Interview Observation

[Guest]

Hi everyone !

 

I've got a job interview on Friday 7th May 2010 . I am an NQT and its my first job interview, so I need your help.

For the interview I will need to provide a shared writing session with a group of 15 children with a focus on' reporting on an event' and follow into guided writing session. Has anyone got any creative stand out ideas? I desperately need help. Thank you all in advance.

[Guest]

It's for Reception Class FS2 lesson

[JacquieL]

The first thing you will need is the event. Have you been given any guidelines for this such as a recent event the children know about? Have they experienced reports before?

I think I would go for an event in a familiar story and focus on a small part of it as it needs to be something the children all know about, such as Goldilocks going into the 3 bears house and what happens, or Jack visiting the giant after growing his beanstalk, or some other familiar key event. This is a one-off activity so you will not be able to do a build up beforehand. you might want to address who the report is for, is it a newspaper for example? I think I would start with a large picture of the key event and talk with the children about what is happening and use words like who? where? what? and why? and build up either a spider diagram with ideas, or a storyboard with phrases in the shared writing session. As you will be scribing for the children in this part of the session all the children will be able to contribute. Keep it simple. In the guided writing session I would support the children in writing their own individual version of the report. It may be that you will not have much time for this so they could choose one aspect from what you have discussed and write about that, on a simple pro-forma of a large box or a bubble. As the children are likely to be of differing ability either ask beforehand if any children need extra support, or keep an eye out for anyone struggling.

I hope this helps a bit.

[Guest]

Thank you JacquieL!

 

I am thinking of starting with a mystery box filled with different items from birthday party and let children to guess the event. Then discuss together with kids features of birthday party. Plus phonics, punctuation and all nitty gritty stuff. Do you think that will be enough for a good lesson?

[Susan]

I'm actually always wary of focusing on parties in that unless you know that all the children have recently attended such an event. If, for example, all your children are still 4 it will be along time since they had a birthday so may not be all that easy for them to focus on and respond. Likewise some of them could have been early school year birthdays even if they are 5. Also will they have had a party?

 

Your mystery box idea could be a good way of developing vocabulary and ideas but Im not sure it necessarily lends itself to recount writing?

I think I would take the story theme as Jacqui has suggested, you could use your box to have some story props maybe and recount the event in that way? Be very focused and have some definite ideas of what you want the children to get out of this as you will not know the group and you dont want to be floundering if they do not respond to you for some reason.

 

Susan

[Guest Cathryn1974]

Hello

 

Good luck. I use alot of speaking listening, drama and talk for writing. We use actions for key language from stories e.g. once upon a time or suddenly etc. I often go into role or use puppets. This kind of talk can then lead into a guided writing session in small groups. Just look at the development matters - whao be do children really need to be doing at this stage? e.g. making phonetically plausible attempts, simple captions and words.

 

Hope this helps - I always think we want well rounded children not just children who can mechanically write or read.

 

Cathryn X

[Guest]

Thank you everyone!

 

Your ideas are great! I was thinking of using a puppet for the sake of attention and behaviour management as well, as to capture pupils imagination. Hope my interview goes well, if not then afterall its my first one of the kind.

[JacquieL]

Best of luck and I hope it goes well. Just be clear in your own mind that whatever you choose to do there is a difference between a report and a recount, as it is a report they have asked for.