BAHRAIN TEACHERS COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF BAHRAIN
Bahrain Teachers College
University of Bahrain
Bachelor of Education (Primary) – Year 1
TEACHING PRACTICE 1 (TP1)
Classroom environment management
Professional Practice – Reflection Journal
Semester 2
Establishing Oneself as Teacher:
Managing Learning
Student Teacher:
Teaching Practice School:
Address:
Phone #:
Website:
Email:
Cooperating Teacher:
Grade Level:
YOU MUST COMPLETE AND RETAIN THIS JOURNAL
Teaching Practice 1: Managing Learning:
A vital step in establishing yourself as a teacher
The Practicum Seminar is a vital link between your classroom Teaching Practice and the teacher
education programme courses at BTC. Discussions with your classmates in the Seminar are
based on your experiences and information collected in the practice school setting. The
structured writing tasks in this journal will frame the Seminar conversations between you and
your peers. In the first part of the semester, you will be asked to document and describe, adding
personal reflection. Analysis and deeper understanding become the focus as you become more
adept at reflective practice.
Maintaining a reflective journal involves a series of essential tasks that form part of your
teaching practice evaluation. These tasks would include such things as thinking about what
you did and writing your thoughts down. For specific examples, see both the course syllabus
and the observation check sheet completed at least twice in the semester by your BTC Faculty
Supervisor (FS) and Cooperating Teacher (CT).
By maintaining a reflective journal, you not only provide data that show that you are
developing as a teacher but also demonstrate competency as a life-long learner.
As a Student Teacher of the Bahrain Teachers College, you are required to maintain a
reflective journal throughout the entire professional practice component of your Programme).
Items from this journal should be included in your Teaching e-Portfolio; evidence that
supports professional and personal competencies.
Structure of the Teaching Practice 2 Journal
Over the 22 days of Teaching Practice 2, you will complete this journal and a series of teaching
tasks. The Journal will engage you through a series of reflective tasks that engage you deeply in
a broad spectrum of professional practice. In turn, these richer understandings will also help you
mature in your teaching role.
As a teacher candidate of the Bahrain Teachers College, you are required to maintain a
reflective journal throughout the entire teaching practice. Each Journal Entry includes a peer
discussion point and a reflection prompt
There are different styles to journaling can be approached in many ways: diagrams, dot points
with expansion of a key idea, reporting style text, illustrations/photos with analysis. Some of the
tasks will be better completed in one style rather than another. You may want to try different
approaches with some of the questions.
REFERENCES:
Bullock, A. A., & Hawke, P. P. (2001). Developing a teaching portfolio: A guide for pre-service
and practicing teachings. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Hardin, C. J. (2008). Effective classroom management: Models and strategies for today’s
classrooms (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Khine, M. S., Lourdusamy, A., Quek, C. L., & Wong, F. L. A. (2005). Teaching classroom
management: Facilitating teaching and learning. Singapore: Prentice-Hall.
Rand, M. K., & Shelton-Colangelo, S. (2003). Voices of student teachers: Cases from the field
(2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Tileston, D. W. (2007). Teaching strategies for active learning: Five essentials for your teaching
plan. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Teaching Journal Check List
Programme: B.Ed. Year 1
Stage: TP1
In a suggested sequence, tasks should be done by the end of Teaching Practice 1. When
you have completed the Journal task, tick off the box in the list. Your Faculty Supervisor
will then assess your work and add suggestions in the comments section.
Rate: Not Yet Evident = NYE; Competent = C; Exceeding Competence = EC
Quality
Task
Included
/
(NYE, C,
EC)
Guiding Comments
PRE Visit Getting Started
1. Starting Off – the
Teaching
Practice Site
2. Getting to Know
the Schemes of
Work
3. Setting Pupil
Expectations
4. Setting up
Learning Centres
5. Presenting
Learning Tasks
6. Observing
Children’s Task
Behaviour
7. Moving in and
around the
Classroom
8. Multi-Tasking in
the Classroom
9. Building a
learning Culture
10. Final Learning
Goals & Review
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Mid-point review: Am I meeting my goals? What
do I need to work on?
Journal Entry Pre 1: Getting Started
Over the days of Teaching Practice 1, you will undertake a series of focused tasks and complete
the daily journal entries. Do not discard your journal. You will reflect on these entries at various
times during your Teacher Education Programme at Bahrain Teachers College. The tasks on the
first day should also take your thoughts back to your first day of the School Attachment, if you
completed that as part of your programme.
Pre Entry 1: Read and think about the professional competencies and behaviors
described in the BTC Prospectus. Which of these expectations do you think will
be the most difficult challenge for you? Why do you think this is so?
Set yourself three personal learning goals for Teaching Practice 1.
 My Personal Learning Goal 1:

