Having people around

Its been nearly a month since I finished my practicum placement for uni, and looking back on the experience, I am very grateful that we were given the tools to keep in contact with our peers during this time. The uni provided a discussion forum for us all to use (we had to, but it was helpful all the same) so that we could bounce ideas off of each other, relate to each other, share ideas, experiences and learn from others mistakes/successes. It was so good to know that other people had the same or a similar problem. I was able to have my say on issues such as holding hands and discipline, and discuss with people like Morgan who all expressed great points and perspectives
Prac was a great experience. Having now learned a little about how to manage a class, I am really excited to go back on prac next year, hopefully somewhere closer to home!

The value of Children's books

Image from Stockxchng
This week I did an assignment on Dr. Seuss for English. It was surprising to note that the reason he turned away from political satire to writing for children's books was because of an article about poor literacy in children. The article went on about how kids weren't reading enough because the books in schools were too boring and therefore the literacy standards of most children around that time were very poor. So Dr. Seuss started writing quirky and interesting books for kids that used the "new-reader vocab words" that the people of the time thought were important for kids to know.
I find it so amazing that reading nonsense books was the answer to poor literacy. It has made me realise the true value of literature in the primary classroom So I have made it my goal to read plenty of books when I graduate, as well as on prac, because books are such a valuable teaching tool and kids LOVE them.

End of the week!

Teaching is a lot more tiring than you would expect! I can't wait for a sleep in and a day off tomorrow!
This week has proved interesting. It's all about trial and error, and even though making errors can be disheartening, it is also good to know what not to do for next time.
I'm finding that my lesson plans aren't taking as long to prepare and I am aware of more behavioural management strategies that need to be implemented. It gets easier the more you do it and I'm building up a great repertoire of lesson plans. :)
all in all, a good week. very pleased and excited for my lesson on Monday.