“Optimism
is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and
confidence”- Helen Keller.
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This week marked the beginning of our school
placement at the Jockey Club Primary School. Our university classes are finally
completed, and all that is left to do, is what we initially came here for… to
teach! I will be teaching year 5A and 6B, which are Northern Ireland’s
equivalent to P6 and 7. The past week has literally been such a learning
experience, and I have learnt so much, from both observing the teacher interact
with her pupils, and also in doing some teaching of my own- as expected, this
experience has enriched me professionally so much, but I never expected the
extent of this development to be as substantial as it has been!
The differences between the Hong Kong primary school
we are placed in and with the placements which I have completed in the past (in
Northern Ireland) have been among the biggest challenges which I have met this
week. These have included the difficulties associated with teaching children
English as a second language, as well as the actual teaching styles which are
in place over here. One of the biggest struggles which I’ve experienced is the
children’s reluctance to participate in teacher-led discussion, and I’ve came
across a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘it’s like pulling teeth’. I always
forget that these children speak English as their second language, and I am
constantly amazed at their language skills and abilities. The language barrier
is very slight between the pupils and I, with most of the blame for confusion
and misinterpretation being down to my Northern Irish accent. I am learning to
slow down and become a lot clearer in my diction with certain words, as well as
changing my pronunciation of certain words to sound more like an English
accent- this has allowed the children to understand me better.
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| Teaching 5A some information about Ireland. |
The class structure differs from schools which I am
used to also. The classes are laid out in rows, where children sit by
themselves. This does make group work more difficult. Fortunately however, Miss
Mak, the teacher who I am placed with encourages a more interactive approach to
learning, and so the children in both classes are used to turning their tables
around so they can engage themselves in group discussions etc. In addition, the
actual structure of the lessons is much more structured and formal than it is
back home, with English lessons focusing on the development of grammar,
comprehension and listening skills.
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| The rows of tables in the classrooms. |
Transitioning, rather unexpectedly, back to chalk
for my lessons was quite strange. I expected that, being in Hong Kong, the
school would have very technologically advanced and well-equipped classrooms,
but this was not the case. None of the classrooms at the school have an
interactive whiteboard. They all have overhead projectors installed however,
which has allowed me to prepare PowerPoint presentations, as I aim to make my
lessons as enjoyable and as engaging as I can, with as much help from the
available technology as possible. I think that as a teacher, it’s important to
make the most of what is available to you as after all, my future classroom may
not have an interactive whiteboard, or even a projector, but it will still by
my responsibility to deliver creative and exciting lessons to the learners in
my class.
The week of teaching practice that we have now got
behind us, has already began to shape me into a better and more well-rounded
teacher. I feel that I am in such a great position now to teach children with
EAL in my future classroom, which is a very important quality in a teacher,
particularly in an increasingly diverse Northern Ireland. I’m looking forward
to seeing how my professional development progresses as I spent more time
teaching, and getting to know the children more on an individual basis.
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| Working with Jason, Emma and Angel. |
On a more personal level, we met up with Dan, Keith,
Sophie and Dani at the weekend, and it was great to spend time with them and
just hear about their experiences from their study in China so far. They even
commented on how much they appreciated certain home comforts that existed in
Hong Kong, such as British food products and also the decreased language
barrier which is present in Hong Kong in comparison with China. Throwing myself
off a 233 metre building was by far my highlight of the weekend, even though the
sheer volume of my scream was a little embarrassing. It is no exaggeration to
state that Hong Kong has given me the opportunity to do things which I never
would have imagined doing before. I will never forget that feeling as I plummeted
of the Macau Tower (the world’s highest bungee jump), but it was an amazing
experience, and which I will never forget!
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| Before our jump: nervous and excited! |
過後談話!(Talk later!)
Andrew Scott
