Week 1 (Alpha) Date: 27th July – 31st July 2015

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Eid Celebration 2015 in MRSM KuantanIce breaking session with mentors, teachers and students

TUESDAY FormalIntroduction(MorningCall)

Observe3D

Observe3A

Observe4C

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Observe PT3Listening Test

Observe3A

LessonPreparation

SPM IntensiveProgram (Form5 students)

THURSDAY Teach 4C(Ice Breaking)

Observe3A

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

Invited to EidCelebration atMS GardenHotel, Kuantan

FRIDAY Teach 4E(Ice Breaking)

Observe4C

Observe3D

MotivationalTalk – CempakaCamp Resort

Week 2 (Beta) Date: 3rd August – 7th August 2015

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Observe 3A[Oral Test]

Observe3D

TUESDAY Observe 3D[Oral Test]

Observe3A

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Observe4C

Observe3A [Oral Test]

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

LessonPreparation

Night Class[Oral Test

Preparation]THURSDAY Teach 4E

(DescriptiveWriting – Intro)

Observe3D [Oral Test]

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

Night Class[Oral Test

Preparation]

FRIDAY Observe4E

Teach 4C(Descriptive

Writing – Intro)

Preparationfor English

Camp

SATURDAY English Camp in collaboration with Sekolah Kebangsaan GalingFacilitator : English Motivation Club (EMC)

Week 3 (Alpha) Date: 10th August – 14th August 2015

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY UNGAPreparation

(4E – Armenia)

Observe3C

Readingsession

1A/1B/1C

Invited to EidCelebration atBank Rakyat,

Kuantan

TUESDAY Teach 1B(Explanation Essay)

Observe3D

Observe3A

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY UNGAPreparation

(4C – Cameroon)

Observe3A

Lesson Preparation Teachers’MonthlyMeeting

THURSDAY Teach 4C(UNGA

Preparation)

Teach 2D/2E/2F(Documentary

MH370)

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

FRIDAY Teach 4E(UNGA

Preparation)

Teach 4C(UNGA

Preparation)

Observe3D

UNGAPreparation –

Collectequipment

Week 4 (Activity Week) Date: 17th August – 21st August 2015

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Formal Assembly(Activity Week Opening

Ceremony)

Fire EmergencySimulation

Durian Fest NightMarket

TUESDAY Career Seminarin collaboration with UMP / KPMIM / Monash University / University of Queensland,

BrisbaneWEDNESDAY Casual Sports

TournamentDrama Competition Independence

Day CelebrationTHURSDAY UNGA (United Nation General Assembly) Judge for Choir /

Choral SpeakingCompetition

FRIDAY PT3 Intensive ProgramVenue: Holiday Villa Cherating, Kuantan

Week 5 (Beta) Date: 24th August – 28th August 2015

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Teach 1B(GrammarExercise)

Observe 3A[Oral Test]

Observe3D

LessonPreparation

TUESDAY Teach 1B(GrammarExercise)

Observe 3D[Oral Test]

Observe3A

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Observe4C

Observe3A [Oral Test]

Readingsession

4D/4E/4FTHURSDAY Teach 4E

(Preparation forOral Assessment)

Observe3D [Oral Test]

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

SPM IntensiveProgram

(Essay writing)

FRIDAY Observe4E

Teach 4C(Preparation for

Oral Assessment)

Week 6 (Alpha) Date: 31st August – 4th September

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Independence Day HolidayTUESDAY Teach 1B

(InformationTransfer Exercise)

Observe3D

Observe3A

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Drama [OralAssessment] 4E

Observe3A

Lesson Preparation Teachers’MonthlyMeeting

THURSDAY Drama [OralAssessment] 4C

Teach 2F(Error Identification

Exercise)

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

FRIDAY Drama [OralAssessment] 4E

Drama [OralAssessment]

4C

Observe3D

Week 7 (Beta) Date: 7th September – 11th September

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY MRSM Standardised TestTUESDAY MRSM Standardised Test

English (Form 3)Invigilate

Work on E-Portfolio

WEDNESDAY MRSM Standardised TestEnglish (Form 2)

