Sleep-deprivation aside, this week has challenged me academically, mentally and physically. Allow me to divulge my crazy week which is no doubt a sign of things to come:
We're stepping up the studies for the PGCE component. Lots more in-depth chat about lesson planning, PLTS, the differences between objectives and outcomes (that I perennially switch for some reason), differentiation by about 10 different methods, and many other activities that can be used in the classroom to bring languages to life. Our tutor is still finding placements tricky for the group; I'm glad that I'm on the School Direct programme and know that my location is secure, but I'm also empathetic towards the fact that some students may have to travel up to an hour and a half away in order to get to their placement!
We also took a look at the National Curriculum, both past and present (well, when it's not disapplied, that is...), what forms the "curriculum" and its timetabling*, and how it can be interpreted. I did enjoy the lecturers' sly jab towards Mr Goves' ideas of 'knowledge knowledge knowledge,' and the formers' interpretation of the guidance of the NC showing that it, indeed, should not be the whole curriculum but merely a component in the education of any pupil (e.g. including the "informal" and "hidden" curricula as well as the "formal" curriculum).
Once studying was done with, it was time to move on to the biggest shift in pace I've experienced in a long time. Thursday and Friday saw me observing multiple language lessons, and... for the first time in the course... TEACHING! -insert hallelujah chorus here- Okay, so it's maybe not that much of an issue to most, but to me it was a chance to take all of that theory, observation, "what ifs" and doodles into an environment where I would be making an impact and shaping the minds of those who will take languages into the future.
Just to add a little more difficulty to this nerve-wrecking task, both days were wrapped in the event of the Eurpoean Day of Languages. So, it was time to bring out the big guns...
Yes - I dressed up as a French Stereotype; beret, stripes, and all, in front of a sea of teachers and pupils who I've never seen before but I'll more than likely be seeing again. If that didn't push me out of my comfort zone, nothing would have!
On Thursday, I spent time teaching Y7 and Y11 French, took the starter for a Y7 Spanish class and took 10 minutes out of a Spanish GCSE class to teach a prepared** lesson on Japanese numbers. It was an excellent opportunity not only to speak to the team I worked with last week on their current projects and progress, but to also see how well I fared in front of a sea of eager faces. Beforehand, I was extremely nervous, but I found these nerves dissipated within about 20 seconds of talking. To sum up the key points:
- What went well:
- The prepared lessons worked very well on the school computers and all the pupils were engaged
- I was able to project my voice clearly and explain tasks
- I adapted to tricky situations where one computers' USB ports had failed and I used an alternative method to obtain my lesson materials
- My level of Spanish instruction was high enough to satisfy the needs of the pupils and be commended by the Spanish teacher
- Even better if:
- I had remembered to use AfL methods more (e.g. "thumbs up/down")
- There was a moment where I didn't know how to introduce myself to the class whilst setting up my presentation, leaving them a little bit lost
Friday gave me the opportunity to try my language teaching ability to a group of Y5 pupils. Despite being on a Secondary PGCE, it was worthwhile experiencing this as I cannot remember a thing about my Primary schools or to what level I was learning at that point. It was certainly an experience for us all as a group of MFL students, and despite the initial shock of having several hundred primary school children sharing at you whilst you introduced yourself in another language, it was great fun once we all got into it.
This teaching was a little different to normal, as we were teaching in pairs, with the assistance of the 'usual' classroom teacher and a teaching assistant to help with behaviour and logistics. Our aim was to get the pupils to be able to introduce themselves and count from 1 to 10 in Japanese, make some sushi and even write their names in Japanese.
In less than two hours.
Admittedly, this is an awful lot for anyone to learn and/or do in a classroom situation. Nevertheless, despite not sticking to our times as we expected, we were able to get through everything we had planned. Not only that, but the pupils showed excellent signs of progress, excitement and intrigue.
Following the above model:
- What went well:
- The activities kept everyone engaged at all times
- The language was pitched at just the right level for the majority of the class
- I was able to identify those who needed more assistance once we had started going through the more challenging items of vocabulary (this is something I feared I would miss having so many students in the class)
- The method used to learn the language (PPP) worked very effectively, and a final 'quiz' showed us that the knowledge had sunk in
- Both my colleague and I were able to bounce ideas off of one another to cope with timekeeping issues
- Even better if:
- Again, the technology failed on us several times (an omen?!) so we were nearly left in a tricky situation
- Retiming/restructuring the lesson to allow for more time to clean up after the sushi and calligraphy sessions
- All aspects and resources need to be found out in advance in a classroom where you don't usually teach; the idea of how the lesson would go in my mind was very different to the reality!
If there happen to be any Primary teachers out there reading this, I take my hat/beret off to you! It was a lot of fun, but trying to keep track of everything going on in the room at once was possibly one of the most tiresome tasks I have performed in a long time! I suppose this was coupled with the thought of having to attend a lecture immediately afterwards, but I now have a newfound respect for all Primary staff!
Now, if you'll excuse me, there is sleep to be had...
- - - - - - - - - -
My goals for this week were:
- To be successful in the lessons I took - Very happy with how they went and have received some great feedback so far!
- To get more involved in CPD discussions - Getting there...
- Improving Spanish to be able to teach - Y7 Spanish was a success, with a pupil believing I was Spanish at one point!
My three main achievements for this week were:
- Moving from "substantially nervous" to "smiley and confident" before and after teaching respectively
- Breaking out of my comfort zone with regards to teaching, appearance and interaction with pupils
- Having my paperwork and notes looking professional and content-rich
For next week, I hope to:
- Start getting into my first assignment properly, rather than just surface research
- To improve my punctuality in the morning (specifically, getting out of bed when the alarm goes and not half an hour afterwards!)
- Survive "The Studio!"
*Side note: Timetabling is HARD. How on earth all these schools can do it effectively is something that remains beyond my mental grasp thus far...
**"Prepared," as in, I was able to adapt the lesson I made for Friday and increase the difficulty for the group as to not bore them but still get them engaged.
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