This afternoon, we decided to organise an Easter chick hunt. It was a bit of a faff but it was well worth it - if only for the giggles we got out of it. :)
The children were assigned a chick [numbered] with a card [numbered] to write down their clues. They had to hide it somewhere in the school grounds [which are beautiful by the way, as the school is surrounded by farm land and a forest!] and then write down a clue. All the clues were compiled in a box and dished out at random, so the children could follow a clue to reach a chick. Simple enough.
Some of the clues were priceless!
- 'Up here' with an accompanying arrow.
- 'On the grass' [helpful when there is enough grass to fill a football pitch lol].
- 'Left of the garden' [which, as the children discovered, could be any which way lol].
Etc. [There were too many to list!]
Watching the children search and then support each other with the trickier clues [like those above lol] was really sweet. They seemed to work well in teams and were all running about the grounds with little hats and sunglasses. So cute! My teacher and I just enjoyed being out in the sunshine, though I did help a few children - particularly with working out what the clues actually said, due to some inventive spelling and rushed handwriting lol. My teacher decided that a plenary was necessary [the first one I've ever seen her do lol], so we all sat around on the grass, in the sunshine, and talked about clues. What makes a good clue? What isn't so good? How had they found it? Etc. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and even the children had a laugh at some of the clues [without upsetting anyone, thankfully]. At one point, I nearly lost it - which in turn made my teacher nearly lose it - retaining your composure is hard when things are that funny! Goodness knows what the chickens thought as they watched from their hutch lol! :D
Thursday 29 March 2012
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Positive Feedback & A Sunny Day
Today, my teacher gave me a little bit of feedback about my time in school so far. I think my STCC has mentioned that classroom management was a bit of an issue on my last placement, so she gave me some tips. I have been firmer from the off this time, but I welcome the advice. She said I should spend my first proper lesson laying down the ground rules. I think I will create a class charter with them, introduce a noise chart and perhaps re-jig the reward system with them - make everything clear and get off to a good, firm start lol. :)
Anyway, the positive thing she said was that:
- I have built up really positive relationships with the children.
- I am already aware of their individual needs and quirks.
- I am "tuned into" the children and can read them well.
How sweet is that?! She finished by saying it was very obviously that I love working with children. It made me think a bit. At times - lots and lots and lots of times - on this course, I've felt like packing it in. I've had no intention of going on to be a teacher. But, I do enjoy being with the children and it can be a very fun environment to work in. With the motivation that gave me, I applied for my first job. [That still means I am way behind most people on the course - who are up to job application 1000 and one or two have actually got a job secured - but heyho, it's a start.] :)
During PPA, the teacher decided to go home [I think the beautiful weather had an impact, plus she had a hair appointment booked]. Rather than sit around at school and just waste time, she said she would give me a lift home. I was back for around 12.30pm. I took the decision to sit up on the Mound in the centre of college - overlooking the Cathedral - and I just read [The White Pearl by the amazing Kate Furnivall, as it goes] for 2 hours! It was bliss. So peaceful. So sunny. I even got a little bit sunburnt. A beautiful way to end a positive day. :D
Anyway, the positive thing she said was that:
- I have built up really positive relationships with the children.
- I am already aware of their individual needs and quirks.
- I am "tuned into" the children and can read them well.
How sweet is that?! She finished by saying it was very obviously that I love working with children. It made me think a bit. At times - lots and lots and lots of times - on this course, I've felt like packing it in. I've had no intention of going on to be a teacher. But, I do enjoy being with the children and it can be a very fun environment to work in. With the motivation that gave me, I applied for my first job. [That still means I am way behind most people on the course - who are up to job application 1000 and one or two have actually got a job secured - but heyho, it's a start.] :)
During PPA, the teacher decided to go home [I think the beautiful weather had an impact, plus she had a hair appointment booked]. Rather than sit around at school and just waste time, she said she would give me a lift home. I was back for around 12.30pm. I took the decision to sit up on the Mound in the centre of college - overlooking the Cathedral - and I just read [The White Pearl by the amazing Kate Furnivall, as it goes] for 2 hours! It was bliss. So peaceful. So sunny. I even got a little bit sunburnt. A beautiful way to end a positive day. :D
Friday 23 March 2012
Swimming & Ukulele
Today was a really nice day.