Invigilate

Lesson Preparation Wardenmeeting

THURSDAY Work on E-Portfolio MRSMStandardised

TestMathematics

(Form 1)Invigilate

FRIDAY Teaching 4E(Discuss Exam

Questions)

Teaching 4C(Discuss

ExamQuestions)

Observe3D

Week 8 (Alpha) Date: 14th September – 18th September

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Attend MARA College Alumni DinnerVenue : Everly Hotel, PutrajayaTUESDAY

WEDNESDAY Malaysia Day HolidayTHURSDAY Teaching 4C

(Writing aReport)

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

FRIDAY Teaching 4E(Writing a

Report)

Teaching 4C(ReportWriting

Exercise)

Observe3D

Week 9 (Beta) Date: 21st September – 25th September

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAYMid-Term Holiday

(Eid-ul Adha Celebration)TUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAY

Week 10 (Alpha) Date: 28th September – 3rd October

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Teach 1B(IGCSE Practice)

Observe 3A[Class

Streaming]

Observe3D

LessonPreparation

TUESDAY Teach 1B(IGCSE Practice)

Observe 3D[Class

Streaming]

Observe3A

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Observe4C

Observe3A [Class

Streaming]

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

THURSDAY Teach 4E(Phrasal Verbs)

Observe3D [Class

Streaming]

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

Preparationfor English

CampFRIDAY Observe

4ETeach 4C

(Phrasal Verbs)English Camp with Aborigines in

Rompin, PahangSATURDAY English Camp with Aborigines in Rompin, Pahang

Organised by : English Motivation Club, MRSM Kuantan

Week 11 (Beta) Date: 5th October – 9th October

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Teach 1B(AdjectivesExercise)

Observe3D

LessonPreparation(Jonathan’s

Observation)TUESDAY Teach 1B

(AdjectivesExercise)

Observe 3D[Class

Streaming]

Observe3A

SchoolAssembly

WEDNESDAY Teach4C (Summary

Writing)

Observe3A [Class

Streaming]

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

THURSDAY Teach 4E(Summary Writing)

Observe3D [Class

Streaming]

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

PT3 IntensiveProgram

(Essay writing)

FRIDAY Teach4E (Summary

Writing)

Teach 4C(SummaryWriting)

Week 12 (Beta) Date: 12th October – 16th October)

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 –8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Teach 4C(Summary)

Observed byJonathanNewton

PT3 Exam for Form 3 Reflection onthe

observationwith Jonathan

and Mentor

Lunch withDr Jonathan

TUESDAY Teach 1B(Preparation for

Examination)

PT3 Exam for Form 3 Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Public HolidayNew Year in Hijri Calendar

THURSDAY Teach 4E(Summary)

PT3 Exam forForm 3

Readingsession

4A/4B/4CFRIDAY Teach 4C

(Final ExamPreparation)

Week 13 (Alpha) Date: 19th October – 23rd October)

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 – 8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY One day leave(MC)

TUESDAY Teach 3D(Summary

IGCSE)

Teach 3A(Summary

IGCSE)

Wardenmeeting

WEDNESDAY Teach4C

(ArgumentativeEssay)

Teach 3A(Summary

IGCSE)

Readingsession

4D/4E/4F

LessonPreparation

THURSDAY Teach 4E(Argumentative

Essay)

Teach 3D(Summary

IGCSE)

Readingsession

4A/4B/4C

Preparationfor

GraduationDay

FRIDAY Graduation DayForm 5 Students

Responsibility : Registration Committee

Week 14 (Beta) Date: 26th October – 30th October)

DAYPERIOD

17.30 – 8.05

28.05 – 8.40

38.40 –9.15

49.15 – 9.50

59.50 –10.25

610.45 – 11.20

711.55 –12.30

812.30 – 1.05

EXTRACURRICULAR

MONDAY Invigilate 4CFinal Year

Examination

Invigilate 4EFinal Year

Examination

Night Class(Preparation

EnglishPaper)

TUESDAY Teach 1B(Reading

Comprehension

Work on E-Portfolio Teach 2F(Reading

Comprehension)

