In which I complain about the worst student teacher in the world...
I'm mentoring a new student teacher. I thought this was what I wanted, to pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm for my job, to have the time to reflect on my own lessons and improve my practise. But OMG... she is awful.
She doesn't have proper qualifications in Science (AVCE Science instead of A levels and she got grade D/E and a degree in Medical Biology for which she got a 2:2)
She doesn't seem to like to work with or interact with children and young people in any way (She used to teach at mosque and worked at a residential centre but in some sort of assistants role rather than activity leader)
She doesn't know anything... and we're not talking that science specific here... just everyday common knowledge like that ladybirds eat greenfly, or that soil is made of small particles of rock and decayed plants and animals, or that banana plants are tropical...
She thinks that garden soil is alkali becuase people keep their gardens clean.
She doesn't know what a centrifuge does(she thinks it stirs thing up...), or how else you could separate a mix of soil and water (since my school doesn't have a centrifuge).
She has no sense of timing... like she plans 60 mins worth of stuff for 50min lesson and then starts 10 mins late!
She let the class go to a computer room and research weeds.... that was all she said... research weeds... and what, My Dears ,is the first thing that appeasr on google if you type in weed!!! Yes... Cannabis! Thats just what you want to encourage 30 12-13 year olds to look at in a Friday afternoon double period!
She cannot construct a coherent sentence... one classic example was "What are needed for plant to growth well?" She is asian, and maybe her family don't speak English at home... but you can't expect to teach young impressionable minds if you can't even communicate in thier language!
She has failed to hand me any lessons plans in a week before she teaches them like I asked. And I know a week is excessive, but I'd let her get away with 4 days even. I'm a busy person... I can't just drop everything and go over her crappy lesson plans when she only drops them on my desk with less than 4 hours before the lesson. And her excuse... "My laptop is broken" I didn't ask for them typed... I just asked for them! So then she pulled the "My mother is ill and I have to look after her in the evenings" Uuuurrrggh!
So she can't teach, doesn't like kids, doens't know anything about her subject, can't use grammar correctly, can't hand things in when I ask for them, has no common sense, and can't use a bloody pen... oh and she works weekends in ASDA... How does she have time for that, whilst looking after her sick mother? I ask you... why is she trying to train as a teacher!?!?! I really don't think I can handle this any longer!
Behaviour at my school is great.(No really...) The kids want to learn and bring pens and do homework and everything... its in complete contrast to where I used to work (and I lovelovelove it!) Her lessons are so dull that I can't really blame the kids for playing up today... I was almost dancing on the tables today it was so boring. The key to teaching good lessons is to get the kids on your side. To make them want to learn what you are trying to teach... So a dull lesson about soil pH would turn into "why is this plant blue and this plant pink? so that the kids have a bit of curiousity about what you are going to teach them.
I'm not mean... I've shared this advice with her... I also told her about hydrangeas and when she looked at me blankly, I told her all about how they change colour depending on the soil pH and when she still looked at me blankly I told her exactly how I would use it as a starter.
I'm not expecting miracles. I'm certainly not expecting her to turn into an exact clone of myself... (a MiniMrsWilliamson...That would just be creepy) but I need a little bit of inspiration or this girl is going to fail!
Maybe it's fairer all around if I do just fail her... She is kidding herself if she thinks she can make it. If you took her to a tough school the kids would tear her to shreds and no one in thier right mind would employ her in a good school... I'm meeting with our head of ITT students in the morning to discuss the future...
*Sigh*
So she can't teach, doesn't like kids, doens't know anything about her subject, can't use grammar correctly, can't hand things in when I ask for them, has no common sense, and can't use a bloody pen... oh and she works weekends in ASDA... How does she have time for that, whilst looking after her sick mother? I ask you... why is she trying to train as a teacher!?!?! I really don't think I can handle this any longer!
Behaviour at my school is great.(No really...) The kids want to learn and bring pens and do homework and everything... its in complete contrast to where I used to work (and I lovelovelove it!) Her lessons are so dull that I can't really blame the kids for playing up today... I was almost dancing on the tables today it was so boring. The key to teaching good lessons is to get the kids on your side. To make them want to learn what you are trying to teach... So a dull lesson about soil pH would turn into "why is this plant blue and this plant pink? so that the kids have a bit of curiousity about what you are going to teach them.
I'm not mean... I've shared this advice with her... I also told her about hydrangeas and when she looked at me blankly, I told her all about how they change colour depending on the soil pH and when she still looked at me blankly I told her exactly how I would use it as a starter.
I'm not expecting miracles. I'm certainly not expecting her to turn into an exact clone of myself... (a MiniMrsWilliamson...That would just be creepy) but I need a little bit of inspiration or this girl is going to fail!
Maybe it's fairer all around if I do just fail her... She is kidding herself if she thinks she can make it. If you took her to a tough school the kids would tear her to shreds and no one in thier right mind would employ her in a good school... I'm meeting with our head of ITT students in the morning to discuss the future...
*Sigh*