Reflection

The first time we went out to schools was for Grade 1 observation. We were not able to go out to schools for our Grade R observation or teaching practice. Going into the school for the first time as a third year student was quite a stressful experience, since I had all of the book knowledge I could have possibly asked for, but I had no idea of what the actual classroom would be like. I was placed in the Primary school that I went to and was in my old Grade 1 teachers class. 

The biggest shock I got was the amount of work the teachers can actually complete in a day, to what they set out. School days were so short and consumed by all of the other little things that happened during the day.  This made me aware of the importance of planning and being able to adjust that planning in seconds when necessary. 

I taught my first ever lesson in this observation period and it was an absolute disaster. This is were I had to adjust my teachings and the language I used. The learners did not understand the big words I used, so I had to explain the work in much simpler terms, luckily I was able to adjust and continue.  This showed me that even if you planned out everything perfectly, every class is different and you might have to adjust your lessons to fit the needs of the individual learner, that might not be able to understand.