School Prac Visit 1

Who said the first day of school was meant to be easy?



I did, of course! Well think again Jo Jo. Things started off well on the morning of Wednesday 17th March but I quickly realised that I had woken to a morning of chaos. Four pairs of pants later - when did my baby belly get so big? - I had walked out the door, into my car and straight into 35 minutes of standstill traffic on the City Westlink in a futile attempt to get to the Eastern suburbs. One hour and 15 minutes later I had finally reached my destination. Well, sort of. I had to bypass 2 security guards at two separate entrances, 4 volunteer gatespeople (ie. parents of students from the school) and answer several questions regarding the nature of my visit. When did so much security get implemented into our schools? Or is it just this particular school? In saying this however, the people I encountered were friendly in the most diplomatic way. So many questions. Next, to the Primary School Office to sign in and get a visitor pass.

What a relief. I was finally in and ready to face the challenges of my first day as prac student teacher in a kindergarten class at primary school. The day began with a brief chat to the school principal and assembly in the hall. The school is Jewish, so most songs were sung in Hebrew and of course, the subject content of the assembly was related to the upcoming Passover celebrations and the significance of the Tora in Judaism. The morning continued to unfold with English, student news time, the Big Book Story, English phonics and Music. As the school employs a separate teacher for music, my colleague teacher whisked me away for some one-on-one prep talk regarding the culture and customs of the school, its values, the teaching content and structure; a tour of the school; meet and greet with other members of staff; and the implicitly defined rules of the teacher staffroom. Post music lesson, we headed back to class for a lesson of H.S.I.E before breaking up for a 15 minute recess. Then it was back to the classroom for an entire afternoon of English reading groups. During this time I was able to assist and participate in directing the group activities as well as assist in reading activities for a class other than my own. This was an eye opening experience as I was able to see the comparison of student skill/behaviour/learning drive between the students in this class and that of my own assigned class. It also allowed me the opportunity to compare the teaching styles between teachers in a primary classroom.

Lunch quickly approached at 12.45pm, a short session of prayers and a trip to the canteen for some vegetarian lasagne - strictly no meat allowed on campus. My colleague teacher was on lunch time supervising duty so I gladly and willingly joined her for an opportunity to explore the playground and to develop an understanding of the student culture and group dynamics during playtime. When lunchtime (sadly) ended (the children were absolutely lovely and I noted they found any excuse to come and have a chat with me), both colleague teacher and I headed back to the staff room for further discussion about the goals to be achieved during my practical placement. Lessons in Hebrew - again conducted by a spearate teacher- for the remainder of the afternoon meant that today I would be given an early mark.

Things I observed:

• strict security on campus
• the school is an independent, co-educational, Orthodox Jewish school and is located in an affluent area
• most teaching staff are very friendly, approachable, helpful and easy to talk to
• there is a strong and active focus on parent involvement in the school community - parents are able to join in and assist in activites one day per week in their child's classroom; P&F committee.
• the school is very well equiped with classroom resources and facilities for extra curriculum activities
• The school is adequately staffed with assistant teachers on site to help where required
• there is implicit respect between student and teachers
• strong jewish cultural practices infiltrate all parts of the school and are evident of this (e.g. chidren participate in Hebrew lessons, the making of unleavened bread in preparation for passover, names of classrooms are written in Hebrew, the school uniform - boys must wear the kippah etc)
• The teachers aim to develop self-discipline, self-reliance and initiative in their Primary students
• The school's philosophy is based on believing in the innate potential of all students and teachers and providing the resources and the opportunities that enable them all to learn and grow. There is a focus in providing a happy atmosphere that fosters both positive communication and a sense of autonomy within the student body. Excellence and success are both recognised within the school and students at all levels are encouraged, hence offering varied experiences that are both fun and educational in a physical environment that values those within it.

In the classroom:

• the day began with a "Good Morning" song with the students asked to name the date, day of the week and to describe the weather
• the teacher gained and maintained the attention of her students by delivering the subject content in an enthusiastic voice, using direct eye content and a variety of resources (e.g. smartboard with pictures and coloured writing tools, You-tube downloads of songs and short movie clips, handouts with large text and lots of pictures for students to colour etc) and activities (e.g. English combined with arts and crafts; various activities offered at different workstations); lessons consisted on only 30 minute blocks
• the power of the pen? Yes, it's true but despite being told in our tutorial class to avoid the 'big bad red', my colleague teacher religiously uses it, together with a smiley stamp
• students were separated into groups during activity time and each group allocated a colour and title of a Native Australian animal.
• Teacher roaming was a frequent occurance during desk activities
• House points were allocated for good behaviour, student initiative, academic performance and providing help/assistance to the teacher/peers
• The teacher managed interruptions and distractions by implementing a long silent pause, raising her hands in the air and wiggling her fingers. All students would stop, look and follow in her actions. If talking continued, she would convert the twinkling to a steady clap of the hands. To manage interruptions by single students, she would ask the student to move out of the discussion circle where they would be 'singled out'. Students clearly did not like this and would stop the disruptive behaviour. Yelling and negative verbal comments were never made.
• I found the teaching style was in part conducted through 'direct instruction' but as my colleague teacher has over 20 years experience she was able to deliver the content of the subject matter in its most effective form using this method.

All in all, it was a very informative day and a wonderful learning experience, though I did go home somewhat physically exhausted. Kindy students burst with energy and it can be a challenge keeping up. Looking forward to next week.......