I come from a psychology background and have always had an interest in the way people function. I am fascinated by the diversity of individual differences in learning styles; although I find the prospect of having to cater for this in the classroom a little daunting.
After spending 2006 working at a co educational boarding school in Lancashire in the UK – sort of a post grad gap experience – I have begun to appreciate the concept of the digital native (we looked at this with Kathryn) and the fact that kids today operate by way of multi tasking. A classic example of this was witnessing a boy playing a tennis match and talking on his mobile phone at the same time! The point being that from my perspective you EITHER play tennis OR you talk on the phone. It is thought that kids today learn in more of a spider web pattern than a linear pattern. This concept immediately lends itself to more creative methods of teaching.
Last year, I found working with the curriculum support kids the most rewarding part of my job because when they ‘got it’ they really ‘got it’! Their enthusiasm to apply the new found knowledge was contagious! However, it was not only the end result that satisfied me but the process we worked through to help the student find a method of learning / understanding that worked for them.
This process - of guiding the student to the next level so they are able to take the next step themselves - seems obvious when working on a one to one basis. But what about being in a classroom situation? When you have 30 odd students and don’t have the time to focus on each individual? How do you make the lesson as constructive as possible for ALL your students?
Until now I have never consciously considered the role of a teacher as being a facilitator of learning. I understand the value of helping students build up a repertoire of learning skills that they can call upon to choose the most effective problem solving method (for use both academically and throughout their lives). This discussion has helped to shift my focus from a one on one perspective to that of a group situation (although I’m still unsure how to best activate the building of learning skills for each individual in a classroom situation).
Until recently I have never been ‘taught how to teach’. Therefore, up until this point all my school experience has been based on instinct. But reflecting on my experience last year I have begun to recognize the significance of the saying that 'as teachers we wear many different hats'.
Last year I was teaching EAL classes, being a teacher’s aide in curriculum support and coaching both girls and boys sporting teams. I have begun to recognize that how I relate to kids (and how they relate to me), depends upon the circumstances and the defined role we find ourselves in. I have begun to think about why it is that I respond in a particular way and whether that response is appropriate. This is an important point because the kids see me as being in charge so, to a large extent, it is up to me to define the boundaries.
This year I have started working in boarding at an all boy’s boarding school. I mainly deal with year nine students but also older years as well. Although I have only been involved in this job for about three months I have begun to see another side to the teaching profession - that is being outside the classroom.
As boarding staff my role is primarily a pastoral care one. However, I sometimes find it difficult to get a balance between that and being the disciplinarian – especially on a rainy day when the boys haven’t been able to play sport. Rainy days = trouble in Year 9!
Boarding has opened up a whole new can of worms for me!
The boarding house is a fascinating environment. One of the most interesting phenomena’s has been the pack mentality of the boys, for example if one kid is a bit hyper chances are the rest of them are feeling the same way. Consequently, sometimes the year nine boarders are a fantastic group (individually they are great boys) but at other times they can be a bunch of rat bags! I am beginning to discover that dealing with year nine boarders is about getting the balance right. Sometimes I find myself taking the “do as you’re told” approach and at other times taking more of a back seat, relaxing a bit and really trying to hear what is important in their lives.
What I have noticed is that it doesn’t take much to show a kid that you’re ‘on their side’ so to speak. A few weeks ago a boy came back to the boarding house after school with an ice pack on his hand. In response to me asking him what happened he replied that he had punched a wall because he’d had a bad day. Later that afternoon I overheard the boy on the phone to his dad. He was quite upset. After he had hung up I asked the boy if there was anything he wanted to talk about because he seemed to be quite upset about something. Again he avoided me by saying that it was nothing and that he’d just had a bad day. That evening when his friends were playing sport he came and sat near me. I asked him how his hand was feeling and he blurted out that he was upset because his parents had forgotten his birthday. For me this highlighted the fact that the boarding house is the boy’s home away from home. It is important for me to consider how I am perceived as well as how I want to be perceived by the boys. It is sometimes difficult to be seen as approachable without the boys thinking you’re a push over and visa - versa. I have also become aware that on occasion a boy acts out because of other problems and rather than taking disciplinary action a pastoral care approach is more appropriate.
I chose to pursue a career in teaching because I see it as a positive career choice. Being able to give something back to the community is important to me. From a more personal point of view I think of teaching as a very human thing to do – learning to relate to different people. I find teaching is a positive career choice especially because it involves working with young people. It is about experimenting with new ideas and examining the results. I chose secondary teaching because I hope to extend myself, as well as future students, intellectually.
