On the job training

In the TES this week (19/11/2010) plans for an enormous shift in how teachers are trained in England have been discussed.

"The education secretary is expected to unveil reforms to the BEd and the PGCE as he looks for greater efficiencies in how entrants join the profession and moves training away from universities."

As a B.Ed. student this worries me.  I know that I will start learning in an entirely new way once I have my own class, not only for probation but for the rest of my teaching career.  I will always need to develop professionally and will always strive to provide the best learning experiences for the pupils I will work with.


There are times when I moan about university work and I make no apology for this.  Moaning is quite natural.  Yet, I know that the work I am doing for the B.Ed. course  has given, and will continue to give, me a solid grounding in educational theory.   Without the intensive examination of the curriculum, planning, professional reflection, subject matters and the invaluable support from experienced educational professionals in the form of our lecturers, I would worry that I would never be able to balance this development in order to provide depth in learning for my pupils.  


We have placements interspersed to develop us as teachers but also to support the work we have been doing at university.  There are stages in becoming a teacher and university is a stage that I believe in.  So, yes school experience is essential but let's not forget the importance of all the other aspects of Initial Teacher Training that, in reality, would be impossible to fit in during school time.

The wind blows

Over the past couple of years I have gone through times of blogging and times of quiet.  Both have their benefits and both have their downfalls.

Blogging can be a way of focusing my thoughts and has often aided my professional reflection.  When I don't blog I still have the same thoughts go round in my head and they still need to be processed, analysed and reflected upon.  

I am a great believer in sharing this process with others and I don't think it is healthy to internalise everything yet something seems to have changed to make me think twice about blogging in this way. 

What this change is I do not know but I do know I have a new-found wariness and this saddens me.  Before I used this blog regularly I kept an extremely private blog where I took great care not to identify myself in any way and I limited what I shared there.  I don't want to return to that form of blogging!

Perhaps I am just too busy to blog...

Freebies and Fun

POST IN PROGRESS 


This time just one year ago I had bagfuls of pens, pencils, leaflets, aprons, stickersrulers, free trials, catalogues and other miscellaneous stationary.  It had been my first visit to the Scottish Learning Festival and I had had a great 2 days.   I didn't go to TMSLF09 though.  I was aware that there was something happening in the evening but didn't really know much about it.  I was also very, very new to twitter so didn't have the background feed to fill me in.

This year couldn't have any more different!  This year I have returned with one little bag with one pencil a couple of pens and not a lot more.  The difference?  This year I didn't go for freebies.  I went to hear Ollie Bray speaking, attend the opening keynote with Mike Russell, meet tweeps and to attend TMSLF2010.

This year was FANTASTIC!

11:05am: I sprinted from the car park, after being caught in a traffic jam for half an eternity, and made it to the opening keynote just in time...

Mike Russell was received better than Fiona Hyslop was at SLF09; with no boos yet there was also a lack of applause.  The first applause that I was really aware of came following a question from Paul Campbell regarding the job situation for teachers.  The response baffled me to say the least.  Perhaps I misheard in my excitement about knowing the questioner, or perhaps I have misinterpreted exactly what Mike Russell was trying to say?  Was the response that jobs should be given to NQT's and other newer teachers in order for them to gain more experience?  If this is the case, what about the very experienced teachers desperate to return to the classroom?  Is it right to rate the need to get experience over the value of tapping into existing experience?  The response from Mike Russell did not for me answer anything other than prove the point that politicians can be very good at moving things around then trying to make it look like large scale change.  I don't know the solution to the job situation but I do know that ignoring experience is not it.

In the same address Mike Russell also highlighted the fact that we have schools that are fantastic, inspiring and motivating:

we have some of the best teachers in the world - most of our schools are wonderful places to learn and great places to be... Teachers must talk, argue, and support each other; inspire other teachers not just in your school but in other schools.

For anyone who uses twitter for education , you are already doing this.

After the opening keynote I met with AnneMarie and we went to see a demonstration of BrainPOP at the Promethean stand.  It was great to see BrainPOP being used by the BrainPOPpers themselves and interesting to see how it works so well with the Promethean tools.  When Eylan finished the demo I was able to introduce myself and wow!  I had always known that the BrainPOPpers were friendly but I have to tell you they are all so incredibly lovely (and they had cakes with orange frosting and glitter, yes glitter and they were tasty).

Next it was time to meet with GTCS at the TES cafe.  Have to confess that at this time I didn't know who I would be meeting as I hadn't thought to ask the GTCS twitterer what they were called.  Thankfully AnneMarie was more prepared than I was and she even knew what Kelly would be wearing.  We met up, grabbed lunch and headed to the LTS stand to watch the Consolarium crew, Derek Robertson, Charlie Love, Ollie Bray and Brian Clark, in action (dancing to Let's Dance on the Wii).  You know the times when you are grateful to be holding a cheese and ham toastie?  Well this was a perfect example ;0) AnneMarie and Kelly were rounded up to compete in the next dance off in the hope that someone would steal the crown from the talented Derek Robertson and I was free to eat my lunch (and video the fun).

