Oh GOD! Wednesday I had the greatest challange in my practice placement ever....
I was well prepare to teach a 7th grade about the fantasy genre, and I was looking forward to it, because I had taught a Danish 7th grade the same subject in November last year. It would be fun to compare those to classes - especially from a cultural point of view.
But things change when your're a teacher so you have to be flexible and when I arrived at Humfryskolan I was given a 6th grade with severe social problems to teach instead.
At the introduction meeting I was warned about the 6th grade that they were 24 pupils who didn't like eachother and that their teacher at the moment was working hard to have a decent atmosphere in the classroom. Now I can see what she ment.
80% very nice, sweet and clever pupils and 20% very noisy, giggeling, chatting, autonomous bunch of kids. The 20% took up most 80 % of my time, and a few times I found myself reacting in a way that I didn't really like - afterwards. Damn! But I must find out how I handle the situation next Wednesday. The 80% are working fine with the production of their own fantasy univers and a poster for their presentation, but I'll have to find out how to handle the rest of the children in a way so that they learn something about the fantasy genre. I have an idea - I would like them to produce an advert that will make me go and see the Avatar movie which I haven't seen yet.
Finally - just a remark about the practice placement abroad. I wish I didn't have to do it, not because of the children.....especially the above 6th grade is a welcome challange.....but I would have liked to focus on the Language, Culture and Identity course - it's interesting, relevant and quite challanging. It's a full time course of 40 hours a week, plus the little extra that always comes when you work with an interesting subject.
PS Just a small note that made me happy - after class one of the girls came up to me and said it had been fun......it warmed my heart....and I'll do my very best to make it a nice lesson next Wednesday - aswell :o))
Hmm - this is what makes us learn, when things turn out differently to what we expect.
ReplyDeleteIf you have time, I would suggest you have a look at systemic theory, e.g. Ole Løw or Jørgen Riber. If you are interested, let me know and I can give you more precise references.
And yes, the single nice remark will keep us working and trying to improve our teaching!