Since beginning my degree a few years ago, my views on education have dramatically changed. Before my first practicum I believed that everything would go according to plan when you walked into the classroom, but I quickly learnt through my teaching experiences that we need to be flexible and teach according to how the students are responding. Despite this, planning and organisation is still the first step to a successful classroom as it lays the foundation for things to operate efficiently.

The next step is the implementation of the curriculum. It is challenging because the classroom is a dynamic environment with students who have different needs and learn at different paces (and this would all be taken into account when programming). Our job is to help these students to learn at a level where they are both supported yet challenged, and this is a difficult task when students are so diverse. Education needs to engage and interest the students, build from what they know and help them reach their potential.

The last important step is evaluation. To become better teachers we too must learn and critique what works effectively in regard to our teaching methods and the lesson activities we experiment with. This can be acheived through personal reflection and professional development.