Two steps closer

Study zone next year

I write this with mixed emotions. I had expected to be more jubilant regarding my recent acceptance onto the Graduate Training Programme at Northampton University. It has been a long hard slog to get here and I was bathed in a soothing sense of relief; however this was tinged with an element of sadness. This sadness stems from the realisation that I will be leaving behind the team that has been instrumental in helping to shape me as a teacher.

Looking forward however is the way to go as ahead lies many challenges and encounters that will further shape my practice. Getting back into study mode again will be fun; I am apprehensive about the ramp up in workload though. Bring it on!

GTP hoop jumping

Hopefully I have rounded  the final bend of this challenging process. Delivering a science lesson to real school children was quite refreshing in comparison to my previous experience of trying to coax an adult into extracting the hidden meaning in a child’s poem.

Interesting that the remit was to plan and deliver a science lesson as opposed to maths or literacy. I think I was the only one today to mess about with water. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and asked me if I was going to teach at their school. (Lesson took place at Northampton Uni). I got caught up in the lesson and ran out of time but was not overly penalised for it; I think.

I brought my A game and had fun in the process so if I am not offered a place I am not sure what more it is that I can do to jump through their hoops. PMA would suggest that I made it. See you on the other side.

2nd Interview

The GTP selection / application process continues with unrelenting rigour. Revisiting Northampton proved to be a more relaxed experience for a couple of reasons. One of the key differences is that they removed the, somewhat synthetic, literacy lesson delivery and replaced it with a more practical science presentation. The lucky few (60 out of 400 applicants) will be invited back for the second interview phase where live pupils will be released for general instruction. Of this 60 only 30 will be offered a place (7.5%).

The second difference that I noted was in the interview itself which was specifically designed to glean ones level of subject knowledge (core curriculum subjects). This was much more transparent than my last experience which was geared more towards one’s general knowledge of education as a whole – much more cloak and dagger and without clear parameters.

The numeracy and Literacy tests were still there however a mental maths and spelling test were new additions. Nothing too taxing and the maths was at / just above year 6 level with lots of ratio, proportion and % age. The essay was a bit wooly “Why I want to be a teacher.”

Overall I would say that being relaxed and yourself is the key. Easier said than done in some cases though eh!

 

Reflection in the work setting 2

A few weeks have passed since my initial reflections which were driven by a critical incident. Something that I had noticed and felt at the time. A level of discomfort if you like; a sense that I was not being true to myself or my values. The way the situation was managed could have resulted in a shift in how I was perceived as a practitioner/professional. I was conscious that my behaviour had become very defensive.

I realised that I had to adjust the way that I communicated my views/feelings so as to not come across as being defensive and thus aggressive. Well chosen vocabulary coupled with a determination to keep a dialogue flowing helped me to illustrate and hold up my beliefs for scrutiny by others.

This Senge like approach has resulted in a shift in how I am regarded in the classroom and brought me closer to my ideal of operating as a consultant in situ as opposed to an agent on demand.

“The most effective people are those who can “hold” their vision while remaining committed to seeing current reality clearly”  Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

Reflection in the work setting

Image via Wikipedia

Two weeks in and already my critical reflection skills have been called into action. I have found myself adjusting in action more than normal perhaps. Multiple changes to adjust to will invariably require more time to get a rhythm going. Being aware of my driving values as well as an ability to unpick underlying emotions objectively has meant that I have exited the fortnight having a clear understanding of what adjustments could be made.

Cycle two next week perhaps. This will hopefully lead to more fun.

One step closer

Nice one!

 

Just one more hurdle to jump…

Downtime

Just a quick note to evidence the fact that I have indeed taken a break from all things formal and spent some time relaxing in an alternative setting. A great time was had by all and the food was fairly spectacular. I made a new menu discovery in the shape of “Sea Bream” or “Daurade” as it is called locally (Cote D’Azur). Delicious tender white fish simply attended to with a lemon and basil marinade and foil baked on the BBQ.

Chillin in the kitchin