What could possibly top this dance off I hear you say.  How does the sound of meeting national treasure Alan Hamilton sound?  Well that was our next stop!  We caught up on Glow stories and heard tales of LTS burning the midnight oil, 4am!

Practising Inclusive Practice

'Could be language' is a term referred to by Helen Langer following research into how information is presented and the effect that this has on attitudes.

"If you present information in a tentative, provisional kind of way, students are much better able to use that information thoughtfully and creatively."

An example of this may be showing a class a ruler and saying 'this could be a frisbee'.  The purpose of this approach would be to encourage learners to question what they are presented with.  This is something I have a tendency to do over pretty much everything.  I like enquiry and I'm not being argumentative.  There are times when I challenge an opinion only to reach the same conclusion.  I don't think this is a bad thing; challenging can help to clarify things and provide better understanding.

During our first Inclusive Education in the Primary Classroom input we were presented with statements from the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education.  Here are two examples:

"Inclusion in education involves:
Valuing all students and staff equally.
Acknowledge the right of students to an education in their locality"

For me these statements provide more questions than answers.

1. What is equality?
2. Where does celebrating diversity fit in?
3. Valuing people equally does not necessarily mean you are recognising them as individuals, each with unique talents and ability.
4. An education should be about more than geography and demographics.

The frustrating truth is that statements on/ about inclusion are necessary for developing understand in the field.  Yet can statements then become barriers to inclusion themselves?

I think that stereotypical prejudice can impose irrational restrictions without taking into account actual ability.  Rather than valuing all equally,  wouldn't it be better to respect everyone individually?  

This extract from the educational philosophy section of my e-portfolio that was written in first year will be interesting to keep in mind this year.  At the end of the year I will look back and reflect on how my attitudes have developed.

'Without refering to the offical policy, I do believe that every child matters and every child is entitled to a stimulating and engaging environment.  I believe in inclusion but recognise that this is not always achievable.  It can be difficult to be truly inclusive depending upon the needs of individual children and the balance must be met in order that the inclusion of an individual pupil is not to the detriment of the class.'

A testing question

The testing of pupils from a young age is something that I have strong opinions on.  Following a conversation on twitter I have left the following comment on Julia Skinner's post Why Do We Do It?

I would love to hear others views on the subject.


It's funny Julia, as today we had another conversation in university about the connection between the child, the teacher and the curriculum.  It was suggested that the curriculum leads the teacher.  I argued against this idea as I don't believe a good teacher is led by a curriculum.  I believe that a good teacher has the confidence and conviction to lead learning in the direction dictated by the needs of the child and the curriculum is there for guidance rather than to be used as a bible.  I do agree that it takes more than confidence and conviction to be able to do this; it also take experience.

Yes we need to assess learning and keeping a record of this is also very important yet the form of assessment is often what infuriates me.  The stories that the media focus upon give the impression that testing is a government tool that is batted about to suit the latest initiative whether that be in a supportive role or to highlight failings.  My main arguement is that teachers are the best placed to assess their pupils and they are also the best placed to judge which form this assessment should take.  Are government set assessments inclusive? Do they take a holistic view of pupils and the individual progress they have made?  The child who performs well may not be being challenged and yet they will be rewarded for their hard work.  The child who has overcome many hurdles in their learning and achieved a great deal can have their self esteem dented by a poor score.  Carol Dweck speaks of the harmful nature of misguided praise and I think testing can be a perfect example of when this can occur.

A video of Carol Dweck speaking at the Scottish Learning Festival 2009 can be found here.

The Ball is Rolling

  

Today marked the official start of my third year on the BEd (Hons) Primary course. This means the little snowball that started my journey to becoming a teacher is no longer little or needing a push to move. I am gearing myself up for a year of hard work and lots of fun, who says the two can't go together?
Now that I've sorted out my facebook worries it seems easier to see the line between my private life and my uni life which is something that, at times, became muddled last year.

This year is going to be a great year. We have two placement blocks and, while I can't wait for the first to begin, I am really looking forward to learning more about the early years stage before starting placement.

When I decided that I wanted to be a teacher I had thought that the early years would be the stage that I would really like to teach in but as I have gained more experience across the school I find it harder to choose a favourite class!

The other great news today came from BrainPOP UK. I've been working with a group of p6/7 pupils making short videos, I heard about the BrainPOP call for FYI's (For Your Information) and when the pupils heard about it they decided that would be the focus for two of their movies. So in between inputs today I received an email telling me their entry had been accepted and I could have a sneak preview of how the FYI's will work. The worst part was that I had to wait until after uni to be able to but I can tell you it is going to be a great addition to the site.

