The teacher led a biology class on the topic of corrosion. She noticed that many students were stuck and lacking pre-existing knowledge of key terms, so she stopped to explain notations and terminology through questioning. While some explanations went well, other parts were missed due to an uncertainty of students' existing knowledge as a relief teacher. The teacher realized students did not understand an assignment question and had to provide additional explanation before continuing with the content. Through spending more time explaining deeply and asking individual questions, the teacher was able to get students back on task to do experiments, though pre-existing knowledge should have been checked initially.

1. Observing Class (Biology)!
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All students sat and started writing in their CML's about the topic-corrosion. The teacher
mentioned the title and briefly about the topic and then did the role, whilst the students
were writing. Then teacher moved around, checking what students were doing. She
noticed that many students are stuck at a certain point and stopped the work in order to
explain notations and terms.!
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It is important to understand the new terminology as one of the lines in their rubrics is
scientific understanding. She started explaining by asking questions about their pre-
existing knowledge. There was an obvious luck of it, so she went back to beginning,
asking many questions and teaching through questioning. Most of the students were
listening and interested.!
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She started well on another explanation about a particular dot in a formulae but missed to
explain it fully as she understood the students did not understand another issue. I guess
this is a problem with relief teachers as they are unsure of the students' existing
knowledge, personalities nor what they have been taught so far. Her knowledge has to
extend far more than just an everyday teacher.!
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The teacher should have checked for these concepts before the writing started.!
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Then she realised that students are not aware of one part of the assignment and that they
don't understand one of the starting questions in the assignment, so she had to explain
this, before she's could continue into the content.!
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Unfortunately, the students are starting to get lost a bit at this stage....!
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She has noticed this and went deeper into the topic, to ensure they do understand. She
did spend 10 minutes but the students were all back on task. However, she decided to ask
individual questions about students' projects, pointing to the students to get them back on
the track. She then continued teaching using the specific examples chosen by the
students for their projects which she just found about. All the students were back on the
track!!
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Again, she continued by asking questions and teaching through questions. She has
moved a lot, using hand movements, body motion but did not look like a clown. Her
language emphasised important parts of an equation, explanation etc.!
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Finally, she has sent them overt to a lab to do some experiments, again, asking them
about the best possible practice and OHS whilst they are doing their experiments.!
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Although the teacher failed to check pre-existing knowledge, it still turned into a good
lecture:)!
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