As one door closes, another opens...

Just a quick post to jot down the events of the last week. My tutor visit went really well - I felt like I hadnt done as much specific presentation for the 'crit' as I had done in the past, but felt strangely prepared by the amount of experience I'v had over the placement in having to adapt to different circumstances and deal with whatever has been thrown at me! In the end, that experience must have paid off - I admit I didnt attempt a hugely fancy lesson, as the class I had were just completing a project so I carried on with that in the way I would normally have done. I was pleased with how the lesson went, and my tutor really liked my rapport with the class and my classroom management! "Firm and unflapable!!" It was nice to get that out the way, but the rest of the week was pretty busy with trying to get my assignment 3 done. I suppose it didnt help that I ventured out for a drink with one of the girls in the department on Thursday night - got in about 1am and went straight back to finishing my footnotes and bibliography! The drink was well-deserved though!!

Found out my local authority on Friday too, I got my first choice which is fantastic and will hopefully mean not too far to travel. Can't wait to discover what school I'll be joining, and begin to get organised!! I have a box in my bedroom, into which I'm collecting anything which I think might prove useful for next year!! Lol!! I am so looking forward to getting started!

This week I have my APD presentation -eek! This is quite a daunting thought - I'm attempting a Powerpoint again which Im working on at the minute. In a similar situation to the assignment - Im struggling quite a bit with it!! Im so out of touch with presenting work to my peers - yet it was something which was such a big thing at art school and really didnt bother me that much. Anyway i better get back to it!

Summative assessment vs. Formative assessment

I've spent the evening working on my APD assignment. Maybe I'm over-analysing it, or reading too much into the task, but I have not felt so confused for a long time! The more I think about it, the more confused I get. I've tried mind-mapping, brainstorming, paragraph plans etc etc but I seem to be getting nowhere.

Anyway, the point of my post was really to consider how effective this form of assesment is with regard to our PGDE course. Why have we spent so long as potential teachers discussing the benefits of formative assessment in our classroom practice, for me to be sitting writing a summatively assessed essay? Perhaps thats why I'm struggling so much with it. As a learner, I feel so unsupported in this task with regard to what Im doing correctly and the areas I need to improve. I'm not going to go into it... I just thought it was an interesting point. And something which I will remember as a teacher.

This time next week...

Hello again!

Thanks to David for positively publicising my blog! Hope a few of you reading this get something worthwhile from it - even if it is just to realise that there are other student teachers out there having bad days as well!! But as David points out, even on those tough days, there will always be something positive to focus on!

Well, I dont know about anybody else but I am shattered - its only bloomin' Tuesday as well!! Today was quite busy but Im feeling much better than I did this time last week! I think my little fright last week was enough to remind me I can't sit back and assume good discipline etc will always prevail. I need to be constantly on top of it, and reviewing classroom discipline to improve it. Not only have I taken it into account for the class I will have my 'crit' with next week, but it has been useful to remind myself about my expectations of discipine and behaviour with all my classes.

I had my mid-placement review today, and it went really well. We discussed my strengths - organisation, planning, resources, classroom management, and discipline. And the acting PT was really helpful in suggesting ways to improve my areas for development - assessment, pupil rapport and pace of lessons. Im going to be assessing the third year exams and helping all the teachers in the department with marking. As I'v said before, my rapport with pupils is something which I really want to focus on but am finding hard during the intensity of the placement as a student. I still feel a bit like I am 'acting' when I stand up in front of the pupils, and not being the real me. I think its hard during placement when the classes you are taking arent really your own, and you know you have to give them back at the end of the placment! Do any other students feel similarly?? It it something which I will continue to focus on during lessons, and by considering the pace of lessons I will hopefully have more time to devote to forming relationships with the pupils.

