May 2012
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The Hardest Job Everyone Thinks They Can Do
world-shaker:
buntsfromaleftcoastgirl:
This piece was inspired by a heated discussion I had with a man who believes that teachers have an easy job. Please feel free to share it with others if you agree with the message.
I used to be a molecular biologist. I spent my days culturing viruses. Sometimes, my experiments would fail miserably, and I’d swear to myself in frustration. Acquaintances...
November 2011
1 post
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October 2011
1 post
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January 2011
1 post
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kicksandgiggles:
Never Gonna Give You Up: Things I’ve learned about teaching:
positivelypersistantteach:
If you surround yourself with teachers who are regularly negative, they will bring you down as well. It will affect your teaching. Be professional, but stay out of negative discussions when possible.
Always, always communicate with parents about the GOOD things. If a problem...
November 2010
1 post
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Becoming a teacher:
… still terrifies me.
It’s been a while since my last post. Since finishing my prac and final assignments I have:
Picked up a week of work teacher aiding at a state school (covering for long service leave)
Moved house
Found out that I got an A for the assignment I was sure I would fail (bringing me to an HD overall for that course. yay!)
gone further into debt (finding out that a...
October 2010
9 posts
1 tag
I'm done.
Tuesday the 26th of October, I completed the 30 days of my final Internship teaching grade 5.
I passed.
I was so unsure and so unconfident. I thought I may fail. I thought that I had really done a pretty average job, and could not be certain that I had done well enough to pass. But I did.
Friday the 29th of October, I submitted my last ever university assignment. It was a 4000 word project...
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Wednesday 21st
Should have looked like:
Ball games carnival
Morning Tea
2 hour literacy block - me teaching
Lunch
Computers - students working on finishing reports and assessment activities
Actually looked like:
Rain
Ball Games Carnival cancelled
Finishing work - Sound Waves, Maths, Visit from Japanese teacher RE an assignment due tomorrow
Unorganised morning tea (with students inside finishing...
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Wow, the week gets away from me...
Monday: Rained. Testing, but the students could get started on their contract work while small groups were tested by J. It was J’s first day back after her trip away, it had been almost 4 weeks since the kids had seen her, and they were quite unsettled (the rain didn’t help). We got through some lessons I had planned but due to the testing it was out of routine. I got to see the...
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Thursday & Friday
Thursday went much better than I expected. I had everything together for my day with my male mentor (D), planned out and ready for anything. Was able to record some great observations of the students doing maths, and picked up some great teaching strategies from D. Taught some lessons that with D there for a bit, away for a bit, and I just felt fairly comfortable for most of the day.
Friday went...
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A culture of blame? | E-verything! →
adventuresinlearning:
Currently, teachers seem to be held ever more responsible when students don’t “learn” (learn often being quantified by level of achievement in standardised tests). However teachers also lack the freedom to make the professional, informed educational decisions that suit the needs of their students and increase the likelihood of engagement and subsequent learning.
...
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thingsforteachers:
So You Want to Teach: What Makes a Great Teacher?
psithinkyousareawesomez:
positivelypersistantteach:
Great teachers are made by:
Understanding what sparks their students They know how to motivate them and what makes them hungry for knowledge.
Forming genuine bonds with their students This is important for the teacher as they establish trust with the student and interest...
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Wednesday
Today could not have gone better, I don’t think.
I was in control, the students listened and did what they were asked, and more than that, engaged in creative thought and learnt a lot!
The relief teacher supervising me (also supervised me yesterday) really stepped in to encourage me and demonstrate how he gets the classes attention. It set up the day for success. I also introduced a few...
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I'm exhausted.
Just drained.
And I’ve only finished the first day of term, in which I had three non contact session. What? How can I be tired?
Today was ok. The kids were fine, but I give them too much freedom that they very quickly get that bit-to-much out of hand. I just hate getting all up in their faces and being all ‘stop doing that’, ‘don’t do this’, ‘hurry up...
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September 2010
7 posts
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3/6
A brief outline of my third week of prac - better write and reflect on it before the end of the holidays!
I really must try to do this every day next term: teaching full time, there will be far too much to write for me to leave it until the end of the week!
Anyway, I had a beautiful Monday, though it was rushed and full, as my mentor teacher’s last day before she headed overseas! It was...
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2/6
It’s the middle of the holidays now, so this was actually 3 weeks ago, but things became so crazy in the 2nd and 3rd weeks of prac that I just completely forgot to be blogging about it.
So, week 2.
