A Day In The Life Of A Trainee!
Monday! Lesson first period with year 7. All planned and resources printed. Arrive about an hour early so I can make sure everything is in order. Grab coffee from the staff room to keep me going. Get the room set, practice my modelling on the white board. Time for a final check with my professional mentor. Dash over to the staff room for the weekly staff briefing. Updates from the Senior Leadership Team and the next installment of our ‘Warm but Strict’ approach (am OK with the warm, but more to do on the strict). I like the Staff Briefing, it gets the week started and with everyone there, it makes us feel like a team ready for action.
To the lesson. Walk past the students, greeting them all, checking uniform, hoping they are ready for maths. Invite them in and get started with Times Tables to music. Onto a review of homework (some have forgotten, so they are back at lunchtime), then into multiplication with boxes and tails. Reasonable explanation, I think, from me. Onto the students’ practice. I am dashing round offering assistance, where required and keeping some of the less keen going. Plenary to finish and send them on their way.
Three lesson observations to follow, with tutor time in between. Fantastic opportunity to watch excellent teachers go about their craft. They always seem to be in control and write so neatly on the whiteboard (how many years does this take). Note to self – work harder on the calm but strong voice.
Break time with the Maths department, hearing the stories from their lessons. Lunch in the staff room with some fellow trainees, swapping stories and arranging drinks. Two free periods in the afternoon to catch-up on paperwork for university, reflect on the morning and to plan the next lesson. Brief catch-up with my mentor, who is incredibly supportive and encouraging, to make sure I am on track. Some final changes to the lesson plan, make sure I have everything printed for tomorrow – year 7 again first period. Enthused I head off, looking forward to Tuesday and more multiplication!
Matthew Jones