Wardenmeeting(Farewell

Event)WEDNESDAY Teach 2B

(ReadingComprehension)

Work on E-Portfolio EnglishDepartment

FarewellEvent

THURSDAY Farewell Event InvigilateForm 4F

Final YearExamination

FRIDAYFarewell Event by English Department

Evidence of professional learning

Unique features of the learners of a home class

‘One of the central paradoxes in classroom culture is that treating everyone fairly does not

mean treating everyone the same’ (McGee & Fraser, 2012). In other words, each class is a new

adventure and the variety, challenges and uncertainty that we have to face are of the great joys of

teaching is in every class. For the purpose of this assignment, I will be analysing the unique features

of the learners in my homeclass - 4 Cemerlang. First thing I did when I enter the class was I identify

and look into needs and condition of the learners. Then, I look into possible steps that can be taken to

ensure the needs can be met. From my observation, some of the students (Bashir, Naqeeb, Ainatasha,

Nurul, Syakirin, Asiah) are very responsive and actively participated in the lesson as they are the ones

who will voluntarily answer all my questions in class. While some of them are very timid and quiet

(Bahiyuddin, Faris, Hazim, Asma and Mira) hence, I have to create a supportive environment in class

to make sure learners are not hampered by excessive anxiety. I believe that the use of group work

creates wonders in my class as it will minimising mistakes and lowering the risk of failure in an activity

(Nunan & Lamb, 1996). Thus, the quiet learners were less anxious to perform and not afraid to make

mistakes. It is interesting to point out that Faris, one of the quiet student in class scored the highest

in the class in the trial exam (96%). It raises a question on what is the true indicator of a good English

learner. My mentor, Ms Wan Shahriza added that I should have some personal intervention with

weaker students, maybe arrange additional class for personal consultation to help with specific areas

or tasks. In conclusion, it was a delightful experience teaching this class. I was very fortunate to teach

this wonderful and enthusiastic class as they have also won the best Form 4 class in the school.

Curriculum Area: English (Phrasal Verbs) Class: 4 Cemerlang Date of Lesson: 04/09/2015Number of Students: 23 Duration of Lesson: 70 Minutes

Purpose of Lesson:To learn phrasal verbs through running dictation. It gets students out of their seats and engages reading,writing, listening and speaking skills as well as reinforcing students to recognize phrasal verbs in a text.Context: GrammarTopic: “Phrasal Verbs”Strategies: Running Dictation

Key Competencies: Thinking Participation and contribution

Learning Intention: Integrating essential language skills in the activity – Reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Learning grammar – identifying phrasal verbs in a text. Preparation for Form 4 examination next week

LESSON FRAMEWORK

Lesson sequence: Including deliberate acts of teaching and teacher prompts:

Learning experiences Students’ Activities

Introduction:1. Discuss the learning intentions2. Brief introduction of phrasal verbs3. Pre activity: Teacher explain the rules of

Running Dictation- Divide the class into pairs- Ask for specific roles from each pair

(Runner/Writer)- Make a quick demonstration

Students co-construct LI. Students participate in answering the pre-

reading questions based on their priorknowledge.

Students divide themselves into pairs andspecify each roles.

Body:1. A text is pasted at the back of the class2. Students are given 15 minutes to complete

the text3. Students with the fastest and most number of

correct answers win.4. Post-reading activity: Phrasal verbs exercise

Students will complete the activity

Conclusion:1. Check the learning intentions

Think, share, and discuss the meaning ofthe text.

Linking learning with the learningintention and identify if they weresuccessful in learning the intention of thelesson.

Teacher reflection prompts: How do the students respond? What do I need to do next time? What are mynext teaching lesson? What are my students’ next lesson?

Learning objective

Since teaching requires a lot of preparation – physically and mentally, it is useful to outline

the learning objective of the lesson on the lesson plan and make decision of an approach in accordance

to the lesson. After all, lesson plan is a mental structure that ‘might be just the map we need initially’

that guide teachers in the classroom (Thaine, 1996 p.3). The initial intention for this particular lesson

was to teach ‘Phrasal Verbs’. The reason for choosing this grammatical aspect was to follow the

scheme of work which have been prepared since the beginning of the year. However, instead of using

the usual teaching strategy like explaining the rules and give exercise and handouts, I came up with

an idea to adopt an ESOL game ‘Running Dictation’ as an a tool or activity to teach ‘Phrasal Verbs’. My

main learning objective was to integrate essential grammar skills in the activity, which later corrected

as ‘language skills’ by my mentor.

