February 2010 - Posts
Blog 7
A SUPER WEEK (LEVEL 2). GREAT 1ST OBSERVATION FROM UNI, ASSESSOR TOLD ME ‘I’VE GOT THE POTENTIAL TOP BE A SUPER TEACHER’.
Monday 8TH February 2010 – Thursday 11th February 2010 Week six.
After last week’s disappointing week, this week was a much better week. With me being put into another group for Wednesdays lesson with that teacher was a relief. However this week was all about me and my teaching, as on Tuesday I was observed for the 2nd time this year and first one from University. The lesson went really well,
playing an interactive who wants to be a millionaire game! So really pleased and had really positive feedback off assessor. Mind the experience took it out of me. I’ve just
finished for the term now and will be happy to have a break. However i’ve got plent to get on with over the half term lesson plans etc. This week I met my evening group
(mature students) and wow what a contrast to the normal 16+ group. I recommend anyone if they get an opportunity take up the chance to teach mature students, it
was pleasure. This week also I got my confident with using the interactive whiteboard. Also done marking this week, I praised all work however some work I had in was
shocking but I need to learn how to quantify my marking for example, comments like o-k, good, outstanding etc . All in all a really positive week, the head of department
want to observe me teaching on the 1st March so another big day for me coming up, that will be my 3rd Observation then. Well its half term now, hope to relax and come
back refreshed after the little break. Bring on the next chapter in my teaching practice career!
Blog 6
A SHATTERING WEDNESDAY (CONFIDENCE KNOCKED AND ASSESSMENT NEXT WEEK, CAN I TURN IT AROUND?
Monday 1ST February 2010 – Thursday 4th February 2010 Week five.
Monday 1st February 2010
Smiley Faces Day
Today was a productive day, with 3 hours of teaching completed on this day. The first lesson I taught today was unbalanced and balanced diets and the lesson went well. However, I didn’t have enough time to complete the lesson as 50 minutes is not long enough, so the lesson will continue next week. I did note that down on my lesson plan,that the lesson would go over to next week. In relation to class management I made it clear after I saw someone with their mobile phone out, that this is not allowed in my class. I did tell her that ‘I do apologise that I didn’t inform you at the beginning of class you are to turn your phone on silent’. I also put the PowerPoint slides on the college moodle system; students can download this from the internet. One student said ‘That’s amazing no other teacher bothers to do this!’. I did that straight away today. In the afternoon I had my Level 2 Health and Social Care, and found out today that the girl who has been naughty in this group has been suspended, so that was a bit of a shock to me, as she seemed to be getting better. This group I feel, I am slowly turning around. It was a lesson which went really well, with me giving them a student handbook I designed myself, and set them homework. All the class seemed to be interested in the lesson. The lesson was on the Data Protection Act and Human Rights Act. I had my smiley faces sticker book and gave all students a smiley face. I even put one on my tie. It will be interesting to see out of the 10 students who were set homework, how many will hand the work in next week to me? This lesson will go into the further four lesson plans we have to do for our teaching portfolio. So, overall, smileys face today.
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Another busy day today. With my main group back off block work placement they had a lecture on environmental factors affecting health. The lesson went well. There were a few class management issues such as students talking when I talked, on three occasions I had to explain to them this is not acceptable. Some students came late off their break, I carried on without them as I felt it was not appropriate to wait. They did apologise; however maybe I will explain at next week’s lesson, 10 minute break not 15 minute break. A lot of the students were moaning about me uploading stuff on to moodle. However I stood my ground and told them that they will have to upload all PowerPoint slides themselves, I could print them but this is time consuming for myself, and students need to get to use to this type of system. However I will find out 2mrow if anyone has accessed this facility. I’ve got so much prep work to do 2night, I’ve got the equal opportunity class 2mrow. The one I had two weeks in which the lecturer gave me some criticisms, so 2mrow is going to be a difficult day. However I must show my character and show confidence, take advice but learn and reflect. This is what I’m going to do 2mrow.
