Task 2B - Journal Writing Experience

My half term was a strange one I moved into my own flat. Reflecting back on my past year I have completely turned my life around I was living with my ex-partner for a year and decided I really wasn’t in love with him anymore looking back on my life a year ago and considering where I am now I have made so much progress with my personal life gaining confidence within myself and believing in my own ability and what I can achieve as an individual and as a professional. I think this has made me such a better, happier and nicer person with work life as well as social life. So my half term was really busy usually I mope about and look after my niece and nephews but this half term was literally monitored by schedules, times and dates which looking back works for me as a person as I like to have a timetable and schedule to go to. I find it really helps me to make lists. I also have been writing in my journal every night my to do list for the next day this helps me to switch off of a night time using the journal as a checklist shows that I can decide what I need to work on and do for the next day.

So half term had gone by and I was back at school. This week at school has been a very hard week for me. I really enjoy going back to school after a half term break as I don’t like to get out of a routine. I like to be in a routine, this helps me be motivated and actually inspires me to choreograph better dances for my classes and build better Schemes of work for the students. It was a normal Monday and reflecting back on my day it was a great day. Between the hours of 9-10 I have my BTEC year 10 students who are working on a new urban routine some of the students are finding this difficult so I broke down the steps for them and cleaned the routine up. I was sure I had to do this as on the last day of term one of the students was extremely frustrated as they were struggling to get the moves and I told her she needed to work on her movement memory. She came back to class and had worked on it all half term every day for 30 minutes and you could see the difference not just me but the whole class and she was so impressed with herself. Looking back this was really a break through lesson for her and I am so proud she is finding her confidence in this style of dance. As well as teaching Dance and Drama I teach PE, the lesson after my Dance was PE and I teach swimming. The pool was out of action this really is not good timing as the students are due to do their assessments. Another teacher and I decided that we could test them on their life saving skills on land this is where we built a test for them to do on the computer. There was one student who really struggles with theory based lessons and I know that feeling. I a a practical learner and I enjoy practical subjects I asked him what was wrong he said he find it hard to write down. So we decided to get him to Dictaphone his answers. Reflecting on this boys experience makes me feel that we should do this for more of our boys who are struggling to get to grips with writing and actually like to do practical. He felt like he had accomplished something instead of being demoralised.

So Far my day was going well.. THEN THE DREADED LESSON happened, I had year 8 dance now these year 8’s are incredibly Arty and really enjoy dance. We are studying 70’s movements and Saturday night fever. This was the first lesson each student was engaged the whole lesson they all performed at the end of the lesson and reflected on what they had learnt and evaluated it back to me at the end of the lesson. I had a few boys and girls not in kit. I kept them behind as the others went to get changed in the dance studio. Whilst waiting for these particular students to get their diaries I went back into my teaching room which is the hall. We are currently working on the Christmas Pantomime for the last week of term and our year 9’s have been painting the back drop for us in there to so there were some paints on stage. I could smell paint and went on to the stage what I saw on that stage was vandalism and just completely torture for me. Another student from a different year ( I still don’t know who yet) had crept on the stage when I was teaching and  vandalised all the students work and stole my property took my USB stick which has all my SOW for school all my OFSTED theory work on it.  I was incredibly upset and thought what student would do this to someone. I then decided to go back on the stage where I looked for my USB after half an hour of searching I found it whoever had done this had broken my USB in half and chucked it in a draw. The state of the stage was disgusting I have actually put some pictures below for you to see which are actually in my Journal. The school have taken this very serious we are currently interviewing students who it could be and deciding what to do with them when we find out who it is.

What really made me feel incredibly awful all week is that when I was walking around the school I felt much intermediated that one of those students could do that to the student’s property and my property. It really made me reflect on whether I could actually teach at that school anymore. I went to teach my Zumba class that night and I felt very low and down in myself but when that Latin music plays and the clients come to your classes you feel so happy and alive and you really consider what is important in life.  I took a really long bath that night and reflected on the experience I had that day. These were the questions I put to myself and the thoughts that were running through my mind.

1.       Yes one/two students have destroyed your property

2.       But look at the students who look up to you who you motivate, who you inspire.

3.       Do you leave because of one/two students or do you man up get on with it go to school the next day with your head held high and try to work this out.

So I decided that I wasn’t going to let this person get the best of me and all the work I have done for the school. I have built my career at that school from nothing. I am unqualified teacher who is being regarded as a qualified teacher by all members of staff I deliver excellent lesson every day for students. So that’s what I did. Really this experience has made me open my eyes and consider the pupils and youths we are teaching and who are growing up in our society.

 

What are your thoughts on this world wind of a week??? Let me know your thoughts.

 

Geri

Below see the pictures from the vandalised Stage:

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/104629886@N07/