Activating learners’ prior knowledge

Schmitt, Jiang and Grabe (2011) argued that background knowledge can be useful as it can

help learners to increase their comprehension and understanding for the lesson. For this class, I

revisited the common grammatical aspect which is ‘Phrasal verbs’. In order to activate students’

background knowledge, I chose to discuss what they have learned or understand on phrasal verbs. I

also asked them to list down some of the examples of phrasal verbs to the class. Next, I gave them an

exercise to check their understanding on the lesson before the activity. Turns out, the students were

able to come up with examples of phrasal verbs and sample of sentences using the phrasal verbs.

Modifying task

Day (1999, as cited in Gurney, 2004) describes the word ‘teaching’ as ‘education science and

a pedagogical art’ which required ‘more than a craft’ (p. 91). It is a known fact that an effective teacher

is a performer. I made an effort in my teaching to do much more and go beyond the learning intention.

For instance, I realise that the running dictation took 10-minutes and the time allocation is a bit too

long for the students. Hence, I increased the competitive nature of the game by doing a countdown

and compare the work of each group so that they speed up and finish the activity as soon as possible.

Even though it was not a major modification, I believe that teachers should always be aware of the

class and open for flexibility in the lesson.

Success criteria

As far as the indication for success criteria is concerned, I have planned to do a post activity

at the end of the running dictation which was looking for phrasal verbs and students have to come up

with their own sentences using the phrasal verbs. Feedback were given immediately after they done

their work because I believe that teacher’s feedback is crucial for students development. Sharing a

parallel view, Bryson and Hand (2007) explained that students are more likely to engage in learning

with positive guidance from the teacher. Hattie (as cited in Gurney, 2007) argued that an effective

feedback should be ‘focussed, appropriate, timely and learning-related’ as it would be ‘the most

powerful single moderator that enhances achievement’ (p.94).

Reflection on teaching decision

Based on Brown & Barnard, (1975, as cited in Nation and Newton, 2009) dictation can be used

after exercise that provide practice in the words or patterns and emphasize the language focus of the

activity (p.61). The main focus of the activity is to get students to remain engaged and interested with

the grammar and have fun at the same time. Therefore, thorough planning is crucial in order to make

sure the activity is not merely just an activity without substance for the students. At the end of the

activity, I got a chance to check on students’ sentence structure to make sure they understand the

usage of phrasal verb in a sentence. Some of the students even confuse between the phrasal verbs

with compound words. Analysing students’ errors is a valuable source of information to understand

their difficulties. It is understandably difficult for them as non-native speakers of English learners to

create written products which can demonstrate their ability to organize the content, to address the

correct audience as well as to demonstrate their linguistic ability in vocabulary, punctuation, spelling

and others (Kepner, 1991). I believe that my teaching decision to focus on grammar component as

well as incorporated an activity to motivate the students have helped to enhance their learning.

Feedback from mentor

Firstly, my mentor complimented my lesson by saying ‘the lesson objectives were defined

clearly’ and students’ curiosity and interest towards the lesson were ‘sufficiently aroused as they are

eager to do the activity’. She added that the activity was interesting and the I managed to prepare a

good follow-up worksheets. However, she commented by saying that I did not utilise the text from

the running dictation activity effectively as she illustrated an example ‘the phrase “go off” appeared

twice in the text, but each carries a different meaning. Not making use of the text would just make

the activity, merely a ‘running’ exercise’. Hui (1997) stated that teachers’ ability to answer all

questions promptly and correctly is highly valued and if they are concentrating on playing games with

students or ask them to role-play, then they are not doing their job. I believe that I can avoid these

kind of incidences in the future by carefully planned my lesson and the language goals that I aspire to

achieve for each learning. Blanton, Wood & Moorman (1990) claimed that meaningful learning can be

enhanced when students are exposed to learning activities that aid in the processing of grammar

knowledge at a deeper level (p.174). The most important aspect is the relatedness with the learning,

and the key to rectify my weaknesses is good planning.

