Throwing Chalk: diary of a trainee teacher

I can't wait to have all those letters after my name. I guess I'm halfway there as I'm in the 2nd year of my part-time course. I'm a qualified assistant now, for what it's worth. Now I just need to tick off the rest of the assignments, the 2nd portfolio of evidence, the statuary hours, the LLUK standards, the level 2 tests in literacy and numeracy...... oh. I've depressed myself now. One day at a time. None of it is *that* hard, it's just a grind sometimes. It's a bit like school at times.

;0)

Sorry, I just felt the need for a childish mildly ironic smiley there. Not that I will ever actually be going back to school as I'll only be qualified to teach at 16+ level, but that's okay with me. That was always my aim, I've come into teaching after working in the so-called *real world*.

(God I almost wrote 'come into teaching later in life' - how depressing does that sound? - but then at *cough, cough* 41 - so I guess I am potentially twice the age of some student teachers. O well...)

So bearing all of that in mind it's actually quite nice and useful to be learning with a mixed group of people most of whom are already teaching at local FE colleges. People that had the relevant skills first & and a desire to teach later. On my course there are experts in the following disciplines: drumming, hairdressing, mechanics, joinery, French, nursing, travel & tourism, art, IT, childcare, psychology & plumbing/gas fitting.

If I ever need to hold a party in a dilapidated house in rural France - this would be the GO-To-Team.

But I'll admit I did think: how the heckers like am I gonna learn how to be an Ingerlish Teacher amongst this lot? Really. I was well miffed. For much of the first year as we went through Maslow, Schemes of Work, Learning Styles... all the basics. How relevant is this to my life of telling Johnny Briscow to sit down and get on with his work?

"Johnny, I don't want to have to tell you again, please let go of Ralph's neck and sit down. Thank you."

But y'know. Over time. I got convinced. Here I had a resource of *common sense* practical and intelligent people who had 'been there and done that'. And group behaviours are cross-transferable - and the hairdressing teacher is pretty incredible, I have to say. Pshaw, I thought! Hairdressing!? Really? But the stories of coping with 14-19 year old learners that have been kicked out of more academic lessons and then teaching them how to use curling tongs - someone should make a film about it.

See this week we were studying the *Hidden Curriculum*. There's a lot of socialisation and aspects of learning that none of us consciously think about. We learn without realising, but once we do realise, well, then it's time to lap up as much knowledge as you can. I need to spend the rest of this year draining these experts of all their interesting lesson plans and behaviour management techniques. In return I'll give them my advice on comma use. Fair swap, I'd say.

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 16:14 Comments

So this was my inspiration. A clever looking lecturer at the local university, scratching impossible equations on a blackboard and all the students looking forward and seeming to concentrate. It's an open plan glass classroom, almost inviting passers-by to watch and stare. So I did, and came back the next day to take a photo. Chalk! Straight rows of chairs. Old Skool. Back to the future. I tried it and it worked(ish).

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 14:19 Comments

The class from Hell: Part Two - this time it's serious.

Very serious. Organised. Up at 7. On my bike. At Porringo by 8.20. Sorting out the desks into rows.

Introducing myself. Moving them about. Trying to get their names right (getting a few wrong - in embarrassing ways - umm, the two Somali girls in headscarves - I got them mixed up - how wrong is that? Very? Or not much? I'm not sure...).

Then on to the agreement. What they needed to do: respect; not talking at the same time; not texting; getting there on time. 

Is there anything else they want to add? Listening to music. O, well, not planned but if you're doing an essay and we're not having a discussion - why not? I don't know what the Porringo rules are - but I'll give them that if they'll be nice to me. And it is very quiet so far...

Moving on - the two adverts - let's be honest - it went well. 

Bev was out of the room, that was important. And it felt like I was in charge. It felt like I knew what I was doing - and this was real now. This was the GCSE coursework here. They had to do this. And they did.

A blur. My voice went hoarse. Some complaints about not being able to sit with their mates. I was firm and said no. One lad moved at half time and sat next to a girl. I let him. As it was a gender mix. I was accused of 'favouritism' by Xaf cos he wasn't allowed to have his mate next to him.

However, the loud and silly lad - who I'm going to call Rushdie - wouldn't stop his chitter chatter. He's a 'lovely lad' but daft as a brush. I ended up having to move him again. Second week on the run. He's a front row boy from now on I think.

