Helen's information
During my two school placements, I taught French at key stage 3 and 4 and German at key stage 3. I am also able to teach Italian at key stage 3 and 4 and Spanish at key stage 3. As part of my university course I co-taught an AS Level French class which I thoroughly enjoyed and feel able to teach French at key stage 5. I am currently attached to a form group and take part in PSHE each week.
My previous school placement was in a mixed school in north London and I am currently I am currently in an all boys school in North London with pupils from many different ethnic backgrounds. The classes therefore consisted of many EAL pupils as well as SEN pupils. I thus planned my lessons accordingly, focusing a great deal on differentiation and how the lessons could challenge the more able whilst at the same time help and encourage the less able and engage and motivate all pupils in learning. I incorporated a range of activities into my lessons, which catered for all learning styles. For the visual learners I used worksheets for activities such as gap-fill, matching etc as well as activities on the interactive white board where pupils can come up to the board and correct sentences or structure new sentences with the vocabulary given etc. For auditory learners, I spoke in the target language as much as possible and also did listening activities. For the kinaesthetic learners I incorporated games, role-plays or activities involving authentic material such as maps, menus, brochures etc into my lessons. This also developed cultural awareness in the classroom. I have liaised with support staff to discuss extra assistance for those pupils with difficulties and sought out specific resources. For example one of my pupils is colour blind so I pay extra attention to the colours I use on my PowerPoint presentations I always plan and deliver my lessons using a range of activities, many with the use of ICT as a teaching and learning tool. I also make sure there is a clear objective and that pupils are aware of what is expected. In order to check pupil’s progress I assess them using various methods, such as self-assessment or peer assessment. I encourage these forms of assessment as pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own learning and give themselves or their peers targets to further develop in the subject area. In terms of classroom management, I manage behaviour effectively by using a range of appropriate techniques including praise and reward, merit systems, and class rules.
I have taken part in extra-curricular activities such as the French and German club and am keen to get involved in such areas. As a pupil myself, I took part in the Duke of Edinburgh\'s award scheme so this is also something I would like to participate in as a teacher.