Two weeks into this field teaching
experience and I have already learned a lot about myself and about the way in
which school activities can affect the regular teaching schedule. This week
there were a lot of interruptions to the regular day to day schedule.
Principals holiday, Math Olympiad, Polio Awareness Seminar just to name a few.
However, despite the minor disruptions the work still needed to get done.
On one of the days, the students were
required to assemble in the auditorium for a seminar which lasted for the first
three periods. This meant that I would not have been able to teach my lesson
because I was scheduled to teach on second period. However, after the seminar I
decided to find out if the students had a "free period" so I can go
ahead and teach the lesson I had prepared. Fortunately, the art teacher did not
come to school that day and I got permission to teach the lesson even though i
was not scheduled to teach at that time. I felt so proud of myself for making
that decision because I knew that the students benefited from the lesson. At
the end of the day, I want to feel accomplished. I want to ensure that time
spent on planning and preparing was not wasted and that students should not be deprived of a learning opportunity.
I've realized that students ask a lot of
questions and I must ensure that I can answer these questions to the best of my
ability. In doing so, I must be well informed, I must be knowledgeable about
the topic and I must have the ability to give appropriate examples for students
to understand the content better. If I'm unsure about it, I should not hesitate
to seek help from the experts or from my peers/colleagues. For every lesson
that I have taught for this week, I got better and better at my classroom
management and time management skills. As the saying goes, "practice makes
perfect". In addition to that, the feedback received thus far (from
the students I have taught and from my practicum advisers) have given me the
motivation to continue learning new strategies and developing as an efficient
and effective teacher.
On another note, the school has a student
led geography club. Kristy and I took the opportunity to attend the club's
meeting this week to get an insight about the way in which the club operates. The
president of the club gave us a brief overview of the club’s purpose and informed
us that they have a weather station at the school (which I am yet to explore),
they have started recycling plastic bottles and they are now working towards
raising funds for upcoming projects such as developing an aquaponics and
hydroponics system on the school compound. The teacher who is overseeing that
the activities carried out by the students go according to plan, indicated that
we are free to attend meetings therefore, during the time that I spend at the
school, I will try my best to attend the meetings which are held on a weekly
basis to learn more about the club and assist in any way possible. I think that
this will be great exposure so in future when I enter the teaching service, I
can encourage and assist my students to become more involved in geography
related activities.
In essence, this has been a very
fulfilling week and I do look forward to learning more about myself as a teacher, more about
the students and more about the school operations in the upcoming week.
Shoba, you are an enthusiastic learner and you will definitely share your love of learning with your students.
ReplyDeleteGood to know that you think that "practice makes perfect." However, as teachers we are always practicing out craft. We are compiling a bag of tricks that we can use with our students. But your work will never be done because each group is different, and even the same group has challenges and experiences that vary from day to day.
All the best with the rest of your practicum.
I agree miss we definitely have to compile a bag of tricks. In that way our students will never be bored of the same teaching techniques and strategies we use to keep them engaged and active in the learning process. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteShoba in the earlier part of your comment your effort is very commendable, it reminds me of myself sometimes whenever i miss a class because i was absent i try to make up by doing make up classes which is the students free period. They are upset sometimes but i always negotiate with them.
ReplyDeletewhat school is that again, they real have activities though.
Another thing that is why it is always better to study more than the topic requires you to. When you have to teach a topic do research from several sources so when students ask questions you would not be startled. They are smart they know when you dont know something. Students often win your trust when you are confident and positive, when students sense that you are not certain about what you are saying they challenge you. You dont want that,other students will see that and it may be the beginning of a problem class.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice Seeta. I was at Naparima College and knowing that the school has a lot of activities, the students still manage to excel in their academics. I'm beginning to think that its not only the students themselves, but the teachers and overall school culture that really helps them remain focused.
ReplyDelete