Even better is that the school will get a six month subscription to BrainPOP as a result. After uni I rushed down to let the pupils know and they are very proud of themselves and very excited. I am also extremely proud of the work that they put into making their movies.

I'll also be remembering this post from Julia Skinner this year, 'Great expectations and Blank Pages'.  If something does go wrong I am not going to panic - I am going to assess what happened, reflect on this and if I have another similar experience I will have learning to help me through.

Images Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons & Google images

My Glogster

Why I've Shut Down Facebook

Ok so that is a lie.  I haven't shut down Facebook.  I have, however, pulled the shutters down.  Let me explain some more.

Over the past few weeks I've been thinking about my personal use of facebook and how it impacts on my life.  I use my facebook for different reasons; to keep in touch with family who live in Ireland and share family photos, to keep contact with old school friends, to share the usual updates with friends that I see often and to have contact with other people on my course.  My friends list was never completely out of control with lots of people I don't really know or strangers but there where plenty of people on there that don't need to have such a big window into my life.

I am quite an open person but with that comes naivety and I am very guilty of believing the best of everyone.  This is something I don't want to lose yet I know that I need to be more aware of what I share within each circle of trust.

I've removed nearly all of my uni peers from my facebook page with the exception of a small handful of friends.  I do have an alternative facebook account that I have set up to use professionally and if other students want to have me on their page they can follow me on that account although I'm not entirely convinced that this is the right decision.  Facebook is a wonderful tool and it could be incorporated very successfully in education but in my opinion the fatal flaw in this idea is that facebook is already corrupt.  I'm not saying this in a bad way.  We are creatures of habit and the use of social media is no different, we use it in a certain way and while new ways to use these tools can be introduced the old habits will still be there.  Every time that you log into facebook you are presented with updates on your newsfeed and the temptation to click that link is too easy.  This leads you into the cycle of exploration that leaves you wondering where the past hour has disappeared to.

Personally I have not so much had my fingers burned with facebook use but I have experienced incidents that have left me uncomfortable.  There have been many occasions where coursework has been discussed or issues have been raised that have impacted on me.  I have had times where facebook has led to me doing extra work and stress.  Everyone goes on facebook and has a moan, which everyone is entitled to and I moan just as much as anyone else, but the problem comes when people start giving advice and offering solutions when they are not completely clear of the bigger picture or when people give the wrong advice or information that is not entirely appropriate.  I always end up getting into a tizzy about this as I get worked up and to be honest at the start of third year I am going to have enough work to get on with without the distraction and confusion that surfaces on facebook.

The voice of enthusiasm is very easy to confuse with the voice of experience.  I am going to focus on listening to the experience because I have the enthusiasm and without the guidance that experience can offer enthusiasm won't get me very far.

Learning is for life not just for a purpose

Why do I go to uni?  Is it just a means to an end?  The route that must be taken in order to reach the destination I have chosen?  Or is it more than that?

Quite often people will say never mind only two more years to go or half way through and sometimes it does feel exactly like that.  The BEd can be like a pregnancy that people have known about from the beginning.  You will meet someone you haven't seen for a while and they exclaim "have you still not had that baby!".  When you are on the BEd course you meet people and they exclaim "are you still at uni!"  I have a friend who decided to become a teacher, has completed the PGDE and is now a probationer teacher all in the time I completed one quarter of my course.  Am I jealous? Not in the slightest (well maybe sometimes) because I believe that the BEd is the best route for me.  As for why I go to uni, of course I go because I want to be a teacher but I also go because I want to learn.

I like to think, investigate, explore, discuss, research and everything else that comes with a programme of study.  I don't want to simply form ideas and hold them as concrete beliefs for the rest of my life.  I want to take the ideas and beliefs of others and throw them on the scales, not to get a better balance but to tip the scales in favour of the learners that I will help to develop.

So yes there are times when I complain about the course and moan about things that in the grand scale of things are quite insignificant but the journey is worth it.  I am not a teacher in training, I am a learner in training and I think learners make the best teachers.

Restrict Experiences?

Remind me again why we explore the benefits of something only for the policy makers to crush initiative?
Yes good hygiene is essential but it can hardly be said that the nursery are ignoring hygiene!
Why promote Outdoor Access if we cannot teach outdoors?

The Secret Garden, in Fife, is an outdoor project for children aged 3 -5.  We often hear about the benefits of the great outdoors and about the rise in childhood obesity rates and projects such as The Secret Garden are ideal in fostering both a love for the outdoors and an active lifestyle.  Instead of giving into the Scottish weather the preschool children who attend The Secret Garden dress suitably and explore their local woods.  They have shelters which are a combination of adult build and child build.  The skills the children learn are valuable in encouraging independence, responsibility, creativity and learning.  Perhaps these development areas sound familiar?  They stem directly from the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.