Last period with the class my tutor will visit next week went well. I moved the class into the other room as suggested by the teacher, and what a difference it made. I also insisted on lining up quietly before entering the room, and enforced a seating plan which I'd spent time thinking about. The lesson itself was quite basic - it was reinforcing the colour work we had started last week, but by simplyfying it, I felt I could concentrate on classroom management and discipline. I realise I need to ensure the pace of my lessons do not become to slow however, encouraging underachievement, I used positive reinforcement and praise as much as possible and it was successful in keeping pupils on task. The class were all engaged in the lesson and their designs are looking great. There was however a problem with two boys who I noticed at the start of the peiod had not swapped seats. Instead of disrupting the lesson and asking them to return to their designated seats (which I wish I had done!) I continued with the lesson. After two warnings regarding distracting each other I isolated one of the boys. Because I had told him he had the choice of how to behave when I had warned him, the isolation really worked because he knew he had controlled the situation. Can you tell I read 'Getting the buggers to behave' at the weekend?? Haha!

Anyway, I'm off to write up my mid-placement review and get planning my day for tomorrow! Thanks again for the comments!

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Quick update now that I've revealed my secret identity as the student teacher interested in classroom blogging!!

My last post was on a somewhat negative theme, but after a good old cry on Tuesday night (and of course writing my blog), I picked myself up again and made the most of the rest of the week. I cannot describe how much better I felt after writing down all my thoughts last Tuesday, and although there hasnt been too many comments floating about, it is so nice to be able to read other student teachers blogs and realise how tough a time we're all having sometimes and remind me I'm not on my own.

Anyway, I posted a comment on Lesleys blog about me tackling my first PowerPoint with two different classes during the week. I was quite nervous before teaching these periods as my department isn't too uptodate with technology and I was kinda left to my own devices trying to hook up laptops and projectors etc and create make-shift screens with large sheets of paper! However, I was so pleased with how the lessons went and the kids go so much from it!! I was presenting the work of a designer to the class, as a prelude to some critical activity we will be working on in the next week, and tried to make the presentation as flexible and interactive as possible, allowing time for disscussion and pair/share questions. It took the pressure off me a bit rather than talking to the kids solidly, and it made it much more interesting for them. The department im in is open plan, and at one point, the teacher on the other side of the partition came running through to see what the kids were describing because she thought it sounded so interesting!! I got the kids to come up with questions they would like to ask the designer and my original plan had been to set up a classroom blog where the kids could post their questions, and pass the site URL onto the designer so he could have a look at their work and reply to the question posts. However, this proved tricky setting up, (hence my cry for help on David's blog) and in the end one of the kids emailed the designer the questions from the class. I just checked my email there and I'm happy to say - he relpied answering all the kids questions!!! They will be so chuffed!! We started the written work today, and their essays are looking so good already - I really believe the visual and audio played a big part in jogging their imaginations. So I am definately going to look into classroom blogging - it is something which I believe could really be put to good use in art and design!

So tomorrow I have my crit class again, last period! I'v had a good old think about my approach to tomorrows lesson, and will no doubt have some more thoughts about it this evening. Tomorrow will be the last period before I see them for the crit, so tomorrow I'm going to have to re-establish my expectations. I asked if I could re-arrange the desk arrangement in the classroom and the teacher actually suggested moving them into another room - a bigger one with windows!! This means I can organise groupings etc and there will be less opportunity to moan about the heat etc!! I also realise I was trying to cram too much into my lesson last week - so tomoro I am going to slow down the pace and really concentrate on classroom managment (something which iI havent really had a problem with until now.)

Right I'v rambled enough! Hope everyone else is doing well... cant believe we have less than two weeks left!!

p.s my apd assignment!! Argh!! I have 1000 words done and it is going so badly!! Im writing about my powerpoint thing.... mmmm!!

When things dont go so well... blog

Had to get on here tonight for a bit of a reflection on my day. After being so positive yesterday, im feeling a bit down today, and i dont really know why. Well I do kinda...

