Everybody is a genius

Source: Educational Technology

Village Sunset and Morning Birdsong

Many thanks to Russell at The Camel Saloon for propping my poem up at the bar.


Please drop by to have a read

http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/village-sunset-and-morning-birdsong.html

 

 

 

While we're here...

My friend wrote this post. I read it with glee. Please take some time to have a browse.

http://poodwidgeonpaddy.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/an-apology-to-womens-magazines/

Limbo

First, an apology. I've been having serious internet issues. As a result I've been fairly absent from this blog and Twitter and everywhere. Every time I do get to connect (usually via the phone), I realise that I'm missing so much.

Anywho, for the moment- I'm back.

These two weeks where we're not in school are weird. We still have to attend uni, but we have Friday and sometimes Thursday off. I genuinely don't know what to do with myself on these days. Sure, I know I have things to do, but having so much time is a strange concept to me now.

The days off haven't been entirely wasted- I have started writing again. Not having the time or energy to write has been frustrating me during the placement. It's a balance I need to find in my second school.

This week we went to a different school for a media conference. The school wasn't what I expected, and the staff (I think) thought we knew more about media than what we actually did. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the three days- even if some of language went straight over my head (I genuinely thought an "ident" was typo. It's not.) I started generating ideas as to how I could incorporate some of the media methods and features into my English classroom. If that's all I take away from it, that's fine by me.

Next week we'll be developing ideas for a language conference which we're delivering. Considering we have one language expert in the group and we've had one session about English Language, this should be interesting. I like the "expanding my subject knowledge" part of this course though. It's nice to know I'm still learning and to be actively participating in my learning.

And, on Thursday, I'll visit my second school. I still haven't quite figured out how to get there. Test run tomorrow, I think.

Success

Each year the University sends 6 students to teach in the Netherlands. The selection is based on school performance and essay grades.

I found out this week that I've been selected.

It's been kept from the internet in general because there are others on the course who want to go, and are understandably gutted about not getting a place.

But, I fancy a quiet celebration. So it's here!

Less than a month and we'll be off to the Netherlands.

I cannot wait!

Independent thinking

The question of independent thinking is one which has been bugging me over the past few weeks.

One of the feedbacks I received from a lesson observation included the suggestion that I was expecting the students to work too independently.

However, from other observations, it seems that the general consensus is to spoon feed and coax the students through their course; rather than to encourage them to think independently.

Now I'm new to this, and I was in a school that was completely different from my own educational upbringing (inner city comprehensive vs. rural grammar); but not encouraging independent thinking does not sit well with me.

I had both low ability and mixed ability classes; and I developed differentiation strategies in an attempt to meet the needs of all the students in my classes. Yet, it was the approaches which asked students to think for themselves which received the most criticism.

I'm certainly not saying that I went into classes and said, "today we're learning this. Off you go." My lessons did have structure, and modelled answers and whole class discussions before starting tasks. But I'm still (apparently) expecting the students to think too independently.

So, really, I guess, I'm wondering, how much is too much  independence when it comes to learning? Is the general consensus now to give the students the answers and ask them to match them to the questions? At some stages this is what it feels like I'm doing.

The middle

This must be about the halfway point.

Yesterday, I finished TP1. This weekend is one of reflection and tidying the flat.

I have learnt so much during my time at school. I've finally landed on the side of 'I'm not ready to leave', although I can see quite clearly the areas I need to focus on in my second school.

I can't believe how much I've learnt in the time I've been there: planning lessons in a sequence; differentiating resources; developing relationships with classes and colleagues; relaxing around my classes and having a bit of fun; a variety of behaviour management techniques; that I sound like a complete tit when I shout, but tapping a pencil against a mug works wonders for bringing a class to order; mark schemes and how difficult they are to understand; how easy it is to be ridiculously tired on a Monday and how Tuesday drags on and on and on and on- no matter how much cake is available!

I don't quite know how I've managed to plan and resource all my lessons on time and write two decent assignments, or how I've upped my game to be succeeding at Masters level, but I'm doing it!

In my head, real questions about teaching (which I'll save for another post) have arisen. I am so pleased that I'm questioning and not just blindly accepting that this is the way. I've always been a bit rubbish at questioning.

I'm pleased that I'm naturally evaluating lessons, and in terms of 'what could I have done to make that better/work/smoother?' I'm really pleased that when things don't work out, I go into evaluation mode rather than get upset about making mistakes.

I am incredibly grateful to all the staff at my first school. It's been great to sit and voice my confusion about something and have someone there to offer a different angle of looking at it.

I love that not only have I been learning to be a teacher, but also I've been expanding my knowledge about texts and structures. I've been thrown into teaching areas which I'd identified as weaknesses and texts I'd never read, and it's been fantastic. My confidence has definitely increased.

I am going to miss the people and the kids. However, I have to move on; and I know at my next school I'll  be doing more teaching and I'll be expecting myself to step-it-up a notch.



And now, I'm going to use this in-between time to do some reading, some writing, and take a deep breath.

My Top Tips for TP1:

1. Create weekly targets and plan your lessons to try to meet these.

2. You have to laugh.