Assessment Task 1: Observing professional practice

Context:

The professional practice I have chosen to observe is delivering a Vocational education and training course in a government high school setting. Observed through the lens of the teacher/trainer and the teaching/training practice.

Under observation, the Vocational Educational and Training (VET) class is a second-year furniture-making class where students practice joinery and other technical skills as part of their final submissions. The class takes part in the woodworking workshop, which provides students access to woodworking machinery like drill presses, pedestal grinders, drop and table saws, disc and bobbin sanders, and other hand-making tools required for this fabrication.

The VET furniture course and workshop space are designed to simulate a woodworking environment, preparing students to enter workplace apprenticeships, full-time and part-time work, and better-equipping students moving forward into other trades or adult training environments.

The class under observation is a smaller class consisting of ten years twelve students, one classroom teacher and one education support staff. Typically, the woodworking workshop can facilitate up to twenty-five students. However, due to the subject's popularity and other school-based commitments, student participation and continued enrolment in the furniture program seem to be diminishing. The workshop is a shared working space with other mainstream/curriculum subjects, such as product and material design.

The VET teachers/trainers' background is industry-experienced, trade-qualified furniture maker. Who transitioned across to education as a diploma-qualified teacher midway through his career. He is employed full-time as a teacher, delivering design and technology-based subjects to all senior-based electives, including VET furniture making.

Reflection:

The peer review I received has helped me reflect on my professional observation by suggesting new ideas and ways to improve. Overall, my peer review is positive, highlighting the multi-faceted skills of a VET teacher/trainer, which I predicted the observation process would bring to the surface.

One suggestion was to take notes on the time. If I’d included or tracked time in more detail, the observation notes would also show the speed and flow of the classroom setting. During the class observation, the VET teacher/trainer is expected to demonstrate or fulfill tasks quickly and constantly. By tracking time, time lost or wasted time would also be discovered from the teaching and students' perspectives.

A positive comment was the effectiveness of my observation and layout of the document. She commented that the document's design made it clear and easy to follow. Giving her ideas on improving or including more details in her observation notes and process.

A comment for improvement was to add headings, descriptions and visual aids to my observation notes. Providing more content, structure and flow with the notes. Fortunately, I did take pictures of the classroom activity, students' projects, and activities, but for privacy reasons, I am reluctant to share these pictures with others.

I have taken the peer review comments with respect and consideration and updated my observation notes to demonstrate the value and support I see with this activity.

Observation notes:

3:30pm, Room G07 (Design and Technology Workshop).

Mr E waits for students to return after their first break in the teaching space. He is wearing a blue collared work shirt, steel cap boots and Hard Yakka work pants. Juggling his work keys in his left hand, I can see Mr E mentally preparing himself for a practice-based session.

3:35pm.

The students start sporadically entering the space, showing limited interest and concern about the time, breaking off into individual locations arranged around the raised timberwork benches.

An observation worth noting is that six of the twelve students have set up their projects while the remaining students hovered around chatting and disrupting their colleagues.

3:40pm.

Mr E promptly moves towards the closest workbench and demonstrates a correct tape measure practice. Physically showing the students how to hold, read and square up the measurement before marking the location for a Domino joint.

3:45pm.

Mr. E finds himself in the direct pathway of students moving timber through the workshop and then assisting students by lifting one end over other students' projects and pivoting around safely, directing students verbally to take care when moving long lengths of timber. Mr E's tone is serious and firm.

3:46pm.

Very quickly, Mr. E's attention is returned to the original student project as Mr. E notices a repair. Around the same time, students ask Mr E to turn the air conditioner up, claiming the workshop to be too cold. Simultaneously, Mr E sharpened a pencil for a student while advising on how to fix the problem.

3:48pm.

A student brings Mr. E’s attention forward, asking him to demonstrate how to sharpen a plane blade on the pedestal grinder—prompting Mr E to grasp his keys with his left hand to remove the safety lock. Mr. E quickly moves from the workbench to the student, wanting to sharpen the blade.

3:49pm.

Unfortunately, another student was noticed misusing a corded router, prompting Mr E to leave the pedestal grinder quickly and shut down the router. Mr E’s tone of voice is very frustrated, as clear safety instructions have been ignored.

3:50pm

Mr E notices three missing students in the workshop, so he immediately checks the role on his phone. Mr E calls for the students to find themselves self-exited and chatting outside the classroom space in the hallway. Mr E raises his voice with this group of students, verbally communicating a first warning for this group of students.

3:52pm.

Mr E makes his way back to the student, wanting to sharpen the hand plane’s blade, but unfortunately, another student asks him if he can use the drop saw. Instantly, Mr E continues his path into the machine shop, gathering ear muffs and safety glass while grabbing the work keys again with his left hand.

3:54pm

Mr. E unlocks the drop saw from its safety plug attachment and then assists the student in practicing dry cutting before turning on the power. He also adjusts the fences and guides before the student runs the final cut.

3:56pm.

Mr E notices a student about to start the corded router and then directs the class to wear ear muffs for hearing protection. Unfortunately, only the student using the router reacts to these comments and quickly grabs a pair of ear muffs.

3:58pm.

Mr E shows his frustration to the class by raising his voice. The tone in his voice has now changed from firm to very serious. Shortly after Mr E commented about the safety requirements and hearing protection, the classroom ESS staff member looked for directions to assist a student with a repair.

3:59pm.

Mr. E describes the process confidently to the ESS staff member before realising the student is still waiting to sharpen the hand plane blade. Mr E grabs the keys again before heading back over to the pedestal grinder.

4:00pm.

Mr E helps the student with the grinding process to sharpen the blade. Unfortunately, the student is showing signs of frustration and disappointment. The student puts his hands in his pockets and ignores any comments made by Mr E.