Had a good morning. A second year class I had worked with last term first period - we started a trainer design unit. It seemed to really appeal to them so I think they'll get alot out of it. Last term I found this class quite unmotivated - I had been following a unit of qork which the teacher had wanted me to do last placement but this term Im doing my own unit of work - tat probably helps too. Then after that I had a class I hadnt had before - with the PT being off they've been a bit disrupted I sensed, so I tried my best to establish myself firmly. It worked well and I felt quite good after the period was over, because I felt I'd handled things well in a situation where I could have seen them trying to run rings round yet another 'supply' teacher. Anyway, I was off after that and spent a couple of periods panicing about my APD essay - I really am struggling to get to grips with it! I also had a period observation with a 3rd year class who were doing exam practice.

Last period, however, I had my first period with the class I'll have my crit with in two weeks time. A first year class who have also been affected by the PT being off. It was a bit of a nightmare to be honest - I felt so deflated after it, and i've let it eat me up all night. First off, being last period the kids were all a bit hyper. I should have made more of a deal of lining up quietly outside like i would normally do, but instead I just let them traipse in and moan about how hot the room was! (true enough, the room was like an oven, and with only two tiny wee skylight windows its pretty much gona be like that from now till winter!) It took ages to get them settled, partly because of their insistence to moan about the temperature (I realise now I should have tried some positive reinforcement - continuing to repeat what i wanted them to do, ignoring their moaning and focusing on the task!) Once all the folders were given out and the register taken I revised what we'd been doing last term and then invited them round the table for a demonstration. This is where everything goes downhill. The classroom is so small, and is set up with one continuous double row of desks - i really hate it, its so cramped. Finding a place where everyone can see and get round the tables is difficult so I spent a good couple of minutes ensuring they could all see (and more importantly that I could see them!) I could see they were all hot and tired, so it was like pulling teeth trying to get answers to questions. I explained and demonstrated todays lesson, but I felt no-one was listening. Of course when they went back to their seats, the hands went up and it was questions galore! Add to this, the air conditoning fan was then turned on, making being heard very difficult, as well as pupils competing with the noise. I isolated one girl for constantly talking after two warnings and kept her and her friend behind to explain why their constant chatting had been inappropriate. So many things I could have done differently. It would have helped if there had been a whiteboard or something in the class to have the task writen up on. Something which the pupils could have referred to. I think I was also concious of having a timeplan to stick to because of the forthcoming crit lesson, quite often I feel I'm cramming too much into a lesson, rather than doing something basic really well. Anyway I could go on and on... But I wont continue to analyse things any more.

Just needed to get that off my chest.

Back to reality...

Im back!

After a long time with a lack of blogging action, I decided that I had to get back into this to help me get the most out of my 3rd and final placment!!! Where has the time gone?? And already we're into the second week!!

Anyway, all going well so far - although sampled my first experience of SQA deadline stress last week!! In the leadup to the exam on Thursday, the design and expressive folios had to be completed and for many pupils this was a last minute mad dash. Although I was shattered by Friday having stayed late every night, I learned so much about the presentation of work. I also learned that whenever I have a Higher class, they will be getting told the deadline is two weeks before it actually is so I dont have that mad panic!! (Aye aye! I say that now!!)

My timetable has changed slightly but I'm still with all of the classes I had before, as well as quite a few extra ones! Its great to be back with the same pupils again, but its also good meeting new ones! I've also experienced being displaced due to exams and this was a useful learning experience, understanding how much of an effect the art room environment has on pupils. I think I've raised my expectations of the pupils, and with all my classes I reiterated my expectations regarding behaviour and effort. I do feel however that I'm still having to be quite strict with the pupils, for lots of reasons and I sometimes wish there was more time to be me, and get to know the kids. I mentioned this to the teachers in the department, and although they said my rapport with the pupils was good, I still feel like I need to develop my relationships with the class.

We also had a department night out at the weekend which was well-deserved and most enjoyable. It was nice to go out with all the teachers socially, and I really felt so welcome and part of the department. Both of my placements have been so good... I hear horror stories from some of my friends and just know that my luck will have to change. I am desperate to hear where I'll be teaching next year... not long now.

Unitl next time.