Category Archives: Learning from Life

Professional and Reflective Posts about MA2 Placement

Ich fahre mit dem Auto – Experiencing the Roads of Germany (LfL)

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A skill that I did not know that would come in handy when I thought about coming to Germany for my placement was my ability to drive a car…

The German family that I am living with during my time in Stuttgart stay some distance away from the school and the autobahn (highway) has to be taken in order to reach it in the morning. So, when the parents of the children that go to ISS told me they would be leaving for a few days for business, I was somewhat apprehensive at the thought of driving myself in a foreign country that I’m not used to.

This is the road I take everyday to get to ISS (image sourced from wikimedia)

A big difference between the roads in the UK and Germany is the difference in the sides in which cars travel down. In the UK, we drive on the left side of the road and on the right side within the car. In the rest of Europe, they travel on the right side and their steering wheels and mechanics for operation are on the left. This took a lot of getting used to when it was my time to get behind the wheel.

I was interested to find out why this difference came about, in order to establish a wider cultural understanding of the phenomenon, thus covering section 3 of the portfolio.

According to World Standards (2017), around 35% of the world’s inhabitants drives on the left side (with the UK being included). This is, historically, linked with medieval-principles wherein people needed to be able to attack on the right (due to people predominately being right-handed). However, it also linked with right-handed people finding that mounting a horse from the left is far easier than from the right, as they used their more dominant hand to pull themselves up. So, one would think to mount from the side of the road rather than from the middle of traffic, thus the passing of centuries enforced the premise of driving on the left side.

Countries that were former British colonies are found to follow this trend also, due to the transfer of beliefs and British traditions, as India still drives on the left.

Other countries changed this, however, with the 1920 Paris Convention within Europe starting a wave of change that favoured right-hand drive to harmonise the bordering countries within a continent that has many bordering countries.

It was actually, at one time, considered a possibility that the UK would follow suit and also change their roads to the right. However, the UK decided against a switch to right hand drive mainly because it would cost far too much and that many of the systems in place already were far too old to try and re-modernise to a state of total reinvention (Geoghegan, 2009).

A map showing the countries that travel on the right hand side (red) and the left hand side (blue). As you can see, that it is predominantly former British colonies that still drive on the left. (image sourced from wikimedia)

Now, I believe that this contrast in fundamental traffic flow serves as a perfect form of imagery for my learning from life placement. Working within an IB school, I will be using the skills I have already established through my previous professional practices from Scotland, but within a completely new context, just like I will be using my knowledge and skills within driving but on the opposite ends of the car and the roads. Both practices will allow for great learning and reflection opportunities for when I return back to Scotland (I hope that I do not try and drive on the right, however!)

Furthermore, I believe that I will have a similar reflective experience with the two.

I was, at first, wary of driving in an unknown situation as I was unsure of the changes that I was faced with. However, through time and practice I was able to get the hang of it and build up confidence with my pre-existing skills meshing with the new environment of the autobahn. Not only this, but the fact the car had automatic transmission instead of manual, the speed was being measured in km/h instead of mph and that the car was a completely different shape than my own also had huge implications for my adjustments.

I’m only in my first week at ISS, however, I can feel that I am learning so much about a new format of teaching through a different curriculum from the one I know in Scotland. It has been tricky for the first couple of days understanding the differences, but I know that I will come to know it through critical research and practical development with working with both the staff and the children. Whilst also using the materials about the IB pathway to guide my studies and practice as a whole.

Reference:

Geoghegan, T. (2009) Could the UK Drive on the Right? [Online] BBC. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8239048.stm (Accessed 15th of March 2018)

Word Standards (2017) Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right? [Article] Available at: https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/driving-on-the-left/ (Accessed 15th of March 2018)

Images sourced from wikimedia – allowed for re-usage purposes

 

International School of Stuttgart – Structure of Placement Provider (Section 2)

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The International School of Stuttgart is an educational institute that aims to create and shape globally-minded students that strive to see their prospects in life with a wide scope. The school follows the international baccalaureate diploma and provides education from Kindergarten through to grade 12:

“ISS is a vibrant, student-centered learning community where both subject rigor and character development are fostered, where tradition is valued and innovation embraced and where partnership with parents is a fundamental part of our philosophy.” (ISS, no date)

Particularly, within the “Making the Primary Year Program Happen” Document (2009), it finds that education that is international needs to be both inclusive and challenging to be able to shape a globally-minded being. A key area that I find relevant that interlinks with CfE is that International Schools aim to utilise the transdisciplinary model “whereby themes of global significance that transcend the confines of the traditional subject areas frame the learning throughout the primary years, including the early years.” (ISS, 2009, pg. 6).

International Baccalaureate, in a similar fashion to Curriculum for Excellence, strives IB learners  to be:

Inquirers – Ensuring students are independent in their studies and are studying for the sake of learning and to enjoy the process of learning itself

Thinkers – Critical and creative thinking are needed in order to both understand problems that one faces on an academic level, but also beyond in real-life situations.

