Blog ten: (16/04/12 - 22/04/12) Personal

Having visitors this week has allowed me to experience different aspects of Polish cultural through a new perspective. Now that DarÓma, Michael and I have been here for over two months, we have adapted to the prices, climate and pace of life in Poznań. At home when I have visitors and take them on a tour of Belfast or Northern Ireland, I find that I am seeing the sights for the first time myself, and it has been same for my friends this week. The first thing they made me aware of was how cheap everything is. The prices of food, eating out, transport etc had become familiar to me and while my friends found these ridiculously cheap, I thought were rather expensive! I think I will find it hard to adjust back to pounds when I get home in June as I spend so little on the essentials here in Poznań.

I had been looking forward to visiting the Nowe Zoo since I arrived in Poland, but as DarÓma believes they are morally wrong and Michael has better activities to fill his time with,  I took the opportunity to go and explore the various animals with my friends. Even though we got lost in the process of trying to find the zoo, I had a chance to practice a little Polish as we asked people for directions.

On Saturday my two friends, DarÓma and I went on a day trip to Warsaw. Michael was also in Warsaw competing in the final of the Erasmus Olympics (which he came second in.) In one of our classes we had been taught about the Palace of Culture and Science, which had been a gift from Stalin to the Polish people, fifty years ago. We paid to go up to the viewing tour to see all of Warsaw. I found that Warsaw was very modern and seemed more suited to tourists than Poznań. From visiting different areas of Poland I can’t understand why it is not a more popular destination for tourists, not only is it beautiful but it is very cheap too!

Warsaw: the Old Town

In Poznań, there is a ‘dark restaurant’, where you get to experience what it would be like to be blind. They give you the choice of four different surprise menus (I chose mood food which is meant to make you feel happier as you eat it) and then the waiter leads you into a completely dark room. The waiters wear night vision goggles to serve the food and explain where everything is on the table. As you cannot see the food, you therefore use your hands to eat. It is a surreal experience and one I would recommend to anyone who comes to Poznań!

The weather has finally taken a turn for the better and will be up to 26 degrees Celsius this week. It is just a pity that the day that is meant to be warmest, is Saturday when we are in class for six hours! I am sure we will enjoy it nonetheless. On Monday, DarÓma and I went to Szczecin and although this city was not highly recommended as it had been heavily bombed in World War Two, most of it has been restored and looked very impressive to us.

Week nine - (09-04/12 - 15/04/12) Professional - Languages in the classroom

During my first and second year placements, I taught in composite classes, and experienced only one or two pupils whose mother tongue was not English. As you would expect in an International school, my Kindergarten class are very multicultural, consisting of children from Ireland, Spain, Bulgaria, France and Poland. For this blog I would like to focus on how my current school copes with the variety of languages within the class and how it is helping me develop the GTCNI Professional Competence 21, p. 37 ‘Teachers will employ strategies that motivate and meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special and additional educational needs and for those not learning in their first language.’ Schools in Northern Ireland are becoming increasingly more multicultural (with a large percentage coming from a Polish background) One of the main reasons I chose to come to Poland was to learn some of the Polish language to help me involve and communicate with these children in my class.

Both of my teachers are fluent in Polish and English, with one who can also speak Spanish (which has been helpful for the Spanish boy who joined the class with no English or Polish). In Kindergarten, it is easier to have new pupils in the class who don’t speak English or Polish, as the children are all learning English from the same level. However, a girl from Bulgaria, who only came a month ago (who can only speak Bulgarian) has been a challenge for the teachers as she finds it hard to understand the directions. It is unrealistic for me to be fluent in every language that comes into my classroom but I have noticed other methods they use with her such as gestures, asking her brother to translate to her at lunch times, as well as meeting regularly with the parents (who speak English) about how they feel she is progressing. However, you can see that it is difficult for both her and for the teachers, as at times it can be difficult to see her get upset due to not being able to understand. As I only teach once a day I try and work with her on a regular basis and have found an improvement in her English through the signs and gestures we have created. Although I have found this experience with her to be beneficial, I worry it would be difficult to find time for this one-to-one teaching in a bigger class with only me as a teacher. My teachers also include the children’s home languages during the lessons e.g. what is an elephant called in Spanish? This helps promote the use of different languages and multiculturalism.

During the last hour of school some of my pupils attend the class, Polish for beginners. When I asked the Polish teacher, Kasia, how she finds teaching the children Polish she explained that only 8% of communication is through speaking and the rest is through your actions, the situation or signs. In her lessons she uses flashcards with pictures, as well as asking them to draw different images and she then translates their drawings into the polish words. This class has been helpful to observe as it has given me some tips on how to help children whose first language isn’t English. I think it will be important for me to set aside some one-to-one time for these pupils in my class so they don’t feel left begin.

Our new topic in school is, ‘Common rhymes and songs from around the world.’ Topics like this are an easy way to promote different languages within the classroom in a fun and motivating way for children. I have added a video of my class singing, ‘There were ten in bed’, which is one of the English songs they are learning. In conclusion, I feel that this experience is helping further develop my understanding of GTCNI Competency 21, by learning how to motivate EAL children through a variety of strategies.

Reference

General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (2006) Teaching: The Reflective Profession: Belfast.