On Wednesday of Week 2, the class had an expo night where each child had a stall in the library to present the work they had been doing to their parents. They each had a powerpoint running on...
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Creating Positive Classroom Management →
This article is fantastic. I’m posting it so that I remember it! The beauty is that it is just so me! Unfortunately it’s not really suitable for my Grade 5s in my current prac, but it’s definitely something I’d use for grades 1 through 4! And the problem book is something that I probably CAN use in this class.
Yikes!
It’s the 21st of September (my birthday) and I realise that I have not journalled my last two weeks of Prac! I knew this would happen. I have a list of things to do tomorrow, and I shall add this to it, to do when I can concentrate and systematically reflect on the past two weeks.
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1/6
Today I finished my first week of prac. I was hoping to reflect every day, but didn’t get around to it. So I shall do it now.
I am a naturally hesitant person, who is terrified of doing the wrong thing. I think this works against me in my practical school experience. I feel like my mentors see me as a burden, and as not very competent or confident, though they would never say it.
I...
August 2010
13 posts
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[4001]
Intended Action: Finalise Project Proposal to submit Monday 16th
What Actually Happened: Had to reword and cull down on many sections that were over the word limit, completed readings for literature review and finished writing that section, as well as keeping a list of further texts to explore for the final report. Also finished my reflections.
Comments/Reflections: I am feeling overwhelmed....
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[4001]
Intended Action: Write more of the project proposal – finish situational analysis, methodology, flesh out Question and begin reading for the Literature review
What actually happened: Realised there were some gaps in the situational analysis, emailed J to try to get more details about the class, and completed that section. After the tutorial on data collection, decided on the methods most suited...
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Notes to remind me what texts to find when I...
Date of Birth and Its Effect upon Performance in School over Subsequent Years. Olson, George. (1989-04-01) ISSN: ERIC-RIE0
Smart State ‘dumbs down’ Sunday Mail, The (Brisbane), AUG 29, 2004
The dangers of a national curriculum Age, The (Melbourne), Jul 21, 2003
Effects of Accelerated Instruction on Students
James A. Kulik
Chen-Lin C. Kulik
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral...
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[uni]
A boring, generic uni-related post…
I finished an assignment!!
PRI4002 - Case Studies (group) - 13th August
PRI4001 - Project Proposal - 16th August
PRI4002 - E-Portfolio - 27th August
PRT4000 - Internship - 30th August til 22nd October
PRT4000 - Narratives - 25th October
PRI4001 - Research Project - 29th October
I’ve got to try really hard to finish my project proposal...
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Another vague stream of thought...
At this point where I am finishing my degree, where I have been part of 2 different cohorts (having taken an extra year last year to being my honours project) something has come to attention in regards to beginning teachers… Seeing these almost-teachers outside of the school context has made me think…
One of my lecturers stated in class that apparently teachers have the highest rate...
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I just want to show the world that I can do it.
kicksandgiggles:
I can teach. And not only that I can, but that I am incredibly good at it. I just wish someone would give me the chance to prove this.
I’m not in this for the cutesy things most of my classmates were. Yes, decorating a classroom will be exciting, but just because it will be the first room I call mine. I will be less concerned with “having a fun theme,” and more concerned with...
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10 Myths for New Teachers →
(via thingsforteachers)
Brilliant - reblogging so I can read over it again!
A fantastic outline of all the mistakes made by assuming first-year teachers, and the truth behind what is really expected of you as a beginning teaching and how to stay sane. Also talks about the important things to be focusing on in the first year of teaching.
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Personally,
I’m more concerned about student attitudes than specific student achievements… I want them to do well, but I’m more sensitive to bad attitudes than to below average performance. I’m still working out what this means for me as a teacher.
It’s incredibly important to me that I consider where a student is coming from and their background… I’m sensitive to...
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Thoughts during class yesterday:
I take on personal responsibility for things I have little control over. I automatically attempt to justify the actions of others, and this occurs in many contexts - including the classroom. It means I tend to take on more than I am actually responsible for, but that I am slow to believe the worst in a student and that I will try my hardest to empathize and understand the child.
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Basic scaffold of my Professional Portfolio →
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I have so many thoughts as I reflect through the...
But always manage to forget by the time I get a moment to write it down. I really need to find a way that works for me to keep track of these thoughts. Keeping this blog has been really helpful in encouraging me to A) consider my reflections; B) think about my day and my progress; and C) just write where I might normally waste time.
My PRT4002 group met today and we are almost finished our Case...