Principled – Thinking and acting with respect and taking into consideration of fairness and justice (which resembles the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s SPR 1)

Knowledgeable – Exploring knowledge in an interdisciplinary manner that allows

Communicators – Being able to communicate and express oneself in more than one language

Open-Minded – Having integrity to understand and value ones’s own historical heritage whilst also seeking the stories and beliefs of others to mould our perceptions and thoughts on the world around us.

Caring – Having compassion towards others and striving towards doing the most that we can to support one another.

Risk-Takers – learners must see challenges within their lives as areas for great development and critical reflection to occur when learning takes place.

Balanced – understanding the importance of balancing and juggling the aspects of our lives – physical,

Reflective – Being mindful of our strengths and weaknesses in life and being able to see where we need to go in life in order to achieve our goals.

All of these attributes culminate towards creating an IB learning profile that is fit for being a responsible citizen that can contribute both locally and globally with compassion and wisdom (International Baccalaureate, 2013, pg. 5).A key area that I find relevant that interlinks with CfE is that International Schools aim to utilise the transdisciplinary model “whereby themes of global significance that transcend the confines of the traditional subject areas frame the learning throughout the primary years, including the early years.” (ISS, 2009, pg. 6).

Furthermore, the transdisciplinary model, particularly within the development of skills, is seeped in pedagogical findings, particularly within the development of gross and fine motor skills (ISS, 2009, pg. 23), which Boyd & Bee (2014) emphasises that is core in the overall physical, mental and perceptual development of a child, ensuring that they are adequately equipped for their futures ahead. The international baccalaureate emphasises that the utilisation of large muscles alongside delicate muscles for precision need to be development (this is within the branch of Self-management skills.

Now, looking at ISS in a deeper lens, we can see that there are various stakeholders that impact the school but are also who are impacted by the institution itself. I will explore these within this post below.

Stakeholders:

“Our parents, as key stakeholders in the school, are an essential part in the education of children and an active Parent Teacher Association also helps relocating families to settle in, make new friends, find their way around and to feel part of the school and the local community.” (How to Germany, 2018)

Looking through the website and speaking to staff members, I have found that the school has a deep connection between staff members, students and their parents, as they are all stakeholders within the school. Particularly, the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees comprise the ISS Supervisory Board and members are elected to serve a four-year term of office and devote their time and energies on a voluntary basis. Those elected serve as being advisors for the School Director. Due to the school being a private non-profit organisation, the stakeholders, whom invest money into the school in order to see that students are adequately educated, have the right to have their voices heard in terms of the practices used within the school. Also, a predominate feature of the board of trustees is that they have children at the school of ISS, which also factors in the great deal of importance they place on their hopes for education. They will consider necessary funding and initiatives through a parental lens but also within a business lens – how will this improve/benefits the students/teachers at ISS?

I have also been told that the board meet on a regular basis (a minimum of once a year) with staff members in order to discuss the school.

Furthermore, the core stakeholders that are evident with every school are obviously the parents, the teachers, the staff members and, of course, the children. These are then interlinked with those affiliated with the school itself – finance providers, large resource companies (with the example of Michael Schmitt Gastro, who supplies the food in the canteen), and the International Baccalaureate as a whole. Not only does the school need to adhere to the laws of education for Germany, they must also cover the guidelines established by the IB pathway.

Leadership Team (Chief Roles): 

There are many people involved within the International School of Stuttgart that go beyond just educating the children. Teachers are supported by both a leadership team and a human resources branch within the school, with various receptionists, support staff and involved parents participating in implementing the International Baccalaureate education.

The main responsibility within ISS lies with the School Director, who shares strategic and pastoral initiatives, as well as operational review, amongst the leadership teams, which “consists of the Business Manager, the Division Principals, the Head of Campus in Sindelfingen and the Director of Admissions and Enrolment.” (ISS – Leadership Team)

Beyond this, there are two principals for the lower and upper stages of the school (this is also due to the buildings being separate for the lower grades and upper grades). There is also a Business Manager who’s main role is focusing on the finances of the school. Human Resources Manager, Directors of Administrations and Enrolment, and even a head of another campus are some of the leaders that command the ongoings of the school. Also, working within the school I have seen that there are various other staff members that work with the children in differing formats. There are specialist teachers whose role it is to facilitate the education of a particular subject area (for example, students will go to art lessons in the art room that has a specialist, the same can be said with P.E and Music). This also allows teachers to have non-contact time to plan lessons and seek the required resources that are necessary to meet the learning intentions of their students.

