practicum report conclusions
Being a secondary teacher entails a lot of responsibility. Successful teachers not only should be able to accomplish their teaching objectives, but also they should be able to make a positive contribution to the students’ lives, helping them to develop through the difficult adolescence period and being supportive with the acquisition of different skills needed to be fully integrated into our society.
Through my practicum period, I have been able to ascertain that this responsibility is being enlarged by the fact that many families are unable to fully perform their parenting role; thus, leaving the school with the task to manage many of the aspects that in previous years were dealt in the family environment. Therefore, teachers feel overwhelmed with increasingly bigger issues, that even if the Authorities are trying to tackle, the secondary teachers end up facing them in the first instance.
Although the IES Serra de Marina doesn’t seem to be a school with many conflicts, I could soon realize that the need to reinforce the rules and have some disciplinary measures cannot be left aside. Students’ reports and teachers’ meetings to readdress the main behavioural issues take place on a weekly basis. Having to juggle between being fair and abiding to the rules whilst still being able to offer a second chance for improvement is also a daily practice.
I would like to mention that I believe the IES Serra de Marina has put into practice a very effective tutoring system. Whereas a teacher can be the Tutor for one group class, every teacher in the school is also responsible as a tutor for 7 or 8 students; thus, enabling a very close knowledge of the individuals and being able to envisage possible conflicts in a proactive way.
As a foreign language teacher, one has to keep in mind that learning a second language is a gradual process that requires several mental skills that are integrated in the general intellectual development of each person. This integration happens to such an extent that the main issues in the L1 are reproduced in the L2.
I have been able to comprehend this fact when discussing with my tutor about some exercise she asked her students of 1st of Batxillerat to do: they had to write a text using the L1 to explain the main issues with the English classes. It was pretty apparent that the students having good writing skills in the L1 could also produce organized and well-structured texts in the L2. The opposite would apply with students with poor writing skills in their L1.
Having said that, and coming back to my teaching unit, I should say that I have benefited from all the work previous English teachers have done in the group of 4th of ESO.
It is important that language teachers expose the students with input that needs to be processed and organized as a way to help in the development of the general thinking skills. Reading new texts, having to extract the main information for a further processing should help in this direction. Gradually, all this mental activity should build up and sooner or later the student will become confident enough to be able to show visible results.
The LOE is obviously working with this approach when presenting the language objectives in the ESO curricula.
Secondary teachers are also facing an increasing diversity in the classrooms. Given the current circumstances in our society, this fact can only get wider. Reading and writing about embracing diversity is quickly done. ‘Aules obertes’, ‘aules d’acollida’, split groups, ‘hores per atenció a la diversitat’, etc. are some of the solutions the Authorities, experts and hands-on teachers have come up with. Notwithstanding, this diversity comes to an extremely high complexity when having to put it into practice as a teacher. I believe more resources should be put into place to be able to effectively reach all the differences the teachers face when stepping into the classroom. Being a trainee teacher, I find this subject really challenging with the current resources I have seen available ( I should also bear in mind that I didn’t have a lot of diversity in the group of 4th of ESO I worked with!).
I truly believe that new methodologies, teaching approaches and the use of the ICT should work towards a better achievement of this goal. Fortunately, I feel really comfortable with the ICT –although I had never worked with them before the CAP course - and thus, I have tried to use them as much as possible during my practicum. In this way, I have been able to see the benefits for the students and also from the teachers’ standpoint. Nevertheless, there are many teachers that not only are they not working according to the LOE, but for which the ICT is an unbeatable hurdle. Again, I think the system faces a shortage of resources (people and materials ) and the pressure on the teachers to adapt to new ways of doing things - on top of the diversity and increase of responsibilities previously mentioned – is making the task for a secondary teacher a real challenge.
I like challenges and I still believe being a secondary teacher is a very rewarding activity. I am well aware of the importance of having a good team work within the English Department and thus, being able to raise the standards in a consistent way within the team. This should result in a direct benefit for the teaching practices and in the improvement of the learning processes of our students.
I would like to mention that I have felt very comfortable in this respect when working with my trainer tutor. Her respect towards my views and ideas has helped me to try new things and be able to share with her my concerns in regards to my training and my future. I have also been able to sit side by side and prepare some materials for the students in a real teamwork effort.
If I had to mention the main learning experience from the practicum , I would go for:
Preparation is key to be a competent teacher, and this requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Teacher’s motivation drives students’ motivation.
