Practicum 2
Focused Practicum
TASKS AND REFLECTIONS
02
Focused Practicum Reflection A
The first three days of my focused practicum consisted of attending the ‘Junior South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) Netball Tournament’ held in Christchurch with a College Yr9A Netball Team. The tournament was essentially a five-day camp that included managing, coaching, meal-prep, team bonding activities, recovery classes including stretch and pool activities, theory sessions for goals, game play and workbook activities.
Whilst on tournament, my focus as a coach was around building a positive team culture and creating an atmosphere and memories that the girls will remember years to come as opposed to our result and position on the score-table. We also focused on becoming ‘the best version of yourself’ and improving your own individual netball knowledge and skill as opposed to simply ‘being the best’ at tournament. We emphasised this through our co-constructed team goals PEDRO – positivity, encouragement, determination, resilience and opportunity.
These focuses and concept of co-construction could easily be transferred into a classroom setting as building a positive classroom culture that values whanaungatanga and manakitanga is of vast importance in an education setting and will help us as kaiako to get the best out of our ākonga.
The tournament was also a great insight into what it might be like going away on school-camp within kura and the bonding experience you share with fellow co-workers and ākonga. I thoroughly enjoyed the tournament experience and look forward to more opportunities for them/school-camps in the future as I believe it will help me create more meaningful relationships thus becoming a more influential educator.
03
Focused Practicum Reflection B
The final two days of focused practicum consisted of visiting a local intermediate school where I shadowed a year 7 class. Activities on practicum included observations of several different teaching topics including physical education, math, topic/social studies, art, reading and writing. I was also given the opportunity to help in the facilitation and teaching of physical education, games, group reading tasks, pop quizzes and more.
During my time at the intermediate, my associate highlighted the importance of the Tuakana-teina relationship. A te ao Māori concept that refers to the relationship between an older or more able/expert (tuakana) person and a younger or less able/expert (teina) person and displayed how it can be used to full effect within a classroom. From this I learnt the importance of highlighting everyone's strengths and recognising that’s it's okay to have weaknesses as there is always someone around that can help, we simply must encourage individuals to ask.
During the practicum I also learnt the importance of being a ‘well-rounded’ educator as primary and intermediate kaiako must teach not only their preferred subjects but all subjects with equal enthusiasm and time. I truly respect the effort it takes to teach all subject disciplines. Through this I learnt the importance of cross-curricular teaching practices and ways in which I could combine aspects of other teaching disciplines into my own. Thus, creating a more well-balanced teaching atmosphere.