Teach|Technology

General Information about School Experience

 

Students on the programme undertake placements in all four years of their degree programme which increase in duration with each year.  This is an extremely important aspect of professional development and students are expected to engage fully with this in a manner consummate with their year and stage within the degree programme.  

 

Students must ensure that they comply with the GTCS Student Teacher Code at all times (available here).

 

The student’s knowledge of subject content may vary depending on their experience prior to starting this course. Some content may not have been covered by this stage of their course.  It is in their, and your pupil’s best interest, if they are asked to teach only material with which they feel reasonably confident or have time to prepare. Any obvious reluctance to accepting responsibility for involvement in class work should be noted and reported to the Tutor during their visit and in the final report.

 

It is necessary that students have time to undertake the work assigned to them by the University and to plan their contribution to class work through discussion and observation. To allow for this each student should have a minimum of two periods per day free of timetabled classes. They should also be encouraged to use this and other times to further develop their practical skills appropriate to classroom teaching. This will vary according to the age and experience of each student.

 

Students are not qualified to be left alone in charge of classes and should not be asked to do so.

 

Remits for placements in each year of the course are as follows:

 

Year 1 School Experience:  The focus for this year is on observation and initial small scale teaching.

Year one takes the form of a five week block of experience in Secondary School during which student teachers will observe the practice of teachers and consider relationships, motivation, discipline, control, classroom learning and teaching styles.  Students are required to research and learn about the Technologies Curriculum within the third level.  Additionally, students are encouraged to develop an understanding of whole school issues and organisation together with those aspects of schools which contribute to a school’s effectiveness.  While students are not required to undertake any formal assessed teaching, it is expected that they will have some initial exposure to classes in the form of teaching individual pupils and small groups. They will be encouraged to deliver lessons or parts of a lesson under supervision within the third level stage.

 

Year 2 School Experience:  The focus for this year will be on teaching S1 and S2 classes and the third level technologies curriculum.

Students will join the department for a six-week block placement.  The student’s introduction to classroom teaching should be gradual, starting with assisting the teacher and progressing from there to group and finally whole class teaching.   As a guide, by the final two weeks of the placement it would be anticipated that students would have taken the lead role (under supervision) in planning, preparing and delivering lessons to a number of S1 and S2 classes on their timetable.  While they will be expected to teach S1 and S2 classes, they should observe more senior classes at work and assist the class teacher.  This will help students to understand progression within the technologies curriculum.  Students can, by mutual agreement, teach parts or whole lessons to national qualification classes.  There will be one assessed lesson, with an S1 or S2 class, during the placement.  The visiting tutor will have a focus on being supportive.  The second year assessed lesson is formative, but students should plan and teach a competent lesson in cooperation with the department.

In order to support the development of appropriate craft skills and to become familiar with craft processes in the school context, students should attempt to manufacture as many S1 and S2 craft models as they can while on their placement.  Help and guidance at an appropriate level would be appreciated.  It is, however, acknowledged that only a limited amount of staff time may be available for supporting students in this aspect of the placement.

 

Year 3 School Experience:  The focus for this year is extended to include fourth level classes and the early senior phase.

School experience in year three takes the form of one seven week block.  Students should by the end of this placement have begun to teach fourth level and early senior phase national qualification classes in addition to teaching S1 and S2 classes.  Timetables may also allow observation across the senior phase and if the student feels confident, they may undertake teaching.  Planned differentiation should be explored as a part of lesson planning, as should appropriate assessment and recording strategies.  Students will teach two assessed lessons during this period.  The tutor will aim to visit so as to observe lessons involving S3 or S4. Could you, if possible, please try to timetable a range of fourth level classes and the early senior phase.

In order to support the development of craft skills and to help students become familiar with Craft processes, students should attempt, with the permission of the Principal Teacher, to design and manufacture one small artefact appropriate to practical craft courses over the 8 weeks of the school placement.  Help and guidance at an appropriate level would be appreciated.  Again it is acknowledged that only a limited amount of staff time may be available to support students with this project.  Students will be required to submit their completed models at a curriculum seminar after returning from the second placement. 

 

Year 4 School Experience:  The focus for this year remains on fourth level classes and the early senior phase.

In the final year, students will spend a ten-week block on teaching practice. Students should teach, under the supervision of the class teacher, a range of fourth level and the early senior phase classes in addition to teaching S1 and S2 classes.  As the placement progresses, the student should take on more of the planning, preparation and teaching of lessons as required by the department’s courses.  Timetables may also allow work with upper school.  The tutor will aim to observe lessons involving S3 or S4, please try to offer a timetable that has a range of fourth level and the early senior phase classes if possible. By the final weeks of the placement the student should have taken a significant level of responsibility, under the supervision of the class teacher, for identified classes within their timetable.  This will include all planning, teaching and assessment, taking account of the needs of pupils and the demands of national qualifications.  Performance at this stage is an important element in the evidence available to schools partners for deciding if the student has met the national Standards for Registration by the conclusion of the placement.

 

It would also be helpful if it were possible for the student to have an opportunity to visit one of the school’s associate primary schools.  This arrangement would support the student’s study of primary – secondary liaison and transition in the context of the technologies curriculum.