14 December: Briefing for Unit 4 assessment

I'll do these notes in a different order from our actual session, looking at the components of the portfolio first. All this should be read in conjunction with the guidance in the handbook: in the event of any conflict, the handbook wins, but please notify me.

A table of 75 hours of teaching. Just sufficient detail required to show that you have met the requirements--identify the class, but no need to specify the content.

Completed report forms for a minimum of four separate hours of observed practice. Two tutor and two mentor observations. Remember you get to keep the only copies of the forms, so look after them.

Session plans for ten hours of teaching per year. These will normally be documents which you will have prepared anyway. You can use them to demonstrate group profiles, differentiation and inclusivity by the way in which special provision for individuals is noted and how progress is tracked. They will also show how formative assessment is incorporated. You can use the Unit's Outcome Sheets to show how you are using these plans as evidence for, say, Outcomes 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7 and 4.8 (at least); you may have to add a note to the plans themselves to signpost just where the evidence is to be found.

A critical reflective evaluation of ten hours of teaching (2000 words maximum). We spent some time discussing how this component fits with the Reflective Journal.

• Much of the material for the evaluation may come originally from the Journal; there's nothing to say it has all to be written up separately.
• So when you arrive at the end of the year, you will need to make a careful strategic decision as to what is going to go where. I suggest you sit down with all your stuff, and the list of outcomes, and work out how best you can use what you have to hand to cover the outcomes.
• As a general rule, these evaluations are an opportunity to explore a few themes in your teaching across the year; you may identify particular skills you have developed, innovative approaches you have tried to address particular challenges, ways of using technology, ways of getting feedback on your students' understanding, and so on. 
• Don't try to do ten separate mini-evaluations of 200 words each--you won't be able to get into any depth at all.

Edited excerpts of a reflective professional journal; as we discussed:

• "Edited" means simply that we don't need all of it. Pick out material which illustrates your learning.
• Unlike the evaluations, you are not confined to discussing the practice of your teaching; you can cover sessions on this course, perhaps including the Study Days, you can cover discussions with your mentor or tutor or reactions to observations, or team meetings...
• On the whole, start from your experience; tell the story of that experience and reflect on what it means for your practice, and if possible make connections with theory and what you are going to do as a result of it all.
• And as we discussed, make sure that all this material is redacted (anonymised) before you hand it in.

Two reports of your observations of peers. We talked about the relative advantages and disadvantages of not having a pre-determined structure for these observations, but as we got into it, it became apparent that the richness of this exercise comes largely from the individuality of the points of view brought to bear, and that needs flexibility. Of course, there is nothing to stop your colleague whom you are observing from asking you to look out for particular aspects of practice, or perhaps how a particular learner is responding to her material...

Certificates of attendance for two Study Days. I know you haven't got them yet, but you will have by the time you have to hand them in.

Evidence of making use of the minimum core requirements in teaching. We spent a fair bit of time on this; it seemed quite difficult for some of you at the starts, particularly the numeracy and ICT requirements. But--demonstrating some of the strengths of the group (and how you are all addressing 4.10 and 4.11) you were rapidly coming up with ideas and sharing them.

So, although there's quite a lot to assemble at the end, there shouldn't be too much completely new material to generate. Just make sure that you ensure that all the outcomes are met, and that the marker can find where the evidence is.

Please do the evaluation questionnaire; you can email me directly, or if you have lost the questionnaire you can answer it on-line via here. (Please save the file with a new name, or else the next person to open it will be editing what you have just written--but incidentally this is a very easy and free way to create a wiki.)

More importantly, click here.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!