Diary of an NQT
GLOBAL FELLOWSHIPS GLOBAL FELLOWSHIPS
Satan’s evil in a nylon gown
THE WEEKS are slowly winding themselves up I’m quite looking forward to the experience, even
into a fury at the moment, with more and more if it is meaning extended working hours, high stress
expected each week. Besides the ominous parents’ levels, and a return to the bureaucratic lesson
evenings, reports, marking and department plan forms.
appraisal, I found respite this week in a This week saw a welcome “extra” free
year 7 story-writing lesson. period, as my year 10s went off to sit their
Inspired by a recently watched GCSE mock paper. Having the papers
episode of The Mighty Boosh I returned to me, I was pleased to see
A tale of two cities
decided to teach the art of tension that they had all made a real effort and
building by arranging tasks written pages upon pages, even if most
around a storyline of killer nans of it was nonsense. I’m quite alarmed
– obviously. at how some couldn’t even cope with
I set the scene; Nanageddon a question paper; not knowing where
The Prime
is upon us, the streets are filled to read, what to answer and which
with pensioners armed with bus texts to refer to. Scary!
Minister’s Global
passes and lethal knitting needles It’s an interesting experience
and the moon is full. Watching trying to work out why it is they
Fellowship is
the video clips from the Boosh, are so weak at academic work. They
my group of boys were in hysterics obviously have next to no interest in
and they approached the writing with anything beyond the literal and so GCSE
a fledgling
fervour. English is quite difficult to grasp for them,
Come plenary time, I was amazed to but they also seem to have a memory wipe programme offering a
see 33 hands raised when we were to every time they sleep.
evaluate each other’s work. It’s alarming how nothing can be
platform for young people
We finished the lesson by remembered and that even basic things
watching the music video and I sent they have studied every year disappear
a group of 33 boys off to their art from memory.
to spend a summer learning
lesson singing about killer nans on I’ve discovered that this amnesiac
the streets of London. Apologies art generation need to sit and chat for 20
about the rapidly emerging
department. minutes every lesson, because they can’t
Stress levels are high as our remember what they said to each other economies of Brazil, China
department appraisal approaches. I will yesterday and so gossip stays new and fresh
be observed with two classes at different for weeks on end!
and India. Sam Myers
key stages; this means year 10 girls. Perhaps I should use this to my advantage
I’m not sure if Ofsted provides enough and teach the same lesson over and over until
room on its one to four scale for the funeral they realise, I could certainly do with the saved
writes about his experience
that this lesson will be, but I am happy to say that time this week!
my other observation is with my year 7 authors!
visiting China
The local authority is attending and will observe • Matt Connett is a newly qualified teacher of English
alongside a member of our leadership team, and at Shenfield High, a training school in Brentwood in
lucky me, I drew the headteacher as my observer! Essex. He returns next week. AST SUMMER I was lucky enough
Teach it like Torno!
L
to be chosen as one of the 100 young
individuals sent to one of three of the
most rapidly developing countries in
the world. I spent six weeks in China
with 39 like-minded young adults in
order to experience, first-hand, the
The joy of teaching
effects of globalisation on the world’s most populous
country.
The first two weeks of the course were spent in the
capital; Beijing, studying Mandarin at Beijing Normal
“HOW IS it that little children are so intelligent and I stood in the corner with the teaching assistant and University, after which we flew to Shanghai where we
men so stupid? It must be education that does it.” watched as the students went at it. Historical debate spent four weeks living, studying and working.
Alexander Dumas. at its best. It is moments like this that remind you of The fellows, having met only briefly during a
Busy, busy, busy. Reports, checking reports, your calling and make you question the endless time preparatory weekend in London, met at Heathrow an assortment of useful phrases, which disappointed
coursework, monitoring teaching and learning – you filling out forms or creating charts – just get in there Airport on July 22 and arrived in Beijing on July 24 me slightly. As a languages student I had, somewhat
name it, I’m doing it. That’s the trouble with going and make it happen. to be greeted by a near-torrential downpour and an unrealistically and naïvely, hoped that we might get into
up the scale. Whether you like it or not, you do The second event happened on Thursday with unfamiliar blast of heat. a deeper study of the intricacies of the language.
