This assignment will provide the reader with a critical reflection of how I have progressed throughout my first block of Professional Teaching Experience (PTE1) in a year three class in a primary school in South Wales. I will evaluate and review my progress on the planning and implementation of three pedagogical principles outlined by Donaldson (2015). The first pedagogical principle I will critically reflect on will be the reinforcement of Cross-Curriculum Responsibilities, which includes literacy, numeracy and digital competence, and how I have provided the learners with opportunities to practice them (Donaldson, 2015, p.68). The second pedagogical principle to be discussed will be how I have employed assessment for learning principles into the learning environment and the final principle being the setting of tasks and selection of resources that build on previous knowledge and experience of the learners and engaging their interest (Donaldson, 2015, p67). As well as this, I will also be discussing what I could do to improve my practice in meeting these three principles and therefore improving my pedagogical skills and the children’s learning.
“Good teaching and learning regularly reinforces Cross-curriculum Responsibilities, including literacy, numeracy and digital competence, and provides opportunities to practise them” (Donaldson, 2015, p.68)
Previously to Successful Futures being published Siraj-Blatchford (1998) expressed that children should be seen as active learners and that they require a more holistic curriculum compared to the basic national curriculum they currently receive. The new curriculum will emphasise on and ensure children learn new skills and employ their subject knowledge in a positive and creative way, making them equipped for life and enabling them to be adaptable adults in a world that is constantly changing (Welsh Gov, 2019). Wilson & Miller (2018) and Barnes (2015) state that the new curriculum involves literacy, numeracy and digital competence being three subjects that should be taught across the curriculum. Linking these curriculum subjects will have a positive impact on the promotion of creative thinking in pupils. The new curriculum also aims to link subjects that share both skills and content together in order to have a positive impact on pupil’s innovation, creative and interpersonal skills. In the beginning of PTE1 I understood the importance of a cross curricular approach and tried to instil this into my planning, I found the planning template that us student teachers have to use beneficial as it gave me the opportunity to think about how I could instil a cross curricular approach and plan accordingly. Rowley and Cooper (2009) suggest that cross curricular planning enables pupils to gain a deeper understanding of subjects as well as freeing up more time for the teachers. However, Byrne (2017) argues that we do not see enough of cross curricular lessons in schools due to the lack of planning time. He believes that co-ordinating cross curricular lessons is more time consuming compared to planning a lesson which focusses on just one subject. Barnes (2015) expresses the importance of cross curricular learning stating that it enables pupils to gain more knowledge and have a more in depth and transferrable understanding of the world they live in. The lessons I have been teaching during block one of PTE1 have mainly been numeracy and literacy lessons, however as my placement and confidence has progressed, I have been given the opportunity to teach different subjects which has enabled me to implement numeracy, literacy and digital competence into my lessons. Due to my placement school being a pioneer school, they are currently trialling whether Foundation Phase pedagogy can help to improve pupils’ progress throughout the key stage two phase. In my placement class the lessons are delivered as a carousel which made it less challenging for me to deliver cross curricular teaching and learning as the class is split into three groups, which involved one teacher focussed group, an independent activity group and a LSA focussed group. I found that I tended to focus on digital competence for the independent groups and set tasks where they used their chrome books to complete their set activities. However, with certain lessons I tended to find it challenging to include both Literacy and Numeracy into the lesson and only managed to include just one of these subjects. Barnes (2015) states that there has to be continuous links and thorough attention to planning, assessment and good progression in order to make cross curricular learning effective. I feel that once I become more familiar with the curriculum and gain more knowledge and experience in connecting different subjects then this will become less challenging. Donaldson (2015) states that children need to learn how to use digital technology skills creatively as this is becoming a vital skill that will be needed in the modern workplace. This leads me to discuss another area that I could improve on, which is to be more creative with my implementation of digital competence into my lessons, rather than relying on chrome books and the interactive whiteboard in order to develop my pupil’s digital skills and I plan to discuss with the school’s ICT co-ordinator to explore what resources I can use for my future lessons. Lucas et al (2013) believe that cross curricular learning provides pupils with authentic learning experiences and allows them to enter the real world of learning. One lesson I found to be successful in delivering a cross curricular approach was a lesson which introduced the children to The Romans. I managed to incorporate Literacy, Expressive Arts and Health and Well-being into my lesson. I decided to deliver this lesson after attending an expressive arts lecture in university which gave me the idea to link all of these subjects together. The feedback I received from my mentor and the pupils were positive and I enjoyed delivering this lesson. I found that the pupils were animated and engaged, they particularly enjoyed the role play activity which allowed them to express how they were feeling when they listened to a piece of music. My mentor and I have both agreed that during block two of PTE1 my mentor I will be given more freedom with the lessons I teach which will therefore give me the opportunity to deliver more cross curricular lessons where I can increase my confidence and experience with cross curricular teaching. 
