Experiences
Teaching rounds
Adam
In “O” week the Graduate Diploma of Primary Education students were asked to write a letter to themselves offering advice on surviving the year and setting individual goals. I have long since forgotten what I wrote to myself back then but if I were to write that letter again today, I would say to ‘expect the unexpected’, value flexibility and maintain a positive outlook.
These attributes have been essential in surviving the first semester, at both university and in the schools. Professional placements are one of the most important and challenging components of teacher training. I had heard a lot about how teaching placements were organised in universities. I had been cautioned by all the teachers I knew about the ‘sink or swim’ approach to graduate diploma student placements. My expectations were that I would be placed in a school and spend the next week trying to teach, perpetually lost and with no-one but my supervising teacher to talk to.
So I was pleased to discover that Monash Peninsula was trialling a different approach. This year we have been placed with a student teaching partner, with other student pairs being placed in the same school. Having the support of a fellow student in the classroom, and with a number of familiar faces in the staffroom, my first placement has been much less daunting than I expected. Also, having a shared teaching experience in my tutorials has been fantastic.
When I wrote that letter to myself eleven weeks ago, I was nervous and excited about the year ahead. I knew it was going to be a challenging and engaging program with more assessment and trials than I had experienced in my undergraduate study. I appreciate the effort that has been made by the education faculty to provide me with the best possible training and I will strive to improve my practice in my own classroom. What I hadn’t really considered was the enjoyment I would get meeting the people that will benefit most from my training – the students. I feel sure I am heading into one of the best careers around and cannot wait for the new challenges I’ll face. Not just next semester; but the next year ahead as a graduate teacher.
