5 Things Every Coach Should Avoid During PLC Session

5 Things Every Coach Should Avoid During PLC.
Professional Learning Community Sessions are an integral part of the Standard Based Curriculum for Ghanaian Schools.
However, there are 5 Things, there could be more, practices that every Coach should avoid during PLC Sessions.

1. Know it all attitude.
Nobody is the sole reservoir of knowledge. We all have some idea about topic. Some may be right or wrong. But, we need to be given a chance. This will make every body to be ease and contribute to discussions on the floor.
Coaches should provide the opportunity for all participants to express their views and opinions on all issues. Wrong or Unknown answers should be handled professional to avoid ridiculing the contributor.

2. Ask Closed Ended Questions
Closed Ended Questions are questions which do not encourage others to contribute during PLC Sessions. These questions have obvious answers. However, Coaches should ask Open Ended Questions during PLC Sessions to make all participants active.

3. Choose topics that interest them.
Most Coaches would like to choose topics which interest them, so that they can deliver without any difficulty.  However, such topics may not interest the participants.  Coaches should allow all participants to identify difficult topics or concepts, so that such topics may be discussed during PLC Sessions.  This will encourage all participants to be active.

4. Always take lead during PLC Sessions
Coaches should not always lead discussions in a PLC Sessions.  They should allow other participants to take the lead and bring out their ideas. This will allow all others to contribute and participate in the session. Sometimes,  other participants may do the simulation and demonstration lessons.

5. Lead a PLC Session without preparation and planning
Most Coaches believe a PLC Session is another Staff Meeting. No. PLC Sessions are beyond Staff Meetings.  The Coach, Resource Person and others who may play some roles at PLC Session should prepare adequately before the start of the session. They should gather all information and resources before the session commences.

5 Things Every Coach Should Do During PLC Session

Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a meeting of Professional Facilitators and other educators to share and help one another, to improve teaching and learning and professionalism.
According to the Ghana Education Service, PLC should be organised once a week, preferably Wednesday, an hour before the closing time.

1. Take Records
There should be records of meeting of every PLC Session every week. This record should be kept by the Coach, CEO and the the school. The records should contain Attendance, and summary of all the issues discussed.

2. Encourage Active Participation
Most Facilitators would not talk at PLC Sessions based on the following reasons:
1. Fear of making mistakes in grammar or content.
2. Insecurity or the fear of been attack or victimized after a suggestion
3. Topics that Do not affect them directly.

It is the duty of the Coach and the CEO to solve the above problems and more to make PLC Sessions participatory.

3. Encourage participants to give Suggestions.
PLC Coaches should provide the needed environment for Facilitators to make contributions and recommendations. During every sessions, the Coach should review progress made after the last PLC Sessions. The recommendations and contributions made should be implemented to make it easy for facilitators to make more contributions. They can do this with CEOs to monitor the progress made.


4. Time Concious
PLC Sessions should not unduly delay or seem to be a time wasting exercise. Time should be given a priority during PLC Sessions.  This will motivate the facilitators like PLC Sessions.

5. Facilitators Directed Discussions
PLC Coaches should make sure they provide opportunity for facilitators to bring out what affects them directly during their teaching and learning.  Coaches may also select topics in collaboration with the Facilitators to discuss.

The Structure of the Kindergarten Curriculum

The Introduction of the New Curriculum, in Ghanaian schools have brought new dimension to teaching and learning at the Primary School and the Kindergarten.
In this discussion we will dwell on the New Kindergarten Structure.

Firstly, teaching in the KG has become interesting due to the introduction of this current curriculum.

The problem however, is most KG teachers are not aware of this or they were not adequately trained on the KG Curriculum.

First things first, the KG Curriculum is an integration of all the subjects curriculum in the primary school. A facilitator may have to look for some information in the primary school curriculum if he or she finds the one in the KG Curriculum insufficient.

The Following are the expected Pedagogies to be used in the Primary School.

1. The Thematic Approach
2. Play - based methods
3. Learner Centred Methods
4. Inquiry/Discovery Methods

For more information on the above consult the KG Resource Pack Page 20 - 25.

