It is sometimes difficult to get into a good rhythm
of going to class here for a few reasons. Some of our classes are only
scheduled every fortnight; one module is once a month and another is supposed
to be every week. However, the teacher of our weekly class has had to cancel on
several occasions. In fact, the only continuity we have is in Polish class and
placement.
In Polish language class, we seem to be getting good
grades in our class exams, so maybe we aren’t as bad as we thought! I feel that
although I find it difficult to construct a sentence, I can understand the
language more through listening. This is making me more confident in trying to
speak to others and in class.
.JPG) |
| Happy in class |
We have a module called “Developing teacher’s
critical thinking though educational design.” This class tries to inform us of
what it takes to plan a scheme of work for a certain area. It can sometimes be
a confusing class as there are several lecturers in the room at the same time
and they often get confused and give conflicting views on certain matters.
Anna, DarÓma and I were discussing the differences between this class and the
classes in Stranmillis. It is clear to see the difference between the styles of
teaching here and back home, no more so than the organisation, content and
communication is much better in Stranmillis. We still enjoy taking the class,
but I feel that if we didn’t already have 3 years of Stranmillis education
teaching behind me, I would be slightly confused about some of the issues
discussed in class. One positive from this class is that the lecturers seem
interested in what we can show from our own educational system and I was able
to show some examples of how important reflective teaching is back home. One
teacher was very interested in some points made in the GTCNI were it states
that teachers will
·
Be concerned with the purposes and
consequences of education
·
Be prepared to experiment with the
unfamiliar and learn from their experiences
·
Have working patterns characterised by a
process of action, evaluation and revision.
(GTCNI,
2005)
In school, I have been asked to be a mentor to a
group of G5 pupils (P.7). According to
IB guidelines, it is compulsory for the pupils to create an exhibition based on
a certain ‘Central idea.’ This year’s idea is ‘Conflict’ and my group have chosen
to create an exhibition on football hooligans and what solutions there are to
these conflicts.
The IBO states that;
“Students will be required to engage in a collaborative, transdisciplinary
inquiry process that involves identifying, investigating and offering solutions
to real-life issues or problems.” (IBO)
 |
| Our exhibition on conflict in sport |
My duty is to meet with
the students and guide them through the process of the exhibition. It is a good
job, as I feel that I am integrating more and also having an impact on an
important piece of work. I feel that this exhibition style of work would work
really well in our schools, as it gives the pupils a sense of independence and
focus. The school sets out a number of key purposes for the exhibition
including;
·
Providing students with an opportunity
to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning,
·
Provides students with an opportunity to
explore multiple perspectives
·
For them to synthesize and apply their
learning of previous years and to reflect upon their journey through the
PYP. (ISOP)
It has been a busy week
professionally, but I have taken a lot from it. There is not as much work for
next week; however, I do have another football tournament to compete in! So,
time to rest and prepare for victory!
References:
·
GTCNI: (2005) Teaching: the reflective profession.
·
www.ibo.org
No comments:
Post a Comment