Already off
to a good regular posting start… not! How can one week seem so busy, and yet at
the same time so unproductive. Since last posting I’ve had several different
sessions in all different subject areas.
I have to say PE was the session I was
dreading the most! It wasn’t too bad! I’ve had 2/3 of the PE sessions now and
it’s been much more interesting than I expected. All the worries I had entering
the sessions reflect very similarly the concerns little people may have in
their PE classes… am I fast enough? Do I look silly running? What if I’m not
fast enough and let a team down? What if I’m rubbish at something? The trick is
I’ve learnt is to ensure that the activities in the PE classes you run ensure
that no one feels like this and that it’s a chance to have fun! (Never thought I
would say that about physical exercise!) What’s the most important think I have
taken from that area or learning? I guess it would have to be the importance of
enthusiasm, if a teacher turns up with a CBA attitude, what chance do the
children have? The emphasis has got to be on personal achievements for the
child, yes competition is still important but recognising the individuals
improvement is vital and this area of education is where self-assessment is
prominent.
Art- another area where self-criticism can
really impact on attitudes to learning. What if my drawing looks nothing like
its meant to? What if I’m not creative enough? Will everyone think I’m rubbish?
I’ve had two sessions now, one on clay, the other on drawing. I can honestly
say neither are my strong points however I had a go and enjoyed what I did, the
outcome wasn’t a threat to Picasso but then who says Picasso is right? Again
the enthusiasm shown by the teacher infiltrates through the class and learning
to do something new in an hour does fill you with a satisfied feeling. Art can
be used to aid all other curricular areas, and for many it is fun and hands on.
After all aren’t we being told all the time that hands on activities really do
help us to learn quicker and consolidate new knowledge?
English… Will I ever get to grips with
phonics?!
Maths… I will do more work! Although learning
about chunking in division really was a light bulb moment, all those tears
throughout GCSE’s… why did no one use this method then??
So what has
left the biggest impression on me this week and got me questioning myself in a
teaching role? It is without a doubt the safeguarding children lecture we had
on Friday 5th Oct. I think some of those statistics will last a
lifetime. Looking at what constitutes as abuse and the reasons and causes for
abuse opened up a rabbit warren in my brain! There are so many different ways
in which someone can abuse. So many different factors that make a child
vulnerable to abuse or an adult susceptible to abuse someone. Knowing that with
statistics as they are I WILL encounter an abused child on one or more of my
placements, and knowing that I have worked with abused children in the past
really makes me want to do as much as I can in school to create a safe, happy
and healthy environment for children to flourish.
Unicef
summarise the rights of children in this PDF
TO
SUMMARISE:
Every child has the right to be cared
for
Every child has the right to protection
Every child has the right to participate
Every child has the right to freedom of expression
Every child has the right to education and play
Every child has the right to survival and development
Every child has the right to Rehabilitation and care (Rehabilitation
being the act of putting things back to normal in life)
Teaching
and school encompasses all of these rights… quite a huge responsibility when
you think about it!
