stealing someone else’s property. You may not use another student’s work.

You may not allow

anyone to copy or use your work with the intention to submit it as his/her own.

Students who are guilty of plagiarism will forfeit all credit for the work concerned. Plagiarism is
a serious violation of the University’s regulations and may lead to expulsion.

The under-mentioned declaration must accompany written assignments. Your assignment will
be cancelled and returned unmarked if you do not include a fully completed and signed
declaration form.

I (full names): VINCENTIUS KRIGE

Student number: 15243893 Module: TPN2601

Declare that…
1. I understand what plagiarism entails and am aware of the University’s policy in this
regard.
2. I declare that this assignment is my own, original work. Where I used someone else’s work,
whether a printed source, the internet or any other source, I give the proper
acknowledgement and include a complete reference list.
3. I did not use another current or previous student’s work, submitting it as my own.
4. I did not allow and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of submitting it as
his or her own work.

Signature __________________________ Date: 22 Sep. 23

8 ASSESSMENT

8.1 Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria can be found in the assignments.

8.2 Assessment plan

Assessment Assessment Contribution Contribu-

activity Date type Purpose to year mark tion to final
mark

20
 (2)
6.4.2 Motivate your answer and give examples.
(8)
6.4.3 Attach the first page of the document you used for this exercise.
(2)

TOTAL MARK: 50

ASSIGNMENT 02

In the shoes of a learner

In a single school day, learners are exposed to a spectrum of teachers, each with their own
expectations of learners, their own teaching style and their own classroom arrangements.

The purpose of this assignment is to understand how your own approach to teaching will
influence and impact on learners. In this exercise you must follow or shadow a group of
learners for a whole school day to effectively observe what they experience during a typical
school day and how it impacts on them. There is no right or wrong answer to this
assignment. Observe and describe what you see and then reflect to understand how the
teacher influenced the learners. Remember to motivate all your answers.

The assignment will be marked using the short rubric below. Before you do the exercise,
take a look at the rubric that will be used to mark your work. Make sure that your answers
fulfill the requirements.

Rubric: Assignment 02

Criteria 0–5 6–10 10–15 16–20

Observations Some All All Comprehensive,
observations, but observations observations detailed
limited or done, but done. Only observations on
incomplete limited certain aspects every aspect of
are detailed. the observation
schedule
0–10 11–20 21–25 25–30
Reflection Some Some useful Most Logically derived
reflections, but reflections reflections are and useful
limited or useful reflections and an
useless for indication of how
practice they could inform
future practice.

TOTAL MARK: 50

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 TPN2601/101

Specific guidelines

Do this exercise within the first week of your teaching practice.

Step 1: Ask your mentor to help you to identify a typical group of learners (a whole class)
that you can “shadow” for a day.
Step 2: Get permission from the mentor and/or school principal and ask him or her to
inform the staff members to expect the student teacher in their classrooms.
Step 3: Complete the attached observation schedule for each period.
Step 4: Complete the attached reflection form.
Step 5: Thank the mentor and the staff members for their participation
Step 6: Submit as Assignment 02.

NB: Do not submit this assignment with your portfolio. Do not wait to complete this
assignment until the end of your teaching practice period. It must be submitted
within the first week of your teaching practice.

Student name and surname Vincentius krige

Student number 15243893

1. OBSERVATION ACTIVITY

Use the observation schedule to note down your observations of the following for
each period:

25
Period 1
The classroom (e.g. is there enough seating, is it clean, etc.)
There is enough seating, the room is very clean, it also has great seating.

The atmosphere (e.g. is it inviting, interesting, conducive to learning, well-resourced or

not, etc.)
The atmosphere is very inviting with great informational posters about
mathematics.
The subject: Mathematics

The teaching approach (e.g. direct instruction, interactive learning, etc) and how learners
respond to this:
Direct instructions were given regarding what they were they going to learn, this
means learners can take out the correct books.

The expectations the teacher has of learners (how they must enter, where they must sit,
what they may or may not do, how they may participate) and how learners respond to
this:
They were expected to sit neatly and listen while a play is being read. The learners
also had to raise hands in order to respond once the teacher asked a question.