 This week DarÓma and I also booked a few trips! On Monday we are spending the day in Szczecin, two hours North West of Poznan. This weekend we are going to Warsaw with two of my friends from home, (whilst Michael is there to compete in the Erasmus Olympics final!) In May we have also booked to go to Krakow, Vienna, Prague and Milan – who ever said Erasmus was a holiday? I am very excited!

Week eight: (02/04/12 – 08/04/12) Personal - My thoughts so far

The past two weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster. Although being on Erasmus for the past two months has flown in, often the days feel like forty eight hours, rather than twenty-four. When we first arrived in Poznań, we had more free time than anything else, which made me feel purposeless; however, once placement was added to our schedule it changed everything. We now have regular homework’s, polish tests (every week!!), lessons to plan and social activities, as well as travelling, (although I would like to do more of this). The transition from free time to feeling a little stressed had started to have an impact on me so I was very thankful for the few days we had off for Easter this week, even though it was only four days – I would have been happy with one!

DarÓma, Carrie (DarÓma’s friend from home) and I took a trip to Berlin at the start of the week, even though I have been there before I was excited to get away for a while. During my previous visit to Berlin, I did not have the opportunity to visit the Information Centre for the ‘Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.’ This held a whole new relevance now that I live in Poland. Over two thirds of the Jews that were murdered in the Holocaust were Polish (3.3 million), wiping out 10% of Poland’s population. It seemed mind blowing that this happened in the place where I am living. At the start of May we will be going to Auschwitz, and although I know it will be a worthwhile experience, I am also very anxious about it.

This shows where Jews had been murdered during WW2

During my Easter holidays I have had time to reflect on my experience so far and put it into perspective. I have settled happily in my new home, and enjoying getting around the city. The Polish people are very kind and keen to talk to me at any opportunity and I love working in my placement school. I have learnt how to look after myself and budget, as well as meet people I never would have otherwise. I think I need to remember to focus on the positive aspects, as sometimes tiredness pollutes my thoughts, more so when I start thinking about Polish class.
My dad has always told me that I will never learn anything from the easy things in life, it is the difficult things that shape who you are and what you become. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” (Mandela, 1994) I think I need to remember that everyday won’t be a walk in the park, and I will miss aspects of home and struggle with things, but I will only have this experience once and I need to make the most of it. “Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely,” (Rodin, A. sighted in Chang, 2006: 285)

References:

(Ed.) Chang, L.  (2006) Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing, Washington, Gnosophia.

Mandela, N. (1994) Long walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, South Africa, Back Bay Books.

Week seven: (26/03/12 – 01/04/12) Professional

In my previous blog (week five), I had written that the current unit of enquiry in my Kindergarten class is, ‘Fins, Feathers and Fur.’ Through this topic the children are introduced to the life cycles of a fish, frog (amphibian), turtle (reptile), butterfly (insect), chicken (bird) and elephant (mammal). My teacher asked me to teach both the life cycle of the chicken and elephant over the course of two weeks. This involved me having to make a poster for both animals, highlighting each stage of their life, as well as an introduction and a craft activity. As the class are only four to five year olds, I didn’t have to go into much detail, but build a foundation for future learning and vocabulary. Using a poster as a visual aid helps those pupils who struggle with English, along with it being something they can refer back  to later in the lesson. Teaching the word, ‘adolescent elephant’ to a child whose third language is English is not an easy task, but the children learn quickly through methods such as songs and repetition. I had been a little nervous about the children answering me in Polish; however, they tried their best to reply in English and anything I didn’t understand the teacher quickly translated it to me.

A man taught the children about other reptiles and insects

Although I had been given time to prepare my lessons on life cycles, the teacher frequently asks me to teach a lesson five minutes before it is about to happen. This has been a good challenge for me as although I am happy to change a lesson at the time I like to have it organised and feel prepared. I have enjoyed the challenge of thinking on my feet or ‘winging it,’ then reflecting on how I would do it differently. “Experience is a hard teacher because it gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” (Law, sighted in Zepeda, 2008:192) From this experience I need to remember to always work from where the children are at individually with their learning. I am gradually being equipped with the skills required to think on my feet and adapt lessons quickly so my pupils are provided with opportunities to develop their understanding and knowledge. Even though it is important to have an organised and well planned scheme, it is important to be flexible. 

Art class: the children were asked
to create shapes on the playground

I have currently been reading the ‘Life of Pi’ and a quote stood out to me regarding learning; “It was my luck to have a few good teachers in my youth, men and women who came into my dark head and lit a match.” (Martel, 2001:25) My Kindergarten class has given me a new perspective on what and how young children can be taught. I would never have previously thought that primary one children should be taught the topic of life cycles in this detail, however, I have now seen the benefits it can have. This year, I had chosen to specialise in Foundation and KS1 and this experience has shown me that this was the right choice. I am constantly learning new strategies to manage behaviour and the importance of repetition with early years.

My class playing, tug of war!

Kasia, the ‘Polish for foreigners’ teacher, asked if we would like our own private lessons for an hour after school each week, to help with our pronunciation and general speaking. I hope that when I am a teacher I can be as kind with my time, as I feel it is an important quality to have – even to those who aren’t your responsibility!

Reference:

Martel, Y. (2001) The Life of Pi, Canada, Canongate Books Ltd

Zepeda, S. J. (2008) Professional Development: What Works, New York, Eye On Education.