Dyslexic student in a group

Dyslexic student in a group

My recent discovery

It's been few weeks since my first lesson in the linguistic school. Those few meetings with my students gave me the opportunity of getting to know them better. Now I often know who can give me the answer to witch question and I can decide how to conduct my lesson as to get the biggest benefit for all of my students. Obviously, there are some pairs of friends and some people who are not very found of each other. This is another factor of witch I believe good teacher should be aware of and take adequate actions.

I can surely say that my biggest issue with the students so far was the youngest group. Not only because they need more attention, they perception of the world is specific and some activities are simply much more difficult for them than for older students, but mainly because people in this group are on very different levels of advance.

Just two days ago I got an information from my superior that one of the girls, most advanced one, is going to attend different course because she and her parents felt like it's the best decision. And I strongly agree with them. Recently I passed by the girl and her father in the school in a corridor, she acted as if she avoided me. I felt uncomfortable, from my perspective there's nothing wrong with her changing the group and I don't perceive this as my failure or her bad attitude towards me as a teacher or as a person. But I guess her behavior was natural for her age, or her parents modeled different behaviors by themselves. I can only guess, my point is she is really bright child and I wish her all the best.

So, the dyslexic child

The main topic of this post is a dyslexic boy from the same group I described above. As the girl was one extremum in the group, this boy is the other. After first lesson with this group I was able to say there is something going on and this student needs more attention, more time than other, that he can't focus for long and that he needs physical movement more than other children. Few more lessons and it was even more difficult to cope him, the group and him as a part of the group.

After the sixth lesson, when I looked through the door to the corridor, a woman approached me. I guessed she was a mother of one of my students and, somehow, I correctly opted for the boy. First she asked me how her son is doing on my lessons. I admitted he is the slowest in the group when it comes to writing, especially from the board. Immediately she nodded and started talking about their latest dyslexic discovery. How is he being diagnosed, how most difficulties are now much more clear than before. She asked me no to cut him slack and make him write. I argued a little, I finished my bachelor's degree in this topic after all, but she was very strict about it.

After this conversation I was totally sure what the problem is when it comes to boys behavior on the lesson and now it's clear how should I work with him and how should I prepare lessons. For sure I'll continue describing our story in next post.

Practice: Classroom management

Practice: Classroom management

Materialistic specific of the classrooms

General observations

The classroom in witch lessons of mathematic in English take place is located on the first floor. The size is usual, the advantage I spotted at first are windows in number of three. Even though this time of the year daylight is rather poor I still perceive it as a great plus. On the windowsills there are a few plants witch make the room more cosy and friendly.

As for the furnitures, there are two big bookcases. They have shelves as well as drawers in witch the teacher keeps materials and students' work. There is also space for each student to keep their personal stuff like books, notebooks and school supplies. I find it very practical, it's one of the best ways to indirectly teach children how to organize their stuff, how to take care of their personal belongings and how to keep space around them cleaned and in order. Another profit is it's for a student benefit if he or she take only needed books/ notebooks home, this way his/ hers backpack will be lighter and easier to carry.

Tables and chairs

Tables and chairs- most important elements of the classroom. Not only how are they situated but their qualities. In the school witch I'm describing all classrooms are wired for the same kind of tables and chairs. Tables are individual, so they can be moved any way the teacher decides. The height can be modified, changed depending on each child needs. While the tables are usual for polish school, the chairs are very uniq. They come in two colors: vivd orange or vivid green. They are plastic, rather big and solid. For sure they are very modern, I've seen such a solution for the class environment for the first time.

Teacher's desk is bigger and made of different material than students tables, as well as the chair.

Tables' setting

Tables in the mathematic classroom are set in a shape of horseshoe. As the class is quite longitudinal so are the rows of table on the both sides of a horseshoe. Teacher's desk is located on one end of the horseshoe facing all students' tables.

Additions

Naturally there is a whiteboard in the classroom. As for the technologies, there is a interactive screen next to the whiteboard. There is also a projector attached to the ceiling. On teacher's desk there is a computer with big screen. I haven't yet seen the teacher using these technologies but I'm looking forward to it.

Practice: Day #1

Practice: Day #1

First Impression

Last Monday I officially began my teacher practice at Social Primary School no. 12 in Wesoła (suburbs of Warsaw). First shocking thing was very peaceful neighborhood. It took me ten minutes walk to get there from the train station. Each building around the school is rather small and the street looks friendly. That's why my first impression was pretty good, I thought to myself I wish I went to a school like this in the past. 

On the inside

I came a little earlier than me and my mentor settled. Kind cleaning lady lead me to the office where I found out that it's still lesson time, so I should wait for my mentor on the corridor. Few minutes passed, weird melody came from the speakers. It was some kind of tune. Afterwards the corridor was very loud and full of students who just left the classrooms. There was shouting and running, I was't really pleased. Finally my mentor found me and we had a conversation in an empty teacher's office. We talked about the organizational issues such as documents, timetables and our cooperation. One of the most interesting facts I found out was how the social school works and this is the main topic of this post.

Social school?

The main idea of social schools is different than regular way of management. Here parents opinion matters much more, they have major impact on everyday life at school. They can discuss with teachers and principal, propose ideas and solutions on a daily basis. It seams rational, parents are the people who care abut they child the most in the world, that's why they'll probably choose the best for him or her.

Talking of the concert school where I attend on my teacher's practice, there are extraordinary features visible to the naked eye giving an impression that something different here. And I wasn't sure if this "different" was very good. What I spotted by now are for example: unique tune coming from the speakers at the end of a lesson (which apparently is the school bell), specific chairs in the classrooms for students (made of plastic, neon green or orange color) and children running and shouting in the corridors. What stunned me even more, was the reaction of the teachers and other grownups, who seamed to find it normal and casual. After thinking this through I concluded that community of this school simply function this way and it works for them. Nevertheless, I need to say I don't find myself in this environment for now.