My Personal Learning Goal 2:

My Personal Learning Goal 3:
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 1: Starting off - The Teaching Practice Site
A. As you leave for school on Teaching Practice Day 1, take your photograph or sketch yourself
(clothes/posture/expression), or (over breakfast) describe yourself (attire/posture/expression) in a
short paragraph. Insert it here. How is it different from School Attachment?



Make professionally appropriate introductions to school staff at the TP school.
With your Cooperating Teacher (CT), make a copy of your timetable and send it to your
BTC Supervisor. Ensure that you update them on any changes, as well as any days that
lessons are not held.
Follow the School’s briefing agenda outlined by the Principal or other staff.
B. List and describe selected examples of how you saw the values of the School’s Mission and
Vision shown by teachers and students in the school:



C. Determine if the school has a student management/behaviour plan/policy. You will need to
refer to it over the semester. If there is no formal policy, you will need note the main points about
how the school manages behaviour issues within the school.
Also gather information on the demographics of your school and the neighbourhood. Record
them here.
Peer Discussion Point: What did you learn about finding out information at the school?
Personal Reflection 1: How do you ask for things as a professional instead of as a
student?
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 2: ‘Getting to know the Schemes of Work
A. Task: With a peer plan a classroom task (about 10-15 minutes of lesson time) that will help
you learn the names of children in the class and personal details that will help you remember
who they are as individuals.



Record your planning in a suitable lesson planning format. Retain a copy in your teaching file.
Consult your cooperating teacher about the appropriate time to do the task.
List the 3 main points that you learned about the children from undertaking this task.



Peer Discussion Point: If you were to undertake this task again, what would you do the same?
Or do differently?
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 2: ‘Getting to Know the Schemes of Work (continued)
B. Ask your Cooperating Teacher to see their scheme of work / unit plan. Review the relevant
Ministry of Education curriculum documents, and note the curriculum areas that will be the focus
of your Cooperating Teacher’s lessons over the coming weeks. Lesson content may be (a)
conceptual/content or (b) skill/process. Summarise what you found out in the following table.
(Extend the table, if needed.)
Class:
Curriculum Area
e.g. mathematics

Teacher:
Conceptual Focus
e.g.angles
Skill/Process Focus
e.g.drawing angles with
compass
Take one content area of specific interest for you. Use a mind-map to show what you know
about the content in one colour. Using another colour show the parts of the topic that will be
the focus for your CT lessons. On your mind-map show the skills and processes from your
ideas and your CT overlap on the mind-map. Use the space below to record your mind-map.
Personal Reflection 2: What did you learn about the range of concepts, skills and habits that are
to be learned in this topic?
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 3: Setting Pupil Expectations
A. List the pupil expectations in your Cooperating Teacher’s classroom. How would you change
them if they were for use in your own classroom?
B. Conduct a 5 minute interview with your Cooperating Teacher about managing learning in the
classroom including techniques, strategies and routines that work. Ask the teacher about general
behavioural expectations of pupils and how these vary in different lessons.

From your observations, in what ways are these expectations made clear to pupils?

