Matrics 40 days

Sorry it didn't post before

Week 5: Reflection

Ok so I've been trying to upload a recording for 4 days and I have given up. The amount of time it has taken to try and figure it out with absolutely no results is definitely not worth it, and it has also made my blog post extremely late. So if anyone knows how to post a recording, let me know.

So the last week has been pretty chilled, I gave the grade 8s a class on electrolysis and I've been busy teaching the grade 11s about the respitory system. I absolutely love teaching the one grade 11 class, they are the larger class. There are 32 of them with only 3 english students, but they are so much more responsive than the other class. It really is like night and day, they are inquisitive and delighted whereas the other class is sullen, broody and just plain uninterested.  I suppose that loving all my classes would be too much to ask for, but I would at least like to like them.

The whole week was generally very quite, I was no longer teaching mathematical literacy  which I plan to begin again this week, so I had a lot of time to focus on the science classes. Which was quite nice. I'm not really enjoying the mathematical literacy,  I find it incredibly frustrating to teach and mind numbingly boring to prepare, but its too late to drop it now and with my assessment coming up on the 2nd, I really need to get back into it.

Friday was 40 days for the matrics so the whole school was quite excited, and the matrics underwent a sex change to mark the occasion by doing a uniform swop and cross dressing, there should be a photo in an earlier post.

Overall my week was very good, but I was sick the whole week and am still sick now. The doctor has said that I have developed asthma and allergic rhinitis which I never had before, I've never even had hay fever before! So I really am starting to feel like Worcester is killing me, andi get more certain with each wheezy breath, how is everyone else?

My two mentor teachers, teaching my grade 10 classes, they have taught me so much and inspired me to do more!

Week 4: Reflection

Good morning!

So it is now monday, and I'm posting late once again... I spent the entire weekend sleeping off the flu. I think I was also just exhausted from the busy week I had, there was teaching, painting and finally the school musical!

My week started just like any other and I jumped straight into my teaching again, although I didn't give as many lessons last week as the previous week as I had my final class with grade 10 life sciences for that topic and don't see the grade 8s very often. I did however teach some mathematical literacy classes throughout the week, which I found incredibly difficult. I find it very hard to explain the maths to them on their level, I don't understand how they don't grasp the concepts and I can get quite frustrated when phrasing and rephrasing work in many different ways. Luckily my mentor is quite nice and often jumps in to help when asked. He never interferes which is awesome but rather will offer advice afterwards or provide me with a different approach to the work which is incredibly useful.

On Tuesday I attended the final dress rehearsal of the play before they went to Montague on Wednesday where they did very well. I am so proud of those kids, and all the amazing talent they have. They are captivating and often engage me to such a point that I feel I'm a part of the story. Their acting often leaves me breathless! I also painted some masks on Tuesday when one of the teachers had a mini crisis about the musical starting on Thursday.  But it all wrked out in the end!

Thursday was the big musical, I spent the school day sitting toesig for my mathematical literacy teacher and helped and advised all of those classes, and also had a lesson with my grade 8s! I didn't mind sitting toesig for my mentor as he had to set up camera equipment for the musical, and it gave me a chance to manage some classes on my own as well as see some other classes. I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing some work and then I was on duty at the musical from 6pm till 11pm shushing the learners, although they specifically said not to ssshhhh... them.

Friday morning I was up bright and early and ready to end the week, it was a depressing day, as almost of half of our proef studente had finished and were leaving. Our number went from 13 to 7. It was quite emotional for me to say goodbye to my new friends, and they will certainly be missed, but at least we had a nice free period together to enjoy lunch, and each others company.

Overall a busy, tiring and surprisingly emotional week that has made me realise just how much effort and stress the teachers put into pulling together a production to showcase the school's talent and get the learners involved, but when you look at the excitedly nervous faces of the learners and feel their proud buzz afterwards, it all seems worthwhile.

XxX

Week 3: Reflection

The last week was both incredibly uplifting as well as stressful. Monday began with me giving class to both grade 10 life sciences classes as well as grade 8 natural science and mathematical literacy for the grade 10's. I'm finding it difficult to jump between the classes but I realise that perhaps I just ned more practice and time. I really enjoy most of my classes, the little grade 8s are full of curiosity and wonder and love listening to all the fun facts and stories I tell them that relate to the work we are covering, they are just an incredibly sweet class, although a rather large one, and I feel absolutely amazing after giving them class, I feel confident and proud and so happy!

My grade 10 classes are another matter entirely, I have a few of them for both of my curriculum studies so I am quite familiar with them, but there are a few rotten apples who try to challenge me each lesson and assert their dominance but so far I have manged to keep them in check without losing control of the class or myself. On the plus side I know they are paying attention to me, as the one girl has taken to counting how many times I say ok each lesson, I'm improving! I went from saying it 45 times last week to 95 times today... *facepalm*

I'm also loving my extracurriculars and am going to be sad when they end this week, I have been painting sets and masks for the school's musical this week as well as attending play practice for a seperate production. The teachers involved in it have really opened up to me and welcomed me, they are both incredibly nice, and as SU alumni understand exactly what I'm going through and are quite supportive. Play practice at 5pm is the crown of my day and just ends it on a good note.

Overall I must say that I've had a great week,  the lesson evaluations I have completed have been positive and well received with valid and wanted criticism. I am taking all these notes into account and improving with each lesson! In total this week I have given 17 classes although I only evaluated 2 (someof the teachers left me with the classes), and I must say that teaching is quite exhausting,  anyone else tired?

Have a great week!
XxX

Week 2: Reflection

Hi there!

Firstly I would really like to apologise for the late entry... I am having technical difficulties and the signal here does not seem to be getting any better.

The past week was very busy for me, I gave atleast one class a day and was really getting the hang of things, my learners were incredibly well behaved and supportive although it did take  few lessons for them to warm up. One class in particular was very difficult but when I finally got through to them and they opened up to me and asked questions and were basically just INTERESTED in what I was saying I felt so ridiculously happy. In the past week I've come to realise just how much effort it takes to give a class, especially to give class to learners that don't care about the topic, but I also realised that breaking that barrier is extremely rewarding. 

I have also come to the conclusion that I need to work on my Afrikaans, giving a bilingual class is no joke, and many kids get lost in translation. So with that in mind my goal for this week is to focus more on the Afrikaans side of things and try to improve because I reallywantmylearners to understand the work.

With all this in  mind, and my apologies, I'll be signing off. Have a great week!