The Secret Garden is not unique in the preschool provision that they provide.  Based on research by Fjortoft and Sagerie (2000) Moyles (2007) states that

 "there is an urgency to provide young children with wild environmental experiences and to let them know how beautiful the natural environment is to protect it for the future and for all the children of the earth"  

Who could argue that the children who attend The Secret Garden, or any outdoor based education centre, are not exposed to the opportunity to experience nature?  A feasibility study into Forest Kindergarten practice in Scotland 'Glasgow and Clyde Valley Forest and Kindergarten Feasibility Study' (2009)  highlights an extract from The Early Years Framework (2008)

“Developing play spaces, and play opportunities for children and removing barriers to play is therefore a priority. This has wider implications for development planning and particularly provision of open space and green space." p9.

If children are to be restricted to areas with immediate access to running water then we are in effect imposing barriers upon their explorations and play experiences.  Hand washing is indeed an essential skill for young children to learn but should that restrict what they can do?  Is it right to teach our young children that they can no longer enjoy their outdoor nursery because there are no appropriate hand washing facilities?  Or should we model alternative forms of outdoor hygiene in the forms of wipes and liquid hand gel backed up by hand washing before and after the nursery session?  Some priorities should take second place and measured decisions should reflect this.

For more information on the benefits of outdoor education see The Forestry Commission website. 

http://www.secretgardenoutdoor-nursery.co.uk/

http://www.toyguard.co.uk/blog/outdoor-education-scotland-hangs-balance

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Fife/article/4225/hand-hygiene-ruling-could-impact-on-nursery.html

http://www.creativestarlearning.co.uk/website/index.asp?refID=1&pageType=C

#tmSED11 brainstorming

After attending TeachMeetSEA earlier this year my friend and I knew that we wanted to follow suit and arrange our own TeachMeet.  Aberdeen was the first teachmeet that we had attended and we both gave presenting a try for good measure.  No the new semester is nearly upon us we have been arranging the details of the event and are very excited with the response we have had so far.

Many offers of help have been given, mainly through twitter, and we have had donations for prizes from R.R.S. Discovery, Dundee and Verdant Works, Dundee.  2Simple have a wonderful support package for TeachMeet organisers as do BrainPOP.

Now this is where I would like your help, I have created a wallwisher for suggestions on how to award the prizes on the night.  Should we play a game?  just have a draw or what else?

Secondly, I have an idea to involve pupils from one of the Dundee high schools.  I am wondering if they would be interested in having an involvement in any of the areas on the night but in particular I would like to give them control over the live feed.  What do you think of this?  I have yet to contact any of the local schools so I don't know if it is viable.

Let me know your thoughts on these ideas and anything else that could be useful.   Thanks for reading :0)

(for more details on TeachMeet SE Dundee see this previous post)

#tmSED11

It was a dark and dismal January night in Dundee.  The snow hadn’t taken hold yet and the streets of the city were rehearsing to become rivers. As the people in their houses mourned for the Christmas festivities a group of enthusiastic teachers gathered to exchange ideas, chat about school, laugh together and there was even suggestion of one or two singing.

We all know the January feeling, but what could be a better way of breaking up the long month than an evening out with like minded people sharing, discussing and discovering?  It gets better: you can have all this for free!

We are extremely excited to announce the first Dundee based TeachMeet Student Edition.  (TeachMeetSED) Student Edition because students are organising it, not because TeachMeetSED is only for students.  Probationer teachers, newly qualified teachers, experienced teachers and students are all invited to attend, join in and Discover.
It seemed only fitting that in the City of Discovery our theme should be Discovery, so what will you discover?

You can find out more information by emailing dundeeSED-tm@yahoo.com or visiting: http://teachmeet.pbworks.com/TeachMeet-SE-Dundee

#TMSED11

Can You Teach Compassion?

This is the question posed following the GTCS National Debate
Are Compassion and Philanthropy Working in Harmony to Produce Truly Global Citizens? which formed part of the Festival of Politics programme in Edinburgh.

There was a lot of discussion about giving to charity and mention of charity needing to help solve issues of poverty rather than just giving.  The tools to improve lives rather than short term solutions are far more important to addressing poverty and I believe that our children are aware of this fact.

From a very early age children demonstrate compassion in their actions but they also demonstrate talking and listening skills, this does not mean we cannot develop these skills in education.  It was mentioned, by Isabelle Boyd CBE, that compassion is an intrinsic human trait and I would agree with this.  With many traits they can simply exist without being capitalised upon and compassion is something, like talking and listening skills, that should be developed in schools.  Mrs Boyd also commented that compassion is a skill that can be developed by staff modelling behaviour.  In Scotland there are many aspects of the curriculum that develop compassion in students and this has long been the case.

It was argued by more than one panel member that it is the nature of Scottish people to be reluctant in raising their head above the parapet and that schools often have excellent work ongoing that nobody is aware of unless they go looking for it.  This may be true but does that not also demonstrate a humble nation who do not do for recognition but rather for the sake of doing?  Schools that I have been lucky enough to spend time in have all had excellent programmes that they do not shout about, instead they put efforts into improving further.  The stories that surface in mass media far too often have a negative thread about life in our schools, perhaps due to this practice.

