Task 6

Critical Incident Reflection

Week 1 20/11/15

Throughout my first week of this placement, I have been accompanied in the classroom by
three different CRTs (casual relief teachers). This put me in a situation where I had to be
willing to work with them, without having met them before. I was able to work with two of
them very easily, because they could see my teaching ability/potential. Yet one of them was
very lenient to give up some of her control of the class to me. I also found it hard to work
with her because I didnt fully agree with some of her teaching strategies and behaviour
management techniques, and I didnt feel as though it was my place to say anything because I
had only been at the school a week and I am just a pre-service teacher.
I found this situation critical in my first week because it tested my ability to work with people
that I may not immediately click with. In teaching you are bound to meet someone that you
have to work with that may present teaching techniques or behaviour management strategies
that you dont agree with. By being accepting of others and putting your personal opinion
aside for the benefit of the students, allows us as teachers to work on our own ability to be
flexible. Teaching is one of the most ever-changing and unpredictable professions and
situations like this are bound to arise in my future teaching placements. Therefore, by having
this experience not only am I being exposed to different teaching situations, but also times
where my own thoughts and opinions are not important at that point in time. McDonough
(2014) identifies how important a supportive relationship between a pre-service teacher and
their supervising teacher is to the learning that takes place in the classroom. Although the
CRT is not my supervising teacher for the day they were and it would have helped my
feelings in the classroom if they had wanted a better relationship with me.
Through this experience I have learnt that schools run, off relationships and the students can
sense this. Without a strong foundation of relationships, the school community would
crumble. Although this situation seems like a tiny thing in the scheme of things to be worried
about, in the classroom I found myself doubting my teaching ability and my willingness to
work with others. In the future my goal is to look past the feelings I have towards, - whether
it be - a teacher, parents, other pre-service teachers and see that we are all here for the same
thing, to educate the minds of tomorrow and ensure that their learning comes first.

Words: 440

McDonough, S. (2014). Rewriting the Script of Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers in Third

Space: Exploring Tensions of Loyalty, Obligation and Advocacy. Studying Teacher
Education, 10(3), 210-221.