Day 25 - The Final Curtain

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Today is my final day as a student-teacher and I am glad to say it has been one enriching experience. The conclusion of my placement brings mixed feelings as I think back on the experiences and lessons learnt over the past 5 weeks.

On one hand, it's feelings of relief and joy, upon the thought of returning to the more familiar territory of 'the office', and also of catching up with my friends/colleagues at work. On the other hand, I admit to feeling somewhat melancholic at the thought of leaving the students and staff with whom I was able to grow and develop relationships with.

Before you jump to the conclusion that these final parting words are all going to be nice and rosy, let me tell you that it wasn't all like that (...as If you hadn't already figured it out by now!) :-)

Initially it was quite a huge culture shock for me, as the school I was placed in did not resemble in anyway the high schools which I attended as a student. For example, back in my day, (as my dad would often say) students actually brought writing impements, texts books and notebooks etc to class. For many kids in this school, that's not even something on their 'to-do-list' - get my drift? :-)

Anyway , in order to maximise my experiences as a student-teacher, I think it was important that that I quickly try to understand the culture, teachers and students in this school. When I approached things in such a manner, it was then that I became sensitive to a whole new dimension of teaching ; areas which go beyond the act of writing lesson plans and the act of teaching up at the blackboard/whiteboard.

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Some of My Many Lessons Learnt (in no particular order)

On 'Social Class' - culture in a social class is not simply inherited, static and fixed; it is learned, dynamic and open to change. The basic aim of the teacher''s job is to persuade people to adopt the role of learner, regardless of their background/culture/socio-economic status.

On 'Students' - It's important not to have preconceptions about students based on information I receive about them. (Isn't that true for everyone, young and old alike?) If I face the class having already made a decision that student 'X' will be poorly behaved, I may find that my expectations create a self fulfilling prophecy. Lesson learnt? Expect the best of every young person you meet. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

On 'Teachers' - 'Not having any problems', 'avoiding hassles', 'getting through the day' and having trouble free relationships with students were among the comments that teachers offered at this school when considering what 'successful teaching' means. This teachers however, did not preculde evaluation of teaching by criteria of levels of academic achievement, or producing more thoroughly 'socialised' or 'mature students'. The teachers were tenacious. They acknowedged a fundamental point about learning: that is, regardless of their personal family and social class background as teachers, they have a responsibility to get the students to learn certain specific things, to guide their development in certain directions and to adapt themselves to that end.

On Parents - The role of the parent is the most important when it comes to their childrens' education. I believe that parents are primarily responsible for their children's education especially in the home, as that is the place where they are grounded in the right values, morals and attitudes which will allow them to be effective citizens in the world.

On Teaching as a Career - 'People who express an interest in teaching typically want to make a good living, but do not base their lives on the pursuit of money. Most of them enjoy kids and sense that it is deeply compelling to develop students' potential and touch their lives. They want to excite individuals and classes about subject matter the way they had once been inspired by a teacher. They are concerned about the social and economic conditions of our country, and they recognise the importance of knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking to an equitable society. Some what to make education today better than it was for them. Regardless of their driving goal, individuals interested in teaching want their work to make a difference personally and professionally.' (pg. 3, R. Maloy et.al, 1999, Bergin & Garvey)

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The aforementioned paragraphs are just a few of the many lessons which I've discovered over the past 5 weeks. As per my other blogs, they are just some ramblings from the 'top of my head', so do forgive me if it all sounds vaguely familiar (compared to my other blog entries!) :-)

Day 24 - Parent-Teacher Interviews

It's my second-last day of my teaching placement, and I've been fortunate (although I'm sure most veteran teachers would say 'unfortunate') to participate in conducting 'Parent-Teacher Interviews' (which I'll refer to as 'PTI' from now on)

I have just come home from a 4-hour stint of interviews with the students, parents and my supervising teacher sitting by my side. (PTI actually goes for a whole day for the teachers) It was an interesting experience as I was able to see the students in a different context. With their folks, the students are on their best behaviour and they smile more. Actually, it's a nervous smile that suggests, "Please Miss, don't say anything bad to my parents about me." :-)

Tonights PTI brings back memories of my own experiences as a high-school student attending PTI's. For me, PTI was an awkward experience, probably because I was, for most part, a shy student. I took comfort attending those meetings by staring at my shoes and focussing my attention to the fluff on the carpet, whilst listening to my folks and my teacher discuss my progress. :-) hehe.

