49183397 BPT1501 04 MARK084100

4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

4918-339-7
Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501
Semester 1
Assignment 04
Closing Date: 14 March 2014
Unique Number: 280638
P. O. Box 236
St. Lucia Estuary
3936

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4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

Index

1.

Collage (Class Activities at Mtubatuba Primary School) ..... 3

2.

Collage Explanation (Story) ................................................... 4

3.

Observation Report (School Experience) ............................. 5

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4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

1.

Collage (Class Activities at Mtubatuba Primary School)

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4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

2.

Collage Explanation (Story)

A picture can tells a million stories! In the collage above I have tried to capture the essence of Mtubatuba Primary School.

In the first row of pictures we have a Biology teachers giving a lessons by explaining, an Afrikaans lesson with lost of English translations and hand signals to help the second language students understand better.
An Informal Maths Assessment and Motivational Quote’s that changes weekly and Monthly for a little inspiration.

The Second row Geometry of 2D Shape lessons and activity with students in class.

The bright purple star note was awarded in the

English class to a student for listening and participating in the Rollerskating poem being analysed. Some more maths calculations and a student reading the Directions for revision in Social Science class.

Third Row brings us to Maps Description in class and a Grade 7 learner starting her observation of Triangles lesson. The continent of Africa was a group discussion for the Grade 5 students. The Grade 7 teacher working with the class on Triangles and a Grade 4 student doing her
Mental Maths.

In the last row the learners are doing directions to school by participating in the actions.

The Computer Room English Reading

lesson and the Grade 4 teacher explaining Directions to School.

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4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

3.

Observation Report (School Experience)

For my observation report I arrange to shadow teachers at the
Mtubatuba Primary School for 3 days. During my time at the school I attended numerous classes and had the privilege to move in between the Grade 4, 5, 6 & 7 learners in subjects like Maths, Afrikaans, English,
Social Sciences, Biology & Computer English Reading Classes.

Although this school is neither rich nor poor, it has to do with the basics that can be afforded but the spirit makes the atmosphere worth the visit.
The teachers are friendly but strict. The school work on a merit and demerit system of give and take. Learners can earn merits for good behaviour, attitude, effort participation and ambassadorship. You can also earn demerits for bad behaviour, incorrect dress code, swearing, bullying, dishonesty, disobedience & littering.

In my honest opinion most of the teachers have fallen into a rut. The same old story from class to class, I might fall asleep if I had to be one of the learners as you enter you get told to open your book to page whatever! Mostly the Platinum CAPS range are used through out the school but as there is not enough books (shortage of funds) some classes are using photo copies. After greeting, the teacher would read and explain the work and home work or class work would be given.

There are one or two teachers with a different approach. The younger male teacher giving the Afrikaans lesson Second language to the
English speaking class made the reading of the words fun and demanded lots of input from the class by asking questions, making verbal noises and hand signals explaining things. This enables the kids to understand the words better and with great success, he had the attention of the class the whole period. Another older lady teacher was doing a Geography lesson in directions and revision work. She had the children doing homework, drawing colourful maps of how to get to school from home and the children did an oral showing their pictures,

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4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

the whole class participated. They had fun but were learning without knowing it.

Teachers might have the same old teaching method but they are all well prepared with very good background knowledge about the subjects that they teach. While I was attending the school, the gala arrangement had to be changed as the weather did not permit this event the previous week and all the teachers were able to move classes, take on different lessons and continue as if nothing changed.

Learners are different some like day and night. You get the helpful, cooperative ones and then there are ones just going out of their way to be naughty. Some learners also take longer to understand and

explanation than others.

We had an informal assessment for

mathematics and I specifically checked the speed of which the different learners were able to fill in the assessment. I check after 5 minutes to find 1 or 2 students halfway and 3 students still looking for stationary and filling in names. After an half an hour I checked the same students to find 2 of the 3 still looking for stationery and filling in their names with about 1 third of the class already finished with a 45 minute assessment.
The same students that were finished are the students with high merits and the slow student the ones with the demerits.

Each Child has a Communication books as well as a homework book.
These books need to go home daily and must be signed by a parent on a daily basis. This is a very good communication tool and all merits and demerits are recoded in this book. In class most teachers also work on the said face principle. For every warning a child receives their name moves down to a sadder face, up to five chances before demerits might be considered.

The Classrooms at the school is in a very bad condition, some needs a paint job seriously and other just needs a scrub and a good cleanout. I would really encourage some classroom brighten up, even just

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4918-339-7 Lelani van Blerk
BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 04 Unique Number: 280638

displaying some homework pictures from the children themselves. The walls are boring and cold.

One interesting homework lesson was given to a class for Afrikaans, they had to come and do an oral the following week about the use of trees. But this teacher made it a little bit more interesting; each child received an A4 sheet with a picture of a tree trunk and branches. A separate sheet with leaves was then given out to write down the notes for the oral lesson and stick it on the tree. This made the children more fascinated with the subject from the word go.

I would suggest that some music, art and pictures be incorporated into the lessons. Even an slide show or a short video on some subjects would be more interesting and might captivate the children a little better.
Being a little more creative could bring you a long way.

It is obvious that there are teachers still using the old methods of teaching. With the modern technology and a little creativity you can make lessons more interesting. Some classes could have done with picture flash cards and Geography classes could use a map on the wall.
Classrooms can be made more inviting by introducing some coloured pictures, birthday calendar and a year calendar the walls.

There is much to learn form these teachers and learners and this was an amazing experience for me as a learner and aspirant teacher.

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