"We value what we measure, we should measure what we value" - Isabelle Boyd

The question of awarding pupils for academic achievement prompted this statement and it is a statement with which I both agree and disagree: I agree as the common belief is pupils are rewarded on academic merit but I disagree as teachers reward pupils for much more than this on a daily basis therefore we already measure what we value in this sense.

Rt Hon Jack McConnell raised the point that schools during the eighties and nineties rewarded pupils "for merely showing up" rather than for academic achievement and as educators we should be wary of returning to this.  As a maths teacher during this time he was speaking from his experience.   As a pupil through these decades I had a different experience.  Perhaps this is more to do with living in Belfast and the education system being different or perhaps this shows pupil perception is different when it comes to rewards.  Academic achievement was a high priority in the schools I attended with a great deal of emphasis placed on doing well in the 11+ in primary 7.   This then continued throughout high school with formal testing at Christmas and Easter and awards based on this.  We also participated in fund-raising activities and organised assemblies and presentations based on global issues for which we received recognition, recognition that we worked hard for.  So based on my experience I would disagree that "pupils were rewarded for just showing up" yet I appreciate that my experience may be considerably different from Scottish pupils at that time.


Returning to the question - 'Can you teach compassion?'

Today as a society we have more opportunity than ever before to learn about the needs of others, both locally and globally.  The use of technology has removed barriers that have long prevented the wider public from gaining direct knowledge of the happenings around the world.  We no longer need to rely on the media to bring us the news: people bring us the news.  Sites such as twitter have reported tragedies and disasters before the news has been able to and without editing restrictions.  If we want to connect with a class in Peru we can and directly rather than through an aid agency.  People have stories to tell and now they have the medium to share their tales.  My 10 year old daughter said to me today that she finds it comforting to know that somewhere in the world someone will try and understand the reasons why you have done something wrong, no matter how bad it is.  That is compassion through the eyes of a child.  That is what we can teach our pupils to harness and understand.  Children are compassionate, teachers need to help them realise it.  Compassion is more than helping those desperately in need, sometimes we don't like true compassion.

Mr Finn remarked on the case of Abdul Bassett al Megrahi saying that you may not agree with the decision but the decision was made using compassion.  (Mr McConnell argued this point but that is a political matter.) Referring to the example given by Mr Finn, without referring to the details of the case and the politics of the decision, demonstrates my example that there are times compassion can be hard to understand.  It can appear ugly and to share that understanding with pupils can only develop their empathy skills.  Human nature sometimes makes it difficult to see the person behind the story and I feel it is important that children have the skill to realise not everything should be taken at face value.  Returning to my daughter's statement, will you be the person who tries to understand the action of others no matter how bad their actions have been?

separate worlds

You know I love twitter, the people I follow have given me help, advice, resources, a smile and even non-educational chatfrom time to time but I've not always been a twitterer.  Before I started uni I would read through forum posts giving advice for potential student teachers.  When you are waiting on beginning teacher training you want as much information and advice as possible.  It becomes a need.  Yet sometimes on such teacher forums you will come across a certain negativity and that is what has sparked this post.

Every so often a tweet will appear highlighting forum posts that seem negative and today this happened. This prompted me to air the idea that there are two types of teacher on the internet.  When asked to explain this further my initial reaction was to call the UN for diplomacy advice but then I started to think about it in more depth.  This is what I really love about twitter, the challenge that others in my network give me.  Rather than a quick tweet response I asked for thinking time and thought about it.  

Thinking hasn't changed my mind about the idea that there are two distinct groups of teacher on the internet.  When there are two groups of people with a shared passion, in this case teaching, there will always be crossovers there are those who sit in the middle but at either end there are the polar opposites.  The unfortunate truth is that on reading many posts on teaching forums there is a high level of what may be considered negativity particularly toward new ideas.  I don't believe that this is a result of an innate negativity on behalf of the poster but rather from a wariness about things that are unknown to them.  Wariness can cause fear.  Fear of additional responsibility, fear that your skills will not match requirements and a fear of being left behind.

On the whole a well built twitter network is a supportive, encouraging place where you are challenged to develop your thinking to new levels.  To date I have never had a negative response to anything I have said, nor have I felt silly for asking a question which has an obvious answer.  More importantly I have never seen this happen with anyone in my network (and I spend a lot of time on twitter).  The sad thing is I have read responses on forums that were far from supportive including scoffing at typing errors.

One of the main differences is that twitter is more instantaneous and far more conversational.  Forums do not have this feature.  I really hope that as twitter attracts more and more teachers those who are wary will embrace the positive ethos and leave the negative thoughts unaired.

What do you think, are there two types of teacher on the internet?

a little thought...

