TEACHING OBSERVATIONS WEEKLY REFLECTIONS WEEK 8

Observation /Critical reflections

1. Fire drill
The fire alarm went off during one of my first year Wood Technology classes and I did not
know the procedure for leaving the room to bring the students to the fire assembly points.
It was a false alarm, and no fire drill took place. The co-operating teacher informed me that
the school has a fire drill every term to ensure that staff and students are well prepared and
trained to respond promptly in the case of a fire emergency, he showed me the fire
assembly points for the school. “An emergency is an extreme problem or an extreme set of
circumstances, both uncommon and unfamiliar. As human beings, we are never fully
prepared for such an unusual event. We need information, support, and guidance” (Burtles,
2014).

Action
Plan ahead……As a result I have learned that regular fire drills in schools reduce panic and
fear during actual emergencies by familiarising students and staff with the actions required
to go to the fire assembly points in a patient and calm manner outside the school building.
According to Simonds “Fire drills are a common part of school life. The periodic drills help
onsite school administrators, teachers, staff, and students learn how to exit the school
building in a quick and orderly fashion” (Simonds, 2008).

2. LCA Work experience

I was covering the LCA class for a teacher that was away on a sporting activity with the
school, and I had a great discussion with two students about the benefits of completing
their work experience during the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. One student was
on work experience in a civil engineers office and the other was working with a carpenter.
They really enjoyed going out on work experience ever Friday to learn new skills and
develop new skills and it allows them the opportunity to see if this career is for them, they
also mentioned that is a good to have more work experience on their CVs.

Action
Plan ahead…… I have learned that if I am teaching an LCA class I would arrange
opportunities for students to get work placements that are related to their interests to
enhance their learning. “Research recognises that working-class students are
disproportionately found in non-academic and vocational tracks; however, much debate still
remains about why this is the case” (Banks, Byrne, McCoy, & Smyth, 2014). I would try to
address the challenges that students may face, offering guidance and support beyond the
academic needs.

List of References

Burtles, J. (2014). Emergency Evacuation Planning for Your Workplace: From Chaos to Life-
Saving Solutions. Brookfield, Conn: Rothstein Publishing.

Simonds, TA. (2008). School Safety drills as a means to improve school Safety plans.

Banks, J., Byrne, D., McCoy, S., & Smyth, E. (2014). Bottom of the class?
The leaving certificate applied programme and track placement in the Republic of Ireland.
Irish Educational Studies Case Study.