For my first semester of my third and final year at Swansea University, I took part in the work placement module Teaching Ancient History, in which myself and four others were put on work placement in a local Primary School teaching year 3/4 all about the Romans. We taught the pupils about gods, gladiators, food and so much more once a week for the 11 weeks of the semester.
Taking part in this work placement module has provided me with a new range of skill sets and opportunities. I have gained first-hand experience teaching and controlling a classroom of 35 pupils, as well as creating fun and educational lesson plans that help to focus on improving the pupils' literacy and numeracy, making activities and work focused on the National Curriculum. The module has allowed me to focus on perhaps a possible future career, primary or secondary - I am not sure yet, but I now have a new prospect for a career rather than staying on at Waitrose after I graduate. This work placement is a great feature to put on my CV as well as an enjoyable and new module that I am thankful for being chosen to do.
The pupils at the Primary school were a great class to teach. To see their faces when we turned up to teach them, and how excited they got, was amazing. The kids loved learning about what we taught them and were constantly asking us if we were staying on after Christmas. My table in particular were a great group of children. They were all excited and willing to learn, and would always ask if i was working with their table each week. One if my biggest achievements, other than learning all of their names, was that one of the SEN pupils would only talk to one of the pupils on the table at the beginning of the semester. However by then end, she was taking part in activities as well as talking to me and the other pupils on the table. It was great to see how pupils' literacy was improving over the weeks, with them asking me to write in their spelling books because they wanted to learn how to spell specific long and complicated words correctly as well as seeing how their confidence grew when asked to read aloud.
At first it was a bit distracting with them calling me Mrs. Chase as they had not had much contact with any male teachers. I had to learn how to answer pupils' questions so that they would be able to understand my answer as well as adapt to teaching a class of 35 all with different levels of abilities. This allowed me to focus on creating resources for different levels and catering to different pupils needs. Every lesson was unpredictable: we had power cuts, not enough resources for all the pupils to dress up, disruptive pupils,... This meant we had to be ready to adapt to the situation that had occurred, and constantly be thinking of back-up solutions to a situation.
Overall it was a great experience, I learned so much and gained so many skills from classroom management, making resources and gaining actual experience teaching year 3/4 about the subject I have chosen to study at University. I enjoyed every minute of it, even though when I got home I was exhausted, as a class of 35 is quite big. I am glad I took part in the module - I would recommend it to everyone, whether they want to become a teacher or not.
Written by James Chase, 12 January 2015
Taking part in this work placement module has provided me with a new range of skill sets and opportunities. I have gained first-hand experience teaching and controlling a classroom of 35 pupils, as well as creating fun and educational lesson plans that help to focus on improving the pupils' literacy and numeracy, making activities and work focused on the National Curriculum. The module has allowed me to focus on perhaps a possible future career, primary or secondary - I am not sure yet, but I now have a new prospect for a career rather than staying on at Waitrose after I graduate. This work placement is a great feature to put on my CV as well as an enjoyable and new module that I am thankful for being chosen to do.
The pupils at the Primary school were a great class to teach. To see their faces when we turned up to teach them, and how excited they got, was amazing. The kids loved learning about what we taught them and were constantly asking us if we were staying on after Christmas. My table in particular were a great group of children. They were all excited and willing to learn, and would always ask if i was working with their table each week. One if my biggest achievements, other than learning all of their names, was that one of the SEN pupils would only talk to one of the pupils on the table at the beginning of the semester. However by then end, she was taking part in activities as well as talking to me and the other pupils on the table. It was great to see how pupils' literacy was improving over the weeks, with them asking me to write in their spelling books because they wanted to learn how to spell specific long and complicated words correctly as well as seeing how their confidence grew when asked to read aloud.
At first it was a bit distracting with them calling me Mrs. Chase as they had not had much contact with any male teachers. I had to learn how to answer pupils' questions so that they would be able to understand my answer as well as adapt to teaching a class of 35 all with different levels of abilities. This allowed me to focus on creating resources for different levels and catering to different pupils needs. Every lesson was unpredictable: we had power cuts, not enough resources for all the pupils to dress up, disruptive pupils,... This meant we had to be ready to adapt to the situation that had occurred, and constantly be thinking of back-up solutions to a situation.
Overall it was a great experience, I learned so much and gained so many skills from classroom management, making resources and gaining actual experience teaching year 3/4 about the subject I have chosen to study at University. I enjoyed every minute of it, even though when I got home I was exhausted, as a class of 35 is quite big. I am glad I took part in the module - I would recommend it to everyone, whether they want to become a teacher or not.
Written by James Chase, 12 January 2015