I notice another fellow student is feeling similarly relieved, after reading this recent post by Fiona. Feeling similar mixed emotions, it really shows what a strange experience that prac is. Adjusting to a different environment, the pressure of teaching someone else’s class, and the emotional rollercoaster that you get pulled along on as you hit the ground running to fit in within 3 short weeks. It’s certainly an eye-opening experience, no matter how it goes for each & every pre-service teacher.
And yet, I notice that Fiona also mentions the hidden curriculum – the limitations of various school systems of what you can and can’t use. It’s frustrating when you see so many wonderful opportunities for teaching, only to be told you’re not allowed, you have to wait for it to be installed by someone else, or some other hold-up to spoil your awesome plans.
Maybe that will change when we are graduated and finally in the teacher’s seat – not as a prac student anymore, but the real deal, the teacher in charge. Maybe having the time to adjust, control over our own classroom, and a better understanding of our available resources will make things a bit easier to deal with.
I do like the idea of having control over my life and circumstances, most people do. But maybe this is also part of the hidden lesson in what teaching is partly about. The challenge of creating quality teaching opportunities, whilst being challenged and limited in so many ways is what real teachers deal with. Maybe this slow introduction through prac is just another hidden part of our education that we should get used to learning.
Enjoy the control we have at home, as it might be the only place we get to enjoy it!