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2022-May-Primary-Mentor and Trainee | Otter.ai

2022-May-Primary-Mentor and Trainee

CTE15min

Unknown Speaker

00:00

Morning, Katie. Okay, so and the first week in your How's it been going?

Speaker 1

00:09

It's been good, I think have settled in? Well, I was obviously nervous because coming from year one and Mother setting straight to year six, it's a huge change. And it's a very important time. Yeah. It's tricky times. I was definitely apprehensive and I was a bit before, okay, and like, how was your success? So scary, this big and intimidating. And it's just such a big change. But I think I'm slowly getting there. Still, you know, a bit nervous. But I think the more I teach and all that teaching percentage builds up, I'll become a lot more confident.

Speaker 2

00:36

Okay. So give me some styles from this week, things that have gone well,

Speaker 1

00:41

I've gotten well, from this week. I didn't read nice getting to know you session with the kids where I kind of was to help me I got them to fill out a little sheet that was things that what do you really love when a teacher doors? What motivates you to work hard, so that might be verbal praise, but it might be stickers might be a prize box, or they'll have stamp cards, and things like that. And that was really good to know. Because when it comes to planning my lessons that will help me a lot and build that in. And then they got to ask me lots of silly and wonderful questions that they wanted to know about me like my favourite weird food combination, or would rather drive a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. So just getting to know them on that personal level. So I wasn't just a stranger.

Speaker 2

01:21

Yeah, definitely. And that's why we've been that task is really important. We always build it in that first week, because it's really important for them to get to know you as a person and, and relationships with children are key to that behaviour management and knowing the children and taking them forward. Obviously, you've had that experience with their mothers, as well.

Unknown Speaker

01:39

And that it will be my best friend by the end of the week.

Speaker 2

01:41

Yeah. Because obviously, that relationship when you're writing for him for that paper, that's going to be really important that he feels comfortable and confident. How's that gone?

Speaker 1

01:52

It's gone really well, I think we still need to practice our maths paper. And I think we can do that today. But with English, I think we know very well, like I keep picking them up this week. So you remember, you need to say it full stop here, come here and keep reminding them right. When I've written it, it doesn't mean that it's done like that sort of you read that back and say, Oh, I forgotten this forgotten that. Just tell me to put it in, as I won't be able to tell you on the day. What have you missed here. It's a you need to be consciously thinking I was like getting that practice now. But we've had a couple of sessions doing that. So I think for English, definitely, we're fine with those papers.

Unknown Speaker

02:24

Okay, brilliant. So the children's one stars.

Speaker 1

02:28

I think just meeting all the staff, everyone's been really welcoming and lovely. Like it's a place where when you're walking down the corridors, everyone smiles and says, Hello, I don't know, half of their names. I couldn't see I know the year 16. And, you know, a couple of people, but most of the staff, I mean, it's big school as well. So I don't think I'll probably have my whole place when I went in there and everyone's names. But just knowing that everyone's been really welcoming and friendly in the corridors. That's just been nice to be a part.

Speaker 2

02:56

Yeah, fantastic. Okay, so we met to look at your targets at the start of the week and your targets from your previous placement. And the one we decided to pick up on for this week was that teacher presence wasn't ensuring moving from year one to year six, that you had that teacher presence and you felt okay in the classroom and the money you had for the children and all those sorts of things. So we decided to go with Alex. So talk me through how that's gone this week. So you watched Alex first?

Speaker 1

03:30

Yeah, so in the first couple of days, and this is what I'll always do, when I kind of start a new setting, I kind of just sit back and take, obviously, I'm still present and trying to interact with the children where I can, but I do a lot of just sitting back observing, watching, seeing how, you know the class teacher interacts with the children, so just kind of their general manner. And are they aghast that you know, you can have a joke with a sense of humour is really important. And the moments where you need to be sterner, for example, I noticed Alex had really, really high expectations when his behaviour in terms of where they're coming from transitioning from the tables to the carpet. If they're messing around and forcing, it's like no, do that again. Yeah,

Speaker 2

04:12

but tight versus no slippage. And they know that,

Speaker 1

04:15

oh, he doesn't even need to say you were talking. That's why we're doing it again. They just know. Okay, I've been caught being a bit silly fussing around. And they do it again. And he said that this is something we discussed afterwards, during our discussion, I said, How long did it take you to kind of pick

Speaker 2

04:33

that up before thinking about putting those things in place? And that's really hard to unpick that.

Speaker 1

04:37

Because I've never really been, you know, going into a class, they have a lot of established rules and routines anyway, and you can kind of just pick those up and they transition from one teacher to another. But I was just interesting, how long it took. And he said to be honest, the first few days. It's like a bootcamp. Yeah. He said it again and again and again and they see you man, this is boring. I don't want to keep having to go check up To carpet or putting books away tidy. And when we're doing again, do things if they get bored, you said just like we would get bored, they will get bored. And he said, the stricter you are at the start, he said, after that, it makes your life a lot easier. Yeah.

