Tuesday 12 April 2011

Things I have never seen

I am very aware when I write this blog that it is mostly people I know from home who will read it, but I am also very aware that someone rogue may give it a browse for interest and therefore I must watch my words and make sure that I do not offend anyone or criticise too harshly. I have been working in a school recently that is incredibly focused on one sport and EVERYTHING and EVERYONE at the school is geared towards it. It actually invokes memories of watching American high school teen dramas when I was younger and teachers would threaten sportspeople with missing a game or practice to make them work in their room. It actually happens!I have seen several pupils who have absolutely no interest in doing anything apart from trying to get a contract in their chosen sport and it is only when they are threatened with this being taken away that they get anything done. It seems odd that I have taught how to tell a 24 hour clock to year 10 pupils and explained what a femur was to year 11 by using examples from the current NRL injury list as they literally come off the field after a 90 minute training session before school starts-perhaps a little skewed in focus?. Even as a relief teacher, where pupils are almost expected to be a bit lazier and not get much done, the first lesson was insane. Thankfully, it has got much better and I can get a fair bit of work in whatever subject I am in now due to showing my face around the place and expecting a shed load of work out of each pupil. What has staggered me the most generally about working in Australia is the lethargy that most pupils have towards learning of any sort, anything new of slightly taxing is dealt with a "nah, can't do it", which only after much pushing from me is actually done. Although everyone, including the pupils, seems ot be very nice and pleasant towards staff and other pupils, I think this allows several of the laziest to get away with doing very little. At home, I have met some less than outstanding characters who have still had an energy to learn, even if they did not go aboutn it in the right way, here however, the pupils are very nice to talk to, interact well but have no thrust to do any work at all and get away with it due to their ability to hold a conversation. I'm honestly not too sure which I would rather teach, although I am erring towards the energy of a pupil who needs a little management to challenge their interest rather than the pupil who has no get and go at all to actually learn, whether it be in the classroom or on the sports field. For an anonymous blog, I think I managed to not give away anything there!Hope everyone is well and enjoying their easter holidays, which by the sounds of it are awesome in both England and Australia!