Time spent on task (how much of the period is used for teaching and learning) and what
learners do if there is time left:
First 10 minutes was spent on greeting the learners. The next 15 minutes was
spent on explaining how fraction work. The remaining amount of the time was
given to the learners to complete classwork/homework.
Learner interactions: Learners raises their hands when they want to ask a question
or give an answer to one.
Learner behaviour in general: Highly disciplined, there was times when learners did
talk when the teachers had her back turned around.

Learners observed/ Class: 27 learners.

Grade: 5

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Period 2
The classroom (e.g. is there enough seating, is it clean, etc.)
There is enough seating, the room is very clean, it also has great seating.

The atmosphere (e.g. is it inviting, interesting, conducive to learning, well-resourced or

not, etc.)
The atmosphere is very inviting with great informational posters about life-skills.

The subject: Life-skills

The teaching approach (e.g. direct instruction, interactive learning, etc.) and how learners
respond to this: The teacher uses direct instruction and co-operative approach,
learners respond well to this approach they are active in the teaching approach.

The expectations the teacher has of learners (how they must enter, where they must sit,
what they may or may not do, how they may participate) and how learners respond to
this: Learners must enter the classroom quietly and sit down in an orderly manner
and they must adhere to the classroom rules.

Time spent on task (how much of the period is used for teaching and learning) and what
learners do if there is time left: Life-skill period is 1 hour, 30 minutes is for physical
education and the other 30 minutes is for creative arts, when there is time left the
teacher instruct learners to present outstanding projects.

Learner interactions: Learners are co-operative in class, and they are very much
enjoying the physical education activities.

Learner behaviour in general: Very well-behaved and good mannered.

Learners observed/ Class: 27

Grade: 5

27
Period 3

The classroom (e.g. is there enough seating, is it clean, etc.)

The classroom has enough space, and it is clean and tidy.

The atmosphere (e.g. is it inviting, interesting, conducive to learning, well-resourced or

not, etc.)
The atmosphere is inviting and interesting and it is conducive to learning and it is
well resourced.

The subject: IsiXhosa Home Language

The teaching approach (e.g. direct instruction, interactive learning, etc.) and how learners
respond to this: The teacher uses Interactive learning approach.

The expectations the teacher has of learners (how they must enter, where they must sit,
what they may or may not do, how they may participate) and how learners respond to
This: Learners enter the classroom quietly and sit according to their seating
arrangements they are expected to use only the home language in class.

Time spent on task (how much of the period is used for teaching and learning) and what
learners do if there is time left: The period an 1hour, the teacher uses the 30 minutes
for instruction and the remaining 30 minutes is for writing, learners use the
remaining time for practicing poem analysis.

Learner interactions: The learners interact very well with the teacher and each other.
Learner behaviour in general: Very respectful and disciplined.

Learners observed/ Class: 31

Grade: 6

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 TPN2601/101

Period 4

The classroom (e.g. is there enough seating, is it clean, etc.)

The classroom is not well-kept floor is untidy but there is enough space for moving
around.

The atmosphere (e.g. is it inviting, interesting, conducive to learning, well-resourced or

not, etc.)
The atmosphere is inviting, and the classroom is quit resourced there are plenty of
textbooks and informational posters on the wall.

The subject: English First Additional Language

The teaching approach (e.g. direct instruction, interactive learning, etc.) and how learners
respond to this: The teacher uses a teacher-centered approach, learners are not
responding well to this approach they seem to be lost and not following the lead
of the teacher.

The expectations the teacher has of learners (how they must enter, where they must sit,
what they may or may not do, how they may participate) and how learners respond to
this: Learners enter the class quietly and sit according to their sitting
arrangements they are not supposed to eat in class, all learners adhere to the
classroom rules.

Time spent on task (how much of the period is used for teaching and learning) and what
learners do if there is time left: There is double period for English which is 1hour, the
teacher uses the time left to prepare for the spelling bee practice for the upcoming
spelling bee competition.
Learner interactions: Learners seem to be interacting very well with each other
especially during the spelling bee practice, they all participate unlike during the
lessons where they seemed to be afraid of the teacher.

Learner behaviour in general: Learners are well behaved but they have a tendency of
getting distracted very easily.

Learners observed/ Class: 41

Grade: 5

29
Period 5

The classroom (e.g. is there enough seating, is it clean, etc.)

