HELLO MY FELLOW STUDENTS…..FUTURE TEACHERS. 

Part 1:

I am so glad that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been a hectic two weeks for me,  especially at work. But hey ... I'm through it.  All the hard work is really paying off and I am ticking everything off day by day. I do feel a little drained and tired but this usually at the end of every semester.

Part 2:

This week I became aware of how intricate the lesson plan really is and how much time, effort and thought goes into it. There are so many aspects to consider! The concept that was most significant to me was that as teachers we need to include EVERYONE and I don’t only mean all races or all genders, I mean students with emotional problems too. I realised that the classroom really needs to be a safe and loving space where children can forget about the negative things they are experiencing and just live in their ‘classroom bubble’ for a while. I became aware of how to identify and evaluate appropriate assessment strategies for music as part of life skills in foundation phase, how to incorporate music, games and art integration in the planning of a lesson for life skills.

Part 3

In your opinion, reflecting on and synthesising all that you learnt in LSKM 221, what are the most important aspects to keep in mind when planning foundation phase lessons?

• There must be an intro, teaching and learning phase, and conclusion.
• The teacher must include a variety of activities (from lower to higher order levels).
• In the introduction phase the teacher should begin the class with a fun activity that grabs students’ attention.
• In the teaching and learning phase learners should actively engage, have opportunities for peer scaffolding, manipulate concrete materials, do authentic activities, and discover and internalise new skills. The assessment (continuous) is also very important.
• In the conclusion phase the learners should be given a chance to show what they have achieved. Maybe act it out or do a performance. The teacher should be able to tell whether or not the students have reached the desired outcomes. Even at the end of the lesson the students should still be engaged.
• Extremely important aspect is inclusivity. All learners must be included and catered for regardless of whether they have a specific disability or not.

Reasons why assessment is neglected in the Performing Arts and Music in the Foundation Phase. Possible reasons may be:

• Time play a very important role in the assessment neglection. There is just not enough time for teachers to prepare a proper lesson.
• The classroom environment is very important.
• The lack of resources in many school has a big impact on lesson planning.

Many schools in the country do not have the necessary technology every day. And that puts a damper on planning any lesson.​​​​​​​

I really enjoyed the study unit. It taught me a lot. Lesson planning has always been an obscure aspect for me, an unnecessary aspect of teaching, but the study unit made me realize that lesson planning is an extremely important aspect in education. 

Till next time.....goodbye.