Speaker 2

05:11

And it's that training of them, isn't it? I always liken it to train in a pet, or a train in your own children in my case, but it's like not letting them get away with it. They're yet to see that expectation. You've got to do it again. And again. So how are you going to do that? When you stopped teaching?

Speaker 1

05:28

I think because I'm taking over, they're obviously going to try and push boundaries a little bit. I like the honeymoon period.

Speaker 2

05:34

And you've seen that in the other Yeah, classroom where there's a change of teacher have the

Speaker 1

05:39

honeymoon period, I think where they're like, Okay, and especially when I imagine Alex will still be in the room for like a lot of the first lesson. So they'll think more best behaviour. You know, the class teacher is still there, you know, will be nice, was what she's about, but they will you know, a couple of weeks in and especially after SATs, when they're probably their motivation is going to be to believe deeply in a bit, they'll probably be right, well, we'll see what we can get away with will be a bit chatty during the register, or will not do this to the usual standard. And I think it's just about being strict and almost replicating the behaviours that Alex that he demonstrated at the start with his year, to then make sure that they realise Oh, okay, we're not going to get away with Miss Forrester either.

Speaker 2

06:18

Yeah, definitely. They need to see you that they you're not easy options. Yeah, you've got the same expectation.

Speaker 1

06:23

I'm not somebody they can just think, not proper teacher. And if someone new will just have, you know, take them in actually,

Speaker 2

06:29

your six after sets and keeping that motion the word motivation and keeping that motivation going. That will stand you in good stead for setting up a class in September. Yeah. Because I

Speaker 1

06:41

don't I won't know in September, what their previous teacher standards were, and how well, you know, they behaved and how strict they were. So it is almost like you said, Yeah, completely new class and having to establish those. And I think Alex

Unknown Speaker

06:54

is strict. Do you think he comes across as strict?

Speaker 1

06:57

I don't think he's, I wouldn't say he's a strict teacher. But I think he has very high expectations and make sure that they're maintained. And I think that's a different thing. Because I don't think he's a shouty. We can't have any fun, strict in the traditional sense. But I think because he had those high expectations, and he makes sure, even all these months into the year that they're still picked up on everything. Yeah.

Speaker 2

07:21

If the systems are routine, so yeah, did you did? Did you pick everything up about the systems and routines? You have? Yes, I said, because he's got really established routines. Tell me what you saw with that.

Speaker 1

07:32

It was just things like they know, timetables, carpet now. And it's like you line up in alphabetical order. They're just so quick. And they, they just know what they need to do.

Speaker 2

07:41

Yeah. And I think having done your one on your last placement, will stand you in good stead. Because for me, often people go into a key stage two, and they make that mistake of that assumption children know that they can do Yeah, and actually, I don't teach your six any differently to how I talk Key Stage One, I am always very pleased that I started teaching at stage one, because there's systems and routines and which you will know from your last placement, if you don't put something in the right place at the right time. It all goes wrong. You learn that in key stage one, and then you can apply that. Yeah. So I think what's key is thinking about what you learned around that organisation, and resourcing and management in key stage one and apply in that to your so

Speaker 1

08:23

something that I definitely learned in year one is like, you have to be very specific with your instructions. Don't say Go stand over there, say go and stand by that chair there. And wait there for a minute,

Speaker 2

08:35

either. But your sixth reading, I think you're I think in any good uppercase A student teacher will do will do the same. So I think that's something to bear in mind when you start obviously after such when you start teaching more

Unknown Speaker

08:50

about what I want them to do. Yeah. Okay, so

Speaker 2

08:53

what then did Alex say when he came to watch you,

Speaker 1

08:57

so sorry. And so he complimented like my voice and that I was confident and have a good general teacher presence. And I think that's something that has been consistently picked, it was about my placements. And it's usually within the first week, it's something that they've picked out, okay, you've got a very strong teacher presence, you can use your voice you know when to raise it when you need to, and you know, how to explore the different tones and I think that comes massively from my degree in theatre and my background in theatre that I can do that I can manipulate my voice to control the class and making lessons engaging and, you know, helps with behaviour management. He did pick up on during like reading during the reading with the class. And I did start before a couple of kids that sat on the carpet, they were having a quick drink of water. And I was like, I just started reading the book. And he was like when you're teaching a lesson or reading or Whatever is the register is that make sure you've got the whole class set there, that they're focused and they've got your you've got their full attention before you begin, because the first 30 seconds of something I say could be the most important thing. And if they haven't heard that, then it could confuse them and set them on the wrong path. So it's just about not feeling the need to rush. Yeah. And to be like, but to get started. Yeah, he was like, just take time. Yeah. Because you want to make sure that your focus is more important to have their focus and to have to wait one minute, five minutes. 20 minutes?

