Week 11 - Here's the Deep End...

What do you get when you cross a full day conference with 1,000+ colleagues, followed by four days of teaching classes for the first time and around 3 sessions of CPD?

Answer - a trainee who sleeps for the vast majority of his Saturday.

This week has brought many things to the front of my mind. Here's a small selection to make you aware of what it's really like when you're set up against your first week on your first placement:

• Keep your evenings free of any social life - it will be required to start lesson planning and resource creation and it will take time. I (and all the other trainees) are hoping this will get much quicker with time...
• Take note of the little tips and tricks of the teachers around you - they will all come in handy even if you don't use them all immediately
• Don't become a "yes to everything" person - guard your time for where it is needed most (e.g. the first point about lesson planning!)
• "Start with the end in mind" - whether it's planning lesson outcomes, considering how you'll teach an entire term or even the ethos of a classroom, have the goal in your head and then you can think backwards to how you're going to get there
• Remember that you're the one in control - I keep forgetting this, and it has shown a few times, but being a teacher means that you're the one at the front with the 30 pairs of eyes looking (mostly) at you and wanting to learn. It's still a strange sensation not to have anyone else coming into the room to start teaching; that's my job now!
• Kids will surprise you - having had one of the most challenging children in a year group come up to me and apologise for his behaviour, of his own accord, has been the highlight of my week by far. It's one of those many things that I never thought about when becoming a teacher, but seeing someone mature in their behaviour and grow as an individual brings about an overwhelming sense of pride in what I do!

Despite having to create many new things, getting to know names, organise and attend meetings, read up on behaviours and learning theories AND do work for University... I feel as though I'm starting to get my stride up in teaching.

I just hope it isn't a fluke!