Today was actually my first day of school. The kids come back on Monday, September 2, which is a week early by British standards. The school calendar is a bit different than I'm used to. Everything about the school system is very different than I'm used to. I am learning new terms, new procedures, new traditions, and new methods of educating.
Some new terms: set = group of kids I teach, register kids = take attendance, marks = points or grades, prep = homework, maths = math (I have a hard time with that one), independent school = private school, state school = public school (they say public and private, but it doesn't refer to funding at all, so I'm still confused there), grammar school = magnet school.
Some new procedures: Saturday is a school day, I assign homework via the school intranet, I do nearly every task online
Some new traditions: the hoop trundle (shown below) goes back to Henry VIII. I'll know more when I see it happen.
It's a lot to take in. Luckily, I've got good teachers looking out for me. My first impression is the my head of department, Ned, is a brilliant teacher. I'm nervous, as anyone doing something really new generally is. Still, physics is physics, so once I get in the classroom I'll be fine. Outside the classroom, though, all the little schedules, procedures, and expectations I've known are being relearned from the ground up in many ways.
For example, I've been used to organizing everything by course (honors, AP B, AP Mechanics, etc.) and teaching people from several grade levels. Here, everything is arranged by grade level, because the two courses (GCSE physics and A level physics) span multiple years. Part of the GCSE curriculum is taught in year 9, some in year 10, and the rest in year 11. At the end of year 11, they take a national exam. Some of the kids take triple-award science, meaning I see them 3 times a week. Others take double-award science, meaning I see them only twice a week. I'm used to seeing all my kids every day, so this will take some adjustment. Instead, I see more sets of kids. I have 9 different classes, which is far more than I'm used to. Teachers here often give letter grades, but no points. At the end of a term, every student gets a full paragraph assessing his/her progress in addition to an overall letter grade. Much rides on the end of year exams and the national exams. The exams have no multiple choice. Multiple choice is a big thing in the USA, but not at all in the UK. I have certain times I am allowed to assign homework, as the students have specific times set aside for doing it. However, if they don't turn it in, I can give them detention.
Being a teacher here is a different experience in just about every imaginable way. It's tough in some ways (I'll admit I miss the kids I know and the system I know), but it's really exciting at the same time. This experience may allow me to grow as a teacher in ways I just couldn't without getting out of my comfort zone. It may just force me to. Nothing is familiar, so that's a bit scary, The knowledge that I'm facing that fear feels nice, though.
Tying my shoes was pretty confusing the first time dad showed me, too. I'll get used to it.
Maths!
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
Ah, yes, the intense amount of written and verbal exams I experienced in the British system was something I was really unprepared for. However, knowing that teachers have to write out progress reports might also explain why my profs wrote such outstanding recommendation letters, too?
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