Suggestion for future practice

I have heard this quote somewhere which struck me for ages ‘A good teacher is the one who

asks the right questions instead of giving the correct answer’. This sentiment often comes up while I

try to discover the actual meaning of a teacher. This portfolio draws upon the process of constructing

a lesson plan as well as my teaching experience. As suggested by Pollard (2002), there is need for the

teachers to reflect on their teaching experience in order to be self-aware and a key part of teacher

growth. Sharing a parallel view, Schon (1987) also utters that reflection helps teachers to improve

their teaching, moving them beyond the development of students' grammatical English proficiency to

a broader perspective of teaching as a creative problem solving endeavour. Compiling this portfolio

helps me to realise the importance of planning, so that in the near future, I should be able to construct

a clear and realistic learning objective and the language-focused that I aimed for. Other than that, the

key of an effective teacher is to be aware and consider the learners’ need in the lesson. In a classroom,

the diversity of personalities further emphasizes the need of knowing how to cater to the needs of

your students. As I pointed before, timid and active learners react differently, hence, it is important

to maintain fairness in the classroom.

Letter to the juniors

Dear juniors,

As a teachers, specifically from the new lots, I am constantly faced with new challenges, ideas

and discoveries. It is expected that I am able to react accordingly to it, preferably in a manner that can

both benefit ourselves and our students. Throughout my three-months teaching practicum, I have

learned that the ability to self-reflect and capacity to ponder upon the purpose of each lesson in

introspect will be of great service to us. It is, through these ongoing reflections, we are able to learn

and make changes in our practice when necessary. In conjunction to the reflection of my own

experience, there are two key areas in which I believe would be of importance for the next batch as

their preparation before their teaching practicum, which are professionalism and adaptation of New

Zealand learning into Malaysian curriculum and culture.

My first advice to my junior is you need to show a high degree of professionalism to your

colleagues as well as the students. Throughout my Degree years in New Zealand, I have been exposed

with the term ‘inclusive education’. One of the principles that I view as key for inclusive teaching

practice is creating positive climate for the learning community. Thus, I believe that a good rapport

and engagement with students help me to create this positive climate in which my students feel safe

to be challenged and nurtured. My mentor, Ms Wan Shahriza once mentioned that I displayed warmth

and openness thus created a relaxed and non-threatening class environment. She also pointed out

that after one of her early observations of my teaching, I was able to exude sternness and able to

control the class with convincing authority, but at the same time maintained my friendly demeanour.

Personally, I have always had a thought at the back of my mind at the first day in MRSM Kuantan that

I am no longer a student – I am a teacher and I should act like one. For instance, I have made it clear

since the very beginning that I will only answer English question – inside and outside the class, and if

they starts to speak in Malay, I will wittingly say that I am from New Zealand and I do not understand

Malay language. In turn, I believe that this professional behaviour will help me in a long run as a

teacher.

Other than that, the practicum period is an opportunity for student teachers to implement as

many ESOL activities which suits the learning. However, bear in mind that teachers should identify the

appropriate methodological approach that the learning should employ in order to draw an explicit

connection between Malaysia and New Zealand curriculum. As an example, I tried the ESOL game

called ‘Running Dictation’ in one of my class and my mentor commented my approach as she said that

it would be better if the text that was pasted at the back of the class could be duplicated more than

one copy and making the students crowd at one place to read it. She even added that it was not

appropriate for the boys and the girls to crowd at the same spot as all the students are Muslim. From

the experience, I have learned that I should have myriad of options in opting a particular teaching

method and I should provide flexibility on the respective approaches keeping in mind the educational

culture of the learners.

In conclusion, the two advices discussed above provide pointers as a preparation for the new

student teachers. To recapitulate, the aspiring teacher must possess a professional demeanour and

identify the most effective and appropriate methodological approaches in order to bridge Malaysia

and New Zealand curriculum. Most importantly, the ability to reflect on each lesson, with the help of

your respective mentors, is crucial to keep you going. Last words from me, the three-months of

practicum experience have been an enriching experience for me – I have learned a lot from the

teachers and the students. I wish the same for you. All the best!