There is enough seating, the classroom is very clean, it also has high school
seating where the desks and the chair is combined.
The atmosphere (e.g. is it inviting, interesting, conducive to learning, well-resourced or
not, etc.)
The atmosphere is inviting with informational posters about English language
structure.

The subject: Social science

The teaching approach (e.g. direct instruction, interactive learning, etc.) and how learners
respond to this: Direct instruction were given regarding what they were going to
learn, Students then had the opportunity to take out the correct books.

The expectations the teacher has of learners (how they must enter, where they must sit,
what they may or may not do, how they may participate) and how learners respond to
this: The were expected to sit neatly and listen while a play was being read. The
learners also had to raise their hand to ask a question or to give an answer to a
question.

Time spent on task (how much of the period is used for teaching and learning) and what
learners do if there is time left: The period is an 1hour and the teacher did use the
first 15 minutes to greet and make sure everyone is seated and then uses the next
30 minutes on explaining how maps measurements work as well the different types
of maps. The remaining amount was given to the learners to complete their
homework.

Learner interactions: Learners interacted quite well with each other, and the teacher
and you could see that they enjoy being surrounded by one another.

Learner behaviour in general: Very disciplined, there was times when learners did
talk when the teacher had her back turned.
Learners observed/ Class: 27

Grade: 5

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Period 6

The classroom (e.g. is there enough seating, is it clean, etc.)

There is enough seating, the classroom is clean, it also high school seating
where the desks and chair is combined.
The atmosphere (e.g. is it inviting, interesting, conducive to learning, well-resourced or
not, etc.)
The atmosphere is very inviting with informational posters about the English
language structure.
The subject: Natural Science and technology

The teaching approach (e.g. direct instruction, interactive learning, etc.) and how learners
respond to this: The teacher uses a teacher-centred and inquiry-based teaching
approach learners are responding very well to this approach they participate very
well in class, they answer questions of their own.

The expectations the teacher has of learners (how they must enter, where they must sit,
what they may or may not do, how they may participate) and how learners respond to
this: Learners were expected to sit accordingly to their sitting arrangements, they
must raise their hands when they want to speak to the teacher. Learners are not
responding well to this tend to speak without raising their hands.

Time spent on task (how much of the period is used for teaching and learning) and what
learners do if there is time left: The NSTech period is 45minutes, the teacher uses
15minutes for instruction and the remaining 30 minutes is for writhing, if there is
time left the teacher uses that time for the next part of the subject content.

Learner interactions: Learners interacting seemed poor and looked like they are lost
and struggle to follow the teacher during the lesson.

Learner behaviour in general: Very disciplined, there was times when learners did
talk when the teacher had her back turned.

Learners observed/ Class: 27

Grade: 5

TOTAL MARK: 20

31
REFLECTION ACTIVITY

Read through your observations for each period and do the reflection activity.

Although one cannot base your practice or changes to it on a single experience like this,
we would nonetheless want you to reflect on your experience of putting yourself in the
shoes of a learner.

Reflect on how these learners experienced a school day and what the implication may
be for the school, teachers and yourself.

1. Do the teachers in this school include learners’ perspective when they make decisions
on schooling?
Some teachers do take learners perspective into view but the number of teachers that
do that do not outweigh the amount that does.

Do you think they should?

Yes, they should.

Explain your answer

Learners should have an opinion in the way they are taught even though teachers
study the rules on how to be a teacher it is important for the learners to have a say for
them to elevate their knowledge.

2.What insight did you gain from this observation?

I have learned that as a teacher you can not work in isolation you help of other teachers,
and that when you need clarity on something you need to ask.
Not every teacher has the same methods. For example:
You get the teacher that shouts the whole time if learners are caught talking.
Then you get the teacher that just leave the children to do and say whatever they feel.
Lastly you get the teacher that is strict but also fair.

Explain why you think these insights are important?

Seeing what I saw in each of the lesson showed me what type of teacher I wanted to be
and what type of teacher I wanted to avoid on becoming.

3 What learning approach did the learners respond to most positively?

Interactive learning

Why do you think this is the case?

I think so because the learners feel more directly involved in the classroom and
teaching, thus motivating them to learn and to participate in the classroom.

