Teacher's Log - Day One

After meeting my two mentor teachers (MT) yesterday, today was my first day of prac or of being a Beginning Teacher, as my MT likes to call it.  I now have my own desk in the staffroom with one of my MTs and I should have a logon for the computer network by Monday. Plus we have my timetable all worked out.  

Today I observed an ICT Year 9 class for periods 1 and 2, followed by a CMS (combined maths and science) Year 9 class in periods 3 and 4.  I had periods 5 and 6 free as well as the two breaks so in that time we finalised my timetable and I met with the Maths HoD.  I also walked with my MT on his playground duty (PGD) for 15 minutes in the first break.
The school is big, with 700 odd students.  I need to remember to sign in and out every day and have a visitor’s pass to wear.  The roll call is all electronic and there are photos of all the kids.  The roll also involves a uniform check.

For the next 31 days I’ll be following one MT for 3 classes (Maths Years 10 and 11, ICT Year 9) and the other for CMS Year 9.  The Friday afternoon maths class, year 10, is not fun!  My MT warned me that the last 2 periods on a Friday are not a good time for maths class, plus it was raining, plus it was Maths A which is basically the easy maths and therefore the kids who are not interested.  At least 4 of them were on behaviour management plans, there was a lot of swearing and bad behaviour and very little learning or concentrating.  I did get an apology from one of the students for his particularly bad behaviour and the stuff that was aimed at me, so I guess that’s something. 

Apart from the ICT class where the kids all have a computer, with internet access, there didn’t seem to be many technological resources available.  There was talk of an electronic whiteboard somewhere in the school but not in any of the classrooms we have and no-one seemed to know how to use it anyway.

This school will be challenging and definitely sort out whether or not I should be a teacher.  The positives are that I am blessed with 2 really good mentor teachers and I know I will learn a lot from them.