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
A rainy day
Today was the day I was not looking forward to. I had the lesson in which the woman sits in on me, the one who sat in with me a couple of weeks ago, let’s just remind ourselves of what happened last time ‘“There were loads of spelling mistakes on PowerPoint” She told me ‘nothing was linked to health and social care’. She criticised me by asking them to write on the whiteboard their responses to the exercise containing list male typical jobs! She said that was below their level! Also told me not to read directly off the PowerPoint!’ (Tuesday 19th Jan 2010). Well today got even worse, she stopped me half way through the lesson and told the students to have a break and totally wrecked my confidence ‘she said what you got planned for the rest of the lesson?’ i told her ‘role play and interactive game’ she said that won’t work, sit down and watch her for the next hour. The lesson was on the Race Relations Act it was going really well, half way through the first, the teacher asked me ‘So what was happening in the 1960s then Philip’, she knew I didn’t have a lot of historical knowledge and she totally threw me off guard however I came up with a quick response ‘Well Karen you know, you tell the group’. I found her very unprofessional in trying to catch me out. I had sit and watch the last hour of the lesson, I felt like a knife had gone through me, my confidence in shatters, I didn’t know how to react. One positive thing which came out of it, was I kept my professional integrity and stayed in the lesson with her, however I felt so shattered by the experience. Today has dented my confidence; she told me ‘If you perform like that next week at your observation, your assessor won’t be impressed’. However everyone who is watching me teach has told ‘how confidence and great I am’. She has really put me down, and now I have to get back up. With my first University assessment observation next Tuesday, will I able to get my confidence back? I must show the spirit I have done throughout my academic life next Tuesday, it took me 7 attempts to do my GCSE English and I kept fighting and plugging away. I have to show the same grit next week. When I got back to the staff room (luckily she weren’t there.) I broke down in a flood of tears, all the staff were really supportive and give me cuddles, I just felt so down and alone after what she had told. Two consecutive weeks she has put me down. Last week It “There were loads of spelling mistakes on PowerPoint” She told me ‘nothing was linked to health and social care’. She criticised me by asking them to write on the whiteboard their responses to the exercise containing list male typical jobs! She said that was below their level! Also told me not to read directly off the PowerPoint! When I’m talking about my work in Morrisions. This week it was well what was it for? She told me ‘I’m trying too hard’. When I left the college today the clouds opened up and I got soaked. Apart from that incident today, I had a great first three lessons, getting to know students names better now. Anyway roll on for 2mrow.
Thursday 4th February 2010
Today I had to get my head up and keep on going and that’s what I did, teaching 5 hours today, I used my learning based resource who wants to be a millionaire on 1 class and it worked really well. But wow what a week I’m so glad the week is over, massive week next week for me, my 2nd Observation.
Blog 5
BUSY WEEK, DONE ALOT OF PLANNING STILL LOADS TO DO. OBSERVATION DONE CONFIRMED FOR TUESDAY 8TH FEBRUARY 2010
Monday 25th January 2010 – Thursday 28th January 2010 Week four.
Monday 25th January 2010
Well this week should be a fairly relaxed one with my main group on block work placement. However it is a week in which I will need to prepare for next week, as next
week will be an important one which my 2nd observation and the 1st done by the University. Today I sat in on all my classes. The end session I was helping students
playing games. Later on in the day I had a meeting with my mentor, we discussed how it is going so far, she is still unsure how to fill in the observation sheets and said she
will discuss this with my tutor next week. Another issue at the moment is the amount of time I’ve got to be at college for. For example, I’m teaching 11 units at the
moment, so I’ve been coming in for those lessons, the mentor is fine with this, as the other hours I can get on with preparing and my university work, however she said
the head of the department seems to think all PGCE students must be there from Monday – Thursday 9 – 4.30 every day. This would be a real challenge for me as there
would be no time to do my university work, so my mentor is going to clarify this with my tutor when she comes next week. Anyway today I’ve also found out a bit more
about the modules I’m teaching about. I’ve prepared for next week’s aspect of health lesson, also started to have a little think about next Monday’s afternoon lesson with
Level 2 Health and Social care! Well that’s me done for the day I’m shattered now!
Tuesday 26th/ Wednesday 27th/Thursday 28th January 2010
With my main group away these couple of days were basically planning. I did take my level 2 health and social care class, yet only 3/15 showed up. So I decided to carry on with my teaching. On Thursday I had an e-mail off Jan saying that my observation will be now overseen by someone else, and the first one will be on Tuesday 9th
February 2010. I’m also hoping 2 have another observation done by mentor at the end of February.