Page 1 of 5

AEG5110: APPROACHES TO
TEACHING AND LEARNING 2
Assessment 1: Case Writing

Megan Busuttil
Page 2 of 5

CASE
After observing classes for two weeks, I was finally prepared to teach my very
first year 10, 11 and 12 VET music class. I had settled my nerves and fuelled
myself with enthusiasm, getting straight into the lesson as my mentor had the
previous week. I started off confidently and asked the students a very basic
question, what is song writing?
The students came up to the board one by one and wrote up answers such as
chords, lyrics, melody and more. All of the students had contributed to the
mind map apart from one. I didnt think much of it at first, assuming they were
too shy to contribute, until I started to explain the first task.
Now lets try and form chords using the C Major scale. To do this we must take
the third note and fifth note of the scale and write them directly underneath each
corresponding note. I explained, circling the key notes needed to construct the
chord.

After doing the first one together as a class, some of the students understood it
immediately, answering each chord correctly on their own and rushing to try and
answer the next set of notes. It was clear that they were delighted they
understood the task and were eager to incorporate this new knowledge into their
practice. Those that didnt quite understand how to construct these chords
gathered around the whiteboard, taking turns to attempt each of them with my
assistance to gain a better understanding of the process.

I was pleased with the way the lesson was progressing as the students seemed
to have lightbulbs switching on in their minds. I then called upon the student who
didnt participate during the mind map discussion and asked them to have a go
at constructing one.
No, I dont want to was the immediate response I had received in an irritated
tone. I was a little shocked and taken aback, unsure of what to do. My first
instinct was to encourage them with a positive attitude, holding onto the
enthusiasm that I started off with.
Once again I was given the response No, I dont get it as the student became
progressively more annoyed. After a number of attempts of encouraging the
student to try and construct a chord, they finally complied and sluggishly wrote
up their answer.
The first note they had written down was indeed correct, to which I smiled and
celebrated their effort, further encouraging them to write down the next note.
However, once again, the student didnt want to.

They continued to pretend that they didnt understand and answered the
question with a completely obscure answer that didnt relate to the topic at all.
After once again encouraging them to fill in the final note, they answered
correctly and angrily slumped back into their seat.
I congratulated them for their efforts but they were reluctant to accept the praise
and it seemed as if they were ashamed to get the answer correct.
Page 3 of 5

This experience had left me with many questions. Why did the student react this
way? Why did they refuse to co-operate even though they understood the task?
Was I being too confrontational by calling them up? And how could I have
resolved this situation more effectively?

COMMENTARY
After consulting with my mentor and reflecting on the situation, I believe that
there are three key factors that caused the student to behave the way they did.
The first aspect that may have influenced the student is engagement. After
undertaking a course that is comprised of mainly practical work, learning some
theory may have immediately caused the student to switch off from the topic.
Not only would this have affected the students mood (as they may not have
expected to do written work) but it would also explain why they were so reluctant
to answer the question, even though they knew the answer. The student may
be passionate about music performance, but this area of music may not have
seemed relevant or beneficial to their learning, therefore causing the student to
become disinterested in contributing to the lesson. The second aspect that may
have influenced them to react this way is the lack of relationship between myself
and the student. While observing my mentor, I had noticed that the student
doesnt react as negatively and is more co-operative during discussions
compared to that of the lesson I had run. The student seems to be much more
comfortable speaking with my mentor, and this is the result of my mentor having
taught this student for over two years. I understand that it may have been
difficult for the student to accept another teacher (especially a pre-service
teacher that they have only seen on two separate occasions) to dive straight into
a theory lesson. Building positive relationships with students is an integral part of
being a teacher as not only do you gain the respect of the student, but you are
also seen as a role model and in turn gain their trust to take good care of them
and their education. The third and most important aspect that may have
influenced the student to behave the way they did, is their life outside of school.
According to my mentor, the student was having troubles at home and has been
living with their grandparents and younger siblings for a while. Without this
background information, I would have never imagined that the student could be
going through something like this. In regards to students in general, I have learnt
never to assume that they live a normal or ideal life and to never take their
behaviour personally.