The thing about learning is that you know you need to learn, you just don't realise how much until it has happened.  Then you see the difference, how far you have come and it really hits you: the power of learning and the journey ahead.  How exciting.

meddle, me?? ;-)

Well I've been uncharacteristically quite lately, but this doesn't mean that I've not been doing anything worthy of a blog post.  While I have taken a break I've still been thinking, pondering and reading.  Earlier this week I had a discussion with a friend over the uses of reading schemes in the middle stages of a primary school and it reminded me of an article I read recently by Erica McWilliam titled 'Unlearning How to Teach'.  The title alone intrigued me as I like the idea of doing things a little differently and as McWilliam writes

"Put simply, we will need to see a further shift from sage-on-the-stage and guide-on-the-side to meddler-in-the-middle (2005)"


There will always be teachers who are traditional in their methods and this is good; children need diversity in their learning and if we all teach the same way they will lose out.  I know that the teacher that I want to be is the meddler.  I want to challenge my pupils to reach an understanding then question it further.  I want to be the devil's advocate with 'what ifs' and I want to work with my pupils to encourage them to take control of their own learning journey.  But then, isn't this what every teacher wants for their their pupils?

Nursery Wordle

Could do better???? Really???

Last night the bbc screened a program titled Teachers: Could Do Better.

As a student teacher I feel that I am far too new to the profession to make any comments in a professional context but as a parent I have a lot to say.  Undoubtedly my opinions are influenced by the fact that I am training to be a teacher yet in no way could I comment based on professional experience in schools as I have only worked with the most dedicated and professional staff while on placement.

As a parent it would be extremely easy to watch this program and be worried about your child as often these programs forget to highlight the work of the majority of teachers who are dedicated to the needs of the children that they work with.  The majority of teachers spend many hours outside contracted time working and go beyond remit to provide the best for their pupils.  Teaching is a not a career that you switch off from once you hit your allocated hours.

As a parent I have come across teachers that have frustrated me in their ways and there are those that are perhaps not compatible with every class.  I have also encountered parents who have complained about teachers unduly.  Like the variety in teachers there is a variety in parents attitudes and this is where the concept of competency becomes subjective.  I have a strong belief that staff in education will strive to have their school be the best it can be and this includes identifying teachers who may need support in tailoring their approach or indeed undertaking CPD.  I have listened to parents discuss teachers ability in relation to the fact that they have used the school behaviour management policy when the parent believes that their child has been singled out in front of a class.  The teacher and class in question had a fantastic relationship and had achieved a great deal over the year yet the parent was not happy that their child was told off.  When it comes to parents complaining they are naturally protective of their children and sometimes this limits their line of vision when their child fails to meet certain expectations.

I am not making excuses for the teachers discussed in the program but I think it is important to note that opinions are subjective, the teachers in question did not give their side of the story and emotions do run high when parents feel the need to defend their children.

I am also not saying that there are not teachers out there who are not meeting the high standards expected in Scottish education, high standards that we should rightly be extremely proud of.  I am saying that as parents we should not take everything at face value, teachers often need to make difficult decisions when in the classroom and sometimes our little darlings are not quite the angels we believe.

I do not envy the job of those who will be dealing with a flood of parental concerns after watching the program last night or indeed viewing it a later date.  Unfortunately I believe there was very little substance in the actual content beyond camera shots of cars and a bottle of water.  The real pity is that there will be some who view the program and judge the teaching profession on the title alone.

Wouldn't it be great in the current financial climate to hear more about the positive achievements in education?  Share the good practice on a wider national level?  Celebrate what is wonderful?  But then maybe that would not be considered as newsworthy by the media.

endings

As I sit here writing this I have an hour left before the end of my current placement block, the primary 3 class that I have been working with in the afternoon are at a whole school assembly and the headteacher told me to take ncct during this.  This is the first time that I have really had a non contact slot when on placement and normally I would have a pile of work to get on with, yet as this is my final day the urgency has gone somewhat.  I still have a weekly evaluation to write and my folder is nowhere near perfect but outside the sun is shining and that is why I have been lured to sit in the playground a write a long awaited blog update.

This has been a difficult placement for me personally and the difficulty has been nothing to do with the school, staff or pupils.  I feel I have let myself down over the course of it.  The main focus of my placement has of course been the nursery setting and as such this has been where most of my time has been spent folder wise.  The primary 3 class has been fantastic but I have not been able to get through as much as I had hoped.  I understand that this is often the case in schools and I know personally that this is the only way I could progress given timing.  What I have been able to do in the class has given me inspiration for my next, and future placements. 

The nursery has been wonderful.  The children have taught me so much, as have the staff.  My teacher has told me that my strength in the nursery is taking an observation from the children and being able to be creative in progressing them through the next steps she also said that I am able to interact well with them through play and discussion.  I will miss them lots.  As they left to go home today it was very difficult not to cry.  The children said that they were sad that I was leaving and wondered why I couldn’t come back again but I told them not to be sad as I was very lucky to have been able to spend time with them and have so much fun.

