At the end of school experience, the Mentor, Link Tutor and trainee complete Reflective Comments in the Assessment Profile on Abyasa. Contributors may wish to comment on, for example:
- Progress made by the trainee on school experience;
- Particular strengths/highlights;
- Development areas.
Please use the previously submitted reflective comments below as exemplars. Note: these comments usually form the basis for trainee references.
Example 1
Trainee W has had a fantastic placement where she has gained in confidence in her teaching practice. Throughout her lessons she has provided a safe and stimulating environment that is positive and encouraging. She has always been thoroughly organised and well planned, using many well-prepared resources which has made her lessons very enjoyable for the children in the class. Trainee W has developed effective questioning techniques that has helped the children recap previous learning and extend learning further. Key vocabulary has been introduced and explained clearly in many lessons. Lesson activities have been differentiated to meet the needs of the children by scaffolding for the lower ability children and providing extension tasks for the more able children.
Trainee W has become more confident with behaviour management strategies and she is able to reinforce positive behaviour with rewards. She has had the opportunity to use many different teaching resources and has shown she can use the IWB effectively in her lessons. Trainee W has been fully emerged in school life, she supported the class during their Christmas Concert and also attended the evening performance. In addition, she organised some lovely Christmas craft activities for the class in the last week. We will all miss her presence in the class.
Example 2
Trainee Z has been a fantastic addition to our year one team and has been a pleasure to work with. His reflective nature has been evident within his assessment, planning and feedback. He is always able to highlight points of his lessons he would improve on and ensure he does this effectively in the next lesson. Trainee Z is able to seek advice when needed, but is also happy to create plans and lessons independently.
Over the course of the placement he has gained many behaviour strategies, which he now uses naturally within his lessons. He has created a range of assessment tool that he uses to help inform his planning for the next day and has worked closely with TA to learn how best to deploy staff.
Overall it has been a successful placement for Trainee Z. Well done Trainee Z , I wish you all the success for the rest of your course and career!
Example 3
From the start of her placement Trainee Y built an effective relationship with both the children in class and her colleagues. The children have responded very well to her and, with support, she has developed good behaviour management techniques. Throughout the placement Trainee Y has grown in confidence and is starting to develop her own style as a teacher, for example introducing the children to the 'rainbow' and 'hulk' clap and the '1,2'3' transitions. Trainee Y demonstrates a good understanding of the National Curriculum and developments in each subject. She strives to make her lessons engaging and age-appropriate for the children and isn't afraid to try new teaching methods or styles. She is reflective on her practice and takes feedback onboard. She will also seek help and support when needed.
Trainee Y has used a range of summative assessment methods during her time in class, such as whiteboard work, thumbs up/down, targeted questioning, as well as ensuring work is marked consistently and children receive appropriate feedback. She uses assessment to inform her planning and to ensure that children are appropriately challenged. The class has a wide range of abilities and she has endeavoured to differentiate work to ensure it is accessible to all children, including home learning. Trainee Y has demonstrated an enjoyment and a committed attitude towards teaching and I wish her all the best in her next placement and future career.
Example 4
It has been wonderful to have Trainee X with us at School Z. She has been professional and very keen to learn since she arrived on placement. She has made huge amounts of progress across the 8 Teaching Standards, plus Part 2. She has made particularly good progress in her ability to stop the class and manage the children’s behaviour. She has always taken advice on board and has been incredibly proactive in improving her teaching. She has really felt like a member of our year 1 teaching team and has been a great help in all areas of school life. Her support with the booster maths sessions has been invaluable.
Trainee X has been great to work with and has built strong relationships with both the staff and children. We will really miss her and her creative teaching ideas.
I wish Trainee X the best of luck with her teaching career and I know she is going to be an excellent teacher!