1) Why do you think Kevin is teaching like this?

Kevin did not come prepared to teach this lesson based on the students background and previous knowledge. He did not know how to put the content of the lesson – The Leaf Structure – to make his students interested. He just read from the book without eye-contact. He moved forward without considering that some students were still writing and would not pay attention to him. He was not an experienced teacher. He was still learning. Maybe, the teacher he was learning under was just reading from the text – so he copied his mannerism from him in teaching the students? He probably needs to learn about Active Teaching and Learning and Inclusive Education.

I would recommend him to do this course.  

2) What do you think it would be like to be a child in his class?

The child would be a “Yes / No” student. The child would be bored. The child would only have knowledge of what he/she was able to retain and understand from reading the text. No Learning by doing. No critical thinking was taking place because the teacher was not asking the students open-ended questions.  

3) Use the minimum criteria to suggest three small changes he could make to the lesson to make learning more active?

a) Kevin should have brought different types of leaf into the classroom or took the children to the trees in the school compound and ask his students to work in pairs to identify what they had in common, thereby engaging students and relating the content of the lesson to the students’ surroundings.

b) Kevin should have moved around the room while the students were working and support individuals as needed, using this opportunity to build on the students previous knowledge.

c) Kevin should have used a Worksheet of a Diagram of the Leaf – Put students in pairs for them to label the parts and then allow the groups to come up and make a presentation by explaining the function of each part of the leaf. This would have developed the students thinking, speaking, writing and collaboration skills.