Outstanding Lessons

[kl33]

How does everyone organise their teacher directed sessions? I usually have one group my ta has another and then we also have a independent group who is working on an activity linked to objective but very practical. The next day we swap.

[mundia]

Hi kl33, what age group are you working with?

 

I always tried to avoid too much of tying myself and my TA with focus groups at the same time as it gave us little opportunity to observe and actually play with the children. Looking back, I think we did this more as the year went on, but early in the year I felt it was important especially for those children with no pre school experience to have the opportunity to have an adult support their play. Sometimes its very difficult I know, but that's was what I aimed for. (reception by the way)

[kl33]

Yes I have reception aged children. I know how you feel if you and your TA are taking groups it makes it very difficult to keep an eye on everybody else. Ha anybody got any good ideas

[Guest]

Yes I have reception aged children. I know how you feel if you and your TA are taking groups it makes it very difficult to keep an eye on everybody else. Ha anybody got any good ideas

 

We arrange our day like that-we have times for play together which is CIT and both adults play witht the children then- although sometimes we will plan for 1 of us to be 'stationed' somewhere (usually creative table if anywhere!) to support and play with chn there. If no-one choose that activity however then we will just go where the children are- it is a choice not an activity that they must complete. We then have times for group work- both adults have a group each then the others either choose what to do (more so at the beginning of the year) or are directed to do something else- which is always something hands on and practical. quite often the problems with the 'independent' group arise when the task is too hard, too easy or there are too many children doing it at the same time- so the independent children are directed to a large number of indepednent activities- a couple to the computer, 3 or so to the sand for something etc. It's not possible to create a huge number if independent activities and resources so some of them will be things from the environment/continuous provision. We really like working like this and we think very carefully about where the chn need to work, what they need to develop, where they don't choose to play in CIT etc because this is the perfect opportunitiy to fill that gap. Personally I don't think saying to a group of 6 children "you are all going to do x" is meeting the needs of all 6 of those chn. Sorry for the long post! Hope that is helpful!