Week eight

Looking forward I cannot but see the end! I am truly excited with this being the second last week.

This week, where do I start; there was very highs and very lows. Starting with the bad, yesterday there was an incident at school where one of the grade 9 learners, who was being disrespectful pushed a teacher. Asking the teacher, she explained, that after break she started reprimanding him in the line already, getting up to the class everyone was now being communicative (making a noise). In an attempt to quiet them she separated them according to gender, wanting to speak to the boys outside. She turned he back on the boys to calm down the girls inside when the one boy pushed her from the back. Fortunately, this learner has been suspended. Unfortunately, though that specific class still remain a grave concern to the school. This incident was brought to the attention of everyone at school and very clearly highlighted as something that is unacceptable.

On a separate event on Wednesday on of the learners ran into a seven-month pregnant teacher. The learner came with a force as he was running and unaware of her around the corner. Another teacher has warned her to be careful of learners, but not having had an incident nor fully understanding the effects and force of such a bump she ignored it. The bump had her off sick for the rest of the week. We sometimes regret to acknowledge the possibility of harm.

There is this saying rather be safe than sorry, in the reality of working with kids this quote took on a whole new meaning for me. If you are careful you will never experience what could have been the after effects, but if you’re not save, the affects can be never ending and even destroy your career.

Today when my mentor teacher left the class to do some admin, leaving the learners with work and in silence with me to supervise. The class started out quiet but eventually they were out of control and making a noise. Trying various methods, they just kept on going, I told them that I would keep them during break. This did not immediately silence them, but a soon as the announcements started I closed the door, which immediately caught their attention. The bell rang, the class was dead quiet until… One female learner started packing her bag as soon as the announcements started and stormed me after the bell rand. Fortunately, by the time she reached me the teacher opened the door. I was both shocked and taken aback by her behavior, this was uncharted territory for me – being stormed by a learner.

At first learners where listening as I was still new and interesting, but with the teachers help I have been trying various methods of teaching and trying to make interesting for them. The classes that I have been teaching from the beginning of term were semi responsive while other classes that I have not taught yet are very interested and engaged in the lessons. Teachers that assured me that although there are techniques that I still need to master the learners are also just lazy and not wanting to work. Their tests have started, they are merely focused on the tests at hand and not much else.