Teachers need to look at their students without prejudice and try to embrace diversity as a positive challenge.
It is of the utmost importance that the teacher shows respect for their students, in order to get respect back.
Reinforcing and re-teaching the rules should be part of the teaching routine. This ensures a good class atmosphere and being fair. I found it was very useful to speak about “my rules” in the first session.
ICT is a MUST when planning activities in the classroom.
Putting the unit plan into writing has been a complex task.
Working within the LOE frame is very demanding. It requires new approaches with a broader view in regards to the teaching act. Also, students are supposed to respond to higher thinking abilities.
Teachers should try to keep a good sense of humour. Both peer teachers and students will appreciate it.
As a summary, I would like to say that the practicum has been a very positive experience. I have been able to be creative and still feel it was ME who was teaching. I think my teaching unit run very smoothly taking into account it was my first time teaching English, and having to create all the materials.
I have enjoyed many good moments with the students’ – laughing, playing games, singing, etc – they have showed a good appreciation on my work and my teaching and I hope I have been able to motivate them to continue with their English.
Last but not least, I feel I have been very fortunate having Lola Casado as my trainer tutor.
Future changes for improvement
Training to be a secondary teacher is a never-ending path – as it happens with many other jobs in our current society.
I think my strengths lay in my good presentation skills, my drive to prepare materials thoroughly and my positive attitude when being in front of the students. I hope these skills will be good companions through my first steps, since I believe they have proved to work well during my teaching practice so far.
However, I am well aware that practice makes perfect and that I need to work towards flexibility and embracing diversity – specially for the slow learners, since I am a fast pace person and, luckily, I was a high achiever in my school days, so I need to make an effort to adapt to his type of students.
As I have previously mentioned in this report, my lack of knowledge on methodology is evident. This is an area I plan to take as many training courses as possible, and I admit that I may end up adapting new methodologies into “my own”, but at least with a good knowledge of the reasons behind why teachers do things in one way or another.
I am truly convinced that CLIL is the best way forward to teach English. Therefore, I plan to take as much training as possible on CLIL, so that I can become a competent teacher to help implement/develop it in any secondary school I may end up working. I would also like to see CLIL and foreign language showers taking place in primary education, so I hope the Authorities put resources and efforts to get this approach widely in place in the Catalan Education System.
Through my practicum period, I have been able to ascertain that this responsibility is being enlarged by the fact that many families are unable to fully perform their parenting role; thus, leaving the school with the task to manage many of the aspects that in previous years were dealt in the family environment. Therefore, teachers feel overwhelmed with increasingly bigger issues, that even if the Authorities are trying to tackle, the secondary teachers end up facing them in the first instance.
Although the IES Serra de Marina doesn’t seem to be a school with many conflicts, I could soon realize that the need to reinforce the rules and have some disciplinary measures cannot be left aside. Students’ reports and teachers’ meetings to readdress the main behavioural issues take place on a weekly basis. Having to juggle between being fair and abiding to the rules whilst still being able to offer a second chance for improvement is also a daily practice.
I would like to mention that I believe the IES Serra de Marina has put into practice a very effective tutoring system. Whereas a teacher can be the Tutor for one group class, every teacher in the school is also responsible as a tutor for 7 or 8 students; thus, enabling a very close knowledge of the individuals and being able to envisage possible conflicts in a proactive way.
As a foreign language teacher, one has to keep in mind that learning a second language is a gradual process that requires several mental skills that are integrated in the general intellectual development of each person. This integration happens to such an extent that the main issues in the L1 are reproduced in the L2.
I have been able to comprehend this fact when discussing with my tutor about some exercise she asked her students of 1st of Batxillerat to do: they had to write a text using the L1 to explain the main issues with the English classes. It was pretty apparent that the students having good writing skills in the L1 could also produce organized and well-structured texts in the L2. The opposite would apply with students with poor writing skills in their L1.
Having said that, and coming back to my teaching unit, I should say that I have benefited from all the work previous English teachers have done in the group of 4th of ESO.
It is important that language teachers expose the students with input that needs to be processed and organized as a way to help in the development of the general thinking skills. Reading new texts, having to extract the main information for a further processing should help in this direction. Gradually, all this mental activity should build up and sooner or later the student will become confident enough to be able to show visible results.
The LOE is obviously working with this approach when presenting the language objectives in the ESO curricula.
