Last semester at university

Well, a great deal has happened. Firstly I am teaching almost fulltime now in the HSIE Department at Emanuel School. I teach 2 year 7 classes, 1 year 8 class, 1 year 9 class and 2 year 10 classes. It was a hectic 6 weeks of term but not as hard as I suspect other first year teachers have - as I have worked at the school for 5 years and know my 'new' colleagues very well. I have noted that the amount of planning you have to do is done after the school day has finished, free periods being used to do paper work, organise lessons and so on. I have a paper diary planner which I carry everywhere and where I write my 2 line lesson plans! However, I also carry the textbooks, marker pens, normal pens, my compute and very importantly the black folder. This folder contains all of the current lessons I am teaching (and forthcoming lessons) - articles, worksheets, assessment tasks etc...and I keep this constantly up to date. That way if all else fails you have your backup. Peace of mind and handy when the technology fails.
Finished all of my marking the first saturday of the holidays. It is still troubling to mark I find - that is one useful thing they could teach you at university I think - maybe in curriculum method. You learn all about assessment, but not exactly how to mark. I set assessment tasks for all my classes so had a lot to mark but now have a little bit of an idea about the students I will be teaching until the end of the year. Now, it is the time for planning. I am setting out what I need to teach in History for all the years until the end of the year. Not the exact lessons - but just the topics I need to cover. The syllabus guides and the school programmes are obviously essential but it helps to plan it all out so that you are prepared mentally and have plenty of opportunities to develop interesting and innovative lessons.

As for university studies, I have Curriculum Method and Inclusive Learning this semester...and there is a lot of work to do for both of them. Even more incentive to keep on top of things. I have firstly to do a webquest and secondly design 20 45minute lessons....and that is just one unit. For the other it is more lots of little assignments. Once those two are done - so I am I. Fully qualified teacher then.

Onwards