Improving Own Practice (Dtlls)
DTLLS Module 2 Task 3 Improving Own Practice Sharon Baker
In order to improve our own practice as a teacher, lesson planner and a professional in a teaching organisation working with others, it is important that we take account of feedback from various sources and evaluate our own performance on a regular basis. As Wilson, suggests:
‘recognition that your performance can be improved is accepting that whatever does (or does not) happen in the classroom is in the hands of the teacher’ (2009, p.104)
The first way of evaluating performance may be through self-evaluation, either via a reflective journal or by writing an evaluation on a lesson plan or scheme of work. After each lesson I deliver, I write a short evaluation which has notes on how the lesson went and what could be done differently if I were to deliver the same session again. By doing this immediately after the lesson, important details can be recorded for future reference. In my co-teaching of PTLLS, we evaluate each lesson together and make notes on lesson plans which are taken into account when planning the next course. This works very well as it gives a very detailed picture of events by having ‘another pair of eyes’ in the classroom.
My learners’ ILPs serve as a very effective way of gaining feedback on the teaching and learning process and if the ILP is used as a two-way communication tool between teacher and learner, it can work to help teachers gain a better understanding of how learners feel about the lesson and course as a whole but also help the learner to get feedback on their own learning. In a recent ILP, one of my learners noted that he would like to use the computer more to do written work in class. This kind of constructive feedback was easily acted upon and made me realise that I had been neglecting the ILT side of my planning.
Learner feedback forms are often used to assess the quality of teaching and learning within an organisation and areas for development from such
In order to improve our own practice as a teacher, lesson planner and a professional in a teaching organisation working with others, it is important that we take account of feedback from various sources and evaluate our own performance on a regular basis. As Wilson, suggests:
‘recognition that your performance can be improved is accepting that whatever does (or does not) happen in the classroom is in the hands of the teacher’ (2009, p.104)
The first way of evaluating performance may be through self-evaluation, either via a reflective journal or by writing an evaluation on a lesson plan or scheme of work. After each lesson I deliver, I write a short evaluation which has notes on how the lesson went and what could be done differently if I were to deliver the same session again. By doing this immediately after the lesson, important details can be recorded for future reference. In my co-teaching of PTLLS, we evaluate each lesson together and make notes on lesson plans which are taken into account when planning the next course. This works very well as it gives a very detailed picture of events by having ‘another pair of eyes’ in the classroom.
My learners’ ILPs serve as a very effective way of gaining feedback on the teaching and learning process and if the ILP is used as a two-way communication tool between teacher and learner, it can work to help teachers gain a better understanding of how learners feel about the lesson and course as a whole but also help the learner to get feedback on their own learning. In a recent ILP, one of my learners noted that he would like to use the computer more to do written work in class. This kind of constructive feedback was easily acted upon and made me realise that I had been neglecting the ILT side of my planning.
Learner feedback forms are often used to assess the quality of teaching and learning within an organisation and areas for development from such
References: WILSON, L. (2009) Practical Teaching. A guide to PTLLS & DTLLS. Delmar, Cengage Learning, Hampshire UK.