I may have found my inner teacher and he is an orderly, harsh man. Jokes but work. Get the work done now relax later.

Although, we got to the last 15 minutes and writing needed to be done by the students. One of the girls, Henrietta, piped up and said - so can we listen to music now. Umm. I had planned on that being allowed only if they were writing an essay, but it seemed appropriate and they were quiet - apart from the tic-tic-boom-boom of many little headphone speakers.

Success!!!!

Then Bev came back in at the end. And all reverted to normal. Xaf wouldn't shut up. It was all about male ego - Bev joking with him. Everyone else ignored. Like a comedy double act.

I sat back and had nothing to do with it (apart from telling Rushdie to shut up....)

A difference of opinion then. Let's see if I can keep it up next week. Here's hoping.....

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 21:30 Comments

So there was a time when I wote very long reviews on this blog. But now it's time for txt msg length reviews. I've read many (okay, I've skimmed a few - but yeah, read, read, read - that's me, I'm a reader).

First up: Creative Writing - I'm a sucker for the old creative writing guides. Just to steal ideas. 

So this one: The Right To Write by Julia Cameron. Well, I did make some notes. She has some good old fashioned starting off exercises. Fairly general but nice. But not exactly essential reading. It's kinda hippyish. It's find your inner arty Buddha beauty - writing down the bones kinda deal. Mawwh. I give it a 2/5. (It's tres popular on Amazon).

Chris Kyriacou's Essential Teaching Skills

This is a fairly unpretentious guide. Well worth a read at only 146 pages-ish. Lots of 'common sense'. I liked it though I'm not going crazy. But notes were taken. I'm a bit of an obsessive about 'what the heck am I supposed to do in the classroom, though?' I want more actual stories though, like Sue Cowley offers and, I suppose, Frank McCourt offered in Teacher Man. So very theoretical but not many pages, which is a good thing. And not too much of this 'learning theory' nonsense. Ahem.. I give it 3/5.

Another Sue Cowley: 'Getting The Buggers to Think'.

O. Really disappointing really. After 'Behave' I had high hopes, but I think it's just not for me. It's much more aimed at younger pupils. I skimmed it, I'm afraid. Too many books, not enough interest and I felt I'd read the best bits before. Not that I'm in anyway dissing Ms Cowley - I would not dare! Just not the right book for my needs. 1/5. 

Next....

The Complete Guide to Becoming An English Teacher by Stephen Clarke

So, I had to love the title of this one. It offers so much. The book I dream off with all the answers. Err. Well, picked it and ordered it from the library sight unseen. I just liked the title. And in truth it does contain a lot of good stuff. Not entirely all relevant and lots of exercises for trainee teachers to do - that I am never going to go near - but admirable in the main. A rubbish review but I think I've forgotten everything about it so it can't be that memorable. I liked the section on media - as that's my current problem/obsession. 3/5.

No more books for a while. I'm still working my way through Geoff Petty's Teaching Today which I've been 'reading' for the past year. It's good, but I find it tough going. In one ear, and asleep two minutes later... Ho hum...

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 21:08 Comments

So my mind is still on the class from Hell...

This week's classes at North Brassington were quite laid back after the half-term break. Discussion in the morning and talk about the assignment on creating our own curriculum in the afternoon. 

Again: interesting enough. Why did I often get so bored by the first year and now it seems more interesting. Perhaps I find the theories very dry and want more discussion of the practical aspects and the current situation in Further Education. Hmmm. Or maybe I'm just getting into the idea of being a teacher. Maybe.

Again this morning we were talking about 'wrongness'. How wrong are certain things to do. That was okay. I'm far too praising these days.

Just forget about the practical thing. The actual teaching.

Cos theoretically I'm A GREAT TEACHER. My portfolio got a great mark. I'm just sunk as a REAL teacher. Though time is a healer. I don't feel as bad as I did last week. Hoo ha.................... Do my prep. Do my work. Hope it works out okay.

Good advice from the Sociology teacher and the Beauty Therapy teacher. Hurrah for them.

Women teachers are good at discipline I think. Less male ego to cope with. Less need for male students to go mano-a-mano? I wonder if that's official thought and theory.

 That women do it better?

I know a friend who used to work in a bookies and the guys losing money would want to fight him - really - he got attacked with a hammer. The middle aged women that worked there never got the same level of attack. They weren't a threat to the losers. It's a valid point, but I'm not sure anyone wants to hear it......

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 21:55 Comments