Thursday 4 June 2009

What made you move into teaching?

Someone said to me "Its unusual for people to fall into teaching, mainly they choose it for strong reasons." I was thinking about why I came into teaching this evening;
* I wanted to make a difference
* I want others to enjoy learning as much as I do
* I don't want others to dislike school as much as I did!
* I think it is massively rewarding
* I worry about those pupils who are getting 'lost' or 'left behind' because we are so obsessed with ticking boxes
* It is fun, engaging and different everyday
* It's a challenge!

I have to write an essay for my masters about why I came into teaching and how this links to my value base - so why did you?!

Wednesday 3 June 2009

The wonderful 9L

When you are having a stressful day, there is nothing better than a wonderful form class to cheer you up! My brilliant pupils were chatting to me about their time throughout KS3 and the best bits. Last term we voted for class prizes and they were awarded to pupils today (I am making cupcakes now as promised!!). I had made certificates and printed pictures for each of them but my big surprise was last term they voted me as 'most inspirational class member' and they had made me a prize of my own - totally wonderful, totally brilliant.... and reflective learners to boot!! :-)

Tuesday 2 June 2009

Starting a Masters!

It seems like a strange thing to do, because I already have a masters in Politics but having been a qualified teacher for 3 years now and having worked in education previously, I have become increasingly interested in the way the education sector works! Schools resist change (probably with good reason since many teachers had some many changes restricting their freedom forced on them during the Thatcher days and then even more from Labour, giving some schools freedom back, when they didn't seem to know what to do with it!) and many teachers seem to fight against the tide of technology viewing it as simply yet another thing to learn, yet many of us can see such amazing potential to really personalise learning for pupils, re-enthuse the unengaged and help pupils to see that learning really is fun again!

I'm looking forward to learning more myself, and hopefully understanding how to gently encourage the changes I (and many other teachers who think like me) want to make, whilst not feeling like a chore for uninspired and disengaged teachers! Yikes! No small task then!