Best regards,Mr. Asri.

REFERENCE

Blanton, W.E., Wood, K.D., & Moorman, G.B. (1990). The role of purpose in reading instruction. The

Reading Teacher, 43, 486–493.

Bryson, C & Hand, L (2007) The Role of Engagement in Inspring Teaching and Learning. Innovations in

Education and Teaching International, 44 (4), 4-14

Gurney, P. (2004). Five factors for effective teaching. New Zealand Journal of Teachers Work, 1 (3),

89-98.

Hui, L. (1997). New bottles, old wine: Communicative Language Teaching in China. Forum, 35 (4), 38-

44

Kepner, C. G. (1991). An experiment in the relationship of types of written feedback to the

development of second language writing skills, Modern Language Journal, 75, (pp.305-313)

McGee, C., & Fraser, D. (Eds.) (2012). The. Professional Practice of Teaching (4th. Edition). South

Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.

Nation, I.S.P. and Newton, J. (2009) Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. New York: Routledge.

Nunan, D. & Lamb, C. (1996). Affective issues in the language classroom: The self-directed teacher.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Pollard, A. (2002) Readings for Reflective Teaching. London: Continuum.

Schmitt, N., Jiang, X., & Grabe, W. (2011). The Percentage of Words Known in a Text and

Reading Comprehension. The Modern Language Journal. 95(I), 26-43.

Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practioner: Towards a new design for teaching and

learning in the profession. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Thaine C. (2010). Teacher Training Essentials: Workshops for Professional Development. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

APPENDICES

Reflective writing for the Portfolio - Blogging

Week : 1 (27th to 31st July 2015)

Mentor’s name : Miss Wan Shahriza Wan Ab. Rahman

On the first day of my practicum, I received a warm welcome by the school as they were

organising Eid Celebration. My mentor showed me around the college, introduced me to other

teachers from various departments as well as the acting principal. My first impression on the teachers

in MRSM Kuantan was how united and close the relationship between one teacher to another. They

were very friendly and even the staffs were very nice towards us. I would like to add that the quarters

provided to us here were very comfortable, fully-furnished and cosy enough for us to live for another

three months. That showed the hospitality that we received here.

For the teaching observation, I took some notes on important learning and classroom

routines. From my initial observation (for the first two classes that I attend), I would say that I am

impressed with the way the teacher give her instructions. For instance, the teacher gives plenty of

time for the students to complete the task. When a lesson ends, she will summarize what have been

learned. She also gave an insight of what will happen or what is the follow-up activity for the next

class, just so that the students prepared – which for me is a great technique. I was assigned to teach

4C as my homeclass, so I took a chance on Thursday to do an ice-breaking session with the class. I

must say that it was a wonderful session and I fall in love with the students instantly. I asked my

mentor to observe my session with class and intentionally asked her to write up an evaluation on my

teaching, just for my own progress. Thankfully, I got a favourable review from her, quoting that I

‘showed a great confidence and easily made a rapport with students. He displayed warmth and

openness, creating a very relaxed and non-threatening class environment to the students’. I realised

that I still have lots of things to improve, yet I think it’s a good start for me. Along the week, I had a

chance to mark objective question papers for Form 4 students, to observe students taking

examinations at the hall and have my own chair and a table in the teachers’ room. It’s an authentic

teacher experience!

I have attached the lesson plan together with my mentor’s evaluation.

Curriculum Area: English (The Detectives) Class: 4 Cemerlang Date of Lesson: 30/07/2015Number of Students: 23 Duration of Lesson: 35 Minutes

Purpose of Lesson:Ice breaking activity between teacher and students – Speaking activity

Context: SpeakingTopic: The Detectives

Key Competencies: Thinking Participation Contribution

Malaysian Curriculum – Learning Outcomes and Specifications: Language for Interpersonal Use

- Talking about oneself to others, sharing information about each other that is of interest to bothparties.