There were a few kids tonight who reminded me of my folks and I, but there were also quite a few who bear no resemblance to my folks or I during myhigh school years!

For example, there's this Year 9 kid who doesn't do his work in class and is always distracted (and spends most of his time distracting others). Apparently, this kid was a real whiz in Year 7 and 8, yet in Year 9, his performance has just steadily declined. I gave him a mark of 3/25 for his Desktop Publishing Project (and before you jump to the conclusion that I'm one mean and nasty I.T. teacher!) - I do think his result was justifed. Anyway, upon this revalation, his parents started berating him right there in front of me and my supervising teacher. She seemed unmoved by the whole thing, but I was a bit uneasy and uncertain as to whether I should intervene or not.

It then dawned on me that I do not like being the bearer of bad news! I found it difficult to give parents feedback that their students are struggling/not focussed etc. I felt like I had to say something to appease the parents, but I guess the bottom like was that, as his dad so graciously said it, he should just 'pull his finger out'. :-)

I really felt sorry for the kid, but at the same time, as a teacher, I know that I did everything I could to motivate, support and encourage this student to do his work. I think the important part at these PTI's is that as a teacher, I have to get the student to verbally acknowledge that they will commit to pulling their socks up. In doing so, they are providing me with a verbal contract, with their parents as witnesses, to make every effort to get back on track. I think students need to be shown that they have a choice (of either shaping up or shipping out), and in making that choice, they can take ownership of their own performance at school.

I think to soften the impact of giving not-so-good news to parents, I put a positive spin on the feedback by saying something like, "Jimmy shows great potential in this subject" and then giving some constructive feedback as to how the student can improve.

It's unfortunate that they don't teach you this stuff in university. (At least I don't think it's in the curriculum for any of my subjects at uni.) :-( I think practical things, such as how to conduct Parent-Teacher interviews, should be incorporated into teaching courses, as PTI's require a good dose of psychology, diplomacy and courage. :-)

Anyway, yesterday night, I spent until the wee early hours of the morning marking students results in preparation for today's PTI's. (And that was just for 2 classes!). Just imagine how much more effort is required for full-time teachers who teach multple subjects and multiple year levels.

It's perfect timing that they should schedule PTI's towards the end of the term, because after all the marking and interviews, they're going to need a well-deserved holiday! Thank goodnesss for the Term Break!!

Heavy Questions for My Own Consideration and Maybe For Pondering in Your Spare Time

Do we want to educate our children mainly in government-assisted fee-paying private schools, based on an exclusive clientele identified by socio-economic status, religion, ethnicity or some other dimension?

Or do we want them mainly to be in inclusive government-funded public schools, mixing with children from a wider range of backgrounds and experiences?

Is education a positional good, which may be purchased to the advantage of some and the disadvantage of others? Or is it a public good, which governments have a responsibility to provide and quality-assure?

How true is this statement: Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizerof conditions of men--the balance wheel of the social machinery.--Horace Mann, 1848f

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It's Tuesday night and I sit on the couch thinking and reflecting on the past 4 weeks that have just passed; it's not long to go now before it's back to more familiar territory of the corporate world. I can't believe 4 weeks has just flown by so quickly. It feels just like a few days ago when I first drove up the school entry and parked in the vice-principal's car park! hehe (Refer to Day1 Blog for more info on that incident) ;-)

Well, as the old adage goes, time flies when you're having fun. And yes, the past 4 weeks have been fun, worthwhile and a thoroughly interesting experience.

This week, I'm marking the students' work in preparation for the 'Parent-Teacher Interviews' which are this Thursday! Woohoo. How exciting :-) (Seriously!) On Thursday during the day though, I'll be attending a Seminar somewhere near Knox. It's a seminar where they tell us I.T. teachers a bit about what's 'new' in ICT's in school and how technology can be used to make school life more efficient and exciting for everyone. Should be interesting as I'll get to meet other I.T. teachers around Victoria and get their insights on what teaching I.T. is like in other schools around the state. I'll let you know how it goes.

For the rest of this week, I'll also be wrapping up with the lessons I've been teaching for the Year 9's & 10's (Webpage Design and Desktop Publishing). Tomorrow, I'll be taking a Year 11 and 12 class for some 'Revision Work' and I've prepared a number of exercises to take them through and help them prepare for their upcoming end-of-year exams.

Anyway, better go catch some shut-eye - I'm totally buggered today.