Lessons

Being a teacher (or student teacher for that matter!) is a funny paradox- on one hand you are planning lessons and teaching the kids in your class everything they need to know. On the other hand, the kids themselves are constantly teaching YOU things, and you are learning things about yourself that you never knew before.

What 3 single day visits and a full week of being on prac have taught me includes:

- never try to assume what kids will do. Sometimes they will have no idea what you're talking about, and other times they'll blow you away with their creativity and insightfulness.

- be prepared for sweetness (eg. being brought a handmade cinnamon scroll) and the complete opposite (eg. a child slamming their fists on the desk when you correct one tiny thing)

- lecturers know their stuff, there really can be seven years difference in ability within the one class.

- similarly, you as a teacher really need to know your stuff, because if you're teaching it, you better believe the kids will ask you every type of question about it.

- nothing goes to plan. It's a miracle if it does.

- the school day is full of interruptions. Just when you get started, you're almost inevitably distracted.

- you can go into a class with all sorts of expectations, and some kids will meet them, some kids will go above and beyond and some kids won't at all. But not for a lack of enthusiasm.

- be nice to the kids and they'll (usually) be nice back.

- you're only as good of a teacher as the relationship you have with the students.

- teaching is a team sport. Other teachers are your assistant coaches.

- contrary to popular belief, the school day DOES NOT end at 3 o'clock when the bell rings. At least not for the teacher, anyway!

- it's impossible to get everything right, but you keep on trying.

Tomorrow's the Day

Tomorrow we go on our first prac! I'm so excited, but also a little bit nervous. I can't wait to finally get to teach in a real school! I've spent a lot of time in and around schools, but have never actually prepared and taught lessons to a class. That part is the most nerve-wracking. We haven't found out which grade we get to teach yet, so I think once I find that out I will calm down a bit, as I will be able to plan! Not knowing if it's going to be kindergarten, or on the opposite end of the spectrum- Year 6, is hard.

I'm not worried or stressed about being in this particular school environment- because I actually am very familiar with it since I used to go there!





That's me, back in 1998 and 1999, when I went to the school for my last three years of primary school. I had a fantastic experience there (I even remember our prac teacher we had in Year 5!) and hopefully the school is still as great a place as it was back then.

Here are my aspirations for this prac:

- Get to know all of the kids' names, and a little bit about them

- Learn how to differentiate my lesson plans, and make them easily adaptable depending on the students' needs and abilities

- Get a greater understanding of the syllabus and what it looks like in real life when implemented into the classroon

- Gain insight into the real day-to-day working life of a teacher

- Hopefully make some good connections and networks (ie. career opportunities!)

Why I Want to Be a Teacher

"Sometimes, looking deep into the eyes of a child, you are conscious of meeting a glance full of wisdom. The child has known nothing yet but love and beauty- all this piled-up world knowledge you have acquired is unguessed at by him.
And yet you meet this wonderful look that tells you in a moment more than all the years of experience have seemed to teach."
- Hildegarde Hawthorne