After 5 weeks of sheer madness, and 2 weeks of catching up on the gazillion things I put off because of what will henceforth be known as the ‘block’, I’ve finally found a moment to share my thoughts on how the block went.
It seems natural to start with what I wanted to achieve in the block, and whether I achieved those aims.
My first aim was to be able to have at least great lesson with each class. With the Year 7 class, that moment came when I taught them the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction – what they are, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each. That lesson was the best I’ve had so far here at Turramurra High School. The kids were really engaged to the point where at the end of the lesson they were asking me a trillion questions about reproductive biology and why certain organisms were showcasing certain behaviours.
It was by far my most positive experience.
Likewise with the Year 11 class – I’m blessed that I’ve had the opportunity to teach this gifted and talented group of young adults. I’ve built significant relationships with those kids, and that is almost exclusively down to the sheer amount of time I’ve spent with them. I cannot think of a single moment where I had a struggle with them. It has been an enormous pleasure teaching them.
Unfortunately, with the Year 8 class I didn’t get there. A couple of times I got close and managed to win a few battles, but by and large it came at the cost of the quality rapport I had with a lot of that class. That disappointment continues to weigh heavily on me. This experience presents a great opportunity for me to grow not only as a teacher, but also as a human being.
My second aim was to able to consistently devise student-led and well-differentiated lessons. I have definitely made progress in that regard, and I can be proud of the number of student-led activities I’ve implemented across the classes. There are still little things I need to work on to make those activities effective in facilitating my students’ learning. The good news is that I have the support of both my supervising teachers to make that happen.
So where do I stand now from the beginning of the year until now?
When I first walked in here I did so with trepidation about how I could foster positive learning relationships with my students. Now, not so much. I have shown myself that I can build positive relationships with the students in my class and use it to their benefit.
However, I still have quite a long path ahead of me, as evidenced by the challenges posed by my Year 8 class. As a perfectionist, I’m burdened with a yearning hunger to deliver great lessons filled with students engaged with their learning on a consistent basis.
As my father often says, “The night is still young.” I shouldn’t lose sight of that.