After spending 2006 working at a co educational boarding school in Lancashire in the UK – sort of a post grad gap experience – I have begun to appreciate the concept of the digital native (we looked at this with Kathryn) and the fact that kids today operate by way of multi tasking. A classic example of this was witnessing a boy playing a tennis match and talking on his mobile phone at the same time! The point being that from my perspective you EITHER play tennis OR you talk on the phone. It is thought that kids today learn in more of a spider web pattern than a linear pattern. This concept immediately lends itself to more creative methods of teaching.
Last year, I found working with the curriculum support kids the most rewarding part of my job because when they ‘got it’ they really ‘got it’! Their enthusiasm to apply the new found knowledge was contagious! However, it was not only the end result that satisfied me but the process we worked through to help the student find a method of learning / understanding that worked for them.
This process - of guiding the student to the next level so they are able to take the next step themselves - seems obvious when working on a one to one basis. But what about being in a classroom situation? When you have 30 odd students and don’t have the time to focus on each individual? How do you make the lesson as constructive as possible for ALL your students?
Until now I have never consciously considered the role of a teacher as being a facilitator of learning. I understand the value of helping students build up a repertoire of learning skills that they can call upon to choose the most effective problem solving method (for use both academically and throughout their lives). This discussion has helped to shift my focus from a one on one perspective to that of a group situation (although I’m still unsure how to best activate the building of learning skills for each individual in a classroom situation).
Until recently I have never been ‘taught how to teach’. Therefore, up until this point all my school experience has been based on instinct. But reflecting on my experience last year I have begun to recognize the significance of the saying that 'as teachers we wear many different hats'.
Last year I was teaching EAL classes, being a teacher’s aide in curriculum support and coaching both girls and boys sporting teams. I have begun to recognize that how I relate to kids (and how they relate to me), depends upon the circumstances and the defined role we find ourselves in. I have begun to think about why it is that I respond in a particular way and whether that response is appropriate. This is an important point because the kids see me as being in charge so, to a large extent, it is up to me to define the boundaries.
This year I have started working in boarding at an all boy’s boarding school. I mainly deal with year nine students but also older years as well. Although I have only been involved in this job for about three months I have begun to see another side to the teaching profession - that is being outside the classroom.
As boarding staff my role is primarily a pastoral care one. However, I sometimes find it difficult to get a balance between that and being the disciplinarian – especially on a rainy day when the boys haven’t been able to play sport. Rainy days = trouble in Year 9!
Boarding has opened up a whole new can of worms for me!
The boarding house is a fascinating environment. One of the most interesting phenomena’s has been the pack mentality of the boys, for example if one kid is a bit hyper chances are the rest of them are feeling the same way. Consequently, sometimes the year nine boarders are a fantastic group (individually they are great boys) but at other times they can be a bunch of rat bags! I am beginning to discover that dealing with year nine boarders is about getting the balance right. Sometimes I find myself taking the “do as you’re told” approach and at other times taking more of a back seat, relaxing a bit and really trying to hear what is important in their lives.
What I have noticed is that it doesn’t take much to show a kid that you’re ‘on their side’ so to speak. A few weeks ago a boy came back to the boarding house after school with an ice pack on his hand. In response to me asking him what happened he replied that he had punched a wall because he’d had a bad day. Later that afternoon I overheard the boy on the phone to his dad. He was quite upset. After he had hung up I asked the boy if there was anything he wanted to talk about because he seemed to be quite upset about something. Again he avoided me by saying that it was nothing and that he’d just had a bad day. That evening when his friends were playing sport he came and sat near me. I asked him how his hand was feeling and he blurted out that he was upset because his parents had forgotten his birthday. For me this highlighted the fact that the boarding house is the boy’s home away from home. It is important for me to consider how I am perceived as well as how I want to be perceived by the boys. It is sometimes difficult to be seen as approachable without the boys thinking you’re a push over and visa - versa. I have also become aware that on occasion a boy acts out because of other problems and rather than taking disciplinary action a pastoral care approach is more appropriate.
I chose to pursue a career in teaching because I see it as a positive career choice. Being able to give something back to the community is important to me. From a more personal point of view I think of teaching as a very human thing to do – learning to relate to different people. I find teaching is a positive career choice especially because it involves working with young people. It is about experimenting with new ideas and examining the results. I chose secondary teaching because I hope to extend myself, as well as future students, intellectually.
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