“Good teaching and learning means employing assessment for learning (AFL) principles” (Donaldson, 2015, p.67). 
In the beginning of PTE1 I did not have much confidence with AFL techniques; I was aware that when I was questioning the children during my lessons, I was mainly using closed convergent questions and I was not giving them enough time to answer. Coe et al (2014) state that there is strong evidence that the use of questioning and assessment by teachers can either have a positive or negative impact on pupils’ learning. My use of questioning did not seem to be beneficial for the lower ability pupils who were unable to expand on their answers and I felt I was not meeting their educational needs. Although the higher and middle ability pupils were able to answer the questions, my use of questioning did not encourage them to develop their critical thinking skills and expand on their answers, therefore I felt I was not challenging all of learners. WAG (2010) suggest that it is thoroughly important pupils are actively engaged in their lessons from the start. Although I had planned thoroughly for each lesson and I was aiming for pupils to be actively involved, my introductions did not seem to flow and by reflecting on my lessons, I believe it was down to the use of closed questions which did not allow the children to be active participants to the lesson. I also received verbal feedback from my mentor where she informed me to try and use more open divergent questions which enabled the pupils to increase their thinking and promote their discussion skills and ideas. Following my feedback, I ensured that I planned and framed the questions I would ask in my lessons; focussing on the introductions in particular, in order for the pupils to thrive and be challenged, therefore having a positive impact on their learning and motivation. This gave me the opportunity to identify what the pupils already knew, what they may need more support with and what the next steps of their learning will be. Although my use of questioning improved and I was gaining more confidence during my introductions, I still received feedback that there was still not a consistent flow to my lessons. If a pupil answered the question wrong then I would move on and ask another pupil to help them out, however, I now realise I could have discussed with the pupils why they thought of that answer and created a class discussion where pupils could have shared their thoughts and ideas. Black et al (2007) believe that it is important to concentrate on what the pupil have said instead of accepting a right or wrong answer and then moving on as this gives the teacher an opportunity to discuss with the whole class everyone’s ideas and methods of thinking. Each time I was not teaching I would observe my mentor teaching the class, paying particular attention to her questioning strategies, this enabled me to gain more understanding on what type of questions were appropriate for the class and to witness how the class react to different questioning techniques as well as taking into account the amount of waiting time the pupils were given for each question. Rowe (1974) states that when pupils are given an increased wait time it can result in pupils responding more confidently, their answers being longer and failure to respond can be decreased. I noticed that my mentor used mainly open divergent questions which encouraged open ended answers, therefore I realised I was preventing the pupils from using their creative thinking and problem-solving skills. I also learned the importance of giving pupils the time to absorb and answer questions, Black et al (2007) state that questioning and wait time allow teachers to gauge what steps they need to plan next to ensure the pupils are being challenged. Piaget (1970 cited in Hattie, 2012, p.42) believes this allows teachers to understand how pupils think and therefore enabling them to construct their pupil’s knowledge and understanding. The use of open divergent questioning seemed to promote critical thinking and problem solving and the pupils seemed confident to answer the questions and discuss their ideas as the types of question asked did not require just one correct answer. WAG (2010) state that developing pupils thinking by the use of appropriate questioning techniques enables pupils to gain a more in depth understanding of topics and therefore allowing them to be flexible and critical thinkers. All of these skills that the pupils will learn from the use of successful forms of AFL such as open divergent questioning allows pupils to make well thought out conclusions and decisions; all of these skills are needed not just in school but in the wider world (Donaldson, 2015). As my placement progressed, I became more familiar with the pupils in my class and I seemed to be more successful in my use of questioning. I continued to observe my mentor teaching and made notes where appropriate and my feedback from her was more positive, my mentor and I both agreed that my confidence had greatly increased and that my introductions ran more succinctly due to the correct use of questioning and discussion starters. 
As I moved further into my placement I became more familiar with different forms of AFL such as marking pupils work, ensuring that the pupils received beneficial feedback which promoted their thinking. Black et al (2007) state that a vital part of formative assessment is providing pupils with feedback on their work, which includes assessing their existing achievement and providing them with the next steps they need to take progress. However, EEF (2018) state that providing pupils with beneficial feedback can be challenging. Feedback needs to be precise and clear, ensuring that it supports and encourages further effort from the pupil as well as providing them the appropriate guidance on how they can improve their work without telling them exactly what to do. My placement school has a marking policy which is referred to as ‘Tickled Pink’ and ‘Green for Growth’. Rather than using red pen, pink highlighter is used to highlight the strengths of the pupil’s work and a green highlighter is used to highlight what needs to be improved. I would then write feedback on the pupil’s work which firstly identifies what has been done well and then leads on to what needs to be improved. Guidance is then provided to the pupils on how they can improve their work. Black et al (2007) state that pupils should be given opportunities to follow up on this feedback and that this should be incorporated as a part of the whole process of learning. 
