Showing posts with label Working London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Working London. Show all posts
28.6.10
Local Strike
My first school placement was great, and my second placement didn't go so great... Just found out that my first school went on strike, I'm feeling lucky I didn't get caught up in the circumstances! Apparently, the Head is accused of overworking teachers and not providing enough support, I admit that I did witness something of this nature when I was there... Anyway, I'm glad it's all over!
30.1.10
Exhausting Week
It's been an utterly debilitating week, and I'm literally hanging on to the paperwork by the skin of my teeth. With lesson planning, observations, assessing children's progress, marking work, attending meetings, teaching, behaviour management, preparing teaching resources, assisting the class teacher with her duties, collecting data for my files... every night I'm working on paperwork, every night I'm only getting 5 hours sleep. It's only the second week, and already I'm feeling so exhausted.
After getting home from work last night, I just dropped into bed and slept like a log, and woke up 13 hours later. Fortunately teachers at the school all agree that trainees have a harder time with paperwork than a qualified teacher. There's just 5 more months to go!
After getting home from work last night, I just dropped into bed and slept like a log, and woke up 13 hours later. Fortunately teachers at the school all agree that trainees have a harder time with paperwork than a qualified teacher. There's just 5 more months to go!
2.1.10
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
New year at Embankment was packed. I was there on duty, providing first aid to people who knocked themselves out with drink. Unfortunately, the 7-and-a-half-minute fireworks display was nothing spectacular, the daily Symphony of Lights in HK far outclassed it. Nevermind if it's on duty or not, I will never go to another New Year's event in London ever again, period. The drinking culture over here is going out of control - a majority of cases seen to were drink-induced - when patrolling along the bank, I couldn't help feeling pretty uneasy, even with scores of police around.
[The London Eye]
[Our location wasn't the best for fireworks.]
New year at Embankment was packed. I was there on duty, providing first aid to people who knocked themselves out with drink. Unfortunately, the 7-and-a-half-minute fireworks display was nothing spectacular, the daily Symphony of Lights in HK far outclassed it. Nevermind if it's on duty or not, I will never go to another New Year's event in London ever again, period. The drinking culture over here is going out of control - a majority of cases seen to were drink-induced - when patrolling along the bank, I couldn't help feeling pretty uneasy, even with scores of police around.
[The London Eye]
[Our location wasn't the best for fireworks.]29.12.09
Football Match
My first ever duty as a First Aider at my first ever live football match started at 1pm today when Tottenham Hotspurs played at home against West Ham United...and later won against the guests at 2 - 0.
My team didn't get the best seats - back seats in the corner - my debut went very smoothly too ie. no incidents at all to deal with. An opportunity not to be missed, I watched the match... and it was... sorry, other than the score, I don't really remember what happened in the match... except for the atmosphere.
It's not something a person can feel from a tv, a person can get high on this atmosphere. The sound of several thousand people singing in unison, their cries and calls, their emotions richocheting around the stadium is absolutely amazing. The songs are certainly innovative... The Spurs and West Ham fans were having singing matches while marching up the High Road, which involved some fists. The local police with their horses, dogs and batons sorted out any disputes. All in all, it was an interesting experience. I will go again.
[Around 35,000+ people came to watch.]
[The West Ham goalie on one side, everyone else on the other.]
My team didn't get the best seats - back seats in the corner - my debut went very smoothly too ie. no incidents at all to deal with. An opportunity not to be missed, I watched the match... and it was... sorry, other than the score, I don't really remember what happened in the match... except for the atmosphere.
It's not something a person can feel from a tv, a person can get high on this atmosphere. The sound of several thousand people singing in unison, their cries and calls, their emotions richocheting around the stadium is absolutely amazing. The songs are certainly innovative... The Spurs and West Ham fans were having singing matches while marching up the High Road, which involved some fists. The local police with their horses, dogs and batons sorted out any disputes. All in all, it was an interesting experience. I will go again.
[Around 35,000+ people came to watch.]
[The West Ham goalie on one side, everyone else on the other.]10.7.09
The Good and the Bad
Just finished my last assessment earlier today. Glad assessments are over, but sad to finish my work placement. I am fortunate to have become acquainted with so many great people on this course.
HK-wise, the British Council has a low number of student applications this month, probably because parents are wary of swine flu, but hopefully BC will consider hiring more English teachers for their Summer School in August.
HK-wise, the British Council has a low number of student applications this month, probably because parents are wary of swine flu, but hopefully BC will consider hiring more English teachers for their Summer School in August.
7.11.08
A Daunting Challenge
I'm in the second week of my placement as part of my course, with another 5 weeks to go. It's only a small nursery setting with about 10 children, and seriously any teacher would whoop with joy to have such small class. Seriously, I would whoop with joy too... if the children were anything like those of Hong Kong that is... without a doubt, I can't wait to go back to teaching in the Far East.
A majority, no let's be truthful, all the children in this setting are... have gone haywire. They are all over the place, however nicely practitioners ask, instructions have to be repeated literally over a dozen times. They lack respect, and use language that was definitely not learnt at the nursery. This, and the fact that they do not know how to line up, or sit down when told is a major culture shock to me. Fighting over toys, deliberately being provoking to each other, using physical means when provoked/ or unprovoked is the norm here. I find myself feeling homesick for my previous setting, and right now I'm not in much of a position to suggest alternatives, other than during lesson planning.
The role of an EYP (Early Years Professional) is to change and support a setting and it's staff... and right now, it is very daunting.
A majority, no let's be truthful, all the children in this setting are... have gone haywire. They are all over the place, however nicely practitioners ask, instructions have to be repeated literally over a dozen times. They lack respect, and use language that was definitely not learnt at the nursery. This, and the fact that they do not know how to line up, or sit down when told is a major culture shock to me. Fighting over toys, deliberately being provoking to each other, using physical means when provoked/ or unprovoked is the norm here. I find myself feeling homesick for my previous setting, and right now I'm not in much of a position to suggest alternatives, other than during lesson planning.
The role of an EYP (Early Years Professional) is to change and support a setting and it's staff... and right now, it is very daunting.
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