Week+8+Sarah

**The Ideal Teacher (from students) ** • Someone who likes to take us outside for games • Someone who makes the learning real by letting me use the computer and do hands on stuff to solve problems • Someone who is fair • Someone who can laugh with us  •  Someone I can talk to whenever I need to  • Someone who lets me make mistakes In the first day of my field work I was told about VIT requirements. Before that day I had not heard about it. Apparently it’s a fair bit of work. After I asked different teacher friends of mine about it, they all had different opinions. Some said it’s very doable; others are struggling for the time. I don’t know how I will manage, but I am looking forward to learning more about it so I know what is in store.

Next year is going to be hectic (providing a get a job) and I know that I will have to make some lifestyle changes in order to do it effectively, but how much should a job take over your life? I have two very different outlooks on the situation from two first year graduate teachers. Sarah is a grade prep teacher who gets to school at 7.45am and leaves at 6pm. Zoe is a specialist secondary teacher for year 7-year 9, she arrives at 8.30am and leaves as soon as she can. Both are very good friends of mine who have given me hope on both sides of the spectrum, and both are very good teachers. I know this is a bit off track from the lecture, but I promise I’ll get there, and I thought this might be something you would like to hear about.

Sarah and Zoe have talked to me about how their lifestyles have changed over the past 6 months. There is now a huge responsibility, not just for themselves anymore, but the 25 or 200 students now in their lives. Sarah has not spent proper time with her friends, boyfriend or family since the start of the year. She is completely committed to her preps, they are number 1. Zoe has taken the other stance. She is 25 and wants to still have fun and go out with her friends. And while she puts in her very best work, it is just that, work. Being a teacher is not taking over her life and she thinks that if it did, that would affect her as an educator.

I am so jealous of Sarah’s dedication and how responsible she has become; I can only hope to have that enthusiasm about my job. But I don’t think I would be a very happy individual if I could not socialise and have fun once and a while. I understand Zoe’s stance also, if we stopped being ourselves and letting loose sometimes how would that affect our happiness and mood in the classroom?

Next year is going to be frantic and a complete change, especially from this year. VIT, planning, meetings, interviews, reports...the list goes on. How are we going to switch off? And are we going to make time for it?

In week 3, we discussed the teachers mask, and who we really want to be in the classroom. I guess out of all these questions above, I have one main query. What makes an Ideal Teacher?? Can we do the student list above if we’re not refreshed and revitalised?

 Mrs Powel’s key characteristics of effective teachers; empathy, energy, efficacy and evidence based come into consideration. These cannot be achieved without remembering to make time for ourselves, be able to deactivate, unwind and stop being a teacher every now and again.

So what makes the ideal teacher? And what type of teacher will you become outside of 9 to 3.30?