Speaker 2

10:34

Yeah, definitely. Okay, anything else that came out of that?

Speaker 1

10:39

And it's just about with, with the reading, again, picking out times, to pick up the vocabulary in the book, and ensure that everybody's really understanding what's going on and don't make any assumptions about we talked about a bit because I said, this is something that I really noticed in year one as well. But I did forget to do when I was reading the book was, don't assume they know anything.

Speaker 2

11:00

That's what we've just been talking about, isn't it? It's like, don't assume they know everything. Often. You not put your experience, but you say, Oh, well, I knew that, oh, my children know that. Or the children in my law school knew that. And it's like not a suit. Yeah, you're right. Well, it's

Speaker 1

11:15

funny, because the classic example was with Ramallah, again, we were having a conversation and I said, Oh, that's because you were eavesdropping in the conversation. And he said, No, Yves, in that class. And I was like, no, he's dropping means you're listening. What? I thought, you just kind of assume eavesdropping. It's, it's a common thing. He'd never heard that word. So it's about consciously thinking when I'm reading or teaching. Is this a term like a piece of vocabulary that they're going to be familiar with? Yeah. And even if they are, I would rather say, oh, can someone tell me like this is now go? Yeah, we all.

Speaker 2

11:49

Yeah. And it's about encouraging that inquiring mind in them and that question and, and getting them to be children that ask questions. And so it's thinking about how you can build that up in them as well. And when you've got your own car, so how do I mean it can turn into a monster within time at home with my children is a monster because that we stop at every one? Yeah. But actually, it's creating that inquiry, reminding your class, getting them encouraging them, motivating them to ask questions, and you modelling that yeah, then means that they in turn do that. So that's something to think about as well.

Speaker 1

12:23

Yeah, it's super important that they feel comfortable to say, I don't actually know what that means. Yeah. Yeah. You explain that? Or

Speaker 2

12:30

Yeah. And it's that that ethos of in the classroom is Yeah, and that kind of, like you just said that comfortableness around that and being able to do that. So what did you and Alex pick up on as targets for moving forward. And

Speaker 1

12:41

so it comes back massively, I think, and it's always a target for me at the start of any placement because of that new setting. And you've been a leader who went back to that behaviour management. So add a little look on the CID picks up a few in behaviour management, so about planning how to motivate pupils to engage in learning. And so that'll be using things like house points and stamp charts and things that I picked up from that getting to know me activity that I did with them, that they told me, This is what motivates me and about building that into my lesson. So intrinsically and extrinsic motivation,

Speaker 2

13:19

especially considering next week is going to be teaching in the afternoon. So I think that is a very good place to be bothered looking tired.

Speaker 1

13:29

And then again, just about maintaining the rules and routines, in schools behaviour policy, and with the rules that are already in the routines that are established in six hours already in the

Speaker 2

13:39

class. Yeah, and you've been observed elsewhere as well. Let's see year four and five. Yeah. And did you see consistency in that approach?

Speaker 1

13:47

Yeah, I did the it was kind of the same kind of rewards you use the stamp charts are consistent throughout the whole school. And I said there's a the pyramid acts as well, where you can get pyramid is get reward.

Speaker 2

13:59

Yeah. So the whole classes could get broad. It's like a golden type system. So when they fill the pyramid, they get to choose and fun activity to

Speaker 1

14:06

say this that and it's it's about being consistent throughout the school. So just maintaining this and just making sure that I have high expectations.

Speaker 2

14:13

Okay, brilliant. So if that's our focus next week, when I come to observe you then yeah, in the afternoon of sad week, yeah. Yeah, okay. That is the last day of sack so that's even worse. So if you can craft to make it difficult for motivation, and and and all of that on that Thursday afternoon. Okay, so that'll be our focus. And when I come to observe you next week, if you put that in the top of the icon as the focus, and then we'll look at that, and what and we'll talk through that there. So if you let Alex know that that's what you're going to be focusing on when you're teaching throughout the week. He can give you particular types and pick up on that for you.

Unknown Speaker

14:52

That can be in top form. But

Speaker 2

14:54

yeah, so thank you very much. So if you write that app in your All mental logs for this week and just summarise what we've talked about. And then you may want to add anything into your CRD on this left hand side that you know you've done this or that you can add into it. Yeah, just that you don't have to do it all when you get towards the end, the mad rush at the ASIC mistake that I made in the autumn term, not knowing what we were doing. So, so if you add that into the left hand side as you go in through then that means you've got that record and we've got that when we make the assessment judgments. So okay, thank you for

Unknown Speaker

15:28

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