Profession Readings

Here is a list of recent books, articles and internet resources which had insightful impacts on my
professional thinking currently in my journey in the Bachelor of Education programme:

1. Danielson, Charlotte, Enhancing Professional Practice, 2nd. Edition, (2005), Alexandra, VA,
ASCD.
This book offered a structure of analysing the four Domains of teaching:
1. Planning and Preparation
2. The Classroom Environment
3. Instruction and
4. Professional Responsibilities
I was able to study each of the four domains intently and reflect on my practice. Throughout my
study, I was able to identify areas of my practice which needs improving in each of the four
domains and give myself a pat on the shoulder where necessary. It is a great reference and I am
going to share it with other teachers at my school so they too can identify their level of
performance and strive to achieve only at a distinguished level.
2. Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2015). Exceptional Learners: An

Introduction to Special Education. United States: Pearson.
This book has provided self-training for me in the study of Special Education. As teachers, we
were not trained prior to entry in the primary school system about learning disabilities, giftedness,
disorders and other special qualities children posses which qualify them to receive special
education. Having read this text, I am now better equipped to make more valuable assumptions
or have a better eye in noticing signs of an exceptional learner.
3. Davies, A. (2011). Making classroom assessment work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
This text has provided fruitful knowledge in the area of Assessment in Education. It has helped
me to identify my strengths and my weaknesses when assessing children. This book has taught
not only more about assessment but how to assess most effectively and efficiently. From a
culture of summative assessment it was an enlightenment to be exposed to more forms of
formative assessment.
4. Gregory, K., Cameron, C., & Davies, A. (1997). Setting and using criteria: For use in middle
and secondary school classrooms. Merville, B.C.: Connections Pub.
This book has outlined a four step approach for setting criteria with students. I read this book as
a supplement to number three above as I found that this is what was lacking in my practice. The
four step approach includes:
1. Brainstorm
2. Sort and categorise
3. Make and post a T-chart
4. Add, revise and refine
This reading has encouraged me more to involve my students in setting the criteria. Once they
help set the criteria and meet the requirements it has proven in my classroom to have successful
results.
5. Gregory, K., Cameron, C., & Davies, A. (2000). Self-assessment and goal-setting: For use
in middle and secondary school classrooms. Melville, B.C.: Connections.
This text has provided me with a new method of assessment in my classroom, self assessment. I
have always devalued the use of self assessment as I thought that it would have dishonest or
immeasurable results. Having studied this text, I have learnt that self assessment is a crucial tool
in assessing students performance. Self assessment supports both teacher and student learning.
Once goals have been set, this makes it easy for students to give themselves specific, descriptive
feedback which is essential for learning.
6. Gregory, K., Cameron, C., & Davies, A. (2011). Conferencing and reporting: Knowing
what counts. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
This book has taught me great insights about how to take full advantage of involving students in
telling the story of their own growth then reporting to others about their achievement status with
evident to back up their claims. Conferencing and Reporting provides practical strategies for
encouraging students as partners in initiating and conducting conversations about their learning
and conferencing with others about their learning success whereby they become partners in
telling their own story.
7. Bristol, L. S. (2012). Plantation pedagogy: A postcolonial and global perspective. New

York: P. Lang.
One of the first books I have read as a teacher. It provides a discourse which extends and
highlights the limitations of current neo-liberal and global rationalizations of the challenges posed
to a teachers practice. Plantation pedagogy identifies how culture and history become the
mechanisms for teaching, educational research, and social transformation. As a teacher in
Trinidad, I can sympathise with Bristol and could have related some issues which she identifies in
the text. It gives a greater understanding of the teacher and the child when in proactice. For
example, why tell a five year old to stand at attention during the National Anthem? This child is
being forced to stand still and say words which are meaningless to him at the time but yet he is
forced by the system to do the right thing.
8. Mindfulness In Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved May 03, 2016, from

https://mindfulnessinschools.org/mindfulness/
I have recently learnt about mindfulness in Inclusive Education and I have discovered some
very interesting facts about mindfulness. This article highlights how mindfulness can benefit
both the teacher and the student in the classroom. As a teacher, I wanted to get to the bottom
of the reason why students lose focus and cannot concentrate in the classroom. The article
focuses on
a.
b.
c.
d.
What is mindfulness
Brain imaging studies
What is the point of mindfulness
How do people learn mindfulness
I have used What is the point of mindfulness most here. When I carried out a practical
exercise of mindfulness, students were noticeably calmer, performed better and learning was
more effective.
9. Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (n.d). ADD / ADHD in Children. Retrieved May 02,
2016, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/attention-deficit-disorder-adhdin-children.htm
This article helped me discover facts I did not know about children with Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I knew little about
the disorders, for instance, students who cannot sit still, dont follow instructions, very smart
in what they have a passion for but uninterested in everything else. I saw the need to educate
myself on the disorder as it would be an advantage to have the proper knowledge rather than
uncertainties. The article helped me separate myths form facts, list the primary
characteristics, symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, parenting and school tips.
This framework gave me a basic understanding of the disorders and is a stepping stone onto
discovering more about other disorders and disabilities children possess so I can be better
prepared to teach them.
10. Guskey, T. R. (September 2013). The case against percentage grades. Educational
Leadership, 68-72.
As part of Assessment in Education, I was fortunate to stumble upon this article. From
teaching in a culture where percentages and grades are what labels a child, I found this article
very interesting. This article outlines the problems of awarding students percentages and
grades and how it affects them and provides an alternative rubric, 0-4, which can be used to
as an integer grading system. This article has changed my perception about percentages
grades to the extent that I use a rubric of 0-4 when marking students work throughout the
term, where 0 is unsatisfactory performance and 4 is a distinguished performance.
11. Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works:
Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
The authors identifies nine major strategies for the most effective learning to take place:
1. Identifying similarities and differences
2. Summarizing and note taking
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

Homework and practice
Non-linguistic representations
Cooperative learning
Setting objectives and providing feedback
Generating and testing hypotheses
Cues, questions, and advance organizers
These nine strategies have recently made my job easier, especially when it comes to note taking.
I have learnt the art of effective note taking using each of Big 9 identified. What has appealed
to me most is identifying similarities and differences between and among topic in the primary
school curriculum and being able to integrate topics quite easily, especially with the use of
graphic organisers such as a Venn Diagram.
12. Kolin, P. C. (2006). Successful writing at work. S.l.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
This text has made the teaching of English Language Arts more effective and efficient for me. It
outlines the proper structure of preparing and writing several important key documents. These
include, summaries, letters, reports, memos, resumes, proposals, designing websites, reports,
faxes and emails. I underestimated my assurance in writing several of these but this text was able
to clarify all the questions I had and saw all the flaws in my writing. My writing skills are now
much better because of the samples provided in the text.

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Here is a list of recent books, articles and internet resources which had insightful impacts on my

professional thinking currently in my journey in the Bachelor of Education programme:

2. Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2015). Exceptional Learners: An

7. Bristol, L. S. (2012). Plantation pedagogy: A postcolonial and global perspective. New

8. Mindfulness In Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved May 03, 2016, from

Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

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