In the morning, the class performed their Ancient Egyptian assembly. We've worked so hard across the week to perfect it and they seemed to really enjoy it. They sang the songs well and all the parents beamed with delight. :)
After the fun of the assembly, we went to the local pool for the class's swimming lesson. From the perspective of the teacher and I, we just had to supervise each half of the class [as only half were taught in the pool at any one time]. And, my teacher insisted that you must have a chocolate bar and a hot drink during that process - hey, I'm not going to complain lol. Though, I did feel a little naughty, given the fact the kids were burning up all that energy and we were just injesting it lol. The only odd thing was that a lot of the children's parents were there watching - apparently they attend every week. They were friendly enough, but I did find it strange that they were there watching, especially if one of their children began to misbehave lol.
In the afternoon, we had a ukulele lesson with a very random, unusual and pretty gigantic man. He was a giant, I'm sure of it lol. I've never played a ukulele before, but my teacher insisted - she always joins in - so I gave it a shot. The class have had 5 lessons and I was pretty chuffed to have caught up with them. I was happily playing along and changing between chords F and C lol. Woo! Sadly, that is the only ukulele lesson I will attend - I am teaching Friday mornings, not Friday afternoons. Unless I hang around during my PPA to join in lol, but that seems a little mad given how much you have to do on a teaching practise lol. :)
So, all in all, a pretty groovy Friday. I really like my new class. All names learnt, little quirks noted and my teacher - whilst being completely different to me in every way - is very supportive and we can have a laugh together. Yay!!!
In the morning, the class performed their Ancient Egyptian assembly. We've worked so hard across the week to perfect it and they seemed to really enjoy it. They sang the songs well and all the parents beamed with delight. :)
After the fun of the assembly, we went to the local pool for the class's swimming lesson. From the perspective of the teacher and I, we just had to supervise each half of the class [as only half were taught in the pool at any one time]. And, my teacher insisted that you must have a chocolate bar and a hot drink during that process - hey, I'm not going to complain lol. Though, I did feel a little naughty, given the fact the kids were burning up all that energy and we were just injesting it lol. The only odd thing was that a lot of the children's parents were there watching - apparently they attend every week. They were friendly enough, but I did find it strange that they were there watching, especially if one of their children began to misbehave lol.
In the afternoon, we had a ukulele lesson with a very random, unusual and pretty gigantic man. He was a giant, I'm sure of it lol. I've never played a ukulele before, but my teacher insisted - she always joins in - so I gave it a shot. The class have had 5 lessons and I was pretty chuffed to have caught up with them. I was happily playing along and changing between chords F and C lol. Woo! Sadly, that is the only ukulele lesson I will attend - I am teaching Friday mornings, not Friday afternoons. Unless I hang around during my PPA to join in lol, but that seems a little mad given how much you have to do on a teaching practise lol. :)
So, all in all, a pretty groovy Friday. I really like my new class. All names learnt, little quirks noted and my teacher - whilst being completely different to me in every way - is very supportive and we can have a laugh together. Yay!!!
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Owls and EYFS
Today has been a very quirky sort of day. On the work front, I managed to come up with my objectives for every literacy and numeracy lesson between now and June [8 weeks of lessons] and I finally settled on my class novel. We are doing The Twits. :D
On a slightly less happy, but rather unusual note, our routines were altered quite dramatically after one of the teachers found an injured owl on his journey into school. The owl was kept in a box and a few of the teachers kept checking on it. It was a really beautiful bird, with bright orange eyes. At lunch time, two of the teachers headed back to where it had been found to try and set it free [as it seemed to perk up]. However, they realised that it had a broken wing. Over lunch, a debate ensued - the local vets said they would put it down if we brought it in. The guy who had found it said he thought that was best, because he doesn't like the idea of a wild animal suffering or living a sheltered life. When the headteacher arrived, he - surprisingly - sided with some of the female teachers and agreed to drive up [a 50 minute journey, each way] to a sanctuary the school has links with. They care for injured animals, as well as having free range hens etc [that is where the school sourced the hens they have]. He didn't know the way, so the EYFS teacher went with him. As I had PPA [as did my class teacher], we ended up covering the EYFS class. It was such a good afternoon! The kids are so cute, so random and are real characters at that age. It was a little awkward as neither of us knew the children's names, but we had grasped quite a few by the end of the afternoon. I really enjoyed it. Hopefully, my STCC will let me spend my 'enhancement' weeks in there - or at least some of them. :)
Update 22.03.2012:
Sadly, the owl hasn't made it. The sanctuary said that the wing was broken right up to the neck, which meant they couldn't easily amputate it [as they'd hoped] and she had a broken rib, sticking out through her back. It definitely put a low on the day, although the people at the sanctuary said we had done the right thing. They said the owl must have been in a lot of pain but at the roadside, it would have taken up to a week to die 'naturally'. And, as my STCC said, they had to give it a chance - rather than just having it put down straight away - and they did that.
