Buildng Confidence across English and Maths

Today, I observed Mikayla working with her student, John, across both Mathemaics and English. They began the lesson by focusing on long multiplication, specifically mutipliying three-digit numbers by two-digit numbers. Mikayla introduced the area model, where the student broke down each question according to it place value and calculated each section separately. This gave the student a clear way to visualise the multiplication process and strengthened their understanding of place value.

Mikayla worked through multiple examples with John and encouraged him to explain his thinking as he moved through the questions. When John made a mistake or was unsure, she used questions and prompts to help him identiify where he went wrong, rather than providing the anwer. She also reinforced the importance of stting out calculations clearly and checking working, particularly when dealing with larger numbers.

Later in the lesson, they moved on to English, and worked through comprehension questionsbased on a prscribed book he is currently studying in class. Mikayla encouraged him to look closely at the text when answering questions and to support their responses with relevant inforation, rather than giving short of vague answers. They discussed the questions together, with Mikayla providing guidance when needed, while still allowing John to develop his own responses.

It was effective to observe how Mikayla adjusted her teaching approach between both subjects. In Maths there was a strong focus on breaking down a process and practising it step by step, whie the English component required the student to think more deeply and the text and communicate their thoughts clearly.

Overall, this session was well balanced and gave John the opportunity strengthen his skills across both subjects. Mikyla maintained a supportive environment throughout and encouraged John to work indepedently, while steppng in with guidance when necessary.