I thought it would be best if I would just report this week, because I find it very hard to tell each day what I have done. This is probably due to the fact that I write my reflections every day so I guess I would feel repeated if I would write my blog everyday as well. Therefore, the weekly Groby report with your favourite host: Natalia!
On Tuesday I only did Dance, because the business teacher was absent that day!
So only a report on Dance then. Today was our first dancing day and we were all very nervous, we really were. After the warm – up this feeling only increased. The warm up was done by Fiona and we just followed and did what everyone else was doing. The exercises were fun, though, as there were some we really couldn’t do, but we did try them. This had a chaotic but hilarious outcome. We were feeling already tired after this, as it had been a while since we did something intensively active.
When everything was sort out, we got to real business. It was really nice afterwards to hear them say: “We like this dance”. Exhausted but satisfied break came and we felt more secure about what we were doing, as the students seemed to like it. The second group however appeared to contain some negativists. The front row was really cooperative, but the last row, and some of the second, were what we call: LAZY. They had the mood like “I don’t feel like dancing, I don’t want to do this”. What gave us pimples during this session, was seeing the dance in an entire group being accomplished practically perfect! The fact that Rob told us afterwards that our dance would be used for GSCE exam – group dance, flattered us and what flattered us even more was that he liked the dance. This was the boost for our ego that we needed after the second – not so fun – group. After this we were so tired and hungry, but that’s what you get when you are doing active things. This was a very satisfying experience and we will return to the drama studio with a lot of confidence.
On Wednesday, I did French, media studies, PE and business. I will try to give a short report on each subject.
French: Viv warned us this would be a low ability class and that’s why she wanted us to try that out, so we knew how they were and go for the experience, not the teaching.
She couldn’t have put it nicer than low ability I think, because this was a “I don’t want to do that, why do we need French anyway? “ class. In the beginning we were walking around a bit searching for those in desperate need of help or guarding to make sure they were doing something. It ended in us dividing into groups and sitting with pupils who need help and surveillance while the other two teachers were walking around. In the end I got two of them who were working, which was a big thing for me. The other two I didn’t even bother anymore because they would just do
nothing, so giving them attention would have been a waste of my time. I kept thinking to myself: don’t get angry with them, don’t shout, always stimulate them in a positive way … Sometimes harder than you think, but I managed to stay calm and focussed and I even helped them and the one guy started working. The one next to him joined him on some exercises, but was a bit non – active for the others. I didn’t spoke any French whereas they needed the practise, but with this group class management is more important. You really have to get them going and once you’ve gotten them to work, you’re off!
Media studies: Not much to say about this lesson, as we were just observing it, whereas we thought we would be co – teaching with him. So what did we do this lesson? He gave us the subject for the next few lesson: how media can make or break you. We proposed to do something about a Belgian celebrity who is constantly in the news, as that was what he was doing for someone out of the UK. He loved our idea, so during the lesson we made notes on how to analyse the influence of a person on the people. We also already made a skeleton lesson so we could form somehow an idea of how our lessons were going to look like. He immediately liked the fact that we would like to introduce the story first and have an analysis of the story and than do the analysis on the usefulness of this woman. We choose Wendy van Wanten, as we figured she would enhance comments and she is one of the many that has been regularly in the news these past few months.
P.E.: In the beginning I was feeling pretty awkward because I knew nothing about the rules of Rubgy. There were some students who didn’t participate in the lesson this time and they taught me how to pass the ball, how to run and pass, how to hold the ball and how to tackle (this was with a pillow). I could run into a really muscular beautiful boy… Every girls dream you might think, but I was feeling awkward and weird. After some practising I could do a game with the boys …This was absolutely fabulous! In the beginning, I didn’t have a clue on what to do, but after I watched a little bit and got to know the rules, I really meddled in the game. The boys passed to me after a bit. I got involved in it and enjoyed the game. Can’t I get it into my extra curricular / cultural experiences?
The bit I liked the most was Martyn constantly yelling: “Go girl, come on, you’re doing great!” “Good girl!”. It was really motivating, especially when the others who weren’t participated also started shouting like: Come on, you can do it!
I really want to do it again!!! I had so much fun during this lesson and the guys were so friendly to me and accepted the fact that a girl was in their lesson, although there was one guy who didn’t like the fact me being there. He was sent to the changing rooms again and couldn’t participate in the lesson!
Business: This was the first actual teaching I did this week. I was very nervous as I don’t feel that secure about teaching Economy or anything related to that so you can guess how nervous I really was. They were all so big as well, so again: nervous break down for Natalia. The intro went really well because we had them there, I could see that. My introductory mind mapping was really fun. I had the guys with me, they were really into it. The pace of the lesson seemed all right to me, but of course that is subjective and one can not judge that properly. I felt the lesson didn’t go that well, but Sheb told us it was a really good lesson, so I was pleased to hear that. I really thought it wasn’t that good at all because they seemed bored, but maybe that was just because it was the last period of a tiring day. Afterwards they talked to us and said: see you next lesson and I told them that I wouldn’t be in it as I would be bouncing and being me somewhere else, and they started laughing and said it was a pity I wouldn’t be there …
Thursday I did some more Rugby with Timmy and Tanja and Stef who arrived on Wednesday evening. The only lesson I taught was citizenship with Nick. So a brief report of this lesson now:
This was my first lesson citizenship with Nick. I really looked forward to it as I would be involved in the lesson and talk about Belgian identity cards. This is a really lively class group and the main idea was never to get angry so I started to off calmly. The passport thing didn’t grab their attention, but when I started talking about Belgian identity cards, they were really focussed and attentive. They asked similar relevant questions and were truly interested in what I had to say to them. We even had sort of a class discussion and I participated in it. I prepared a little exercise as well so they could make their own identity card and they liked this. Some were very cooperative and asked questions all the time, others I needed to keep an eye on them. But Nick was really grateful I made sure a less involved pupil named Michael had actually written something down on his papers.
It was a good lesson which I think they will all enjoy, as even Nick seemed to enjoy it!
Today, Friday, again only one lesson, due to facts I can’t help anything about. English teacher was of and MFL leaders was skipped for today, so only Travel and Tourism.
This was absolutely fabulous as we did a Belgian Project. The pupils were always interested and asked questions all the time … The most brilliant lesson apart from P.E. and citizenship.
Some more news next Monday with report from the weekend … Feeling very tired … and hungry: bad combination.
See ya soon!
Natalia
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