Teaching Placement Advice

Rosita

Like many reading this, I am doing the H Dip in the autumn and have got a teaching placement in a school.

I have never taught any class in a school, have done no subbing etc.
(I did a TEFL course recently and taught during TP for that but as an experience it is so different and limited in terms of teaching time that I won't count it, even though I thought the course was quite good)

I was wondering what advice teachers would give someone like me. I am talking about practical advice e.g. what should we be asking at teacher induction day (there will be at my school anyway).......what are the questions/tips that are really 'doh!' obvious later on but that you are unaware of at the time!

For example, I picked up a book recently giving tips to new teachers and one of them was to "avoid lingering in corridors" because things happen in corridors - students get pushed etc. where you would have to act, but it said that you are better off to avoid having to admonish students who won't even recognise you never mind respect you in the slightest, and leave it to experienced and established teachers.

While at one level you might say it's a bit paranoid and maybe shirking responsibility, it struck me as fairly common-sense advice and got me thinking there must be plenty more that experienced teachers would have.

What about roll-calls, seating arrangements in class etc? What about the first day when they might have no books and there's nothing obvious to do? Are we likely to spend a week observing or will a busy school just laugh at the notion and expect you to get stuck in immediately? Maybe others will have their own questions.

Also what subject preparation can one do in advance given that as far as I am aware much of it is unprescribed and chosen by the teacher for the junior cycle. I will be teaching Irish and English and I mention that because somebody might ask it in relation to the last question but in relation to the earlier issues I was aiming at general advice as there's no doubt many in the same situation.

Many thanks in advance.;)

clartharlear

Highly recommended reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Conflict-Confrontation-Classroom-Sean-OFlynn/dp/0953836002

and


(These books are bound to be in any university library, but I think they're well worth owning)

niall3r

hey, im starting the dip too, but was lucky enough to have taught for a couple months this year. Advice from others will be far more beneficial, but ill give it a lash anyways, and know it sounds trite, and I'm not trying to scare you away, but:

Show no fear or hesitation. If you do, they will take advantage of you. If possible.

Seating plan: dont do one for the first couple of classes until you know whom to keep seperate from who.

Always write down which classes have homework and what day its due, cause if you have alot of classes, especially in the same year, it gets confusing, and any confusion is baaaadddd.

There were a group of very sound teachers who took me under their wing and gave me great advice, be tough and they will behave, and show respect to the students and they will recipricate.

Oh and think outside the box, kids like a little bit of craziness. Religion is one of my subjects and when we covered judaism two of the students had to walk around school with tefilin (stressing that it wasnt a real one, and that I wasnt prosletysing) for the whole day so they would know what it was like to walk in another cultures shoes, respect other traditions etc. Every single person in that class answered that question perfectly in the christmas test. . . tho in hindsight there were alot of reasons it was a bad idea.

so basically, be fun and interesting, but dont take ANY ****.
Sorry that this is blind leading the blind, but thats what i learned from my vast VAST VAST experience :P

Nead21

i did my dip 2 years ago and i remember having the same anxieties as this.

if you're doing your dip in maynooth, you will have a week of observation, im not sure about the set up for other colleges.

before you start teaching, get as much information as you can from the teachers about the classes that you will be having...numbers, level, any students with special needs etc, and throughout your TP use teachers as a valuable source of information.

find out the discipline structure of the school and procedures etc. ask other teachers what is the normal punishment for no h/w, being late for class etc so that you're not being viewed by the student as overly soft or harsh. be fair, consistent, and always start each class with a clean slate.

be prepared, know exactly what you're doing in the class (down to timing), have resources with you and sorted if required, and generally dont leave any unorganised time for the students to start messing or getting distracted.

finally, be confident, have a sense of humour, and take nothing personal!! this is the only year that you will be able to really experiment in your teaching and have a safety net so use that opportunity and enjoy yourself.

best of luck!

Lord TSC

I was going to make this topic actually. I'm in the same boat in that I've got no experience.

xXx-Ginny-xXx

im in coll doin a sci ed course..placement an all aint till next year(i think)
we've been told to read: a guide to teaching practice in ireland..by rose dolan

im usually very confident and oytspoken...but absolutely terrified of having to do the placement:(

freire

If you're nervous about the placement, what about the real thing? Or are you just apprehensive about the observations?

The first one or two are slightly nerve splicing but after that it's almost routine and you forget s/he's there, almost.

Kids are only kids after all. Though you are outnumbered.

You should learn a lot from them. It's a blast.

Rosita

freire wrote: »

If you're nervous about the placement, what about the real thing? Or are you just apprehensive about the observations?

It not about nervousness or apprehension to be honest. Just an acknowledgement that I (and many others) have no experience and am trying to avoid pitfalls.

I'm sure it's not climbing Everest but I have learned the hard way not to under-estimate anything.