It is almost Friday!
Almost Friday! Almost been a teacher for a whole week - and I am exausted! I think the reason it is harder to teach in England is well, a couple reasons. First, the standarized manner of the circulum makes it harder to use marks in your benefit. Kids in Canada get so stressed about doing well, and getting any marks, and since you make up the year, you get to mark as you please. There isn't that much that I can do here - pop quizzes are completely unknown - as are tests that are not national exams. Second - they are so used to breaking teachers that they test new teachers (and I'm learning that first hand!) Third - they are completely seperated by skill level once they get to year 9 -- and it almost seems like teachers just label the lower level group, thinking that they just cannot do anything that requires thinking. Or anything that requires writing. I asked my bottom set of year 10s (the second lowest skill level - they are very, uhm, challenging) to write down any sentence or just words in response to a poem. I was told that that may have been too challenging for them - maybe they could draw a picture instead. I'm all for multiple intelligence - but I didn't even ask them to write a paragraph, just words... they could have written: Violent, mad, crazy, wierd, insane, screwed up... but no, that's too difficult...The school is fantastic though! There is so much support - I have 3 classes that, uh, give me headaches everyday. They are testing me - and there are some key players that are known around the school. After my first day I was so upset with how it went - the head of learning (basically she deals with all the challenging students) - asked who I had and then sighed, 'Ah, so you have the Matthew and Marcus syndrome.' I hadn't even met my year 10s yet. Last year the head of the English department had them and she can't even give me advice of what to do with them. I've been talking to the behaviourist specialist - so far his strategies allow me to work with those who are willing to do the work. The others are still screaming, jumping out windows, and today, trying to burn the activity I'd given them on the overhead projector. They are lovely!
Tomorrow I have a full day - no breaks besides from lunch and morning break. I'm going to be so tired! But we have a staff party tomorrow night - should be a good time!
Even with the exaustion and frustration - it is still wonderful! It can only make me stronger, and I am learning new skills, new tricks, everyday. And meeting wonderful people. The department is so friendly - I really get along with a couple of they especially!
Back to lesson planning! I'm heading into London again this weekend - I wonder what adventures await me!
posted by Hilary @ 7:35 PM
1 Comments:
Canadian kids are going to be so easy after this. Years from now, you'll still be boring other teachers in London with "Yeah that was pretty bad but, this one time, in England..."
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