At the KG, the Time Table is actually a Daily Plan. This Daily Plan composed of

1. Self Registration System
2. Circle Time
3. Group Activity (Indoor/Outdoor)
4. Learning Centers
5. Story Sharing
6. Phonics Time

Self Registration
This is the system of registration where learners are allowed to register themselves in class. This system allows learners to move and participates in the class activity. It is after this that the teacher marks the register without calling names.

Circle Time
This is the time the Facilitator teaches the Lesson as is contained in the Learning Plan. Learners may sit in a circle, or Semi Circle or in a Horse Shoe formation.

Group Activity (Indoor/Outdoor)
During this period learners are put in groups to perform several activities in Numeracy, Language and Literacy,  and Creative Arts. Facilitators can do this both inside and outside the classroom.

Learning Centres
Every facilitator is expected by this curriculum to create  Learning Centres in the Classroom. A Learning Centre is a special placed dedicated in the classroom or in a special room for the purpose of teaching certain concepts or skills. So instance, you can create Home Centre, Reading Centre, Music Centre, Arts Cente, etc.

Phonics Time
This is the time the Facilitator is expected to teach Phonics. The recommended Approach so far is the Jolly Phonics Approach.
You can follow these links for more ....

You can can download resources on the Jolly Phonics by following the links......

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=come Gilberto tjolly.teachphonics.teachers

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rabie_mohamed.jolly

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=come

This means that, we need to set up our classroom to achieve such a target. This therefore means that every teacher should set up his or her classroom, so that children can learn consciously or unconciously. For inspiration on how to to set up your classroom search for  #konnectclassroom on Facebook. You can also Call or Whatsapp: 233278017492 on how to Set Up your Classroom.

Story Sharing
This is the last session of the day. The Facilitator is supposed to give short but interested stories to learners. These stories may be contained in a book, or drawn on Charts and pasted in the Classrooms. Facilitators may wear special costumes during story telling periods. These stories may be in both Ghanaian Language and English Language.

See how Teacher Gena dressed during Story Sharing...https://www.facebook.com/237442986772606/posts/685136285336605/?app=fbl

How to Set Up your Classroom?

Teaching in the 21st Century is entirely different from what we used to do. Today's classroom should be set for effective teaching and learning.
So this may require a teacher to be in a school a week or more before school resumes just to set up his or her classroom.

A well set up classroom would do among other things all the following:

1. Stimulates teaching and learning.
2. Maintains classroom discipline.
3. Encourage learners to always be in school.
4. Reduces teacher fatigue.
5. Reduces the rate at which the teacher talks.
6. Lessons are always learner - centred.

Why should a teacher Set Up His or Her Classroom?
1. Makes teaching and learning easier.
2. Encourage your learners to always be in school.
3. Maintains discipline in the classrooms.
4. Reduce teacher fatigue.
5. It makes learning Child - Centred.
6. Saves the teacher from too much talking.
7. Children learn both consciously and unconsciously.
8. Teaching resources is handy and always available for teaching and learning.
9. It prevents the teacher from abstract teaching.

Things needed to set up your classroom.
1. Old newspaper
2. Old Calendars
3. Cradboards
4. Manila Cards
5. Paper glue
6. Rice
7. Beans
8. Rice sac
9. Scissors
10. Posters
11. Toys
12. Old gadgets like radio, tv, etc
13. Old utensils
14. Poster Colours,  Crayons
15. Starch or Kooko
16. Story books

*Setting Up Your Classroom*

After successfully, getting all the materials you are ready to set up your classroom for effective teaching and learning.

Every term, your classroom setting have to different depending on which topics, skills or Concepts you will be teaching during the term or academic year.

Every Classroom Setting should have at least four Learning Centres.  Learning Centres are special rooms or dedicated places in the classroom for the purpose of teaching special concepts and skills.

Examples of Learning Centres ....

1. Home Centre
This is a Centre for the purpose of teaching home-based skills or Concepts like cooking,  cutting, chopping, peeling, mixing, etc. This place should have things like kitchen stuffs, radio, television, standing fan, etc. The place should look like a typical home. Papers can be used to make some of the materials.