Whenever I finish in a school leaving the children is the hardest part and although it would be great to visit again and again, the more schools that you work in the less logistical this becomes.  This is the reason that I don’t promise to visit.  In saying that, my primary 3 class have told me that they are going to ask the headteacher for me to be their primary 6 teacher.  This is the first class that has been really aware that I am a student and I have not had a single worry about this.  They are interested in hearing about the process of becoming a teacher and I hope that hearing about university will encourage them to think about it when they are older. 

It is almost time to collect the class from the assembly hall, I’m trying not to call them my class anymore, in the same way that I have been trying not to call the nursery children my children this week.  While I will be sad to leave I am looking forward to taking a break and getting over whatever has been making me feel so lousy during my placement.  I’ve managed to have the flu, tonsillitis and another throat infection in the last few weeks and I’ve seen my doctor more times than I had in the last year.  I can only blame this for part of the reason as to why I am annoyed with myself but things are beginning to look a lot more in perspective.  Now I have the summer to think about what the future may hold and to look forward to whatever challenges come my way.

A few hours later...

It is amazing the amount of things that you can gather during a placement block and this time I have exceeded myself in the amount that I had to take away with me.  I am pretty sure that some people may have less to carry when moving house: right down to the fish.  The amazing cleaners helped me lug it all to the car at the end of the day, once again going out of their way to help me. 

phew! another adventure

So after a 6 hour round trip I am now pretty much convinced that my GPS has made it it's mission to ensure that I travel every B road, and most of of the C roads, in the East of Scotland.  The bonus of getting lost is that I did get to see some amazing sights, the downside is the panic over the possibility of being late, and it was a very real possibility!  Half an hour before I was due to arrive I was up a mountain, in the middle of nowhere, convinced I was lost and completely bereft of any form of mobile signal.  I had just been terrified into actually screaming as a lorry drove speedily towards me on a tiny road that just happened to be perched on the edge of a cliff, while my car clung on for dear life just avoiding tumbling towards the picturesque river below.  

This was the stage that I decided perhaps intuition would guide me to my destination much more effectively.  And surprisingly this worked!  I even arrived with 5 minutes to spare!

The whole getting lost thing is becoming a rather funny habit of mine lately but I must admit that laughing manically to myself is not nearly as much fun as the hysterics encountered when travelling with a certain friend ;0)

Lack of posting

I really have been neglecting this blog since beginning my elective.  As keeping a blog is a requirement all my entries are focused on that blog and my efforts here have been minimal.  I promise to get better at this but it may not be in the immediate future.  Untill then follow me on the other blog.

How to write lots and say nothing...

I was thinking about writing a post on this topic then I realised if you really want to know you will find all the guidance you need just by reading my blog ;0)

What a week!

Sometimes the busiest weeks are the ones that don't really have a lot going for them, you have your normal routines a couple of engagements here and there but nothing major.  Nothing to get in a flap about.

Well let me tell you, these are the worst kinds of week that you can have.  Your diary innocently looks up at you signalling smooth sailing, you have free time to catch up on those things that you always put off, maybe even get an early start on something looming in the future...  Then what happens? The Storm!  (Usually in a teacup luckily enough but none the less enough to work you up into a tizzy)

This may all sound very dramatic but in reality the opposite is true.  My teacup tornado this week managed to put me into a right little grump mid-week.  And being nothing of any note I find myself struggling to describe the events that led to all this.  My father always said the little things are what cause problems as we can always find ways to cope with big things.  This is oh so very true, especially when I have a slight ostrich quality.

The short story, and there is one, is that the weekend is the ideal time to look ahead to a more productive week in next.

white knights??!

I would make a hopeless feminist.  I always maintain I can do anything, including changing a tyre, by myself yet while theoretically I may know how to do it doesn't mean I can do it in practice.


Take yesterday morning.  First sign of trouble I start calling for help from the nearest source of testosterone.  This usually takes the form of my fantastic hubby but sometimes he is not around.  I usually start at A in my address book and even when I get a response I will still contact an extra couple to make doubly sure that help is on it's way.  So the story:  I needed to change my tyre...  managed to get hold of 4 helpers, the tyre was putting up resistance, more proof that I wouldn't have managed to remove it, had to phone an extra body with my incredibly detailed explanation of what I was looking for: do you have a thingy that will take off my locking wheel nut? A thingy? you mean the alloy key (I think this is what it was called but again I wasn't listening very well) Nooooo, the (I made a noise here along the lines of juuuuuuuzdt) thingy to loosen it I have the key but it is too tight.


The end result? my tyre got changed, I didn't get dirty and best of all I remembered how good my friends are.  =D Not that I didn't already know that.

reflection

Reflection is an essential element in being a student teacher, but when you think about it it is an essential element in life.  We reflect on choices everyday.  We question what has gone before and how things now would be different if before was altered.  We don't always learn from reflection and can often make the same or similar mistakes repetitively but what we do do is acknowledge this.  

