I have recently joined a new school as a primary English teacher in Sarawak, Malaysia after a 2 year break.
The past two years have been tough. I became my mom's cancer carer. She's well now so spent the following year doing my MA Education in UK as a Commonwealth scholar.
The reason i'm writing this is because its been a good 9 years since I was a full time teacher.
I had been working as a school coordinator, Head of Primary, Head of Teaching and Learning. I thought throughout those years, but not a full timetable.
I was in charge.
This new school i've joined is called an international school. Not in the real sense.
It follows the Cambridge Primary Curriculum. However, its a school in its traditional sense, where teachers lecture and children listen. Where 6-7 year old children are expected to speak like adults, listen like adults and behave like adults. Where learning through play is ridiculed and Year 1 children are expected to take 'formative' tests.
I say formative because that's what they're called. But they're actually summative tests.
The SLT has picked up some words from some training sessions that they throw around without a real direction.
The school lacks a vision. It took me a week to figure that out. They are struggling.
The teachers in the staff room have seldom a nice word to say about any child.
I guess in the past I had been in control of these situations. I was responsible for training and leading the way if you like and maybe that is why i'm feeling it more.
I was not a part of staff room discussions for years.
Maybe they were always like this.
I snapped that day.
They were complaining about Secondary teachers blaming everything on Primary teachers.
And I had to say it.
I said, "I guess its the same as you guys blaming everything on the Kindergarten teachers."
They looked.
I looked back.
This should be done rationally. In a meeting.
Rather than an outburst.
I will work on it.
If I stay that long.
The past two years have been tough. I became my mom's cancer carer. She's well now so spent the following year doing my MA Education in UK as a Commonwealth scholar.
The reason i'm writing this is because its been a good 9 years since I was a full time teacher.
I had been working as a school coordinator, Head of Primary, Head of Teaching and Learning. I thought throughout those years, but not a full timetable.
I was in charge.
This new school i've joined is called an international school. Not in the real sense.
It follows the Cambridge Primary Curriculum. However, its a school in its traditional sense, where teachers lecture and children listen. Where 6-7 year old children are expected to speak like adults, listen like adults and behave like adults. Where learning through play is ridiculed and Year 1 children are expected to take 'formative' tests.
I say formative because that's what they're called. But they're actually summative tests.
The SLT has picked up some words from some training sessions that they throw around without a real direction.
The school lacks a vision. It took me a week to figure that out. They are struggling.
The teachers in the staff room have seldom a nice word to say about any child.
I guess in the past I had been in control of these situations. I was responsible for training and leading the way if you like and maybe that is why i'm feeling it more.
I was not a part of staff room discussions for years.
Maybe they were always like this.
I snapped that day.
They were complaining about Secondary teachers blaming everything on Primary teachers.
And I had to say it.
I said, "I guess its the same as you guys blaming everything on the Kindergarten teachers."
They looked.
I looked back.
This should be done rationally. In a meeting.
Rather than an outburst.
I will work on it.
If I stay that long.
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