Page 29 - SASTA Journal 2017

This involved an A4 sheet with sample GCSE questions at the different grade levels on the last lesson topic being completed every second lesson at the end of the lesson which required marking for the next lesson to correct in green pen – these pens were handed out to each student as a dozen or so usually didn’t have ANY pens let alone green ones! I tried to collect these back but still ended up buying 100 new ones (black and green) to get through the year.).
Their books also included stuck in ‘Be the Examiner’ A5 sheets to do for homework with sample GCSE questions to get them used to the type of questions and wording required by the Pearson GCSE Examiners. For example, the test for hydrogen in the U.K. is Squeaky pop test =
2 marks! Caught me out rst time round. Now it’s ignite gas, squeaky pop = 2 marks).
At the end of book marking scrutiny, a mark of 0 (nothing!) to 2 is given and tallied for each class and put into a spreadsheet to see how you are going against other teachers. Discussion was had on how particular teachers get it all done!!! Did I point out I was in awe of how much work these teachers did!!!
So students received a lot of feedback if you could keep up with it all. I feel I did a reasonable job. The ‘Fact sheet’ was a good idea and had feedback information on the front. Also a sticker was placed in books giving feedback on all test results. A target sticker with minimum grade (the one set in Year 6) had to be on the front of students’ books.
A spot on every whiteboard in the school was allocated for the Must/Should/Could statements which was a way of ensuring that learning objectives for every lesson were differentiated based on language of Bloom’s Taxonomy. This was good if you had time at the beginning of every lesson to put these up. You just had to nd time as well as get register done in rst 15 minutes.
There were always drop-ins by senior staff and organised lesson observations by peers throughout the year. Thank goodness my Year 7 class were being reasonable early
Number 02 / 2017
on, the time the Principal dropped in, they must have known as I didn’t! For an organised lesson observation, a detailed lesson plan had to be provided as was a lesson plan for each lesson!
I had an exercise book so I
knew what I was doing for my
7 classes. Obviously more
detailed notes for my Year
12 Chemistry class as I was
doing plenty of homework
to keep up and deliver the
curriculum. I did enjoy my Year 12 Chemistry class (they were my saviours on a number of occasions). They were more like Australian students. By the time students got to Year 10 they were pretty jaded and worn out. Needed more sunshine I decided.
Practicals were a hoot once I got over the fact that they really were not worth doing and I love my practicals!
Because of cost and lots of classes doing the same thing there was not a lot of equipment to go round so for 28 students you got 6 sets which meant lots of students were wandering around chatting with not much to occupy themselves.
I eventually started to order more equipment and greater amounts of chemicals. I did see the lilac ame from the tinny tiny bit of potassium allowed rather than my normal explosion! But lithium and sodium were boring.
There were a couple of good micro experiments conducted but this could only be done once students found the British goggles - you know the ones, put them on (what a nightmare, seemed to take ages every time). Then to put the hair up OMG!!! 40 minutes for two girls in Year 7!!!! It just didn’t look right!!!! Clari cation, I was in Essex!
The teaching was a challenge everyday but that was not just for me but all teachers. I was treated the same way as the Head of Science and he had been at the school for 17 years and was a great guy. I did try to get through to them. The staff was fantastic and awesome and so very helpful; the reason I stayed longer.
The thing that got me through was looking forward to the mid-term week break every six weeks then two weeks of term break. This was when as the only thing the agency told me before I left was ‘and you can just nick over to Europe’ which I did each break! Now that was incredible!
P.S. The only real downside was S.A.D which I did suffer from for one week in November (Seasonal Adjustment Disorder – yes there is such a thing!! I just took Vitamin D tablets). The weather was O.K. Cold, yes, but not unbearable and really not that wet - well not in Essex anyway.
SASTA Journal 27
Belinda Hawker is a Registered D.E.C.D. teacher (currently on L.W.O.P.). She is an experienced Science, Chemistry, Biology, Information, Processing and Technology, VET Certi cate II and III IT facilitator; STEM and Sustainability teacher; Coordinator Student Voice, Environmental Group; Year Level Manager, Australian Business Week, Science and Engineering Expo, National Space Camp; and Chemistry SACE exam marker and moderator. She has taught in N.S.W., S.A. and U.K. (to A level Chemistry).
Contact: bhawker29@gmail.com