Tomorrow I begin what is, technically, the first placement
of the course. I really am looking forward to spending time in a primary
school. After my week in school, I’ll be
writing a report about what I’ve observed. I have to take this with me to
registration, although I’m not sure what role it’ll play in my assessment. I’m
thinking the placement is to gain some experience of what the pupils are
learning/their learning environment immediately before starting secondary; and
that the report is to enable the university to establish my ‘base line’. That
seems logical to me, anyway. I could be completely wrong.
The university sent me a list as long as my arm (quite literally) of observation points/areas to include in the report. I have, therefore, spent the last week researching educational reviews and factual details about my placement school. I quite enjoyed reading up on the Cambridge Primary Review: it makes valid points. I’m looking forward to seeing how its findings have been incorporated in school.
Thanks to the list from the university, I’m not too concerned about what I’m going to do when I get there. And I know my role there is as an observer. What I am concerned about is how the teacher is going to feel about my presence in his/her classroom. Without meaning to be, I will be a distraction: I’ll be a new thing in the room. My intention is to help around the class as much as I can, to get involved without losing the observation focus. I know I mentioned some of this in my last post, but it’s been preying on my mind the closer I get to tomorrow. Primary school teachers, tell me if you would, how do you feel when you have an observer in your class? Would you prefer him/her to sit at the back and just observe? Or, would you rather they get involved: help you set up, interact with the pupils?
In other news: exactly two months today I will be moving to my university city. Two months and two days until the course starts. I hope I receive a book list soon. I would love to get cracking on the selected texts.
The university sent me a list as long as my arm (quite literally) of observation points/areas to include in the report. I have, therefore, spent the last week researching educational reviews and factual details about my placement school. I quite enjoyed reading up on the Cambridge Primary Review: it makes valid points. I’m looking forward to seeing how its findings have been incorporated in school.
Thanks to the list from the university, I’m not too concerned about what I’m going to do when I get there. And I know my role there is as an observer. What I am concerned about is how the teacher is going to feel about my presence in his/her classroom. Without meaning to be, I will be a distraction: I’ll be a new thing in the room. My intention is to help around the class as much as I can, to get involved without losing the observation focus. I know I mentioned some of this in my last post, but it’s been preying on my mind the closer I get to tomorrow. Primary school teachers, tell me if you would, how do you feel when you have an observer in your class? Would you prefer him/her to sit at the back and just observe? Or, would you rather they get involved: help you set up, interact with the pupils?
In other news: exactly two months today I will be moving to my university city. Two months and two days until the course starts. I hope I receive a book list soon. I would love to get cracking on the selected texts.
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