Friday 6 July 2012

PGCE Done....Now for NQT!

Sorry that I've not posted in a while. It's been a busy few months! Since my last post I have finished my final placement, finished my PGCE, got a job for September and began supplying......all in the space of about 4 weeks!

I was so lucky to have got a job in my final placement school. It means no settling in time, I can just get straight into it. However, there are still a few things I'm not sure about....how to print things off in colour...where to get new exercise books from....where to find backing paper....what happens if I run out of glue??? But I'm sure it'll be fine!

The class lists were released today, and I have 23 of the finest young people in the country and am very excited to meet them all next week :).

I've been planning transition day activities (well I say day...we have 1 hour!). It is traditional in our school for all the children to create their own shield which shows everyone 4 things about themselves and lets them write down one thing they are really looking forward to about next year....they also make a really nice display!!


As an ice breaker I have found pictures from well known cartoon and the idea is I give one picture to each child and they have to find the other 3 children who have characters from the same film. They will then sit with these children whilst they do their shield. Find the resources on TES by clicking here.

I'll post next week to let you know how well the activities worked!

Well I better go and do some more housework.... apparently this is what teachers do on their 6 weeks "off"!!!

Take Care!

NQT x

Saturday 21 April 2012

Getting to grips with Promethean!

I've just finished my first week of my final placement and I've been attempting to get to grips with ActivePrimary and Promethean boards in a learn as you teach way!!!




My last school had smart boards which I almost mastered in the 8 week but now I feel like I've had to go right back to the bottom of the ladder.


I did however find a free eCourse on the Promethean website which gave me some really good ideas....and you get a certificate at the end too!! :)


I think I'm going to spend this weekend hunting through TES resources trying to find some pre-made resources to get me started!!


I'll post back if I work out how to do anything snazzy!!!


Have a lovely weekend!

Wednesday 15 February 2012

The wonderful world of the Interactive Whiteboard!

So here it is blog number 2 for my PGCE ICT lecturer!


During my first 8 week placement I did try and make good use of the limited ICT which was available. The staff were limited to old school IWBs, which required aligning every hour otherwise you would end up writing 4 or 5 cms higher than you intended to, and two sets of about 10 brick like laptops, with only enough battery to allow a child to write their title before showing the black screen of death!!!


I made use of powerpoint slides on the IWB which were really good for adding detail using the IWB pens and were child friendly too. My favourite use of this was during handwriting practice. I put together slides which had the traditional red and blue handwriting lines on them which the children could use to write their letters/words for the rest of the class to see (obviously only using the bottom of the board so that the children could reach!)

I also used powerpoint to show them images and to save internet links to refer to during the lesson.

A few times I did attempt to use the Smart Board software but after spending hours designing interactive slides with boxes of counters, dice and movable numbers and then noticing 2 mins into a starter that all of the objects I though I had locked in place started to move, I decided against regular use and stuck with powerpoint.

During one of the staff meetings a lady came to talk to use about Active Expressions (one of Promethian's inventions!), a "Who wants to be a millionaire" style handheld device resource. The groan which went around the staff did not fill me with much confidence but I did go into the session open minded. This confidence did not last long when the deputy head was required to help the lady set up the software....on her own computer!! I can see why the rest of the staff were looking more asleep than alert!


Once we got going the devices were great and I could really see their potential. The deputy even offered a prize of wine and chocolate to the teacher who is first to use them 3 times! The main criticism from the staff was based on the fact that they take a long time to set up and if the children are not "trained" in setting them up then it would easily take a teacher well over an hour to get all 30 devices ready for use. The deputy promised to set this job for the IT technician to sort out. They decided that rather than having each device named with the child's name that they would number each one and then the teacher could allocate a number to a child. After this session there was a rush to book the two boxes of devices....but was this surge caused by the amazing teaching and learning potential of the new devices....or by the promise of alcohol and sugar????

So ICT can make our classrooms an interactive buzz of excitement but behind the scenes it can also make a teachers life a living hell!! 

Student Teacher

Saturday 11 February 2012

Books Glorious Books!

As part of my PGCE I signed up for an additional module in Children's Literature. As part of this I am required to read and review 10 recent children's books. So I thought, where better place to pop my reviews than on my teaching blog....so here goes.


Books suitable for Key Stage 1


 


Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers, 2010
Long listed for 2012 UKLA Book Award, 3-6 years category.

I chose this book as it was long listed for the UKLA 2012 book award and was written by the same author as “The Heart and The Bottle” which was shortlisted for the 2011 Kate Greenaway Medal.

This is a beautiful story about friendship and supporting others in pursuing their dreams. I love the way this story brought the two characters back together at the end of the story as their realised what their friendship meant to each other.

This book would be ideal for KS1 however it would be an ideal book for years 3 and 4 if there had been an argument or fall out between members of my class.

The part of the story where the boy is looking for his friend in the zoo slightly confused me as the author wrote about their favourite game, which had not really been mentioned before.

However, the illustrations, as with all of Oliver Jeffers books, are simple and beautiful and the story is a pleasure to read.


 
The heart and the bottle, by Oliver Jeffers, 2011

Shortlisted for the 2011 Kate Greenaway Medal.

