SCHOOL EXPERIENCE REPORT

SECTION A
STUDENT AND SCHOOL PARTICULARS
STUDENT NAME: JUSTINE KADZOMBE

REGISTRATION NUMBER: BE/SCI/228/21

SUBJECT COMBINATION: MATHEMATICS & PHYSICS

PROGRAMME OF STUDY: BACHELORS OF EDUCTION SCIENCES SECONDARY

SCHOOL NAME: KATAMBA C. D. S. S.

DISTRICT: ZOMBA RURAL

Katamba Community Day secondary school as a public institution held it's assemblies every two
weeks that is chaired by the teacher's on duty. Having one stream all the students gather at
assembly line for school updates on several issues concerning their school setting such as school
fees, sports and holidays mid-tem texts. Office and classes are opened by the teacher on duty in
the given week as outlined on the weekly duty roster.

Discipline Issues

To maintain law and order, discipline has to be maintained and monitored so that the school
administration and management become easier hence smooth running of the Katamba institution.
The school drew up some rules and regulations. When learners break rules of the school they
were given punishments such as sweeping around school campus, mopping classrooms. The
school committee also follows stages in order to collect the deviant behavior being encountered
al the school. The indiscipline cases calls for attention and collection of such behaviors.
Punishment is given if and only if the student fails to do as said by the disciplinary committee.
The given punishment will help to change an individual character, brings moral lesson and help
in maintain a good relationship between teachers and their students.

Staff Member's Interaction

School as a social organization its members thus teachers work together in a coordinated manner
in order to achieve a common goal. Teachers plan, coordinate, encourage and help one another
where necessary so that school management thus academically is highly achieved and through
positive and reinforcement they work together and help in moving towards the school goal. Staff
members also coordinate and discuss different challenges they encounter during lesson delivery
and how they can overcome such challenges.

School Cleanliness

Katamba Community Day Secondary School being a public institution there's still a need to be
clean so that it doesn't affect individual's health. The school has a prefect structure chaired by the
head boy and head girl with the prefect team that help the administration in cleaning the
environment. The classrooms are swept and mopped by students on duty roster while the
surrounding is cleaned by those not working in the classroom. Some students slash the ground.
Lesson Commencement

Before the lesson delivery, teachers plan and prepare for the lessons to be taught to the students.
The Deputy Head Teacher checks and signs for the planned lesson plans of the teachers. It is
quite different from primary schools; Secondary teachers were given lesson plan books which
they fill in the topic they want to teach at that particular time.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The school performs sports as part of its management. Katamba engages in football and netball
games during friendly and competition matches that are conducted either inter classes or inter
schools games. These extra-curricular activities enhance social interaction, leadership skills since
team captain and vices are selected to help in running the teams.

SECTION: C

I write to report on the two weeks' observation period that I was conducting at Katarnba
Community Day Secondary school with the help of a mentor teacher. The report will be based on
lesson planning and preparation, lesson presentation, class management, challenges encountered
during lesson delivery and the efforts taken in order to overcome the challenges.

Lesson planning and preparation was among one of the key aspect to be observed during the
observation period. I noted that mentor teacher looked into account the factors that facilitate
learner understanding of the concept. The mentor teacher prepared the lesson depending on the
learner understanding of the concept, class ability, age, time and number of periods per week the
subject possess. The class ability influenced much on the lesson preparation since other students
are recognized as slow learners while others are fast learners hence need to look into account of
these both kinds of students. In Agriculture, the mentor teacher looked much on the season thus
time. Since seen is believing, students understood more when they have physical contact with
what is being taught hence other topics had to follow the season Malawi experiences. For
example, the topic of planting materials was done during rainfall time with an aim of helping
much the students to relate with what their parents and the students themselves are doing in their
respective homes, hence having background knowledge on what is being taught. Upon looking
into these mentioned factors the mentor teacher had then to prepare the lesson to be presented to
the students.
Upon planning and preparation of the intended lessons, the mentor teacher then had to present
the prepared lesson. Before the lesson the teacher great the learners, then introduced the lesson
by asking students to explain what they did in the previous lesson thus in agriculture. The teacher
use gender sensitive to truck learners if they understood the lesson. Teachers also use both
simple and challenging questions when asking learners to measure their ability. This helped
much since it brought interest to the subject and the students became active. Then thereafter, the
mentor teacher grouped the class into groups and asks the students to answer questions in their
respective groups. The students then made presentations from what they had discussed in their
groups by choosing an individual who could read and present what they had discussed. After the
presentations of each and every group the teacher asked the other groups to clap hands and even
pay hand flowers as a matter of appreciating what they did. Furthermore, the teacher then gave a
clear picture of what the discussion was supposed to give thus consolidating the student’s ideas
and wrote the points on board. As the lesson was coming to an end, the mentor teacher then
concluded the lesson by shading more right on the main points of the taught lesson and gave
work that was marked later: the class monitor collected the text books and brought them to the
teacher's office ready for marking.