Secondary teachers are also facing an increasing diversity in the classrooms. Given the current circumstances in our society, this fact can only get wider. Reading and writing about embracing diversity is quickly done. ‘Aules obertes’, ‘aules d’acollida’, split groups, ‘hores per atenció a la diversitat’, etc. are some of the solutions the Authorities, experts and hands-on teachers have come up with. Notwithstanding, this diversity comes to an extremely high complexity when having to put it into practice as a teacher. I believe more resources should be put into place to be able to effectively reach all the differences the teachers face when stepping into the classroom. Being a trainee teacher, I find this subject really challenging with the current resources I have seen available ( I should also bear in mind that I didn’t have a lot of diversity in the group of 4th of ESO I worked with!).
I truly believe that new methodologies, teaching approaches and the use of the ICT should work towards a better achievement of this goal. Fortunately, I feel really comfortable with the ICT –although I had never worked with them before the CAP course - and thus, I have tried to use them as much as possible during my practicum. In this way, I have been able to see the benefits for the students and also from the teachers’ standpoint. Nevertheless, there are many teachers that not only are they not working according to the LOE, but for which the ICT is an unbeatable hurdle. Again, I think the system faces a shortage of resources (people and materials ) and the pressure on the teachers to adapt to new ways of doing things - on top of the diversity and increase of responsibilities previously mentioned – is making the task for a secondary teacher a real challenge.
I like challenges and I still believe being a secondary teacher is a very rewarding activity. I am well aware of the importance of having a good team work within the English Department and thus, being able to raise the standards in a consistent way within the team. This should result in a direct benefit for the teaching practices and in the improvement of the learning processes of our students.
I would like to mention that I have felt very comfortable in this respect when working with my trainer tutor. Her respect towards my views and ideas has helped me to try new things and be able to share with her my concerns in regards to my training and my future. I have also been able to sit side by side and prepare some materials for the students in a real teamwork effort.
If I had to mention the main learning experience from the practicum , I would go for:
Preparation is key to be a competent teacher, and this requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Teacher’s motivation drives students’ motivation.
Teachers need to look at their students without prejudice and try to embrace diversity as a positive challenge.
It is of the utmost importance that the teacher shows respect for their students, in order to get respect back.
Reinforcing and re-teaching the rules should be part of the teaching routine. This ensures a good class atmosphere and being fair. I found it was very useful to speak about “my rules” in the first session.
ICT is a MUST when planning activities in the classroom.
Putting the unit plan into writing has been a complex task.
Working within the LOE frame is very demanding. It requires new approaches with a broader view in regards to the teaching act. Also, students are supposed to respond to higher thinking abilities.
Teachers should try to keep a good sense of humour. Both peer teachers and students will appreciate it.
As a summary, I would like to say that the practicum has been a very positive experience. I have been able to be creative and still feel it was ME who was teaching. I think my teaching unit run very smoothly taking into account it was my first time teaching English, and having to create all the materials.
I have enjoyed many good moments with the students’ – laughing, playing games, singing, etc – they have showed a good appreciation on my work and my teaching and I hope I have been able to motivate them to continue with their English.
Last but not least, I feel I have been very fortunate having Lola Casado as my trainer tutor.
Future changes for improvement
Training to be a secondary teacher is a never-ending path – as it happens with many other jobs in our current society.
I think my strengths lay in my good presentation skills, my drive to prepare materials thoroughly and my positive attitude when being in front of the students. I hope these skills will be good companions through my first steps, since I believe they have proved to work well during my teaching practice so far.
However, I am well aware that practice makes perfect and that I need to work towards flexibility and embracing diversity – specially for the slow learners, since I am a fast pace person and, luckily, I was a high achiever in my school days, so I need to make an effort to adapt to his type of students.
As I have previously mentioned in this report, my lack of knowledge on methodology is evident. This is an area I plan to take as many training courses as possible, and I admit that I may end up adapting new methodologies into “my own”, but at least with a good knowledge of the reasons behind why teachers do things in one way or another.
I am truly convinced that CLIL is the best way forward to teach English. Therefore, I plan to take as much training as possible on CLIL, so that I can become a competent teacher to help implement/develop it in any secondary school I may end up working. I would also like to see CLIL and foreign language showers taking place in primary education, so I hope the Authorities put resources and efforts to get this approach widely in place in the Catalan Education System.
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