I'm struggling

Right now I'm struggling.

I'm struggling with the weakest area of my teaching.

Self-evaluation using TfEL (2012)                                        Two peer reviews, and two other self-reviews here.

I'm a reflective teacher and it's important to me to evaluate my teaching as part of a continuous cycle of improvement. I self-evaluate my teaching through comparisons with other teachers in my school, through learning what other teachers do differently through reading, reading online, and accessing my PLN on twitter, through using tools developed over the last few years, such as TfEL and the Australian Professional Standards, and through school processes. In many schools, the process of evaluation is lacking; positive feedback comments are few and far between, Professional Development meetings with leadership are stilted, and peer-evaluation, which is coming into favour, only works if you are established in a school and have strong relationships with colleagues, as many teachers find this challenging. The more I teach, the more I find myself seeking out conversations that help me grow, asking for support when I need it, and asking direct questions to elicit feedback. I can't survive without encouragement and feedback.

Morning routine

I know my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. My weakest area in teaching is behaviour management. I've made great strides in improving, particularly over the last few years as a classroom teacher. I've developed to a point where my students are learning to be intrinsically motivated, with classroom routines that support them to learn emotional control, responsibility, and highlight values, such as respect, kindness and caring. Many of the routines using Conscious Discipline via Heather's Heart helped shape my teaching, but more on that at another time. I had phased out extrinsic rewards and reward systems, even stickers! And student behaviour was supporting learning, and part of learning, in my classroom.


Now we come to this year. This year I am not in my own classroom. I teach a handful of different classes for single or double lessons, once or twice a week. I'm the new teacher in the school. There are a number of students with challenging behaviours. There are a number of students still learning emotional control. There are some angry kids.

And suddenly I find I can't use the same methods I'd developed as a classroom teacher that foster good relationships, good learning behaviour, and happy, safe kids.

Hands-on forces game

At first I worked on developing relationships with my new students. I made opportunities to spend extra time with some classes. I relied on engaging, hands-on science lessons. But it wasn't enough. In one class, behaviour is extreme and is getting in the way of learning, and I feel like I am failing these kids.

I was determined not to fail. I spoke to colleagues about how to best support these children and what strategies have worked in the past. I asked leadership to support me.


I found out that for some of these students, extreme behaviours distract from learning when they are not confident learners and not happy with the standard of their learning. I found out that they have not yet developed group skills for teamwork. I found out that some students had not experienced consistency with teaching the previous year. I found out about a student who has emotional upheaval at home currently and a student who has been to anger management classes. If there are any kids at this school who most need good relationships and values, and skills and knowledge development, it's these kids!

Hands-on friction activity

So what now? My focus is now consistency and persistence. I aim to give tighter support and guidelines for group work. I am being more explicit with learning objectives at the beginning of the lesson. I am working on providing success criteria. I am requiring students to be assessed, and therefore responsible for their learning, in each and every lesson. I'm following up with students who don't complete work that records their day's learning by keeping them in for part of their recess, or expecting them to complete it in their own time. I am following the school's behaviour plan that relies on the step system: first reminder, second reminder, thinking spot, change seating and buddy class. I am trying to find and voice the positives to the students. I am continuing to provide science activities that are hands-on. I am trying to find time, in brief moments of peace, to connect with individual students.