I attended one, not full, maths in English lesson. It was short and student was writing short test for thirty minutes (so 2/3 of the lesson) so I believe I can't say much about the lesson, class or teacher itself. I for sure will in next posts. Also the topic of English learning in the school is extremely important, so look forward to it!

Course books I use in the Linguistic School

Introducing course books in use

Welcome again! As my second week in the linguistic school passes, I'd like to present the course books that I use and thanks to my linguistic school have access to.

What do I use?

Let's start with the youngest group. They are grade third and the series we use is called "Yazoo". It was published by Pearson, the authors are: Charlotte Covill, Jeanne Perrett and Tessa Lochowski, polish consultation by Małgorzata Tetiurka. Here's the book, I've got the course book, students' book and teacher's book:

I only started the work with this series so I don't want to jump to conclusion, although my first impression is rather bad. The lessons I conducted by now was mainly focusing on the activities prepared by me. The course book was rather giving instructions on what to teach rather than how. Despite the fact that the teacher's book has fully described lessons, I wouldn't even think about doing it their way. But many it's just because i prefer to be an individualist teacher. Still, I expect from the course book to give me as a teacher some space, let me choose what to use and what not to use, so handle me more activities or exercises than I'm able to do on my lesson. On the other side I like the language of the texts and dialogs, which is well prepared for the age group. Also I enjoy using the recordings. As for the students book is the best from all the series, it gives some challenges but also the opportunity of self checking.

It's time for the older ones, grade sixth and seventh are using A2+ level. We use one of my favorite publishers, Macmillan, and the series' called "Beyond". The authors are: Anna Cole and Michael Terry. The paper version I only have the teacher's book, but I also have the acmes to online PDFs and presentations kit. Here's how it looks like:

This series is by now my favorite. It's got a lot of teaching in context, the materials are about situations and topics close to the kids life. At the same time the topics are rather mature and demanding. Because of that I fell like I didn't only teach English, but much more. Another advantage of this course is that it leaves an opes space for the teacher to be creative, to use different kinds of activities and games. It can be the same games but using different vocabulary or grammar. The presentation kit is just perfect for the lessons, especially when the classroom is equipped with projector. There are many valuable recordings and clips on the chapter's topic. Also almost every exercise can be the beginning of a discussion or conversation for kids. The last plus I spotted by now is the online workbook. It's really easy to use and saves a lot of time  on the lesson, because as a teacher I can check the homework before the lesson. Then, on the lesson I can explain again the most difficult examples and adapt the activities to the students' needs.

After few months of using those series I'll update my feelings and thoughts. I hope that I'll be able to recommend You some of these.

First week as an English teacher

I'm a teacher!

I'm still shocked by how lucky I'm to be not yet 22 years old and already being an English teacher in a linguistic school. Without a doubt I can say that getting this job is another miricle in my life (being perfectly candid). You need to admit that finding a possition of Your highest interests, 3 minutes walk from Your place, well paid and with great coworkers is something extraordinary. For the very beggining of my blog I want to spred my joy and happines to every reader. Also, this is kind of a diary, a memento for "the future me" about the start of my teaching journey.


Right now I have three groups. Two of them are A2+ level (group of five and group of six people) and the third are kids from 3rd grade, six of them. First day was really challenging, not only because it was my first time in the real school, but also because of the fact that I took those groups from other teacher, who already started the work with them. This is the topic I'd like to write about in the following post, as such situation can happen to any teacher, anytime.


Before hiring me my boss told me a little about the previous teacher and the reason why she resigned (witch were health problems). Inspire that, I didn't get to know the woman, I didn't know her character, her ways of teaching, nothing. It made me quite stressed before the lessons. But the worst was yet to come. I was sitting in the classroom, five minutes to the lesson, first students opened the door. Their first words were: Where is Mrs. Karolina? I was stunned. Didn't know how to answer the question, after few seconds I said: Hello, my name is Mrs. Agnieszka, today I'll be Your English teacher. As they didn't get the respond, shocked student took their usual sits and stayed silent till the beginning of the lesson. As I think about the situation now, I assume I did the right thing, not getting int details, which I myself didn't actually know.


On the second lesson, two days later, the same group asked me in the middle of the lesson: So now You are our regular teacher? Mrs. Karolina won't be back? I said: Yes, now I'm Your teacher. I don't have any informations about Mrs. Karolina, I'm sorry. After the last sentence I supposed they can get sad or worried, but they just came back to the task they were doing before like nothing happened. Breath of relief, and till now I never got these questions again. Few times I overheard students discussing Mrs. Karolina with rather negative attitude, but I decided not to think or ask about that. What happened is now in the past, I believe that in this case it's for the best just to start a new course with me as a teacher without mentioning the previous one.


Generally speaking of the change of a teacher, I strongly believe that it's a difficult situation, especially for the kids. Even if they had only few lessons. As a grownup I can say that changes aren't easy, in case of changing some person in my life, even if that's "only" a teacher. Speaking of children, the feelings are much stronger. They get attached very quickly and if they start a relation, they are not used to or ready to quickly end it. I think as a human is growing and experiencing different situations and relations he starts to understand that loosing or ending relationships is a natural thing. He also gets used to be less trustful, which is a saving from getting hurt. That's why we adults tend to detract the importance of this kind of experience and it's impact on a child.

For now I'm trying to get to know the children, remember their names by heart and prepare fun activities for them, in a nutshell: bond with them. My goal is when somebody mentiones fraze "an English teacher", children from my group would think of me and a smile would appear on their faces.