List those expectations of pupils that are less clearly defined, but seem to be understood by
everyone.
Peer Discussion Point: How do students learn something (knowledge, skill, or value) that is not
made clear or explicit, yet everyone seems to understand what is expected?
Personal Reflection 3: Reflect on your school days. In which lessons what was made explicit and
what was implied about what you should do and how you should do it.
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 4: Setting up a Learning Centre
Learning Centres are sections of the classroom that teachers set aside for a particular curriculum
area. They are designed to encourage group-work. Usually within a learning centre there are a
number of different activities with a common theme.
A. Discuss with your cooperating teacher how you could develop a learning centre around a topic
and introduce these into the classroom.
B. What are the pupil learning outcomes for this centre? How will you know that the children
have achieved these outcomes?
Consider the organization and pupil movement in association with the ‘subject matter’ of the
centre. How will you manage the children’s learning in those stations? Insert your management
plan.
C. Once the children are using your centre, take some time to help the pupils there. Listen
carefully to them and answer questions they raise. Note ways that you might make the
management of the centre better.
D. Document your teaching resources and the pupils’ responses to your learning centre task.
NOTE: Do not photograph children without explicit written permission of the school principal.
Peer Discussion Point: Reflect on your “learning centre” planning and teaching task. How did you
feel about your own work? How clear were you in setting your expectations?
Personal Reflection 4: What were the children’s responses? What aspects of the centre were
they most attracted to? Which aspects did they not use? How did they achieve the pupil
learning outcomes?
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 5: Presenting Learning Tasks
Sharing information is an essential teaching competency. To get classroom activities going,
teachers have to provide information to the pupils. Children’s interest in learning tasks often
depends on whether they understand what the task requires. A teacher’s ability to explain and
demonstrate is central to pupils’ learning.
A. From your co-planning with your CT, co-teach two 15 minute civics education lesson
segments to the whole class. One of these should have a literacy focus; the other should have a
numeracy focus. Invite a peer to observe your teaching and give you feedback.
B. Compare your teaching in the two learning contexts (literacy and numeracy). Document your
lessons (plans and reflections) and your peer feedback on your presentation.
My Whole-Class Teaching
My Literacy Lesson
My Numeracy Lesson
Gaining attention
Establishing topic
Clarity of task
presentation
Clarity of student
learning outcomes
Using an advance
organiser
Organising the
information
Scaffolding for
understanding
Checking for
understanding
Clarifying pupils’
questions
Summarising
information
My strengths
Areas for my further
attention
Peer Discussion Point: How did you feel about your work? How clear were you in setting your
expectations? What advice can you give each other to strengthen your teaching skills?
Personal Reflection 5: What are you learning about yourself in terms of how well you present
tasks to students?
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B.Ed. Year 1 TP1 Semester 2 Journal
Journal Entry 6: Observing Children’s Task-Related Behaviour
A. During a lesson of your CT, return to your non-participating observation role from the first
week at school. Draw a map of the classroom. Divide the classroom into four quarters. Sit quietly
and watch the children in the class. Scan the classroom for one minute then focus in turn on
each of the 4 groups for one minute each.
B. Note the children’s task-related behaviour. Who are engaged in the tasks? Who is off-task?
What do they do when the teacher is giving instructions?
Insert your diagram and observation notes here.
C. After you have done the observation, take a class list and think about each of the children.
Write a one-sentence description of the learning needs of each child. Note the children about
whom you found it easy to comment … difficult to comment. Avoid labeling students!
Peer Discussion Point: What are the common characteristics of the children in your class? What
are differences among the children?
Personal Reflection 6: What do you notice about your observation skills from the list? What do
you see your strengths in working with children?
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Mid-point review: Am I meeting my goals? What do I need to work on?
Teaching Practice 1 is at the midpoint. Take some time to reflect on your progress to date.
Learning Goals for First Half of Teaching
Practice (See Journal Entry 1)
1
2
3
Write three key personal goals for the remainder of TP2.

