Ugh.
So my first proper post in ages and I'm complaining. Big surprise.
Aside from uni being just as boring and sleep worthy as normal, I've visited my prac school twice now. I can't say the name of the school, but I can say that (judgemental as it may be) I expected a fair bit more, considering its a private Catholic school. I am very disappointed in it and confused by it. One, the age range is all messed up. Pre-primary should not involve four year olds, but this one does. How diverse is a class of 30 kids with four, five and six year olds?
Next is a whole lot of little things adding up to one big thing. My mentor teachers horribly monotone voice, no aprons during water play and no limit to kids at a time, more listening for trouble then looking for it, use of time, dealing with behaviour... those are all smallish things.
The big things are the lack of noise control. I had a headache not half an hour in and she has no control over the sound level at all. No real control on the mat while she's talking. No teacher should be ok with students talking to others, touching others, making hugging chains, laying down or or or... lots of things! Getting them to shut up for 5 minutes is a challenge and it shouldn't be by now.
And then there's the amount of specialists. Now I've got nothing against specialists, but I'm meant to end up teaching every subject over half a term. Music, LOTE and Sport, I can understand. But there is also a Science and IT specialist. What the hell am I meant to teach??
But wait, it gets better.
Usually, Pre-Primary teachers get a full day of DOTT (Duties other then Teaching) to plan and prep. Because of all the specialist classes, I have some DOTT everyday bar Friday. On Tuesday, I barely see the kids at all. Their day goes something like this; in, mat time, walk to science, go to IT, go back and have fruit, have Italian, go to library, have lunch, rest, tell news and go home. Notice something missing?
Recess.
I checked over everyday and there is no recess listed. No fucking wonder the kids can't settle, they're stuck sitting and listening to people from nine til 12:45 every bloody day with no break to get up and run out all the energy they've built up. I'd act like a little shit too if it were me.
Not. Happy.