- Responding to questions politely by giving the required information- Exchanging ideas, information and opinions on topics of interest- Relating personal experiences

Lesson Plan What is the student doing?

Introduction:1. Discuss the learning intentions2. Pre-activity: Teacher introduces himself and

asks students to prepare questions for him toanswer.- Where are you from?- The name of the course that you took in

New Zealand?

Students co-construct LI (if needed). Students prepare the questions to ask to

the teacher.

Body:1. Introduce the rules of the game : The

Detective2. Rules:

- Pick a name from a bowl, ask the studentsto keep the name to himself, avoidshowing the name to others.

- Write three unique characteristics of thename (3 minutes)

- Stand up and share the characteristic ofthat person. Other students will guess thename of the person.

Students follow the instructions

Conclusion:1. Check the learning intentions and success

criteria2. Discussion: ask questions such as:

- What do you think about the game?(Interesting?)

- What do you think the moral value of thegame?

Think, share, and discuss the moral valuefrom the game.

Linking learning with the learningintention and identify if they weresuccessful in learning the intention of thelesson.

Reflective writing for the Portfolio - Blogging

Week : 2 (3th to 7th July 2015)

Mentor’s name : Miss Wan Shahriza Wan Ab. Rahman

For this week, I am super stoked to teach in my home class. After a quick discussion with

my mentor, I have decided to follow the college’s scheme of work for my lesson this week, which is

‘descriptive writing’. In preparing for the lesson, I did quite bit of research on how to teach this type

of continuous writing effectively. Hence, I have decided to mash up different fun activities in the class

to make the class more fun and lively. For the pre-activity, I decided to include some interesting

example of a usual essay and compare them to a well-written descriptive essay for the students to

compare the use of adjectives and vocabulary in both essays. As mostly the descriptive essays are a

bit personal as it involves prior experience of a person, I had written my own experience about my

father’s last word before he passed away four years ago (see next page). As I knew the students quite

well, one of the students was facing similar experience as his father passed away two years ago. I

thought this might be beneficial for him in order to cope with the difficult situation. Lastly, I also

included a scene from How I Met Your Mother sitcom at the end. That scene in particular is about

Marshall whose facing a hard time to hear his father’s last word. I thought it would be nice to end the

class on a lighter note. Other than that, I also involved in selecting the new member of ‘English

Motivation Club’ in this MRSM. It was a good experience to see some of bright students with fluent

English and very eager to help others with their English. That’s all from me this week. Thanks.

The Last Lines

In the days and weeks following my Dad’s death, countless people told me “it will get easier.” Now,

after four years, I can say that yes, in some ways it has. Bak’s death is no longer one of the first things

I remind myself of when I wake up, nor is it the last thing I think about before I fall asleep, as it no

longer consumes me. But, even though it has been four years, I still miss him. I remember vividly the

day that he came home from the hospital for the last time. He had been sick with Parkinson for about

a year, and he had defied impossible odds time and time again. I spent the next three days with my

father trying to pretend that he wasn’t dying and enjoying the time with him. I watched him get worse

and worse, and on the third day he did not have the energy to eat or talk; he mostly just slept. In the

evening his breathing became labored, he was fighting to live, but this was one battle he was not going

to win. I sat next to him and slowly uttered “Bak, I am going to London. Would you allow me to study

abroad?”. With sad eyes he mumbled “Belajo molek. Study well”. Alhamdulillah that night I got his

blessed. The next morning, his breathing slowed and finally, it stopped. He stopped fighting and

became calm and peaceful. His life had sailed off into the distance. I knew this day was coming, but I

was not ready. I had steeled myself in anticipation for this moment, but my preparation was no match

for the reality of his death. He was never coming back; he was gone forever. My muscles screamed in

agony, my lungs were on fire, and my vision was foggy from my eyes being soaked with tears. And yet

that pain was nothing. He wouldn’t be at my wedding; he wouldn’t teach me how to recite my akad

and be my wali, he wouldn’t see me graduation in New Zealand. He was nothing more than a memory.

My soul was torn asunder and no amount of physical pain could make the emotional agony any less

excruciating. I feel numbed.

