Difficult things
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
As the (academic) year comes to a close for me - it's time to reflect on the things that have caused me to struggle this year. What I have found most difficult. There's lots. That's the point, I guess, it's not meant to be easy & I'm not a genius - well, I like to think I am, but even if I am, I'm lazy and disorganised. And leave things to the last minute. Here is my top six most difficult things - in the order that they jump into my brain - rather than order of most difficultest:
6: Paperwork.
Now I came into the teaching game from the so-called real-world. So I take with a pinch of salt the teachers' gripe about how 'There's too much paperwork!' I used to work for a telecoms company and planning the fibre optic network for an office block would involve many engineers, customer service people, billing people, 1000s of emails, 100s of forms and databases. Planning = paperwork - or its modern equivalent - database-work. But still, with all that said - there's lots of stuff to fill in aint there? And every college does it different. For me at the moment my paperwork gripe is with my teaching portfolio - it's finished - hurrah - but as I've done my PGCE part-time - I've had to create two portfolios... not fun x 2.
WILL I GET BETTER AT IT: yeah, I reckon so. Cos once you've filled in these things a few times, you get to doing them with your eyes shut - and there's always copy & paste - just remember to change the dates.
5: Lesson Planning.
Related to the above - but a real bette noire for the trainee. How many hours spent working out what you're going to do? How many times does it not go at all right? How many times do you end up stood there and realise this grand plan you've come up with makes no sense at all to the yawning, half-asleep people sat in front of you. Umm, too often for my liking.
WILL I GET BETTER AT IT: Hopefully I'll spend less late nights trying to think of things and endlessly surfing the web for inspiration. I've got better things to do with my time. I could be doing something useful like playing online poker...
4: Differentiation.
Really this is my number one. How hard is this? A class of 30 - some of them keen and bright, some of them less keen but bright enough to survive with minimal effort; some of them only wanting to put in minimal effort but not really keeping up at all. Coming up with activities that keep all of them engaged, all of the time - is easily the hardest challenge of all.
WILL I GET BETTER AT IT: I have and I've had to. Each class is different.
3. Human Interaction.
Some people don't like you, they don't get your sense of humour or they think you're a slacker for wearing the wrong colour shirt. I don't know. No matter how liberal and sensible people (other teachers/mentors) might think they are - you can feel their superior contempt even as they smile at you. O well. It's all about chemistry. It's the same with students. Some classes fit you like a glove - others make you feel nervous before you go in, like you're about to wrestle a bunch of pit bulls in a barb wire cage. But maybe that's just me...
WILL I GET BETTER AT IT: I already have. Coping mechanisms. Small talk. Fake smiles and confidence. The more confident you are the less xxxx you have to take. If you're insecure the pit bulls smell it - classic student teacher syndrome...
2. Marking & re-marking.
This disturbed me last year. The amount of teacher input into coursework. The number of times a student was supposed to write and re-write and use teacher input to get a higher mark. It seems illegal to say it - and very 'on my high horse' - but from someone who isn't currently obsessed by stats and results - I have to say I don't like this trend. Having worked in a couple of F.E. colleges - there was a big difference between the amount of teacher comments and help with coursework. And this seemed to be reflected in the students' grades at the colleges.
WILL I GET BETTER AT IT: No doubt should I get a job (here's hoping) I'll have to deal with it like everyone else - and work that line between helping and 'writing the work for the students'. I know my local university has a set number of times that a tutor will look at an essay. That seems sensible.
1. The Curriculum.
Keeping to the curriculum. Aims and outcomes - it probably says something about my inexperience or lack of ability (at the moment) but the hardest thing for me is probably creating lessons that have a beginning, middle, end - and a plot and a theme. I can organise a general set of activities - but how have we moved on this week? How are we advancing our understanding of the topics we're meant to be covering. I think this can be hard in English Language in particular - you're repeating things in more detail or in a different way. WILL I GET BETTER AT IT: I have to. Or else it's just waffle and time wasting - and I know I'm good at that already.
I guess now I'm ready for the next level. The level where I'm a bit better, where I'm qualified, but perhaps most importantly - the stage where I start getting paid. I've got student loans to pay off, but then, that's probably too adventurous - but psychologically if nothing else - it would be nice to get paid. Time for me to go look for something suitable. Arriverderci x