Individual reflection:  Unit 3 Blog

Hi everyone:

The weeks are flying by and it feels I am always trying to keep up with everything. But at the end everything gets done, one thing at a time.

Unit 3 was an interesting unit about play. Most of the information and learning material was known to me due to my  previous studies in Educare. But it was nice to work through the material and refresh my memory.

Please analyse the scenario above by using the following prompts as guidelines:

What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities? Why were some learners uncomfortable?

The boy was uncomfortable of the Zulu song he did not understand. When learners do not understand the content or concept being taught during a lesson they may withdraw from the lesson and not actively take part, in his case he felt embarrass that he did not know the song and it made him unhappy. The girl felt uncomfortable dancing in front of boys due to her religious upbringing. It is something that is probably frowned on in her religion and she might not be accustomed to it and not part of her belief system.

Can you think of ways to address these issues in future? What will you change?

In the future I would explain the songs words and from what culture it is taken from and have a discussion on that culture. If there is children of that culture in your classroom you can involve them in the discussion. Also, I will explain the outcomes of the lesson. Learners will feel more comfortable if they understand the concept of teaching and probably take part in the lesson and find it enjoyable and fun. When explaining the lesson, I will also ask if anyone is uncomfortable doing any of the activities. I will listen to their reasons and find solutions to overcome it. In the situation of the girl where it is due to religion reasons you have understand and give her options to make the activity comfortably for her. You can for instance split boys and girls or give her an option to take part differently without feeling left out.

How can we accommodate diverse learner profiles in our classrooms? What must we beware of?

You always have to be aware of all the different learners background in your classroom and their religion and culture beliefs. The best way to prevent any uncomfortable learners or situations is to take these learners backgrounds is consideration when you do your lesson planning and try to accommodate all learners that they feel part of the class and activity. Your classroom and teaching must represent different cultures and religions. You have to create a safe environment for learners where they can freely express themselves and know they are appreciated and important.

Ok, guys until next time.

Greetings. Esme.