Tuesday, 9 October 2012


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!

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