Inquiry Reflections | Ms. Toor's Blog

Always Learning!

I have been able to learn so much about myself over the past month. I have learnt so many new things, techniques, and skills that I know will be helpful for me down the road. I have also been able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses and have been able to find ways to better myself throughout the process. Being in an environment where I get to use my learnt knowledge and skills first hand has been one of the greatest learning experiences for myself. Coming into this professional development…read more

Buzz Word!

Be Flexible. Over the past 4 weeks, I have had the opportunity to learn and absorb an immense amount of information. I have learnt new techniques on how to effectively manage a classroom environment, how to keep myself organized and remain flexible! All throughout this professional development program we were told that being flexible is a necessity when it comes to teaching young children. However, I undermined how flexible I would need to be when working in a classroom. Flexibility is vital and I observe it daily. Being flexible means…read more

My Inquiry Synthesis

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to work in various classroom environments, which educate students through the traditional methods of learning. Throughout my observations, I have been able to recognize and question various types of routines and classroom structures. My inquiry arises from my curiosity and hopefulness of modifying parts of the classroom environment to better fit the needs of my students. It also arises from my personal schooling experiences where I never felt that my environment was thought of as being a key factor in…read more

Successful Learning!

As a teacher candidate, I get the opportunity to observe various strategies and techniques that teachers implement into their classrooms. I also get the opportunity to figure out what practices I prefer over others and which I would like to implement into my own classroom one day. The environment in which students work and study is vital in successful learning. As a future teacher, I strive to absorb all the knowledge and tips around me to create an environment that is inviting, caring, and comfortable for my students. My inquiry…read more

Assessment and Environment

The book “Classroom Environment” by Barry J. Fraser looks at how teachers and schools are consistently subjected to judgments of performance based on simple measures of cognitive outcomes. However, this book looks at other factors such as places, typically classrooms, where learning takes place and where the quality of life in the classroom, impacts the type of education you receive. This resource is interesting because it offers a comparative aspect that I can use to justify my inquiry question and its importance in the learning environment. As a teacher candidate,…read more

What constraints exist?

In the article “Principal Perception on Classroom Physical Environment” by Ramli Hidayahtuljamilah, a differed perspective is brought into question. It talks about the decision of arranging a classroom and how it should be based on many things such as the teacher role and pedagogy used in learning subjects, how the classroom is managed, the existing space, and the learning activities in the classroom. Although teachers may try to rearrange their classrooms to better suit the needs of the students, the teacher still needs to consider that that there may…read more

seating plans!

The article “The Role of seating Position in group Interaction: A Review, with Applications for Group Trainers” by Jerald Greenberg mentions the importance of seating positions. It talks about studies that have found that people who sit in central seating positions were able to maintain better eye contact with other members around them. The study also found that tasks requiring interpersonal communication were associated with the use of close seating arrangements and tasks requiring independent activities were associated with distant seating arrangements. This article provides studies and research to help…read more

A Learning Experience

Posted by jasleen toor in Inquiry Project, Inquiry Reflections, inquiry resource, Practicum Reflections

As a teacher candidate, my biggest fear is not being able to manage a classroom environment and behavior; therefore, I’m always trying to find new ways to become more comfortable with this. My fear of classroom management and disruptive student behavior led me to various resources that could help me overcome this. I found an article “Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers” by Carolyn Evertson that offers techniques to prevent poor classroom management by planning and addressing decisions that a teacher makes on a daily basis. This article also mentioned that…read more

Process of Planning

My inquiry question and observations are something I really value! As a teacher candidate, it is important to gain and absorb all the knowledge I can while I’m still completing the program. Everyday and every single observation has been a learning experience for me, which I can hopefully incorporate into my own practice one day. By creating my own detailed lesson plans for each activity, I have been able to understand the importance of valuing every aspect from a teacher and student perspective. Through observation, I have been able to…read more

Inquiry Discussion

Today in my small group discussion I shared a resource about the physical classroom environment and its effects on students. This article was great because it gave my group an overview of the issue and my inquiry question. My group and I discussed direct impacts (classroom environment organization and structure) that we have noticed throughout our observations. The article was informative because it offered many factors such as seating plans and cleanliness within the classroom that have direct impacts on student learning. Prior to my inquiry question I was not…read more