Week 1 and Week 2 : Biweekly Journal of School Internship
Introduction:
We (Amalu, Arshad, and I) began our internship at Government Madhavi Thankachi High School from 12 August 2024. Govt. M.T.H.S. is a smaller school with only one division per grade and up to 20 students per class. The student population is diverse and somewhat unruly. The school environment is actually cozy and reassuring to us as we first went in. Our Head Master and our senior teachers were welcoming to us and helpful from the very beginning, providing proper instruction and oversight.
Day 1: 12 August 2024
I went prepared to teach both VIIIth and XIth as per my lesson plan. I only had class on VIIIth per the time table. I covered the introduction to force through push and pull. I used an ICT enabled lesson plan to covey the concepts. (The materials used are given below) The students were engaged and asked fot clarifications and tons of follow up questions.
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| My First Class during Internship |
We were tasked with managing discipline if any class was left free. And I had that duty for 5 periods. We had enough time to sit, and plan lessons for the next day.
We also have to help with noon meals, going forward.
The students took an anti-drug pledge after the noon break.
Day 2: 13 August 2024
I was delighted on this day by the students in VIIIth actually very quickly picking up the process of Concept Attainment Model and actually understanding contact and non contact forces. In a free period, I got to start teaching in IXth, starting unbalanced forces and Galileo's experiment using ICT based model. (Materials given below)
ICT Based Model Material:
Day 3: 14 August 2024
Went to VIIIth to teach friction in the first period. Students were keep surprising me asking interesting questions. I went on to teach the first law of motion in the IXth on the 5th period.
We had to help with the administration of two quizzes, one organized by Deshabhimani Akshamuttom, and one based on Independance Day. I checked and corrected the students' notebooks for the first time.
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| Three of us helping with noon meals |
Independance Day : 15 August 2024
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| HM Raising the National Flag |
We had the charge to report on the 15th of August for the independance day celebrations in the school. So, the three of us did.
Day 4: 16 August 2024
The planned lesson was an Inquiry Training Model on pressure in VIIIth. I presented the procedure of the model, then the problem. Students were proactive in engaging with the problem and they constructively solved the problem with cooperation and deduction. It was an incredible sight to see students learn for themselves. I felt confident in just being a facilitator to these students on occasion. They did it fast enough for me to explain a lot about their thought process and science process skills.
One staff teacher was on leave, so us student teachers covered her hours. I signed to do 2nd and 5th hours of her duty. The duty in 2nd period was covered by another teacher who had to finish her portions. I had to control noise in VIth for the 4th period.
I helped Sarath sir, who is blind, in the VIth in the 5th period by writing some meanings of words in his English lesson, and with class management.
The last hour for every Friday is called Sarga Vela, and it is a session for the students' expression. I had to go to VIIth for that period. And the class asked me to sing and I did. And I believe that was well received by the students.
Day 5: 19 August 2024
I planned to administer the diagnostic test for VIIIth in the first period. I had prepared a question paper for the test in advance. Students were generally responsive to the test, asking clarifications about the instructions and performing pretty okay. I realised they were not thorough with lubrication portion of friction, and so I did a corrective lesson for that as well. In a free period, I went to cover mass and intertia for IXth students.
Went to control noise in the VIth for the 2nd period. I helped with digital aids in performing a model exam for the National Aptitude Tests in the IXth grade in 3rd and 4th periods.
Aided Sarath sir in the 6th period to teach in Vth.
Day 6: 21 August 2024
I went to teach the first period in VIIIth, but the senior teacher needed it for a test. But I got to cover the second period in VIIIth and covered my lesson plan on liquid pressure. Showed Newton's cradle and introduced momentum in the IXth in the 5th period.
In the first period, I went with Sarath sir to aid in Vth. I also had to help a student wash his hands off after he picked up a leaky pen and got ink all over his hands. I also went to Vth with Sarath sir in the last period. Also covered VIth in 6th period.
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| Serving Breakfast |
Day 7: 22 August 2024
I taught the first period in the VIIIth, finishing the unit force with atmospheric pressure. In the 6th period, I taught IXth students rate of change of momentum and its connection to force, introducing the seeds of second law of motion.
There was a shortage of 4 teachers today and all of us had work for all 8 periods.
I aided Sarath sir in the 2nd period in VIIth. Helped with library hour of Vth in 3rd period. Went to VIIth again, and taught them some Basic Science to quiet them down. I ended up in VIIth again in 5th and checked their notebooks. Let VIIth out for PE in the 7th period, and had to do noise control for the last period in the same class.
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| Serving Milk |
We were tasked with serving them milk during the class.
Continued from my last USS training class during the midday break.
Day 8: 23 August 2024
Today was a revision period for VIIIth during the first period. HM dropped by to observe and supervise, checking my lesson plan, and other materials I have, and asking students questions from portion I taught. It was an edifying and terrifying experience. Taught the second law of motion proper, and problems related to it in IXth during 7th period.
Aided for Sarath sir in the VIth during the thrid period. Stood to class management in VIIth for 5th period and VIth for 6th period. Assissted a senior teacher with PE in the last hour.
In the third period, helped Sarath sir with performing another model for NAT, this time in the VIth standard.
Conclusion
The first two weeks were spent getting ourselves familiarized with the student body, and finding our foot as new teachers. Doing everything that must be done by a student teacher and helping everywhere possible. It has been tiring and consuming work, but at the same time rewarding. Students are crafty and it is not easy to manage this student body, we are adapting to them slowly.
Suggestions
- I need to be more careful in how I express myself in class, students get terrified easily with my voice
- As suggested by the HM, I must check the science lab and do more demonstrations with the resources available
- Students should be given more lessons familiarizing with competitive exams and the way to approach them