The week started off on a sad note, as the principal told the staff on monday morning, that there's been a break in at the school. The 5th one for the year and again it was projectors that were stolen out of classroom. It left many teachers baffled as no one understands how this can happen. The school management is now closely looking at measures to ensure that this won't happen again.
This has been a week solely focused on academics. All of the grades had test scheduled this week and teachers wanted to give revision lessons, thus there was less presenting of lessons for me than any other week.
This week I have experimented to see whether I'll be able to control a situation where I invite grade 8 learners to give their feedback on the board. I have done this before and it worked well with the Senior grades, but I was sceptical with the Juniors as I don't want any learner to be offended when they make a mistake and some learner shouts it out in a manner that is disrespectful. I wanted to avoid doing this at all cost, but deemed it as a good challenge. Prior to asking learners their contribution on the board, I have explained to the class what will be expected from the other learners. I think it went fairly well, but there was the occasional random shout out's from other learners, "That is not the answer" but I would immediately address the individual.
I'm also learning that it helps to speak to learners that are misbehaving after a lesson as they leave to the next class, by just gently saying, I didn't appreciate that or I expect better from you! One can then see on their body how guilty they feel about their actions and it's during this time one needs to motivate them to be better, but not just in my class, but all other classes.
On certain days the interaction between me and the learners is better than other days. When learners find the content interesting they willingly and freely participate within the lesson, but their are days where I need to create the hype about learning something that doesn't seem to make sense to the learners. On Thursday morning I felt despondent when there was a few learners that didn't understand a certain concept (Right Hand Rule, Natural Sciences). Which have been explained in a series of lessons before, this period was used as revision as they had a project the Friday on Electromagnetism. Thus I felt the way I did as this has been dealt with before. I would ask them questions on the content and they struggled to answer correctly during the lesson, even after I've simplified the explanations and using other visual aids, such as pictures demonstrating. I had to remind myself that I cannot allow how I feel to show on my face and that it's not a reflection on me. I did question myself whether it's me that's creating the hurdle, but again I had to realise in reality there will be learners that will grasp something quicker than others. This is where doing revision and homework is of cardinal importance as learning shouldn't just occur within the classroom. After the lesson I then stretched the importance of home work to the class, hopefully it made an impact on them.
On Wednesday a lesson I was observing was interrupted by the police. All the learners were shocked, me included as it came unexpected. The police was there to search the boys, the girls were asked to leave the classroom. The principal that he suspects that learners are using illegal substances on the school grounds and he felt that the police should intervene so that learners may understand how important it is to the school that such behaviour will not be tolerated. Although it was drastic, it surely made the impact it had to.
The prefects for the year 2016 have been nominated as well within this week. At the high school I attended only the teachers had a say, but this school uses a different system where fellow learners can nominate as well, which I found interesting.
On to week 6, for some more teaching and learning!
Wonderful to see how you are trying to analyse and try to understand what is happening to you during this time of teaching practice. This is where reflection helps one to try and make sense of what one experiences. One does not always get answers, but it helps one to grow in wisdom and experience. I also appreciate how you treat them with respect and not try to shout them down when they misbehave, but rather speak to them afterwards. Sometimes when one confronts them in front of others, then they will act up. I think you are doing the right thing by speaking to them afterwards. Keep up this great work, I know that you are making an impact on the lives of these learners. Sterkte.
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