NAME: DARRELL DULALCHAN

ID: 03725218
DATE: 12TH, NOVEMBER,2015.

JOURNAL ENTRY # 4 REFLECTING ON MY FIRST OUT OF SCHOOL TEACHING

SESSION
This journal is based on my first time teaching in another school. I was excited for this
new experience but also apprehensive prior to the session in preparing my lesson. This
apprehension was as a result of the stigma that was normally associated with students of
government secondary schools since I was accustomed teaching students who were particularly
studious and well behaved. A number of questions came into my mind. Would they behave?
Would they participate? Would they understand? I admit that at first I thought the worst would
occur but being in the reflective process, I reflected on all I would have learnt during my Diped
process. I remembered a discussion with Dr. Kaloo about the nature of childrens behaviour in
these so called troubled schools. I remembered her saying that student engagement was the
best from of classroom management. Taking from her statements, I decided to develop my lesson
plan to cater for the students I had to teach.
The lesson was on Conservation Biology, and I designed the lesson using my learnings
from the Diped technology integration classes and developed a Bitstrip comic. I did a discussion
lesson in which the students themselves would be actively involved in the lesson and used the
comic to facilitate a fun role-play, including two other teachers. This proved to be a HIT. The

students payed attention, they laughed, they enjoyed the lesson and most importantly they shared
their views and learnt.
I was amazed by the intellectual capacity of these children. I heard responses from them I
would have never even envisioned the kids at my school. These kids were really smart and using
situations which they were accustomed to, drew out responses from them easier. These kids
actually created an environmental policy at the end of the lesson on their own. The smiles made
it worthwhile and they had fun and by me complementing them every step of the way this
boosted their self-esteem. This was a great class and Dr. Kaloos words proved true, that no
matter the students one may think they have, once a lesson is designed around them and engages
their minds, all children have the capability and discipline to learn.
From Vishnu to Compre.. a learning experience on the way stereotypes can make us
forget the power of our craft. You did a wonderful lesson that day.