These are the memoirs from my trainee-teacher placement. You can read the context in the footer and other parts of the series here. This is part 5.
This is a blog for newly qualified teachers and those interested in what keeps teachers stuck in the classroom beyond 5 years …
Reflections Journal:
During the process of writing my second book about teacher-resilience and what keeps teachers stuck in the classroom, I have delved into my teaching practice file to rediscover my reflection journal from a 12-week teaching practice in 1996. I am reading the notes to see what issues have changed (if any) in teaching over the past 20 years. I am also keen to understand if there are any indicators in my own memoirs to suggest a certain type of character or resilience is needed for the classroom.
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4th October 1996:
This is a one day / one entry extract.
Class 7H – Periods 1+2:
Having taught this lesson yesterday, this lesson was even easier! I was even more prepared than usual; with resources and instruction. I had an excellent visual aid prepared and it came in very handy to demonstrate the principles of electrical components and their functions.
I used a technique to pull out pupils to the blackboard to point out symbols, draw and label. This created a great deal of enthusiasm and was merely down to coercion and teacher-enthusiasm.
Pupils were very helpful and were determined to finish. To be honest – I didn’t encounter any problems at all and there is no reason for me to criticise myself. All I failed to do was cope with the homework set. I failed to organise the homework set. The topic I had pre-set and organised, students had already done. So, in stepped K.R. to save the day! (Observational Scalpel?) It was very basic and simple change in instruction; something I wish I had thought of.
It reminds me how much teachers need to be able to think on their feet.
Towards the end of the lesson I made time to clear up and organise a re-cap so pupils could remember and familiarise themselves with what we had learned about components at the beginning. This proved successful and I used the blackboard and models to involve the students. Is there a need to recap on what has been learnt every lesson?
Overall, I am very happy and increasing in confidence.
End of extract.
Image: Shutterstock
Context:
These are the memoirs of my trainee-teacher placement from 1996.
This diary is taken from the 4th school that I was placed in during my 4-year BAEd Design and Technology with Secondary Education (11-18) degree at Goldsmiths College, University of London. This placement was at a comprehensive school in Hextable, near Dartford in Kent. I believe the school is now an Oasis Academy, Hextable. This was a 12-week school experience.
In my school-placement journal, there are over 20 handwritten pages that I kept as part of my teacher training. My tutor regularly asked me to write my reflections after a very long commute home. What I was totally ignorant of, was that during my 4-year teacher-training degree, I was laying the foundations for me to become a reflective teacher; something that I still (thankfully) withhold today … and also via this blog.
Contact me if you would like to read the full-digital memoirs. You can read more about my teaching memoirs in my forthcoming book, released in the autumn of 2015. Click to pre-order …
What would you say to ensure teachers stay stuck in the classroom beyond 5 years?
TT.
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