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As a trainee teacher I have become weary of stepping on other teachers' feet and for this reason I think I have become a little passive...

A student said that he was not in for the week because he was having problems with his citizenship. I didn't say anything on the matter, instead I explained the task he needed to do. Looking back now, I think I should have asked if he was ok and getting the support he needed. I would not have given him advice but I think as a teacher, I should make sure he is on the right track and know where to get help.

And, I was right! I should have enquired because...

The same student later on came into the staff room and asked where he was because his time table seemed to be incorrect. I told him that his next lesson was in a hour but didn't think of giving him a new timetable like I should of. (Though I didn't know where they kept them)

I am also worried about the way in which I support students. As I am not fully aware of what the teachers; expectations are. I am weary of how I address students' difficulty with their work as I do not want to over complicate or give them incorrect feedback.

Students should be able to see what amounts to a merit or distinction piece of course work. When I have my own class, I will try to get my hands on some example work. I don't think the grading criteria is enough on its own.

Ready?

As a continuation, I went into Year 1 media class. I went around the class to help students with their ideas and walked into a discussion between two students about religion. I sat and listened... I was thinking: Do I stop them? Tell them to get on with their work? Or shall I give them my thoughts on the issue and try stir them back to their work? 

I told them: Its all down to interpretation. People will read the Quran or Holy Bible and have different interpretations. People take these interpretations and act upon them. Some are extreme and some are just lifestyle preferences... Is your topic about religion, is that why you guys are talking about this?

It worked! It took a little more time but it worked and I was able to talk to them individually about their ideas.

For my last lesson I was in the Year 2 class for 'Factual programs and Documentary'. The lesson came across to me as dumb down. I noticed that no history of documentary was brought up but maybe the teacher will do that in a later lesson. I seriously need to ask the teacher more questions! They only spoke about two documentaries: Bowling for Columbine and Super Size Me. I guess they were picked because its engages them more than old school documentaries.

I havent really been given the chance to introduce myself properly. I think it is important that I point out:

• Im a second chance learner - I flopped my A Levels and started again 
• Im dyslexic  - I found out second year of university  - This is not my weakness! 
• I was not old enough to do the Access course so I did a foundation course 
• I eventually got to university through the Mixed Media Access course 
• I picked my course and found that it was not what I thought it was going to be 
• I work as a part of management team so I will always try to link what I teach to the world of work

I want my students to understand that I can relate to some of them, I did not just wake up and say: I feel like being a teacher! I understand some of the difficulties that may arise in education.

"I know somebody she is a beauty...
No no, more like I know somebody she has a booty..."

1st Day of Observation

I was terrified. I had so many questions going through my head and the one that stood out most was: 'how are the students going to react to me?'

After having a quick chat with my mentor about my college timetable. I went to my first media class. I sat in the corner to make sure I wasn't in anyones way. As students started to arrive, I was slowly getting noticed... One of the student said hello to me, which put me at ease. Later on another student approached me and asked if I was 'new' - Im not gonna lie that made me happy because I thought: 'Yes! I still look young". I told him I was a teacher and to my delight, he was shocked. I was advised earlier on by one of the teachers that I should not refer to myself as a 'trainee teacher' because in the past students tend to take them 'less seriously'. This made me worry a little.

Over an hour later, I was not introduced to the class and the students kept glancing over at me then one of the students shouted out: "Sir you haven't introduced Miss!" A huge smile crept across my face as the teacher introduced me and allowed the class to introduce themselves in an animated fashion. I enjoyed it because it allowed me to have a preview of their personalities.

Later, I went around the class to check on the feasibility of their ideas. I didn't get to go around the whole class because some students needed more help. Mental note: I will need to manage my time with each student so everyone gets help.

I also found that some students did not know where to start when making proposals. I advised a couple to do some research on YouTube. I wanted to avoid spoon feeding at all costs. I think when I get to set work, I will make students do research and use it as a form of assessment. Also, my goal is to move students away from using wikipedia!

Looking at how many students there are and the structure of the classroom, I think it is important that I think about how I would create a collective environment. As media studies lessons tend to be centred around the Mac rooms, I need to be able to bring the students together. The structure of the room makes it difficult because its been set up to divide the class so they can have their individual Macs. For this reason, I will gather the students in a circle for discussions or explanations.

Later on that day I was in a tutorial and the Year 2 students had to choose courses and universities they wanted to study and attend but from the looks of it, they had no clue what they wanted to do. I heavily advised a couple of students to READ the course SPEC. Lost count - How many students have been sold by the title and only the title, only to find out the course is the complete opposite?!

The Year 2 class is only a group of 7 and unlike the Year 1 group seem to be introvert and a little passive. They seem to have a low level of understanding so I need to be a little cautious about the level of difficulty. They also seem to need a lot of pushing when it comes to written work. I think, if I can help them structure and plan their work, writing might be easier for them? I think they also need reminding that if they are going to university, they will need to get use to writing large amounts.

"Ahhh Miss, I love you! Miss..."