Throwing Chalk: diary of a trainee teacher

That's it! I give up! I give up! Okay, I don't. It's actually funny. So keen was I to include enough learning material in my session (it was being observed - but it was a last minute observation so I doubt it would have been much different if there had been no one there watching) - I ended up being told that I gave out too much information to the students.

More than they could take in. Too confusing. Basically it was a booklet of information. Info for this week and next. All lovely and photocopied on both sides and stapled together.

It's the Reprographics Dept's fault really. I'm having issues with them. At the previous unmentionable college you merely used a photocopier and entered a number - for really big jobs there was a slightly odd sounding man who lived in the cellar that would sort things out for you provided you gave him 6 weeks notice and asked nicely and made sure that any request you made included all the right information written in the right colour ink. At 'New College' it's similar but you have to face off with the team of Reprographicos. The Reprographic reprobates. No, they're lovely I'm sure, they just don't like the way that I barge in and demand some photocopying with less than one day's notice. But... ummm, I'm only here not often. And in all honesty I'm struggling to stay more than one day ahead of myself. Something hard wired into my brain makes me a last minute merchant. I can't help it. But then with them - anything less than 10 days is last minute. But they're nice, I blame myself, for being a bit afraid when I go in there to make my latest request. No one taught me copyright law! I'm sorry!

But enough of them. I can stand up to them and discuss football with them, really I can. It's not like ever since my 'too much information' criticism I've been trying to use the smallest amount of photocopierable information ever. No. Well, yes, it is. I've been trying to downsize. With the inevitable consequence that things have not been stretching out across the 3 hour lesson so well and the quicker learners have started getting bored. Hmmm. I need to develop a happy medium: some handouts, some other activities. It's all really simple. It's all about balance. Everything's easy in theory...

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 19:05 Comments