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.
