11.11.12: Today we remember.

It has been a long time since I last blogged.... and today I fear I will not make up for that fact, but I will try to update all that has happened in the last month or so....

Placement, classes, assignment prep week and skills tests.

1) Placement 1a part 1.
One week in a year 6 class. 34 rather rowdy children, all individuals (very much so) rather tough to break through to, and a school trip - where no one fell into the river, so at least it was a success in that respect, although I'm not entirely convinced the class learnt anything.... I go back there for two weeks starting tomorrow, and we go armed with a weeks worth of English lessons (we only have to teach one lesson). Hopeing it will go a lot more smoothly that I anticipate, but if not, it's a good learning experience right?

2) Classes. A million of them.
So much information is being shot at us for so many different subjects that my head is not given enough time absorb it all. I find it amazing that we are given 3 classes - 4.5hrs - for each subject (aside from Maths, English, Science and PE, which thankfully we have slightly more of) but from this we are next year supposed to be able to take a years worth of lessons.... I'm sure we probably could take the lessons now without any classes, however, there is currently a call for a higher quality of Primary School teaching, and thus teachers, so logically I would assume the more classes we have for each individual subject the better we will be able to teach them?

3) Assignment Prep Week.
I failed miserably at the whole notion of 'assignment preparation'. I have had 4 books from the library for the past 4 weeks and failed to get beyond the first page of the first book... It would be a motivation and time management thing. But mainly the motivation thing. The assignment is on formative assessment (not the curriculum as the assignment title would have you believe.... it being called 'the curriculum assignment' and all) Despite what it is about, and the importance of it in the classroom - of which I completely understand - the books are so dry that I cannot force myself to read them right at this moment. By next week however, I promise I will be able to report that I have read at least two, hopefully 3.

4) Skills Tests.
This, is one thing at which I have actually, completely and utterly succeeded at during the last month. I recommend to everyone to attempt the practice tests, and to purchase the 'Achieving QTS: Passing the Literacy/Numeracy Skills Test' books, in order to give confidence (even if you are brilliant at one subject) and in order to better understand the format of the tests and working under the time constraints. As I said, I have, very proudly, passed both, first time. I found the actual tests to be easier than the practice tests, which was a very pleasant surprise, however the testing room is not the nicest of places - if you have completed your driving theory, then you know exactly what it is like as it is literally the same testing room. With the same flickery/old computers.

Right, wish me luck with Part 2 of my placement, hopefully the class will be calmer and less argumentative than during part 1....

S x

12.10.2012: A week of little sleep

I've become a little bogged down in all the work, additionally illness and injury have taken their toll, so have not been able to blog in a while.

Today started out rather stressfully, almost to Cambridge (within 10 miles of our 40ish mile journey, we hit a stand-still. I'm impressed that we had managed this long without a major traffic jam, but today the luck ran out. We sat, with the engine off for over an hour, BUT we were only 15 minutes late for the lecture... All I can surmise from this is that we clearly leave home at least half an hour too early on the average day...

Today, was our last day in University before the first placement. I'm looking forward to being back in a classroom, but at the moment, I'm a little overwhelmed with the amount I need to prepare/sort/read/write/organise etc. We have a placement week, then a three week break before we go back to complete this placement in November. In the 'break' we have two weeks of classes - in which I have a group presentation, and a reading week - which I am going to need! We also have been set our first proper assignment: 6000 words on formative assessment in relation to a certain area of the curriculum. I have science to cover, but am required to make reference to specific examples I see within my placement, so I have background reading to complete right now, but am unable to think about the 'main body' of the assignment until I have started my placement.

There is basically very little time to do anything other than university work, and consequently, I am now finished blogging for today. Back to work I go.

S x

29.09.2012: Essay Writing

Essay writing. All day. Now, at half 12 in the morning, I have finally finished my essay! It is, basically not what I want to have written, I'm not even sure it answers the question, but it is done. And ultimately, this essay is not assessed, just a requirement.

Really short post as I have done nothing but type all day!

Have a nice weekend, I shall head to bed to sleep until noon.

S x

22.09.2012: No rest for the wicked. Or trainee teachers.

It is the weekend, and I get no time to rest. 18 things on the to do list, I hope for at least 10 to be completed by tonight... But lets all hope for more!

English subject knowledge test and Audit. Nothing will ever fill me with more dread in my entire life than those words. I actually feel physically panicked at the thought of having to complete them again!

So, after a day of sitting and typing, I have achieved nothing at all on my essay, but I have done a lot of other things! There are 10 things left on my list, so I achieved my goal, but I could have done more.... If the links I needed had worked (connected to the right thing or actually allowed me to download my documents!) For the rest of the night I shall be doing my background reading for my essay in the hope that I will digest it all in my sleep and be more than prepared to write it all tomorrow. It is a short essay - only 2000 words, which is good in some ways - I should be able to write it in a day (like tomorrow) but such a short essay does mean I am likely to spend a long time chopping bits out....

Today I have also invested in some books - some being the operative word as I can't afford them all!! Student loans wrote to me today to say I need to send back another form and then they will think about sending me my money, so fingers crossed that gets sorted for next week! I would recommend buying your books prior to the start of your course unlike me, because its amazing how quick the essay has come along (that is our first essay was given to us on day two of the course...) I think my library card will take a beating this year as I have to create a reading journal for English also - full of children's books for all ages. I hope to have at least 100 books read and reviewed for their learning potential by the end of the year.

I'm off to carry on with my reading... well if CamTools lets me log back in so I can link to the articles...

Have a nice evening - I am celebrating this long, tiring, exciting week (plus getting my degree results) with a Chinese Takeaway :)

S x