I also thought of different ways of delivering success criteria to the pupils such as the use of WAGOLL and WABOLL pieces of work. Hattie (2012) believes it is vital for pupils to be active participants in creating success criteria with their teacher. He states that pupils need to be engaged in their learning; enjoying the challenge and this is the teacher’s role to ensure this happens. Following lectures in university I learned about the benefits of WAGOLL and WABOLL examples and decided to try this in one of my literacy lessons. Cooper (2019) states that if teachers want their pupils to become exceptional writers then they need to see exceptional writing that demonstrates what they are working towards. The use of WAGOLL examples in the classroom model the quality of work needed for pupils to meet their learning objective. In block two of PTE1 I will aim to introduce WAGOLLs into a variety of lessons as I felt that they were beneficial to both myself and the pupils during my literacy lessons as the pupils had something to refer to throughout the lesson and I was able to provide immediate feedback to pupils about their work by referring to the modelled example. 
“Good teaching and learning sets tasks and selects resources that build on previous knowledge and experience and engage interest” (Donaldson, 2015, p.67).
One of the most influential aspects in learning is a teacher’s ability to build on children’s prior knowledge as new learning relies on prior knowledge (Wenk, 2017, & Ausubel, 1968, cited in Tay, 2018). I have learned that recapping on prior learning is an important factor in the classroom and during my observation week for PTE1 I observed that my mentor would do this in a variety of ways, particularly in the beginning of her lessons. I was aware that I did not have much knowledge of the pupil’s prior knowledge and I tried to overcome this by looking through their books, it also led me to ensure that I included time to review on their previous learning in my planning. At the beginning of PTE1 I would always recap on prior learning in my introductions by discussing what had been learned in the previous lesson with the pupils and linking what they have learned to the new material I would be teaching them. I was aware that not all pupils were taking part in the discussions, so I decided to use questioning and different types of quizzes to involve all pupils in my future lessons. Wenk (2017) states that prior knowledge will vary for each child meaning there can be misconceptions on what they understand if teachers only rely on class discussions, in order to overcome this, teachers should aim to engage all children by using a variety of techniques. My mentor also informed me that I did spend too much time in my introductions and that I needed to focus on the pace of my lesson so we were not spending too much time discussing what they had learned previously and therefore having less time to focus on new learning. In order to overcome this, I included time limits in my planning for me to follow in order for me to stay on track in my lessons. Rosenshine (2012) states that reviewing previous learning and knowledge should be around five to eight minutes long where the teacher should discuss the topic and any misconceptions in order to increase the links between what they have already learned, and they are about to learn. 
As my placement progressed, I became more aware of different techniques on engaging the pupils’ interest by using a variety of techniques such as a class quiz, think, pair, share and questioning. Sherrington (2018) expresses that recapping on prior learning from a previous lesson by the use of a daily review is a strong teaching technique that can increase pupil’s confidence and fluency, especially when it comes to introducing new topics. I was receiving positive feedback from my mentor who stated I was recapping on prior learning in a successful manner and I had found ways to ensure all pupils of all abilities were involved. Enser (2018) believes that every time teachers recall prior learning to pupils; it makes it easier for them to remember for the future. By recalling prior learning, it enables teachers to link new learning so that it fits with what they pupils already know and therefore enabling them to construct a deeper understanding on the subject. An example of this was a Welsh lesson I taught which focussed on what the pupils liked about and what they wanted for Christmas. I linked the lesson being taught to their previous lesson where they had been learning how to say ‘I would like’ and ‘I want’ in Welsh. The pupils worked in pairs or small groups during the introduction to try and translate the questions into Welsh and all pupils seemed to be engaged in the lesson. Rosenshine (2012) and Wenk (2017) suggest that if teachers do not recap on previous learning and do not have enough knowledge on what their pupils already know, then it will result in them having to make more effort to enable children to remember what they have learnt as well as learning new material and therefore making it more challenging for them to learn the new material. If teachers support pupils to engage with their previous knowledge, then it is more likely they will be able to learn successfully.
To conclude, Coe et al (2014) state that successful teachers should have in depth knowledge of everything they teach and if they do not have this knowledge then it can have a negative impact to their pupils’ learning. I have realised that when I started PTE1 I did not have much knowledge on implementing these pedagogical principles, however, as my placement has developed, I have gained more knowledge and confidence in implementing them. In the beginning of PTE1 my confidence and the fact I did not know the pupils very well was a barrier to implementing the principles, however, as my placement progressed, I became more familiar with the pupils and my pedagogical skills seemed to improve. Another vital aspect of PTE1 which I feel was beneficial to me was observing my mentor as well as the professional discussions we had following my lessons which gave me the opportunity me to discuss what went well and what needed to be improved. I found this feedback extremely valuable and I always took it on board for future lessons. Although there are still some areas that need to be improved, I feel that I am making good progress in my first placement and I aim to continue to improve my practice to become the best teacher I can possibly be.