become more and more detached from the everyday my lower 6th. As an alumni of Queen Mary College Our first weekend was spent visiting some of the The majority of our afternoons in Beijing were spent
happenings in the classroom and instead carry out in London, I was invited to a lecture by David various historic sites that the northern capital has to taking culture classes which included lessons in Tai
increasingly bureaucratic tasks – all in Starkey on the reign of Henry VIII. I asked offer, while adjusting to our new surroundings and Chi, traditional Chinese painting, pottery and paper-
the name of improvement of course. whether our year 12 students could attend picking up the most basic grasps of the language. cutting. We were also taken to various shows, such as a
I don’t know about you, but it’s (they are studying the Tudors) and was Having visited the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square fairly westernised Kung Fu performance which, despite
only two weeks into the half-term enthusiastically given the go-ahead. and the Forbidden City, I think many of the fellows the lack of even a remote storyline, was still enjoyable
and I am already knackered, and Starkey proved to be immediately fell in love with Beijing. and actually provided a fairly interesting insight into
what’s more, it is not because of controversial as always and It has an astounding wealth of history and the effects of globalisation on non-economic aspects of
the teaching. It is because of all entertained us with both cultural significance, though this traditionalism lives Chinese culture and society.
of the other jobs I am supposed to his knowledge of Henry comfortably alongside an increasingly modern China. Over one weekend, we were taken on a “camping
be doing. and his insults of anyone The seemingly natural mix of cultures, of occident and trip” (as described on our timetable). I was really
I seem to find I am working who cared to disagree orient, is what I loved most about the city. excited about the experience as it gave us our only
longer hours and still not being with him. At the end, It was not until the Monday morning that the real chance to leave the city and see for ourselves what
as effective as I believe I should some of our students got work started and we began to benefit from studying people kept referring to as “the real China”. Though not
be. Management seems to be about the opportunity to talk to Mandarin in the confines of a classroom – it is an quite what anyone was expecting, the experience still
constant checking. Checking the him. Again the passion incredibly difficult language to pick up by immersion provided an insight into rural life and definitely took us
teachers checking the students. And for history was evident, alone. out of our comfort zones – something that the trip had
then we get checked by our seniors to with students talking Having only studied European languages before, promised to do.
see if our checking is up to scratch. about doing history degrees the majority of us found it very difficult, particularly We were introduced to traditional Chinese bedding,
I suppose Ofsted is the ultimate and the like. at first, to remember any phrases in Mandarin at and I use the term bedding lightly (imagine wooden
checker who checks that we are My point is that these two all. The language seemed, as expected, difficult and boards covered in a sheet designed to sleep several
checking what we should be. events made my week. I did not completely unfamiliar, but still vastly enjoyable and people). The experience also brought us into contact
What happened to the have to act as someone who was surprisingly rewarding. Since we were there only for a with rural Chinese food which was, with the exception
spontaneity and the joy of checking up on people or someone short time, our lessons mainly consisted of memorising of donkey, quite difficult to stomach.
teaching? Dare I even mention who was responsible for somebody
such a thing in the tick-box else’s teaching. I could be me and share
culture that we live in? my knowledge and passion for history
Enough of this! I witnessed with others.
two happenings this week that The year 9 debate is something I can latch
took me back to part of my original onto next week when we return to planning
reason for coming into the profession our essay, and the Starkey lecture could well
– interest in history and a passion for be the turning point when one or two students
learning. made up their minds that history is the subject
The first was on Wednesday morning. they will pursue at university after all.
My year 9s are about to do an essay on Let’s get back to basics. Teaching is not about
the causes of the Second World War and ticking boxes. It is about inspiring others. This
were looking at how the causes inter- week I was inspired by my own students and the
relate. The idea was to encourage a debate on which passion they injected into their learning.
causes were the most important. We went through the As adults, we sometimes lose the sense of wonder
causes and discussed them in turn. And then, to my that made us want to teach and it is important to be
utter surprise, two of the students in the class who reminded that getting to the top of the “greasy pole”
regularly need encouraging to join in started arguing is not the be all and end all of our careers. Have a
like cat and dog. great week!
The fantastic thing was they were bickering over
whether the Treaty of Versailles was more responsible • David Torn is professional tutor and an advanced
than the depression for Hitler’s rise to power. As a skills teacher at St Edward’s Comprehensive School
result of their passion, the rest of the class became in Essex. He is the London Secondary School Teacher
involved and it turned into a free for all – one that I of the Year 2007 and is passionate that the purpose of
was pleased to have. education is to change lives. He returns after Easter.
8 SecEd • March 18 2010
08-09 Confis.indd 8 15/3/10 14:19:46
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