Poor owl... :(
On a slightly less happy, but rather unusual note, our routines were altered quite dramatically after one of the teachers found an injured owl on his journey into school. The owl was kept in a box and a few of the teachers kept checking on it. It was a really beautiful bird, with bright orange eyes. At lunch time, two of the teachers headed back to where it had been found to try and set it free [as it seemed to perk up]. However, they realised that it had a broken wing. Over lunch, a debate ensued - the local vets said they would put it down if we brought it in. The guy who had found it said he thought that was best, because he doesn't like the idea of a wild animal suffering or living a sheltered life. When the headteacher arrived, he - surprisingly - sided with some of the female teachers and agreed to drive up [a 50 minute journey, each way] to a sanctuary the school has links with. They care for injured animals, as well as having free range hens etc [that is where the school sourced the hens they have]. He didn't know the way, so the EYFS teacher went with him. As I had PPA [as did my class teacher], we ended up covering the EYFS class. It was such a good afternoon! The kids are so cute, so random and are real characters at that age. It was a little awkward as neither of us knew the children's names, but we had grasped quite a few by the end of the afternoon. I really enjoyed it. Hopefully, my STCC will let me spend my 'enhancement' weeks in there - or at least some of them. :)
Update 22.03.2012:
Sadly, the owl hasn't made it. The sanctuary said that the wing was broken right up to the neck, which meant they couldn't easily amputate it [as they'd hoped] and she had a broken rib, sticking out through her back. It definitely put a low on the day, although the people at the sanctuary said we had done the right thing. They said the owl must have been in a lot of pain but at the roadside, it would have taken up to a week to die 'naturally'. And, as my STCC said, they had to give it a chance - rather than just having it put down straight away - and they did that.
Poor owl... :(
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Gamelan :D
Today, we had our Gamelan class at the Observatory. It was not necessarily what I expected, and at times it was almost uncomfortable [sitting cross legged on the floor for an hour and a half made my feet go to sleep lol - I must have looked very funny when I got up at the end of it lol], but I really enjoyed it.
We played a few different pieces, using all the instruments within the set, and the man told us a bit about the history of Gamelan. Eg, that it originates in Java; that the set is believed to have a soul and the main gong is the keeper of the soul; all the music is cyclical and the gong is played to mark the start of the circle; they count down, rather than up, when starting a piece, because you are counting towards the gong [not away from it]. :)
I played a Puleg first. Then the saron. And, finally, a gendèr. 
We played a few different pieces, using all the instruments within the set, and the man told us a bit about the history of Gamelan. Eg, that it originates in Java; that the set is believed to have a soul and the main gong is the keeper of the soul; all the music is cyclical and the gong is played to mark the start of the circle; they count down, rather than up, when starting a piece, because you are counting towards the gong [not away from it]. :)
I played a Puleg first. Then the saron. And, finally, a gendèr.
It was really good fun, even if we did get lost a couple of times.
One of the patterns [for the saron and gendèr] was notes: 3535 2525 3535 2525 6767 5757 6767 5757 2376 5723 [and repeat]. It was quite easy to get lost lol, until you got into the routine, especially as we had to 'silence' the previous note, whilst playing the next. It was a bit like rubbing your belly and tapping your head lol. It sounded pretty good though. :D
It was a nice way to finish. That session [which went onto include some work, with the usual music tutor Sue, on African tribal chanting and dancing] marked the final 'foundation' session of the course. Scary stuff! Eck.
One of the patterns [for the saron and gendèr] was notes: 3535 2525 3535 2525 6767 5757 6767 5757 2376 5723 [and repeat]. It was quite easy to get lost lol, until you got into the routine, especially as we had to 'silence' the previous note, whilst playing the next. It was a bit like rubbing your belly and tapping your head lol. It sounded pretty good though. :D
It was a nice way to finish. That session [which went onto include some work, with the usual music tutor Sue, on African tribal chanting and dancing] marked the final 'foundation' session of the course. Scary stuff! Eck.
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