I conducted support classes for my two siblings who are currently in Grade 7 . This was done by studying their syllabus, evaluating their proficiency in Math and English through pre-assessments, designing a plan of action and using various worksheets, videos and online resources to help them improve. I also shared the resources that I made and the syllabus plans with a few other students.

Learning Outcome 5

Intitally, it was incredibly difficult for me to conduct classes effectively. I am not strict with my siblings and like to treat them as equals, not children. This made it hard for them to accept me as a teacher. They would often crack jokes or cause distractions for each other during our weekly sessions, leading to high unproductivity and unfinished agendas. This was upsetting for me since the time and energy that I invested in preparing for the sessions was giving any results. After two sessions, I decided to take help from my parents to make them cooperate. Slowly, the class time started being utilised well as they started paying more attention and putting in more effort. I understood that I had to behave in a professional and firm manner if I wanted to be in control of the flow of the sessions. This shows how taking help from my parents and slowly understanding my own mistakes helped me work better with my siblings to achieve the intended purpose.

Learning Outcome 6

I conducted a lot of sessions wherein we discussed local and global issues such as Global Warming, unemployment, inflation and its effects on the working class, etcetera. I asked a lot of prompts/questions, leading them to the root of the problems by using critical thinking to dig deeper. Along with this, we brainstormed possible solutions and debated on the same. We ended the class with upto five mutually decided small steps that we can take to make a difference. For instance, in one session we discussed how animal agriculture has a higher carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels and discussed if plant-based meat or veganism was a sustainable solution.

Learning Outcome 7

It would have been easy to distribute my past term exam and summative assessment papers to my students. However, I chose to not give them an unfair advantage. Even though it took time, I created my own resources or used ones available online (with proper citation). Additionally, I made sure to not interfere with class assignments and tests when they were being conducted in the online mode. I only discussed answers from the marking scheme, once it was shared. This was essential to provide them a good example and set a standard of strict academic honesty which is mandated by the IB.

Learner Profile:

Communicator: I learned how to use analogies, real life examples and stories to deliver conceptual clarity without watering down the concept itself. I learned to use a mix of visual, auditary and text based methods to optimise my teaching for all types of learners. Furthermore, I worked on my speaking skills such as my delivery, voice modulation and pace in order to make my presentations engaging and coherent. I also looked at non-verbal cues to understand if my students are able to comprehend my words.

Conclusion

Overall, this experience taught me a lot about reading and understanding people, analysing their current capabilities, making suitable action plans, sharing knowledge in an engaging manner and a lot more.