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[4001]
Made some more progress today! It was so much… simpler than I’d expected. I was a little nervous really about going into the meeting with my teachers, but they were so organised, and efficient, and well thought-out that it was very straightforward.
Intended Action: Meet with J & D to discuss potential research questions, and hopefully come to a decision on one, and make a time to...
July 2010
14 posts
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Specifically:
Before class next Wednesday I need to-
Write my situational analysis
Choose and write my research question and focus
Commence my literature search and critical reading of sources
identify themes in literature that can form the basis of my literature review.
Also I want to read more about Action Research, to understand it better, because I didn’t really pay much attention to it in...
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[4001]
Intended Action: Spend time over the weekend brainstorming potential project topics to speak about on Monday
What Happened: Speaking with a friend on Thursday, and coming to understand the expectations of the internship, I was inspired to think outside of research in the classroom, and asked my boss at the school after-school care (same school I will be conducting my internship) whether I could...
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[4001]
I have to start identifying reflections specifically for this course, or I will lose track of them, and I need them for an assignment.
Intended Action: Between classes, visited my school in hopes of catching one of my mentor teachers and making an appointment to talk with him and my other mentor about my research paper next week.
What Happened: No one knew where he was, so I waited a little...
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Professional Reflection of Project
For 4001:
We are to complete a weekly reflection, commenting on three areas:
Intended Action (Action)
Actual Happening (Evaluation)
Comment/modification (Comments)
in the context of our research project.
As I haven’t yet discussed the possible projects I could do with my teacher mentors, I don’t have a big list of project-related things to do, except talk to my teacher mentors....
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I found some reflections I wrote while I was on...
I want to see kids do well - Not so much get top marks in tests (Naplan rubbish), but to experience success and avoid confusion.
I must be careful not to make things too easy for them though - I must let them take some responsibility for their actions and learning
I notice a lot of things with kids in the classroom, I like to hone in if I can, but I must remember to pick my battles.
I cannot...
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Teaching and learning are probably some of the...
Just in my opinion. They are complex, and vital, with so much potential for good and for bad.
When a child truly understands something for the first time, when a teenager realises they are capable, when a teacher is told how much they mean to a student… demonstrations of hope in humanity.
But when things haven’t gone well - when a student believes they cannot do something, when a...
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4. List some of your pre-existing beliefs/values...
I will add to this as I think of more
I believe
That if I cannot teach well, I don’t want to teach at all.
I value
Knowing the whole child, rather than just acknowledging achievements
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3. List your important outcomes of schooling
outcomes I believe should be the point of schooling
Learning to be a community member
Developing relationships, recognising healthy relationships
Becoming ready to function as a person in society
Learning to respond to peers and authority
Learning skills for the real world - being literate and good with numbers
and maybe passing some tests. (I understand the importance of learning, but...
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Reflective Journals
4000 - You should write a daily reflective diary/journal during your Internship to recount events and your thinking about situations as they arise in your context. This will assist you in completion of the assessment task Stream of consciousness writing can be useful but try to focus on specific situations and over time try to see patterns emerging or resolutions occurring. Your writings can range...
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Some random thoughts and reflections from...
Allison is in charge of 4000 - the internship
Maree is in charge of 4001 - the research project
Leslie is in charge of 4002 - the beginning professional.
Ok. That helps get my head around what class I’m having when. They all blur into one another, which is alright, but quite confusing when it comes to assignments and homework.
I also discovered that I love when the uni does the...
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Assignment List!
I’m excited to have this all compiled here.
PRI4002 - Case Studies (group) - 13th August
PRI4001 - Project Proposal - 16th August
PRI4002 - E-Portfolio - 27th August
PRT4000 - Internship - 30th August til 22nd October
PRT4000 - Narratives - 25th October
PRI4001 - Research Project - 29th October
Ok, It looks pretty good like that… not quite as scary, but still…....
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Now that I have set the context for this blog, I...
Today was overwhelming. It was the first day of classes for the semester, and after my 3 classes, I already feel behind and lost and stressed. I quickly discovered that I had somehow missed enrolling in one of the classes for the semester, and was also informed that an unscheduled class would be running on Thursday afternoons - when I work.
We spent most of the day discussing the assignments for...
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“The uncontemplated life is not worth living”
– Socrates, according to my tutor this morning.
It is on this note that I embark upon this mission to reflect on and refine my teaching practices and understandings.
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This is me, my reflections, and my journal through...
The story of preparations to finishing my Bachelor, and the journey to being an education graduate.
Enjoy.