Professional reflection is more than that.  This is something that I am learning more about everyday.  The multi-faceted nature of professional reflection provides explanation and aids understanding.  It can provide a basis for future decisions and a stepping stone to gaps in our knowledge.

All reflections are a learning tool and all learning tools are essential.

I'm still at the very beginning of my journey towards being a teacher.  Already I feel I have learned a great deal and with this knowledge has come the understanding that I have so much more still to learn.  The thing that gives me the most happiness is the fledgeling confidence that I am starting to develop, this is building alongside my knowledge.  I always try to be aware of the skill of those around me and try to learn as much as I can from them.  The capacity of the human mind always amazes me, even though I know I will never fully comprehend the scale of that capacity.  

The rise, fall and rise of the fairytale?

Classic fairy tales have always had a part in my life, I love myths and legends and I am also a Disney devotee and can never resist sharing one of the classics with my children.  Tonight we watched Coraline and it got me thinking; do we share the enthusiasm for the genre that we have always believed?  Or, perhaps, the happily ever after that we love so much has been extending to the happily-the-whole-way-through-with-only-a-few-little-bumps-along-the-way.


Parents, as adults, often see elements of a film that children do not, why else would dreamworks be so successful?  The jokes that are double entendres added for adult entertainment and deliberately pitched to go above the radar of their young audiences provide some light relief for those who are more reluctant to watch children's movies.


Recently the animation short The Sandman was shown to a group of us in a university input.  We were asked if we would use this animation with a primary seven class and most of us thought we would not.  The animation had seemed to be too frightening for the age of the pupils.


The settings of animations has a huge impact on our perception and perhaps my desire for bright and colourful scenes is more to do with personal preference than my desire for the happy, happy everything is rosy.  As we are all aware just because everything is bright, colourful and outwardly happy does not mean it is a good thing.


The question is should children be exposed to less of the happily-the-whole-way-through-with-only-a-few-little-bumps-along-the-way or have we just forgotten to recognise the scary elements of the films that we watched as children?


Think Snow White - dysfunctional family, rejected by her murdering step mother.


Sleeping Beauty - arranged marriage, sent away to grow up, hunted down by a wicked fairy who wants to kill her


Cinderella - again dysfunctional family, suffers mental abuse by step mother and bullying from stepsisters, treated like a slave, only escape is marriage


Pinocchio - where do I start?


You get the picture.  Should we wrap our children in cotton wool (or bubble wrap) to protect them not only from real life but from the stories that we grew up hearing?  Has political correctness made us wary of fairy tales or, maybe, we are all so traumatised from these tales in childhood that we wouldn't dream of inflicting this on our little darlings?


There is also the view point that children see and experience too much negativity already in life so it is understandable that adults would want to protect their charges from being exposed to any more.  This can be a double edged idea.  Surely exposure prevents a child from believing that life is a walk in the park?


I know which I believe.  I also know that I am going to continue not to worry when sharing fairy tales with my children after all they are children and I believe that fairy tales are a part of childhood.

Empty minds? Always bad?

Dearest facebook can you please release your grip on me for the next week, I really must work hard and write some essays. I will be ever so grateful and promise to devote lots of time to you once they have been handed in...

I posted this to my status this morning.  Has it helped?  Not a great deal but everytime I visit my profile I do get a pang of guilt and log off.  The trouble is I don't tend to visit my actual profile page very often and the live feeds on my home page make it impossible for my guilt to be invoked forcing me to abandon the facebook bandwagon.

If I am completely truthful I should write one of these for nearly every single thing I use on the internet from Twitter to blogs to emails, even the google wave and farm have been benefiting from my procrastination surrounding my assignments!

This tangent time led me to the blog of Alastair Creelman and his post on being bored.  It made me think, we do spend so much time doing and not doing but do we ever have empty time?  Time to just sit and daydream?  I know that I have lots of time that I would class as empty time but I am also aware of the fact that I do not appreciate it enough.  

Now for the link to my studies, and there is one, when do we give children this time?   Do we teach them how to switch off and do nothing?  Should we?  Surely it is essential for their creative development not to mention their personal development.  Being able to have bored time, would that give children the skills to deal with stress now and in the future?

Back to Uni

Well the holidays are officially over and I have returned to uni life.  Despite the fact that I have two assignments due next wek I have had a complete break from doing any real or purposeful work for the entire time I have been off.  It's not exactly a great thing to admit, that I have done no work, but I needed a break with a complete switch off.  Sometimes we all need to switch off and, hopefully, I will be completely re-focused once the flow returns...


So, about that...  Any ideas on how to get the old brain back on track?  One bonus is that for a change I remember that the year has changed and I haven't, yet, written 2009  (cue memory laspe!)


It is easy to think about the things I really enjoy working on but what is not so easy are the things I really need to think about in order to think about them.