2. Music Centre
This centre contains simple musical instruments like drums, flute,  xylophone, horns,  sticks, sticks, etc. Materials in the Music Centre should be capable of producing sound, rhythms, etc. Facilitators may look for local musical instruments and place them at this Centre.

3. Reading Centre
This is a Centre in the classroom for the purpose of teaching Reading. It is a mini library in the classroom or outside the classroom. This Centre should contain story books, leaflets, Old Newspaper, Calendars, posters,  magazines, story books, etc. Facilitators may also have a Video Player to show documentary or films for children, animals, people,  etc.

4. Arts Centre
This centre is designed purposely to teach Creative Arts.  It should have arts work from teachers, learners, etc. It may keep records of arts work by learners. Arts works in magazines, brochures, books, Calendars, etc may be kept in the Art Centre. Learners crafts madebfeom paper, wood, clay, etc may be placed in the Arts Centre.

5. Numeracy/Mathematics Centre
This is a Centre dedicated for the teaching of mathematics or numeracy. This Centre contain the Geoboard, ludo, Oware, Abacus, Cuisinaire Rod, Multibbased Blocks, Counters, Bundle of sticks, Charts,  etc

For inspiration on how to set up your classroom,  please search #konnectclassroom on Facebook

Activities in the Kindergarten

Date: 15th September,  2019.

Lesson 001

Topic: Activities in the KG  Dept

The break down of Activities in the KG
1. Circle Time
2. Phonics
3. Outdoor activities
4. Indoor Activities
5. Story Sharing


1. The Circle Time
This is the period the teacher teaches in the classroom, using resources,  etc. This is the subject you should teach. The lesson to be taught would be organised using the group method approach to teaching.  Children would sit in a Round Nature or Circle form.


2. Phonics Time
This is the time for teaching phonics to the children. The best Phonics Approach is The Jolly Phonics.


3. Outdoor Activities
These planned activities carried out outside the classroom. These lessons should be carried out to develop certain specialized skills in learners.


4. Indoor Activities
These are planned activities carried out inside the classroom for the children to certain special skills and concepts. Language Games,  Learning Games, Puzzles, Rhymes, etc.


5. Story Sharing
These periods are periods where the instructor gives meaningful and appropriate stories using appropriate resources.


By
AminuWrites

https://fb.com/AminuWritesAW

https://aminuwrites.blogspot.com

Call or Whatsapp:233244299706

How well do we know our learners?

The story of Fatima is a wake up call for all teachers and people who deal with children.

A girl by name Fatima went to school in the neighbouring village where she wasn't known well.

For three weeks, she came to school late and every time the teacher punished her.

On the fourth week, Fatima didn't attend school at all and many thought she had *GIVEN UP* on school due to the everyday punishment.

However, Fatima reported again on fifth week and this time she came earlier than everybody.

When the teacher came to class, Fatima was punished for not attending school the previous week but the teacher was also kind enough to commend her for coming early that day, stating that the punishments had finally yielded some results.

Just then, Fatima asked if she could say something and the teacher gave her permission.

*She started :*

_"I've been raised up by a single mother without a brother or a sister. Five weeks ago, my mother fell ill and was hospitalized. The three weeks I came late, I had to prepare something for her every morning and pass by the hospital to deliver the same. Unfortunately, mother passed away last week and that's the reason I didn't come to school. We buried her last Friday. Today I came early since I didn't have to prepare anything or even pass by the hospital. And now that she is gone, I will always be here early''_

As she sat down, no one in the whole class was able to hold their tears, the teacher was not spared either.

How well do we know our learners.  We should go beyond knowing the names of our learners. We should know their names, their parents, their local communities, their hobbies, dreams, fears,  likes and dislikes, etc.

We should go beyond the ordinary. Ordinary teachers just know their learners' name and class performance.

We all have issues that we have to deal with.  So do the children we teach.
That is why the rule of natural justice demands that we give fair hearing.  But teachers should apart from giving fair hearing, apply judgements based on compassion.


So next time your learner, misbehave, just don't start rebuking him or her, but apply compassion.


By Mohammed Aminu Mohammed
(Coach, Trainer, Teacher,  Educationist, School Administrator).
You can reach him via Call or Whatsapp: 233244299706.

https://fb.com/AminuWritesAW