There are a number of methodologies that mentor teachers use in class management in order to
enhance learning. One of the methods that came across is sitting plan arrangement. The mentor
teacher had put both a girl and a hoy on each and every desk in the whole classroom. This was so
because to increase students' interaction and reduce shyness mostly to a girl child. Another class
management act that came across is how to silence noise. The mentor teacher established firm
control in order to curb noise by reducing environment barriers, facing students when teaching,
varying teaching methods to cater for all students whether slow or fast students.

Some mentor teaches has several challenges during lesson delivery and put efforts that were used
to deal with the challenges encountered. The challenges encountered are shortage resources,
large classroom, and clarification of some words. These problems have an impact on low of
lesson hence a teacher find it difficult to cover a lot of intended work. Since these challenges are
unhealthy as teaching and learning is concerned, a teacher then come out with healthy thoughts
for success of the entire class hence overcoming the challenges. The efforts put in place were
using the available books more effectively by putting the students into groups so that
management is made possible, using different approaches during teaching in order to meet to
needs of every individual in the classroom such as group discussion, during group discussion
students that are brilliant help others that find difficulties. On the issue of special needs, the
mentor teacher had to prepare in advance a lesson that carters all the students being taught so that
come in line with what was prepared and some students that do not find difficulties they help the
one in needs On pronunciation the mentor teacher the pronounced the difficult words repeatedly
and wrote them on chalk board.

Lastly I really appreciate the strategies and aspects used by mentor teachers as they have put
inspiration and the lesson preparation and planning, lesson presentation, class management,
challenges and efforts taken to curb the anticipated have paved the way for success as a result of
the confidence I had experienced on teacher.
 SECTION: D

Success Encountered

During the entire observation period I have leant that to teach logically there is need of
preparation. So I have seen teachers well prepared and teaching logically. I have seen teachers
presenting well giving relevant examples so learners were able to grasp the knowledge easily.

During lesson presentation I learnt that we have to be friendly to the students but not too. Being
friendly to students, it leads to good interaction between teachers and students. Good interaction
between teachers and students lead to good lesson delivery. The students can be able to follow
the lesson easily and the teacher can easily control the learners since he or she knows the
Learners very well

Lastly I also learnt that for effective teaching process, feedback has to be given to learners so that
effective learning is achieved. Students answered the paused questions and some students asked
for revisiting some areas that they were not comfortable. The mentor teacher set exercises:
homework and group work in order to know where the students are still behind or did not
understood clearly.

Challenge Encountered

The challenges encountered during observation period are late coming of students in class.
Students come late to start their lessons and after break times as well. This affects the progress of
lessons. For the students to sail in the same boat the mentor teacher had to restart from what was
to be covered of which delays lesson since the students who came early though not handful had
already learnt part of the lesson before those coming late joins in.

Another challenge that was encountered was abusive language used by some learners. Some
learners use abusive language towards us the student teacher and others wants us to get out from
their classrooms. In addition to that some abusive language used by leaners was due to failure of
the some teachers to control their learners.

Last challenge l encountered was refusal of some teachers to observe their lessons. Some mentor
teachers did not allow us (student teachers) to observe their lesson because of unknown reasons.
Some of them were due to lack of preparation and others thought that we were sent by
supervisors and our aim is to truck them how they perform at the ground.
Success for the visit

The visit to the school encouraged some learners to work hard so that at the end of the day they
become successful. The head teacher gave me some space to talk to the students and on how they
can improve their academics and the goodness of following the rules and regulations of the
school.

SECTION E: RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COLLEGE

1. Increasing observation period

Through increasing the observation period student teachers will acquire more knowledge through
physical contact and exposure with the school environment.

In addition to increasing knowledge, increasing the observation period, schools with low teacher
learner ratio will get assisted by the sent students. These students engage themselves in teaching
in these schools hence both school and the student teacher will be benefited.

2 Allowance to the students

Allowances will help in searching for more information that in turn will help much in teaching
the students. Some schools have inadequate resources hence they will use the given allowances
in searching for more information on internet thereby helping in removing misconceptions
students may have on some areas as school is concerned.

Allowances will be a relief during observation period. Some individuals feel like providing
money to individuals on holiday it wasting of money. So providing money during observation
period they like its a burden. This affects individual’s attitude, concentration and interest during
the observation period. Some individuals are in a far distances to reach schools that seems to be
near their residences. So giving allowances will be a relief since they can use that money for
traveling to the chosen school

3. Allow or recommend the student teachers to teach during observation period.

Allowing student teachers to teach will help them to gain some skills. In fact the student teachers
will gain more experience that can help them during micro teaching and teaching practice.
Allowing students teachers to teach will also help to remove some fears so in turn will become
good teachers that can deliver lesson easily during micro teaching and teaching practice.
SECTION F WHOLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE GENERAL COMMENTS

School has structure that is headed by the head teacher followed by the deputy head teacher,
section heads, class teacher, Parents Teacher Association (PTA), Students council and the
students as whole.

The head teacher is there to administrate and manage the school with the help of the deputy head
teacher and the entire staff. The staff members are there to help in administering and moulding
since their positive actions when combined with positive thinking results in success.