School: Day Three

Today is the first time I've actually felt useful and not a bit of a spare part for most of the day. I think its because I'm getting more confident and just generally more comfortable. I think I'm getting a hang of the type of 'character' I need to be as a teacher if that makes any sense at all. I'm not there to be a friend to the pupils and I've realised I don't need to be afraid of telling them off.

In first period I helped two students. One with R.E work, which was ridiculously vague e.g. "Write some suggestions why you think the universe exists". Err, what?! The other pupil was working on some history. It wasn't too bad but I think I need to work on coaxing knowledge out of the pupils as opposed to sort of giving the answers away. I do feel I've improved on that in the space of my three visits though.

During lesson two I helped a pair of weaker pupils with their numeracy. They were moving on from the work I helped with last week - addition set out in column form - hundreds, tens and units. It was really nice to see one the students who I had worked with last week getting on with the tasks fairly easily. I felt like I'd actually made a difference and helped, or at least I hadn't wasted an hour of a student's education!

Third lesson I generally just milled about helping any student who needed it. I even tackled simultaneous equations, which I haven't looked at since GCSE. Quite impressed at my own knowledge really!

I really feel 'fulfilled' this week, like I'm actually beginning to see myself as a teacher as opposed to just helping out or playing at it. I had been worrying a little bit because I didn't feel the instant buzz I had imagined I would the second I set foot in the classroom, I do think that has something to do with the fact I haven't been working in history lessons though. But this week re-affirmed that I can definitely see myself teaching :)

In other teaching-related news, I found out from my housemate that all PGCE students get grants on top of Student Loan, depending on which classification of degree you achieve which has helped ease my funding concerns a little bit.

All in all a VERY good week. My best yet :)