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 TPN2601/101

Could you possibly make use of this knowledge for your own practice?
Yes, I could.

4. Describe two challenges that the learners experienced and how teachers perhaps or
yourself can address this to make life easier for learners? (Remember that schools may have
very good reasons for doing things in a specific way because of their years of experience in
practice.) 1. The absence of human interaction and social connectivity- the face-to-face
school and social environment provided our children with the opportunity to interact
with their classmates, and to sustain friendships outside of school contributing to
their welfare and well-being. Nowadays many students find it challenging sustain
social interaction through the virtual mode.
2. Mixed-ability and Mixed-aged Classes
Classes that include students of varying ages and abilities can create a dynamic
learning environment. But these classes also pose a distinct challenge that can derail
meaningful learning.
5. Did the learners find it difficult to meet different expectations from different teachers or
did they manage to do so easily? What can you learn from this for your own practice?
Some learners did struggle at first as some teachers did not give them enough time to
take out their next subject books or put away the previous subject books.

6. Did the teachers create enough opportunities for the learners to participate in the
learning process?
Yes, most of the teachers involved the learners every few minutes to ensure that
everyone was following and understanding the topic of a specific subject.

What did you learn from this for your own practice?
I have learnt times has evolve and we as teachers should evolve with it seeing that we
live in a technology age and that traditional ways of teaching is no longer an effective
teaching approach.

7. How will you use learner-centred pedagogy in your subject? (An example specific
to your subject.)
The method I would use is the question-and-answer method in my life-skills subject
and provide feedback for self assessment.

8. Was this observation exercise informative enough to influence your own perception
of teaching? Explain
Yes, it definitely showed me some great ways of how to deal with different type of
learners. It also showed me how to become the best teacher I possibly can become.

9. What aspects were not observed that you feel is important for a teacher to know?
Explain what you observed and how it would influence teaching.

33
 There were a few moments in some lessons where the teacher did not pay attention to
the amount of times that a lesson is being interrupted by, for example my mentor is the
head of the English department, a lot of teachers came to him/her if they need a letter
checker for grammar and spelling this one of the main disruption for learners as the
teacher would stop in the middle of the lesson and would quickly fetch the documents
that needed to be checked or even if it was just a teacher passing by the teacher giving
a lesson would stop in the middle just to see what the visiting teacher needed.

TOTAL MARK: 30

8.7 Other assessment methods

None.

8.8 The examination

The portfolios are the examination equivalent for these modules and no written examination
will take place.

9 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

May I do both Teaching Practice modules concurrently (in other words may I do only
25 days)?
Yes. All students need to complete 25 school days of Teaching Practice.

Do public holidays and school holidays count as school days? No.

Teaching Practice should be on normal school term days.

Do I need to submit two portfolios?

Yes, you must submit one portfolio for each module.

Do I need to do Teaching Practice in all grades of a phase?

You may do Practical Teaching in one grade only or in more than one grade, depending what
is possible at the school.

Which language do I use in the portfolio if I teach isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans etc?
You may present your lesson plans in isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans etc., but you should
complete all the activities of the portfolio in English.

Whom should I contact regarding subject specific questions on Teaching Practice?

You need to contact your subject didactics lecturer.

PLEASE NOTE: All questions regarding placements, permission letters, visits by

supervisors, etc., should be directed to the Teaching Practice Office.

34
10 SOURCES CONSULTED
Cohen, L. Marion, L, Morrison, K and Wyse, D. (2010). A guide to Teaching Practice. Taylor
& Francis: London

Department of Basic Education: Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement

Intermediate Phase:
http://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/CurriculumAssessmentPolicyStatements(CAPS)/
CAPSIntermediate/tabid/572/Default.aspx

Senior Phase:
http://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/CurriculumAssessmentPolicyStatements(CAPS)/
CAPSSenior/tabid/573/Default.aspx www.education.gov.za

South Africa. (2007). The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development
in South Africa www.education.gov.za

11 IN CLOSING

Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail if you are experiencing problems with the content of
this tutorial letter or with any academic aspect of the module.

We wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through the learning material and trust that
you will complete the module successfully.

Enjoy the journey!

12 ADDENDUM

None.

36