My reflective journal has the following parts:

1. The introduction.
2. The Weakness.
3. The suggested strategies for corrective approaches to use in the future lessons.
4. The Conclusion.

Introduction

My reflection is about what I did during the teaching practice at Central, Rego District (Hula), Hood Point
Day High School. The teaching was on me talking throughout the lesson without interaction from the
students. That was told by my (SBS) school-based supervisor. I take that as my weakest area. There are
some points I would like to discuss about. The subjects that I taught was not my major but they were my
overload courses. In Design and Technology, we only major Design and Technology without the minor
courses. I also take Engineering Mathematics as my course overload. We were told by UOG SPLO to
teach our major courses but at Hood Point Day High School no Practical Skills being taken, however, I
taught Mathematics which was my course overload and Science because Design and Technology was
under the School of Science. That is why I took these two subjects with my UOG supervisor Mr. Jamika
and the SBS Mr. J. Parunga.

The highlight of what’s contained in here and what’s not: according to SPLO, we’re supposed to be going
through a total of 8 supervisions by SBS. However, we’ve got only 6 lessons being observed and
supervised. These consisted of 1 advisory and 5 assessments. That was an administrative decision so we
did not have many say in that but to accept. That is why in this write up, only 6 lesson plans are attached
herewith.

Background and logistics

The TP group that we will be traveling to POM especially my group to Hood Point Day High was on Friday
11th of August 2023. We took afternoon flight from Goroka to POM and some of us were the first timers
to travel on plane and that was like new experience for us. There was no pickup bus or truck so we went
and slept at Morata one and spent our weekend there. On Monday morning the Deputy principal came
and pick us at Port Moresby, Morata one. We left Port Moresby at around 1 p.m. and we arrived at 3
p.m. in the afternoon at Hood Point Day High school. The Deputy dispersed us to the teachers so that
we’ll be living with them for remaining six weeks. Then he informed us that tomorrow will be our
orientation day, which was Tuesday. After the orientation day I only had three lesson observations with
my SBS and began my teaching practice.

I did take grade nine (9B) Science and Mathematics and started teaching on Wednesday. The students
were very disrespectful but I tried my best to handle and teach them throughout these six weeks. Some
of the teachers there were chewing and smoking during the official hours in the school campus,
therefore this also leads the students to do the same during recess and lunch time.

Despite all the cheeky behaviours and attitudes of the students that I’ve come across, I was determined
to do my job professionally as a professional teacher. I determined not to be compromised and go into
their shoes, that was what I had in my mind and carried out my job until I completed my (TP) teaching
practice.

Strengths

Firstly, I took every discussion with the supervisor as very important and that should help me to do
adjustments in my next lessons yet to come. The ability of observation and following instructions is in
me and so I should be the great teacher in the future if I continue to listen attentively and follow
instructions. While improving on my spoken English, I supervise the students, telling them to read their
handouts, discuss the answer to the questions together in class, check individual students work and
marked their work.

Secondly, the lesson plan and the lesson notes were prepared with the notes on the charts in science
lesson and in Mathematics worksheets was delivered and taught to the students. The students feel
excited while holding their worksheets in a group and reading their notes. They cooperate and
participate in the lesson activities and other question asked during the class. By doing so, I was
reminded of giving handouts or worksheets to the individual student. The students were good, they
were attentive to those classes and I would like to say that they made me motivated and my lessons
never get bored.

Thirdly, I have the confidence in my dressing, my lesson to be delivered, talked with the students and my
supervisor, asking and answering the questions etc. By doing so, the students start to get interested in
me and started getting closer and friendly to me. What needs to be done is to get the students attention
at the beginning of the lesson to make their mind settle to learn the new lesson. When the lesson is new
and their minds are active and alert, what I give them they absorbed and in return they are confident
enough to answer the questions asked and also answering the activity questions.
Weakness

Firstly, meeting with the supervisor I noticed that I started my lesson late on time. As a teacher time is
very important, teacher must always in the room waiting for the students not the students waiting for
the teacher. As a first-time teacher I thought I have much time to complete the lesson but the time
catches up with me. Because of time, the closure of my lesson was not done properly as it was prepared
or planned. That was in my first lesson observation with the SBS during advisory. After that I improved in
assessment and continue on throughout the five-lesson observation by come on time. And I know this
will be helped when I’m in the field of teaching.

Secondly, I was doing the talking all throughout the lesson. I thought that I will deliver the content
knowledge to the student when talking a lot. The students were there sitting and listening to me as I
preached to them like a pastor and they just say amen to me by nodding their heads, opening their eyes
and looking at me. While they are doing that, I thought they understand what I taught them but never,
they saw me as am telling them something new or strange. This was the new experience and I saw few
students feeling tired and sleepy maybe they were bored. It was the afternoon and the room
temperature was very hot to keep them for long inside.

Thirdly, though the lesson was planned but I did not follow my plan step by step because I was nervous
and my voice was shaky. When this happen it make me speechless, the actual thing was on the lesson
note but I struggle finding words to speak. Instead, I carried on to the other steps of the plan and talked
and talked and time consuming, not enough time for the students to do the activities. So, I told them to
discussed the answers together as a class which some feel shy to give their answer even though it was
correct. Only few of them called out their answers but not loud enough for the whole class to hear.
Despite all these, my lesson was not very interesting and it seems boring a bit.

Fourth, no good classroom management because the students were doing things on their own and its
very difficult to control them. It is because in their class they have the class and vise captains but they
didn’t respect them. No classroom rules to follow, like rosters /monitors. But all these will not make me
loose hope on my job by profession which gives me fair ideas to manage my class in the future.

Finally, my supervisor found out my weakness and told me that I only prepare well for science and not
Mathematics so he spoke to me during the post conferencing. After observing three science lesson the
fourth one was mathematics. Then in the fifth observation was mathematics which I try my very best
and prepare the lesson well. In real teaching how many subjects I take to teach I must give my best to
prepare well on all subjects to deliver lessons.

Conclusion

To conclude, I saw that the very important part which I need to improve in the near future is the
introduction part of the lesson. It captured the students’ attention and at the same time make them
interested in the lesson. Which also helped them to learn and memorize something new. That is when
the content knowledge or the lesson planned was successfully delivered to the learners and the learners
received what needs to be learned. And in my weakness part I recommend that I improved and will still
be improving on my real teaching profession in the future.