I chose this book as it was shortlisted for the 2011 Kate Greenaway Medal and is written by the same author as “Up and Down”, which was long listed for the UKLA 2012 book award.

I was drawn into the simple yet engaging illustrations and was taken on an emotional journey by the words and the facial expressions of the characters. I found myself reading this book in a whisper I felt very aware that I was being let into a very fragile world filled with the emotions of this little girl. The way Oliver Jeffers portrayed loneliness in this book was heart-breaking yet the ending was hopeful and uplifting.

This book has the ability to raise memories for both children and adults, which would make me think carefully about who I read it to. I would only use this book in a class I knew and where there was a great deal of trust between the children and myself to express their feelings and emotions.

I would use this book during circle time and during PSHE to help the children express their feelings and to develop their emotional literacy.

I would also keep this book in mind in case a child in my class suffered a loss as I feel it could instil hope and comfort during their time of grief.

Wolf Won’t Bite! by Emily Gravett, 2011

Long listed for 2012 UKLA Book Award, 3-6 years category.

I chose this book Emily Gravett is one of my favourite children’s authors. This book was also long listed for the 2012 UKLA Book Award for 3-6 year olds.

As always, Emily Gravett produced a witty, exciting and fast paced book which could draw in children and adults alike. The stunning illustrations and rhythmic words made this book a pleasure to read. I found myself reading it for a second time as soon as I had finished.

I feel this book would go well with books such as “Going on a bear hunt” due to its repetitive language and song like phrasing.

The pace of this book draws you in an keeps you reading right until the end to find out what happens with the wolf!

This book would be loved by any KS1 child if they can prise it out of their teacher’s hands!

 
Rollo Ruff and the Little Fluffy Bird by Mick Inkpen, 2011

Long listed for 2012 UKLA Book Award, 3-6 years category.
  
I chose this book as it is written by the author of Kipper, a childhood favourite of mine. It is has also been long listed for the 2012 UKLA Book Award for 3-6 year olds.

I love the amazing descriptions in this week. It would be an ideal book when teaching adverbs, adjectives and onomatopoeia to KS1.
This layout of the text in this book is fascinating and makes the book much more exciting to read. The use of shaped text is captivating and the story itself is very heart warming.

This book would be great for PSHE lessons, especially one based on friendships and relationships. The story explains that we should treat everyone with kindness and respect, even if they are different from us.


 
FArTHER by Grahame Baker-Smith, 2010

Winner of 2011 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and long listed for 2012 UKLA Book Award, 7-11 years category.

 I chose this book as it appeared on the 2012 UKLA 7-11 years long list. I was also mesmerised by the illustrations which can only be described as beautiful.

There seem to be many stories all rolled into one within this book. A son fascinated by his father’s dream of flying, a son’s longing for a lost father, a father’s love for his son and a son’s desire to fulfil his late father’s dream. I believe that any one, child or adult, would be able to find their own story within this book.

Within a classroom the illustrations alone could provoke the more exciting discussions. The use of photography, collages and drawings draw the reader in to see past the words.

I would be hesitant to read this book to young children or to a class that I was unfamiliar with as the story could bring up emotions of lost friends or relatives. Ideally I would save this book for children in years 3 and 4.

This is defiantly a book to keep, read, reread and treasure.

KS2 books to come so watch this space!

Take Care,

Student Teacher


Thursday 9 February 2012

Keep Calm....



Penultimate Day!

Well it was my penultimate day at placement today and I have to say I am very ready for half term!! I got my placement results today and as I am in reception tomorrow and therefore have no teaching to plan for, I have actually got a quite night on my hands - which is unusual!!


I have got loads to tell you and loads of links to share but I think i'll wait until the weekend and post them all then! but too keep you busy here are a few really good Q Standards sites I've been using over the past few weeks to get my files ready for my end of placement report.


Bath Uni Example QTS Evidence Table - Really useful info about what to put under each Q standard in your evidence log.
Teacher's Media - Becoming Outstanding - some really good ideas and advice.
Letters and Sounds Details - Nicely laid out progression through the stages.
Attainment Level Tool Kits - Really cool level cards - I've made them into reference fans.


So that's all for now, see you all on Saturday for more links and tips!


Have a lovely evening!


Student Teacher

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Loads of new resources!

So this is Week 2 of placement 1 part 2! I'm so tired it's unread and my back is killing me...those little year 1 chairs don't do adults any good!!!


Anyways, I've been teaching maths every day for the past 6 school days now and apart from a bumpy start they all seem to have gone ok. I got pulled up for not having detailed enough plans but generally the lessons have been taken fine by my teacher.


I've popped some new resources onto TES so please check them out and let me know what you think!! 


http://www.tes.co.uk/MyPublicProfile.aspx?uc=1490091&event=21


Also, these attainment tool kits are brilliant and really easy to use. I've made them into flash card fans with a treasury tag in the corner to make them easier to use.


http://www.amblesideprimaryschool.co.uk/Tool-Kits.html


right I best get on planning maths for tomorrow...we're continuing with "more than" and "less than"!!


Take Care,


Student Teacher