In an ideal world where energy and time are infinite resources, I'd elect to write a blog post on a monthly basis, reflecting on the path I've taken as a History teacher. Having read Frank McCourt's Teacher Man about six years ago, I've always wanted to write a novella recounting my experiences in the classroom.
Fatigued after a long and eventful day, I decided that before I go to sleep tonight, I'd write a little about today.
Today marked the end of my long journey with my first graduating batch of History students. I first took them when I did my practicum and must say that I endured a relatively indifferent start with them. Our History class comprised students from three different classes and the class dynamics weren't quite suited to group work. In fact, a good number of students gave feedback, after I'd made them do a few group assignments when I was doing my practicum, telling me of their preference for individual work. Group work was so dreaded that I used the prospect of it to threaten them once in a while! 'Not all of you are paying attention to my lecture. Perhaps it'll be a better idea for you guys to work in groups?' Needless to say, I elicited a positive reaction on their part. I also knew that a student or two preferred a more experienced teacher to take the class (they were going to sit for their 'O' Levels after all), and I guess I couldn't blame them for desiring that. I won't deny that I was hurt to hear such sentiments voiced directly to me and I knew that all I could do was to compensate for my lack of teaching experience with blood and sweat.
It wasn't always easy engaging every one of them but I'm thankful, as I look back, that over time, I managed to see an improvement in most students' attitudes towards History, often deemed a half-subject. What I really began to appreciate was the fact that I could be myself in the classroom and I found myself looking forward to being there in the classroom with them. Teachers are meant to inspire their students but, sometimes, it also works the other way and I must say that I often felt inspired by this class. History may have been a half-subject but I'm glad that the amount of effort most of the kids put in did not accurately reflect the subject's status as such. Most actually came down on a Saturday for a revision lesson in May when we found ourselves short of curriculum time, having lost a lesson or two due to public holidays, and many willingly came back for extra lessons during the school holidays. A few students found the subject difficult to grasp but I was encouraged to see them persevere and I was most delighted to see a student who never really managed more than a C in previous examinations attain an A2 today.
It's very important for a young Beginning Teacher to have his or her first batch of students do well as, whether always fair or not, our efforts and successes are inevitably reflected in our students' academic performances, especially those students who took our hands and faithfully answered our call to walk the arduous mile with them. Our students' positive results do not only buttress our cherished beliefs about a student's ability to learn but also serve to affirm the time and energy invested by us teachers in our students. We love telling our kids how hard work is more important than genius and that hard work will almost always reap rewards but I think that we, as teachers, often need to be shown evidence of this ourselves. I must say that my world threatened to collapse when looking through the byzantine spreadsheet reflecting the percentage passes for each subject, I saw an ominous figure for Combined Humanities. I was glad that my colleague, Matthew, diverted my attention to the correct figure. Although the figure did not meet a lofty target I'd quite confidently set at the beginning of the year, I was pleased to note that those who worked hard saw their efforts pay dividends. The rest are just statistics. I'm also truly grateful for the amount of support I've received from my colleagues since I first joined teaching. Without my fellow History teachers in Broadrick, who have been nothing short of wonderful, I would have been a guillotined chicken attempting to lead my first graduating batch to battle. I'm thankful for the privilege of having taught this batch of kids and, being my first graduating batch, they'll always hold a special significance to me. History with me may have been half a subject to them but, to me, History with them was much much more.
Fatigued after a long and eventful day, I decided that before I go to sleep tonight, I'd write a little about today.
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| 4EH 2015 |
It wasn't always easy engaging every one of them but I'm thankful, as I look back, that over time, I managed to see an improvement in most students' attitudes towards History, often deemed a half-subject. What I really began to appreciate was the fact that I could be myself in the classroom and I found myself looking forward to being there in the classroom with them. Teachers are meant to inspire their students but, sometimes, it also works the other way and I must say that I often felt inspired by this class. History may have been a half-subject but I'm glad that the amount of effort most of the kids put in did not accurately reflect the subject's status as such. Most actually came down on a Saturday for a revision lesson in May when we found ourselves short of curriculum time, having lost a lesson or two due to public holidays, and many willingly came back for extra lessons during the school holidays. A few students found the subject difficult to grasp but I was encouraged to see them persevere and I was most delighted to see a student who never really managed more than a C in previous examinations attain an A2 today.
It's very important for a young Beginning Teacher to have his or her first batch of students do well as, whether always fair or not, our efforts and successes are inevitably reflected in our students' academic performances, especially those students who took our hands and faithfully answered our call to walk the arduous mile with them. Our students' positive results do not only buttress our cherished beliefs about a student's ability to learn but also serve to affirm the time and energy invested by us teachers in our students. We love telling our kids how hard work is more important than genius and that hard work will almost always reap rewards but I think that we, as teachers, often need to be shown evidence of this ourselves. I must say that my world threatened to collapse when looking through the byzantine spreadsheet reflecting the percentage passes for each subject, I saw an ominous figure for Combined Humanities. I was glad that my colleague, Matthew, diverted my attention to the correct figure. Although the figure did not meet a lofty target I'd quite confidently set at the beginning of the year, I was pleased to note that those who worked hard saw their efforts pay dividends. The rest are just statistics. I'm also truly grateful for the amount of support I've received from my colleagues since I first joined teaching. Without my fellow History teachers in Broadrick, who have been nothing short of wonderful, I would have been a guillotined chicken attempting to lead my first graduating batch to battle. I'm thankful for the privilege of having taught this batch of kids and, being my first graduating batch, they'll always hold a special significance to me. History with me may have been half a subject to them but, to me, History with them was much much more.
This class needed quite a bit of prodding and even coercing to get going, and yet at the same time to be dragged out of their comfort zone once in a while, and i think they have benefitted greatly from you having had no qualms about doing that, even if in so doing there may have been some initial protests, and not to mention a good deal of blood and sweat expended.
ReplyDeleteWell done in being dedicated in selflessly persevering with them all the way till the end!