Haha the students in my biology class I'm supposed to be observing just saw me on this blog. Haha. Hi guys :P

So I just finished the second week of prac. I'm feeling a bit wierd, since no one has really asked about the fine details, but I'm hoping at least some people will at least pick it up here. Though it probably would have helped if I went to church last night, but really I was dog tired from the morning before when I had to prep for 5 classes on Friday.

"The Good, The Bad & The Ugly"

The Good.
The students are actually pretty good. I mean some kids seem pretty ratty, but maybe it is because I'm patient. A lot of times I can keep up with their laughter too. Them silly kids with their internet speak. I can still hear Courtney's roffles and lawls and mike's yaiyas. Sheesh. I picked up a grade 10 maths class too. Pretty ratty bunch from what I had seen previously. Though it was scary how well behaved they were for me. Seriously. I got through my first lesson with them with veritable ease, in fact I had run out of stuff to teach to them after about 60 or 70 minutes. It was eerily perfect how much that they wanted to listen to me, though I think they saw me as a welcome change from their regular teacher (one of my supervisors). Thats what makes it wierd for me though: he strikes me as a pretty cool guy - sometimes a bit boring.. but you know.


The Bad.
On Monday I demonstrated algebra to the grade 9s using a showbag and as a result, the kids LOVED it. I thought this meant that the kids were capable of something a bit more high concept. I pulled out some of the harder problems for that class, after which, I quickly lost them. Keeping in mind, this was also the last lesson of the day. HUGE mistake.

This was made worse by the previous lesson with the grade 10s. In university, the whole constructivism angle is thrust upon us like it is the holy grail of teaching. I borrowed an activity(and when I mean borrowed, I mean I studied the activity for an assignment once and decided to apply what I learnt) so that kids could discover the properties of the tan ratio. They just couldn't get it, and as a result, I pretty much lost them for 40 minutes. It probably would have been better if I had a double period to let them think about it, otherwise half of them didn't even get out of their seat.

With that being said, I also tend to jump in to concepts that I know it my mind but have serious trouble explaining sometimes - this goes for the Maths Bs that I have. It's like I've studied it, so I think I know it, but I don't. It ends up coming out wierd and I jump from one thing directly in to another without smooth transition. Something I should spend more time on is the words that I use to explain something. This may or may not have to do the next thing of my post.


The Ugly
When I don't know something, or feel like I don't know how to explain something, it shows. And its not in the usual way,not at first anyway but apparently people can tell when I write on the board. My writing becomes smaller and smaller. Its quite novel when I think about, but still when I don't know what to do, I end up stopping in my tracks. Is it because I feel like I am a small person in side? Can I only do so much? I pray that I can summon up the strength inside me to become a better teacher.

Thats all I can think of now. Maybe I should have posted a little more during the week.

So the reason I've been sparsely posting is because I have been placed at Saint Thomas More College for my education degree. It has been hectic, here and there even to the point where I believed I needed to skip life group to prepare. I felt awful for seemingly blowing Tim off on the phone, but otherwise I think I made the right choice. Anyway, considering I have the next couple of days off due to the Ekka, I have found the time to post a thread about it (lol forumopolis).

The School:
It's small. A fair few less than 400 students go to this school. A fair few students coming from the greater Logan area I'm told. Most people form 'opinions' about Loganites and thats fine, but most of the time I just see kids that are just being kids. At this point I am inclined to agree with Nick in that Private School Kids are pretty well behaved.

The strange but interesting thing I found with STMC is how they deal with class disruption. The responsible thinking classroom or RTC is a place students are sent to in order to think about how they can better behave. This is not before disruptive students are asked a series of questions that help them consider their actions and whether or not they need to go to RTC. It's not supposed to be punitive and sometimes I hear stories of kids electing to go to the RTC.

The Classes:
I have 4 classes: 11 and 12 Maths B, 12 Biol and 9 Maths. So far I've only taught 2 of these classes - the grade 12 ones. Generally things are pretty cruisy, and 40 minute classes are easier to prep for. If I learnt anything about teaching over the last few days is that sometimes the easiest way around a problem is crashing straight through it. Yesterday I was teaching Statistical hypthesis and really, the only way I could see myself teaching it was just getting in there. I know my 11s will be good too, but my 9s will definately be a challenge. At least 2 kids are sent to RTC every lesson and most of them don't do any work or aren't able to even do the most basic factorisation.

A question I hear alot from these kids is 'why do we have to learn this?'. What should I say to them?

The Peers:
Good, though one of my supervising teachers likes to swear a lot especially in front of kids. Some really encouraging words too. One guy in the staff room told me because I am mathematics trained, I'd be able to write my own cheque in the future. I just wish I could remember all their names!

Another student teacher is also there. A drama/english teacher. Seems nice enough, really knows her university stuff. I wish I did!

The Job:
One thing I hear from my supervising teacher is that (at least apart of) teaching is learning how to act like you know everything. I'm still quite not sure if I taught the Statistical Hypothesis stuff as well as I could have, but getting everyone to understand - even the ESL kids, it is a really good feeling.

I wonder if Nick and Lucy are taught this as well. I count these guys as my peers too, but they seem to have way more experience with youth than I. I talked with them yesterday about how I was going in prac and I felt my insecurities began to show. Do you guys feel this too? If you are reading this, I encourage you to respond :)

So yeah, if you've never been to church before, someone usually comes up each and gives a testimony of how God moved in their life. Alot of times I feel that when people give testimony, I feel God has at best, made a nudge in a given person's life. I've figured out the Theory of Complaining, that is, when you complain about someone's attitude or criticize someone's humble workings, you are somehow subconsciously complaining about your own inadequacies. Ergo, I should probably be asking myself how God has moved in my life lately.

Ranting aside though, I think its enough to say that Paul Ng's testimony last night was perhaps the best that I've ever had ever witnessed. Nuggers, as some like to call him, is the type of person that keeps to himself quite a lot. Suffice to say, it was glorious to God to see him come out the way he did. And while it was indeed emotionally charged (to quoth Justin "Not a dry eye in the house"), I think once more it was because he spoke candidly about the burden and the heartbreak in his life. Through this, you could just tell a real transaction and transformation was made in his life. Wow, just wow.

This is not to say that other testimonies are necessarily weak in comparison; every morsel counts. Yet, maybe we need to recognise that this is how God moves in a soft and contrite heart.

So now you can make yourself a Simpsons Character

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