All three aspects go hand in hand and contribute to the way the student reacted
as strong classroom management and student-teacher relationships have a
significant impact on engagement and achievement (Aitsl, 2013). This has led
me to believe that some students may feel very uncomfortable with taking
instruction from myself as a new member of the classroom. But how can I gain
the students trust in such a short time frame? As a pre-service teacher I dont
get to spend nearly enough time with the students to establish any kind of bond
with them. However, the way I present myself to students and the way I organise
activities may compensate for this lack of time spent with them. To increase
student engagement in a course or subject, teachers may create lessons,
assignments, or projects that appeal to student interests or that stimulate their
curiosity (Great Schools Partnership, 2016), and there are a number of ways in
Page 4 of 5

which I can do this. Music is a very flexible subject and can be paired with other
interests that the students may have. I can use this to my advantage to
promote positive emotions in students that will facilitate the learning process,
minimize negative behaviours, or keep students from dropping out (Great
Schools Partnership, 2016). I also believe that creating safe environments for
students to learn in can assist with these issues, and it is my job as a teacher to
arrange this as provision of a safe, secure school environment, characterised by
good teacher/student relationships (D. McRae, 2016) can affect the way that
students adapt to unfamiliar situations.

Reflecting on my praxis inquiry journal and mentor observations, there was

another aspect that allowed the students to warm up to them almost
immediately. Positive reinforcement played a huge part in improving student
behaviour as they were praised and rewarded when they either did something
correctly or behaved in a respectable and responsible manner. Positive
reinforcement is a much more effective way of improving the overall behaviour
of all students in the classroom (The University of Kansas, 2005) as students are
likely to continuously demonstrate said behaviour. This is something I aim to
work on throughout my placement as I believe it is a crucial strategy to
maintaining positive classroom behaviour and strengthening relationships with
students. When students make the connection between their performance and
feeling good about themselves, intrinsic motivation is enhanced and positive
behaviours continue (C. Allred, 2008).

To improve my practices as a teacher, I must discover a range of strategies to

make the subject more appealing and relevant to students and their personal
learning. If I were to run the same lesson again I would approach the subject
topic differently in a way that would make music theory more engaging for
students. I could implement some ideas that aim to build on individual strengths
and interests, such as through project-based learning (Victoria State
Government). I could do this through the use of story-telling, ICT such as YouTube
or music programs, engaging posters and presentations, as well as designing
games specific to the theory topic that the students are focusing on. This can
also lead to incorporating these ideas into their performance practices and
relating it to their favourite styles of music.

I would also utilize the method of positive reinforcement within the class more
explicitly so that good student behaviour may continue. This is not only a more
efficient way to maintain positive behaviour, but it may also influence other
students to mimic the good behaviour of those who have received praise and will
strengthen the bond between myself and the student by acknowledging the
effort they have put into the lesson. This will also create a more inclusive and
safe environment for students to learn in as Students feel comfortable in the
classroom environment to voice their ideas/thoughts/questions (Cornell
University, 2016). I also feel as if this will allow me to gain a better
understanding of each student to determine the ways in which they learn and
which environments they feel most comfortable learning in. Throughout my
praxis enquiry journal, I have discovered that teaching is not limited as there are
multiple ways in which a task can be conducted to cater for each individual
Page 5 of 5

learner. This is something I aim to work on within my next teaching block so that
I am able to become as creative as I can with my lessons while still satisfying
learning outcomes and applying this knowledge in ways that engage students.

This experience has allowed me to become more flexible with the way I teach,
and I am determined to explore some more ideas and gather a range of
resources to include within my teaching toolbox. I am confident that focusing on
these areas will continue to assist in developing my skills as an educator.

REFERENCE LIST

Aitsl. (2013). Engagement in Australian Schools. [Pdf]. Australia. Available at:

http://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/learning-frontiers-
resources/engagement_in_australian_schools-background_paper-pdf.pdf
[Accessed 30 July, 2016]

C, Allred. (2008). Seven Strategies for Building Positive Behaviours. [Online].

Alexandria, VA. Available at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/sept08/vol66/num01/Seven-Strategies-for-Building-Positive-
Classrooms.aspx [Accessed 30 July, 2016]

Cornell University. (2012). Inclusive Teaching Strategies. New York. Available at:
https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/building-inclusive-
classrooms/inclusive-teaching-strategies.html [Accessed 30 July, 2016]

D, McRae. (2016). What Works. The Work Program. [Pdf]. Australia. Available at:
http://www.whatworks.edu.au/upload/1250830979818_file_5Engagement.pdf
[Accessed 30 July, 2016]

Great Schools Partnership. (2014). Student Engagement. Portland, ME. Available

at: http://edglossary.org/student-engagement/ [Accessed 30 July, 2016]

The University of Kansas. (2005). Positive Reinforcement. Kansas. Available at:

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?
q=behavior_plans/classroom_and_group_support/teacher_tools/positive_reinforce
ment [Accessed 30 July, 2016]

Victoria State Government. (2014). School-Based Strategies. Australia. Available

at:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/participation/Pages/disengages
strategy.aspx [Accessed 30 July, 2016]