C. TEACHING

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 541.

Colleges of Education provide two-year Courses in teacher education or s6metiI?es three years if the graduate specializes in some particular subject.

Teaching is a profession where people have much freedom to innovate and implement new ideas. There are good opportunities for career development.

Previous experience of working with children is always an advantage. Teachers' training institutions are keen to see that interviewees have visited schools to see how things work for them­selves. In interviewees institutions look in particular for a sense of responsibility, a robust and bal­anced outlook, awareness, sensitivity, enthusiasm and good communication skills. Experience of working with children or young people in a school, youth club or otherwise counts in a person's favour.

Colleges of Education teach an investigative approach. They are interested in the processes of science rather than forcing facts down throats. Links with local schools play an increasingly impor­tant part in the curriculum. Experienced teachers are involved in the planning, supervision, support and assessment of students' practical work in schools, and their training within the institution. 'During school experience, students take part in observation, small group teaching and the tutoring of individuals. They also have the responsibility for organising and planning the work of a whole class and experience class management and control. During teaching practice tutors come in a num­ber of times and see their students' lessons and give them help and tell them where they are going wrong so that they can understand. In their first teaching practice many students cannot even hold the chalk in the hand. Gradually, one becomes more of a teacher. The biggest fear everyone has is discipline - and one only learns by making mistakes. Discipline is an area where a word of advice often comes in useful.

During the first year, one is known as a probationer - fully qualified but still as yet a trainee.

The job gets easier over the years. In the early years, one is concentrating on delivering first class lessons. It is marvellous if one can manage the system to the extent that the teacher does the mini­mum and the students do the maximum. Classroom management is the key to successful teaching. Experienced teachers do not need to spend too much time actually studying the new material, because they've been teaching their subjects for many years. However, they do spend a lot of time thinking about what they're going to do during the lessons and getting things realy beforehand.

Every person should remember that at the heart of good teaching lies genuine respect for the dignity of pupils - when that exists, the whole atmosphere of the classroom and the school changes. It becomes friendly and businesslike.

Life in the classroom is changing fast. New developments in technology, in methodology, and in society at large mean that for today's children, school differs vastly from what their parents , themselves remember. Amidst all this change, the need for bright, committed graduate teachers has never been greater. Teaching becomes dynamic and exciting. This is a young person's chance to be part of it.