Curriculum Area: English (Summary) Class: 4 Cemerlang Date of Lesson: 12/10/2015

Number of Students: 23 Duration of Lesson: 70 Minutes

Context: Writing

Topic: Creative Writing

Techniques: Reading, Creative Writing, Scaffolding.

Values: Aesthetic Value, Critical & Analytical

Learning Intention:

- Students will be able to practice paraphrasing through creative writing.

- Students will be able to reproduce from an original text to a more simplified writing, from one

genre to another.

- Students will be able to evaluate the way the main ideas being presented, paraphrasing techniques

and determine what information should be excluded.

Malaysian Curriculum – Learning Outcomes and Specifications (Form 4 Curriculum):

Language for Aesthetic Use

- Listen to, read, view, and respond to literary works by understanding and telling in one’s own

words the story heard and read, and giving one’s own opinion of the text.

- The use of sounds, music in recitation will be especially beneficial to learners with a learning

towards musical and kinesthetic intelligence.

- Expressing themselves creatively and imaginatively by retelling a story from a different point of

view, and presenting it in another genre.

Lesson Plan What is the student doing?

Introduction (20 minutes)

1. Greetings and prayer. Introduce Dr. Jonathan

Newton to the class.

2. T explain the Learning Intention of the lesson.

3. Begin with a brief discussion of introduction

to summary is and its purpose. (Recap from

previous lesson by using PowerPoint slides).

[5 minutes]

- T remind Ss of the BRIEF technique. (Box,

Read, Identify, Extract, Finalise)

Ss will greet T and Dr. Jonathan and recite

prayer.

Students co-construct LI (if needed).

Ss take out the handouts (Introduction to

Summary Writing)

Ss will recall the BRIEF technique and the

allocation of marks for summary writing

according to the SPM Format.

- T remind Ss on the allocation of marks for

summary writing.

- (Content – 10 marks, Style – 5 marks)

- Ask students to take out the handouts from

previous class (Introduction to Summary

Writing)

- T will ask Ss some questions to check their

understanding.

Prompt questions: How to distinguish

between important and unimportant details?

4. Activity 1 [15 minutes]

- Objective of the activity:

The purpose of this activity is the preparation

for the main activity of the class (Creative

writing). T will present a sample of a passage

and a song which was based on the story

from the passage.

- Ss will read the love story of Joni and Jimmy

without the ending.

- T will ask Ss to guess the ending of their love

story.

- Ss will listen to the song ‘Don’t Cry, Joni’ song

from Conway Twitty featuring Joni Lee. Ss will

check the ending according to the song’s lyric.

- T will ask Ss to reflect on the activity.

Prompt questions: What you have learned

from the activity? Did the song change the

meaning of the passage?

Ss will take an active role in answering

questions to make sure they ensure

comprehension.

Ss will listen to the instruction and ready

to restate the instruction if needed.

Ss will read the passage about Joni and

Jimmy.

Ss guess the ending of the love story. This

will help on their prediction skills.

Next, Ss will identify the link between the

passage and the song.

Body (45 minutes):

3. Paraphrasing writing exercise – Creative

Writing.

- T will divide the class into five groups via

Random Group Generator.

- T will disseminate the Cinderella story.

- Ss will work in their group to turn the passage

to a song lyric. Each group will choose a song

and they have to change the lyrics of the song

in accordance to the story.

- Each group will perform the song to the class.

4. Discuss the purpose of the activity.

- Prompt questions: What have they learned

from the activity?

Ss will listen to the instruction of the

activity – Creative Writing.

Read the passage. This is to ensure Ss

understand the story.

Ss will work in the same group to decide

on a song and change the lyrics.

Perform the song to the class.

Ss will take an active role in answering

questions to make sure they ensure

comprehension.

Ss ask question if unclear.

Conclusion (5 minutes):

3. Sums up the lesson. Teacher relates the

activity with the learning intention.

4. Teacher reflects on the students’ learning.

“What have you learned today?”

“Are you ready for the upcoming exam in two

weeks’ time?”

5. Check the learning intentions and success

criteria.

Linking learning with the learning

intention and identify if they were

successful in learning the intention of the

lesson.