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Throughout the micro teaching lesson, there were some ups and downs. Being the first of the group, emotions ran high but I was able to keep calm and get through the lesson. I had met my lesson objectives and engaged the learners in the lesson. I encountered technical difficulties and ran out of time. The technical issues came in the form of my screen freezing constantly and the presentation being disrupted on screen. To combat this issue, I put learners into breakout groups to complete a task whilst I figured out how to sort out my laptop. Even though I ran out of time, my lesson objectives were met early in the lesson and the rest of the lesson was more consolidation and reinforcement of applicability. Learners did not get to play the game and experience the ICT tool that I had created.     My lesson did meet the objectives. Learners gained the understanding of how the synonyms and antonyms changed the meaning of sentences and were able to apply this understanding in a sentence by choosing the most appropriate synonym and substantiating why they chose the synonym or antonym.   I chose appropriate ICT tools such as the synonym and antonym demonstrating site “Wordhippo.” The game that I had created was perfect and it was sure to work. I had triple checked the link to the game through different devices using QR codes and the game link making sure that it worked. The issue was that I ran out of time and so learners did not get a chance to experience that ICT tool.   I should always think about the possibilities that may occur and develop back up plans. It is necessary to pay attention to time management. Had I npt faced technical difficulties, I probably would have been able to get through the entire lesson that I planned within the allotted time. Therefore I should have adapted my lesson for learners to use the ICT tool, thus taking away from this experience that teachers need to be adaptable.   My peers have mentioned that I should get familiar with the platform such as black board collaborate. I have been trying to upskill myself within this field by watching videos about how to effectively present. Granted, I should have done this before, however, it turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Peers also mentioned that time management should be a focus. I have revised my lesson process to ensure that I get to the ICT portion. Instead of giving many examples within the lesson, I could give fewer examples to save time, and get learners to engage with content independently to apply and check their own understanding against memos and answer sheets.  My peers have also highlighted that my main struggle was technical difficulties. To combat this I will put in back up plans such as communicating with the learners that there are issues being faced and having tasks for them to do, either independently or in groups so that they are not disengaged whilst the issue is being resolved.  I will plan so should I face an issue, there will be other tasks for learners to focus on which meet the objectives. I realised that when presenting my presentation, my slides were disrupted when uploaded through the platform. Next time I could rather just share my screen instead of uploading the content on the platform as sharing the screen allows for the presentation to come across clearly.

Completing 3 days of life of a teacher was stressful. It required changing classroom management strategies and teaching strategies to suit the class that you’re teaching. Moreover, there was not enough time and breaks in between the day. Completing day 1 in block 1 was just as hard as the day 2 and 3 of a life of a teacher. It required much planning for effective teaching but not enough time. There was much to be done and covered and it was difficult to keep changing up strategies when you’re going to different classes.  The responsibilities in block 2 were increased as there was more marking and administration to do. The most challenging activities were teaching the same content constantly. At some point, the lessons became monotonous for me. I felt like I needed to do something else to have a change as the entire day I was doing the same content. This became a tedious task for me. I overcame this challenge by incorporating some technology and trying to make the lessons as fun as possible. For each class I tried to do something different  such as playing a rap song for one class, using role play for another. By changing up the strategies to see what works by trial and error, it gave a sense of change and made teaching the same content bearable. I feel as though I am ready to enter the profession. I am not distinguished in most areas; however, I feel proficient in most. There is never an end to learning and there is much development to be made although I have much of the profession under control. The comments that my teacher had given me were far better than the evaluation hat I had given myself, in the sense that my mentor felt that I was patient enough and built rapport with the learners. I had felt that I was not very patient with the learners. my mentor felt that there is room for improvement, although, I am ready to enter the profession and take on a classroom of my own. My mentor teacher had praised my classroom management techniques and loved the creativity and innovativeness that I had brought to the classroom. my mentors evaluation of me was far better than my evaluation of myself.

According to UNICEF, 80% of grade 4 learners cannot read for comprehension. My aim of the social action project was to improve literacy skills. Upon arrival at the school in the second block, the project was implemented. Learners were eager to attend the library and read. Learners read a variety of books which targeted varying skill ranges. Within the intermediate phase, all grades were given a chance. The learners were constantly assessed to see their improvement in reading skills by giving them journaling tasks and others which required their reading skills to be used. The school appreciated the initiative as the library was not in use and it was a constructive use of the space. Apart from that, grade 7 learners loved the initiative so much that they wanted to use the library as a research centre. I have gained an understanding of learners and the struggles they endure within schools. Many of the learners do not have essential skills such as reading which impacts their ability in other subjects. This has increased my passion for teaching and given me an increased understanding of the importance of my job. I have become much more grateful for the opportunity to educate and enhance lives. This initiative has given me increased understanding and empathy for learners and their various needs and struggles. I have learnt how to communicate and lead learners to ensure the success of the initiative. It has given me an increased love for literacy and has opened my eyes to the true importance of reading skills. It was fulfilling to see learners grow and develop. The initiative benefitted the school as learners use the library to gain literacy skills. During their turn, they’re able to enhance their skills. The grade 7 learners use the library as a research centre to complete assignments and tasks. The library is still in use and will continue to stay open for the English lessons. After schools, learners can use the library to complete their homework and rea as they remain in the school for after care until they’re picked up. Overall I feel as though this initiative was a success. I have enjoyed helping the learners read and gain an understanding of literacy. It has deepened my love for my job.