultimately achieve greater success in their academic and personal lives.

The South African Council for Educators (SACE), established in 2000, is the
statutory body responsible for regulating the teaching profession in South Africa.
All qualified teachers must register with SACE before they can begin their duties.
The SACE Code of Professional Ethics aims to unite teachers around social values

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and ensure ethical behaviour. Teachers are granted professional autonomy to
make complex and risky judgments while being held accountable by SACE to
ensure competence, responsibility, and adherence to ethical standards.

In your teaching practice, effective interaction, collaboration, and learning from

all individuals at your host school are essential. This task can be challenging due
to the multigenerational nature of the workplace, which may include Baby
Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. While you may find a
sense of community with those who share your generational experiences, it's
crucial to recognize and navigate differences in worldviews to maintain a healthy
and positive work environment.

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 Self-Assessment Questions

1. Which of the eight questions about ethical teacher behaviour most

resonates with you and why?

2. What is one benefit of using restorative justice in your classroom?

3. What is one way you will instil a growth mindset in your learners?

4. What does SACE stand for and what does it do?

5. Why is it important to be aware of which generation your colleagues

were born in?

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 Glossary of terms

Please take note of the following definitions and abbreviations, as they are used
extensively in this module.

Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)

Refers to the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement used in most South
African schools.

Teaching Practice (TP)

This refers to the time spent observing and teaching at a host school.

Host School
This is the school that is hosting you for the duration of your teaching practice.

Registered Subject Specialisation

This refers to the subject specialisations for which you are officially registered
with STADIO.

Senior Phase
This refers to Grades 7 – 9 at a school.

FET Band
This refers to Grades 10 – 12 at a school.

Student Teacher
The term student teacher refers to you, the student studying this module.

Mentor Teacher
The term mentor teacher refers to the qualified teacher in whose class you will
undertake your teaching practice.

Primary School
This school has learners from Grade RR to Grade 7. If you complete any of your
teaching practice at a Primary School, you must observe and teach in a Grade 7
class.

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Secondary School
This school has learners from Grades 8 – 12. It is advisable that you do all of
your teaching practice at a Secondary School.

Learners
A school pupil in the Senior Phase or FET Band.

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 References

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Communicate, Collaborate, and Create Community. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
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Allender, D. and Allender, J. 2006. ‘How did our early education determine who
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Ball, D. and Cohen, D.K. 1999. Developing practice, developing practitioners

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Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (2016). Get Better Faster. John Wiley & Sons

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 Answers to Self-Assessment Questions

TOPIC 1 SELF-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS

1. Student teachers are expected to be at school for the whole school day,
or a minimum of 7 hours, Monday to Friday throughout the teaching
practice period.

2. Being a functional and registered school with a DBE EMIS number,

following the CAPS/IEB/Cambridge curriculum and having a minimum of
12 learners in a class.

Home schools, tutorial centres, and Accelerated Christian Education

(ACE) schools are not suitable schools for teaching practice.

3. No. You should do Teaching Practice in two different types of schools.

Different schools can be determined using the following criteria:
• Public schools
• Private/Independent schools
• Quintiles (1-5)

4. Principals must select mentor teacher(s) for the student teacher in the
subject specialisation. Principals should encourage mentor teachers to
maintain a positive disposition towards the student teacher during their
tenure at the school.

5. Mentor teachers must read through the mentor teacher pack. Mentor
teachers should have an in-depth conversation with the student teacher
regarding the various assessments. Mentors should sign the student
teacher's attendance register, signifying acknowledgement and
validation of their participation. Mentor teachers should introduce the
student teacher to the school's code of conduct, procedures, and
discipline policies. Mentor teachers must provide student teachers with
opportunities to practice various teaching styles, skills, and behaviours
as it is essential for their development.

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TOPIC 2 SELF-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS

1. The way that the teacher re-contextualises content knowledge so that it

can be understood by the learner. Teachers must know how to take what
they know about the content, what they know about the context in which
the learners exist,and what they know about teaching in order to
effectively teach the subject.

2. To be a lifelong learner

3. Department of Basic Education, National Education Policy Act, 1996,

Norms and Standards for Educators

4. Society, community, school, teacher

5. 1.) The quality of the school cannot exceed the quality of its
teachers;
2.) The only way to improve outcomes was to improve teaching;
3.) High performance requires each learner to succeed;
4.) Every school needs a good leader.

TOPIC 3 SELF-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS

1. The Do Now should take 3-5 minutes and occur at the beginning of the
lesson. It asks a question to preview the upcoming lesson or to review a
previous lesson. The Exit Ticket should take 7-10 minutes and occur at
the end of the lesson. It asks 1-3 questions about the lesson to determine
how well learners mastered the objective. Both the Do Now and the Exit
Ticket should be done independently.

2. The Gradual Release of Responsibility is a way to structure a lesson. It

is supported by the I Do – We Do – You Do because it moves from
modelled instruction (I do it and you watch) to shared instruction (we do
it together) to guided practice (you do it and I guide) to independent
practice (you do it alone).

3. The cognitive domain encourages learners to think and solve problems

methodically. The psychomotor domain consists of activities in a

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 classroom setting that lead to experiential learning. The affective domain
leads learners to more interaction with peers and grows self-confidence

4. Manageable, Measurable, Made First, Most Important

5. Constructive alignment is assessing learners on what was taught by the

teacher. It occurs when what is intended to be taught, how it was taught,
and how it was assessed all come together perfectly.

TOPIC 4 SELF-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS

1. When you regularly engage in meaningful reflection, you can learn and
grow to improve your practice.

2. Reflection in the Lesson Plan and Reflection in the Portfolio of Evidence.

3. Lifelong learner.

4. Reflection in the moment.

5. Students can choose from Kolb, Gibbs, or Schon and expand on why they
chose that reflective model

TOPIC 5 SELF-ASSESSMENT ANSWERS

1. Student can choose any of the following eight questions and explain their
reasoning:
1. Am I acting lawfully?
2. Are my actions permitted by my school’s code of conduct and
policies?
3. Do my professional standards permit my actions?
4. What would my ethics role model have done?
5. What would my actions look like on tomorrow’s front pages?
6. How do my actions make me feel?
7. Am I comfortable enough with my actions to be able to share
these easily with my closest family?
8. Do my actions pass the Golden Rule test: do unto others as you
would have them do unto you?

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2. The transgressor takes responsibility for his/her actions and has the
opportunity to right the wrongs caused.

3. The student can choose any of the following methods and expand on why
the method was chosen:
1. Establish a classroom environment that supports a growth
mindset.
2. Frame mistakes as important for learning.
3. Model growth mindset thinking.
4. Use growth mindset language.
5. Establish high expectations for all learners.
6. Explicitly teach learners about the brain.
7. Structure learning tasks to support a growth mindset.

4. The South African Council for Educators (SACE) was established in 2000
and is the statutory professional body for qualified teachers in South
Africa with the authority to regulate the teaching profession

5. When you know when colleagues were born, you have a better idea of
their values and how they might react in certain situations.

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