A few weeks before the start of the second year MTL students Teaching Practice, that is between 22 February and 16 March, the department of Health, Physical Education and Consumer Studies (HPECS/IPES) will be organising an online TP seminar to help prepare students for the coming experiences in their schools.
For most of this cohort of students, this would be the first real hands on teaching practice since the present pandemic disallowed normal entry and practice in schools in their first year of studies. The seminar initially addresses issues related to the new realities in schools. It also serves to consolidate the roles and responsibilities of students and tutors during the TP.
Throughout the seminar, students and staff engage in discussion and address challenges students have before starting this experience.
Students will observe, evaluate and reflect on a video-audio recorded physical Education lesson, after which they will discuss and reflect on planned and emergent topics from this lesson and critically reflect on pedagogies used and teaching styles implemented. Students discuss a number of topics in their break out rooms and finally present a critical reflection on selected topics together with feedback from the IPES academic staff.
Across the course of studies along the two years, students are exposed to practices and environments which embrace a constructivist praxis. Throughout online tasks, presentations and discussions across lectures as well as in the final assessed tasks students engage in collegial and cooperative approaches which celebrate the concept of sharing and helping others.
As a follow up to this TP online seminar and in agreement with students, a date and time is set once a week throughout the teaching practice period where students opt to link onto an open zoom session to engage in discussions, debates and share their teaching practice experiences. IPES staff are also welcome to join these sessions to help discuss challenges and provide feedback.
Students are also encouraged to share resources on a set platform such as lesson plans and schemes of work on a set platform for the perusal of all peers. This and other similar collegial practices help in the gradual dismantling of the encultured isolated practices of teachers and work towards gradual construction and appreciation of collegial and supportive teaching and learning environments.