Process Goal 1:

Process Goal 2:

Process Goal 3:
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Reflection on Progress
Journal Entry 7: Moving in and around the Classroom
Teacher mobility (movement in the classroom) and student proximity is a factor associated with
effective classroom management. ‘With-it-ness’ is the idea that a teacher has “eyes in the back
of his head”; that is, he seems to know everything that is going on without appearing to be
looking. Today, you need to observe teacher mobility and with-it-ness in two different learning
contexts. As well as watching your Cooperating Teacher with his/her usual class, also ask to
observe the classroom movement of a teacher from the other cycle of your primary school.
A. For each of the two, draw a classroom map and note the seating arrangement and the
teacher’s movement with time spent in different areas of the room. Where is he/she during the
lesson? Where is she/he when supplies or equipment are distributed? If the teacher is using ICT,
observe the teacher’s movement with the technology equipment.
Also observe the teacher’s body language as he/she changes positioning and interacts with
pupils. How do proximity to, and distance from, various children affect their learning behaviour
and interactions? Attach your diagrams and notes here.
Peer Discussion Point: How does a teacher’s movement around the room manage the taskrelated behaviour? Use your table as a focus for your group discussion.
Personal Reflection 7: What have you noticed about your own responses to students and
interactions with them in the classroom over the past weeks?
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Journal Entry 8: Multi-tasking in the Classroom
By now, you can understand better that several things go on in the classroom at any one time.
You have observed teachers managing several potential ‘situations’ at the same time. Effective
school teachers monitor their students as the lessons progress and anticipate individuals’
behaviour ‘before anything happens’.
In multi-tasking, the teacher takes care of more than one thing at the same time. For example,
monitoring one child’s reading while directing other children to their group-task. In overlapping,
the teacher completes one task with most children, while beginning the next for some. For
example, he/she could put up key words for some children to sort while others are finishing a
task. In this way, the lesson flows and meets the needs of diverse learners.
A. Observe another TP candidate teach and have them provide you with an outline of the lesson
beforehand. Draw a seating plan of the room. As you follow the lesson:
(a) Make notes on the outline and the seating plan to indicate when and where your
colleague overlapped her/his management and instruction.
(b) Note when you saw him/ her to overlap tasks; for instance, link the next task while ending
the previous one, or prepare for the next task, while students are still working on previous
tasks. You are looking for ways that the teacher keeps the lesson moving while taking care of
more than one thing at a time.
Peer Discussion Point: What did you notice about each other’s behavior in the lesson? What
would you suggest about how to increase overlapping?
Personal Reflection 8: Since you have been taking responsibility for managing children’s learning
and helping your CT in the classroom over the past weeks, what are you learning about
yourself as a teacher?
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Journal Entry 9: Building a Learning Culture
A. Think back to your own school days and the ways learning was encouraged when you were a
primary-aged child. In order to make comparisons with the primary classroom of today, consider
your teaching practice class and your Cooperating Teacher’s interactions with the children in the
class. Spend some time observing how she/he sets up the environment for. How is learning
reinforced? How are children given corrective feedback?

What are the ways that he/she builds a learning community among the children? [making
learning objectives clear, setting targets, challenging the variety of learning needs of children]
B. What are his/her reinforcing strategies for learning success?
Peer Discussion Point: What are some ways to give positive reinforcement and/or corrective
feedback?
Personal Reflection 9: What can you recall that was negative when you didn’t learn?
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Journal Entry 10: Final Review and Ongoing Learning Goals
Consider the demands of Teaching. Complete the following reflective statements
The best part about TP1 was …
An interesting part of TP1 was …
In terms of being a teacher, I predict that …
In terms of my teaching career, I wonder if …
After TP1, I believe that…
How do you feel about being a Teacher at the Cycle 1 or Cycle 2 level?
Peer Discussion Point: What are your best memories during Teaching Practice 1?
Personal Reflection 10: What are your improvements during Teaching Practice 1?
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