The whole "will I, won't I" discussion over whether I'm actually teaching AS Sociology next year is still to be resolved. Timetabling seems to have become a complete nightmare for the SLT guy in charge - so much so that no-one really knows what they're definitively doing next year. This kinda makes it hard to plan, but we're plowing (ploughing?) on regardless.
With that in mind, I spent most of my morning with the Sociology Department at Mulberry. Very established department, again with a TFer as HoD. Why these TF kids are high achievers! Apparently the majority of new teachers don't want any management responsibilities, but it seems most TFers who are into their 3rd or 4th year of teaching have gone straight in there and grabbed themselves a post. Head of Maths for me? *shudder* I can't think of anything worse!
Anyway the department has achieved a GCSE pass rate of almost 80% A*-C for the last 4 years; this is huge when you think that our pass rate across the board is only 27%. Very dynamic, excellent resources and ideas, was very useful chattering with them. Plus plus plus they've given me tips on exam boards, old textbooks they don't need, ideas for teaching, and, very importantly, whole schemes of work for lots of units, excellent!
Anyway, it's that awkward transition time of year from LVIth to UVIth, but work is still going on. Watched a lesson on sociological theory where the kids were briefed on five main theories, put into groups, given a theory each, and then told to go away and research it and apply the theory to a topic from the list of "football, Christmas, fashion or chocolate", then make a poster and powerpoint presentation to teach the rest of the class. Interestingly the ppt had to be a max of 4 slides with 20 words in total, but with as many pictures as they wanted - something the girls were initially shocked by!
I only saw about 20 minutes of actual teaching time, but the girls in that group were excellent, really keen and got straight onto their independent work. Their teacher told me he makes them teach each other to help them get ideas clear in their head and become more creative with their work. This style of teaching I guess is similar to what I do in maths, but there's no way I could ever leave the kids to get on with their own work for a double session. Maybe I will have to learn to give the kids more responsibility; after all, they'll have to take control of their own work at uni.
Watched Sanju teach an excellent lesson with her Y7s. Was so impressed, in fact, that I think I'm going to do something similar for my external assessment in two weeks with my Y7s. Clearly she loves her maths and her teaching, which is half the battle won already. There was a real buzz of purposefulness in the room, with the girls working together on their questions and racing against time for the prize, exciting stuff! I won't tell you any more, I'll save it for two weeks. But despite all the bad press we get in staffrooms, I'm convinced that on the whole TF teachers really are motivated and enthusiastic and do make a difference in schools. Sure there are cynics to be found everywhere - it's just a case of proving them wrong (not as easy to do as it is to type!)
Had the afternoon off cos the staff were on INSET, bonus! Contemplated how I might basically just be teaching the wrong subject in the wrong school, but didn't really get anywhere with what to do about it. Now off to the gym. All in all a good day.
With that in mind, I spent most of my morning with the Sociology Department at Mulberry. Very established department, again with a TFer as HoD. Why these TF kids are high achievers! Apparently the majority of new teachers don't want any management responsibilities, but it seems most TFers who are into their 3rd or 4th year of teaching have gone straight in there and grabbed themselves a post. Head of Maths for me? *shudder* I can't think of anything worse!
Anyway the department has achieved a GCSE pass rate of almost 80% A*-C for the last 4 years; this is huge when you think that our pass rate across the board is only 27%. Very dynamic, excellent resources and ideas, was very useful chattering with them. Plus plus plus they've given me tips on exam boards, old textbooks they don't need, ideas for teaching, and, very importantly, whole schemes of work for lots of units, excellent!
Anyway, it's that awkward transition time of year from LVIth to UVIth, but work is still going on. Watched a lesson on sociological theory where the kids were briefed on five main theories, put into groups, given a theory each, and then told to go away and research it and apply the theory to a topic from the list of "football, Christmas, fashion or chocolate", then make a poster and powerpoint presentation to teach the rest of the class. Interestingly the ppt had to be a max of 4 slides with 20 words in total, but with as many pictures as they wanted - something the girls were initially shocked by!
I only saw about 20 minutes of actual teaching time, but the girls in that group were excellent, really keen and got straight onto their independent work. Their teacher told me he makes them teach each other to help them get ideas clear in their head and become more creative with their work. This style of teaching I guess is similar to what I do in maths, but there's no way I could ever leave the kids to get on with their own work for a double session. Maybe I will have to learn to give the kids more responsibility; after all, they'll have to take control of their own work at uni.
Watched Sanju teach an excellent lesson with her Y7s. Was so impressed, in fact, that I think I'm going to do something similar for my external assessment in two weeks with my Y7s. Clearly she loves her maths and her teaching, which is half the battle won already. There was a real buzz of purposefulness in the room, with the girls working together on their questions and racing against time for the prize, exciting stuff! I won't tell you any more, I'll save it for two weeks. But despite all the bad press we get in staffrooms, I'm convinced that on the whole TF teachers really are motivated and enthusiastic and do make a difference in schools. Sure there are cynics to be found everywhere - it's just a case of proving them wrong (not as easy to do as it is to type!)
Had the afternoon off cos the staff were on INSET, bonus! Contemplated how I might basically just be teaching the wrong subject in the wrong school, but didn't really get anywhere with what to do about it. Now off to the gym. All in all a good day.
