Harsh Realities

As Placement A draws to a close, a few harsh realities of my teaching are coming to a head. Despite the positives of my work so far, it tends to be the things that I haven't done well that stick with me the most. Here are two that have stuck with me the most...

• You cannot win over every pupil. As much as I try to be a professional, yet not a dictator, there are always a few pupils who will not warm to my teaching, no matter what I do. Perhaps this is a curse of joining a class and disrupting the teaching mid-term? Maybe my teaching style hasn't been strict enough? Or maybe some kids just plain and simply don't like me?

In my previous job, and throughout my life in general, I've promoted friendliness and a sense of mutual respect. That's not to say I don't do this at school, as I see these as a big part of a pupils' learning with regards to social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. The biggest difference is that a lot of the people I now work with are teenagers, complete with all kinds of life-baggage and mood swings. Having never really dealt with this before, it has caused me to rethink a lot of my behaviours. In other words, it will be the case that I will have people who won't like me. My challenge is to find a way to maintain the mutual respect between myself and those who aren't too keen on me without it leading to a breakdown in behaviour.

It's a weird thing, having someone against you rather than with you. But it must be learned that it's impossible to be all things to all people.

• You are going to receive feedback that you will not like. This comes specifically from a particular review I received of one of my most difficult classes. Of course, I am thankful for the feedback; I enjoy being observed  because I can obtain the opinions of those who are more experienced than I, and it's like having an extra pair of eyes in the room who can see what I frequently miss.

However, it always comes as a bit of a blow when you see a sheet of paper riddled with notes that seem to identify all the "bad bits" of a lesson, using direct language, pinning you as the one who couldn't control the class or you who didn't showcase progress explicitly enough. As much as you want to defend your corner*, you can't help but think that the observations are in fact a true reflection of how well (or poorly!) your lesson progressed.

Similar to the first item discussed above, it's not easy to take these criticisms even if you know that it wasn't a spectacular lesson. Again, the challenge is viewing these not as weaknesses, but as areas to develop. 

For some people, these would be seen as defeats. I won't lie; when I first realised that I wasn't viewed positively by some of my students and when I read a selection of my feedback, my immediate reaction was that I had failed. But then discussions occurred with teachers, mentors and friends, and it made me realise that it is not a failure; it is an opportunity. As long as I can develop from these, then I shall continue on my journey towards being a great, if not outstanding teacher (I hope!)

* If there happen to be any people reading who observe student teachers, I just have one request: please remember that we have only been teaching, in some instances, for a matter of weeks, if not days. Constructive feedback is always appreciated, but remember that we need time to develop, so please cut us some slack if we can't do everything first time =]

Being a Team Player? The Pencil Analogy.

I found this on Twitter today, and as I love a good visual analogy, I thought I'd share it with anyone willing to read!

This particular image is biased towards the use of technology, but it can be used in many more senses. In this instance, try and think of it as what part of the team you feel you fill...

The model above also shows an excellent distribution method for who would currently fit where in most environments (e.g. there would be more of the 'ferrules' than 'erasers,' and the majority tend to be 'wood') ... but wouldn't it be great if more could move from the 'eraser' to the 'lead?'

I guess, then, the only awkward thing would be trying to draw an effective pencil...

Weeks 14 and 15 - The Background and Beyond of Education

I don't know if I've mentioned this in my other blogs, but time seems to be travelling at an accelerated rate since this course began. It's close to 4 months since the course started and we're nearly at our first 'proper' break.

4 months. One-third of a year. Roughly 120 days. Madness!

These past weeks have seen me teach more, adapt my behaviour management strategies, increase my resources and knowledge of pedagogy, struggle to keep my cool and fairness, and even help those who have broken down into tears for one reason or another. Again, it's difficult to sum up two weeks in a few paragraphs, but this had been the fortnight of being stretched to my limits. Perhaps this is due to numerous observations? Perhaps the pressure of a sudden OFSTED visit caused panic and preparation leading to burning the candle at both ends? Or perhaps it's just that we're now 5 weeks into our placement. We have two weeks to go, the pressure is on to complete tasks and assessments, and the promise of two weeks off is too good to ignore!

Anyway, I wanted to focus briefly on the "background" to education; the often forgotten part of any teachers' life that students, parents, and even teachers ourselves, tend to omit from our responsibilities. There is much more to teaching than just standing in front of a group of eager/awake/unenthused pupils and imparting knowledge, juggling questions, managing behaviour and promoting progress. My mantra for this week, and what could possibly be for the rest of my career, is:

Everyone has obstacles. What gets us through is not by complaining about them or your circumstances, but by figuring out how to get around them using what you have.

Indulge me as I attempt a train of thought here...

A teacher must develop continuously. There is no point to standing still on any aspect, from subject specific information to government - or even worldwide - developments, such as OFSTED and the Pisa Tests. 

Thus, a teacher must be aware of changes and innovations. These may not be given out in a pack or leaflet, and despite the many meetings that occur after the school day is done, sometimes must be sought or distributed otherwise.

Thus, a teacher must share and be willing to cooperate. There is no use to being selfish or one-track-minded when it comes to development. If a resource, a measurement, a tip or a trick comes to mind, there will be far more benefit to distributing the knowledge than keeping it locked up in a safe that only one person can access.

Thus, a teacher must be a team player. It doesn't matter what part of the team you are more suited to, you must be self-sufficient at some times and a mentor, a guide and a rock to your teammates at other times, using a variety of methods, intelligences and positivity to be a reliable teammate.

Thus, a teacher must be innovative. How will an idea grow from a concept to a school-wide non-negociable? How do you bring your school/academy from a "Needs improvement" to an "Outstanding?"

Thus... no matter how much the seemingly endless meetings come around, no matter how many times you have to analyse your class progress, and no matter how many times the goalposts are moved, we as teachers must use the above (whether or not these also comes into the "teaching" aspect of our jobs) to ensure a well-oiled machine of education to benefit the pupils whom we develop and ourselves as educational professionals, from the newest trainee to the highest person in government.