My main points of contact are with the Lower School Principal, who needs to ensure that the school is running smoothly and accordingly as possible but also ensure the safety of the children within the school (a key example I saw on placement was a child was unable to eat and the head teacher had to make the executive decision to send them home because it impacted their capabilities to learn) and the Lower school assistant principal, who orchestrates much of the meetings for teacher planning. The assistant principal will meet with the teachers from each grade level to plan out the learning they hope to achieve, highlight any concerns or questions they have and make goals towards what they hope to achieve in their practice. I can see this being a massive job to undertake, but one of massive importance as it allows management staff and teachers to be on the same page in terms of the progression of learning.

Furthermore, the class teacher I was placed with first indicated to me that as an international school teacher she was able to source continual professional development workshops or courses, bring them up to management and possibly have the course paid for. So long as it was meaningful for the practitioner and the school could gain benefits from it. This can also be found on the school’s website amongst its Erasmus+ information, as a teacher can take part in training in any European country.ISS state that between the years of 2014 and 2017, 65 teachers and staff members benefitted from professional development that was funded through Erasmus+. Also, from discussions in the school, I have found that the school is in partnership with other schools across the EU (Poland, Italy and the UK being three examples of links that the staff have mentioned to me) to host students to come and learn about the school and also share their background, showing that the stakeholders are global.

Reference:

Boyd, D.R. & Bee, H.L. (2014) The Developing Child 13th edn. Essex: Pearson Education

How to Germany (2018) International School of Stuttgart Storefront [Website] Available at: https://www.howtogermany.com/storefronts/iss.html (Accessed 9th of March 2018)

International Baccalaureate (2013) What is an IB Education? [pdf] Available at: http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-tookit/brochures/what-is-an-ib-education-en.pdf (Accessed 10th of March 2018)

International Baccalaureate (2012) The IB Primary Years Programme: Education for a better world Cardiff: International Baccalaureate.

ISS (no date) About ISS [Website] Available: http://www.issev.de/about-iss (Accessed 10th of March 2018)

ISS (2009) Making the PYP happen at ISS: A curriculum framework for international primary education Cardiff: International Baccalaureate.

LfL – Section 1

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This post contains the information needed in section 1 of the portfolio.

This section of the Learning from Life portfolio should be completed prior to going on placement, which will allow a strong basis for continual reflection points during the placement.

Audit of Skills

Rating of skills (1=Not very developed; 3= very developed)

Skills and Abilities 1 2 3
 Flexibility *
 Confidence *
 Self Discipline *
 Working Under Pressure  *
Setting Professional Goals  *
 Taking Risks *
 Sharing Opinions Confidently  *
 Teamwork *
 Acting as a Leader *

Personal Attributes

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How will I use these How do I know (evidence)**
 Teamwork Working within ISS, I will be in contact with various staff members and will have to work alongside them in a collaborative manner. Forming strong bonds with the staff at the International school of Stuttgart.

 

Also, being approachable to the children that will be from vast spectrums of backgrounds due to it being an international school will ensure that I can work collaboratively with the children in a successful manner.
 Sharing Opinions Confidently  In order to gain the most from the placement, I will need to be able to contribute my own opinion, which will need to be backed up with factual understanding in order for my opinions to be taken into real consideration. When my opinion has been put forward and been fully considered by my peers.
 Working Under Pressure  Not only will I be working in a different country that speaks a different main language from my own, I will also be working within a school that follows a different curriculum. Therefore, I will need to push myself beyond my limits in order to surpass the various pressures so that I can be successful.  I will have gained self-resilience alongside working under pressure and will be able to have sustained the expectations and workloads of the internship within the school.
 Setting Professional Goals  Making goals prior to the placement and whilst working within the school in order to succeed in my VIVA at the end of the placement.  My continuing assessment of on going goals will ensure that I will have a successful VIVA.
 Confidence  Being confident to express thoughts and opinions, which will be needed in both English and German  I will increase my confidence in both English and German.
 Flexibility  Being open to change and being adaptable to the varying factors that affect the day-to-day workings of a school  When I can think on my feet when adjustment is needed to be made to practice whilst in the International school

Knowledge

I will be basing much of my knowledge on my first year placement and my previous experiences within working in primary schools prior to university, however, due to this being an international school in a different country, I will need to look at the placement through a different lens. Furthermore, I have learned the language of German up to an advanced level (advanced higher in school and an advanced level as an elective last year at the university) however, I will be experiencing the language in its natural environment. Also, due to the school being part of the International Baccalaureate, I will need to increase my knowledge in the differences in curriculum between that of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and that of ISS. Particularly as the International Baccalaureate strives for creating “internationally minded people” (International Baccalaureate, 2013, pg. 5)

Personal Attributes

I believe that I am a person that strives in challenging situations and I like to be pushed beyond my limits academically and within practice, and I believe that ISS is the perfect place for me to be able to, not only increase my professional development as a teacher, but also see beyond the teaching experience that I gained in Scotland. I want to also use my team working skills to form cohesive bonds with the staff and students at the school, as this will ensure that I will get the best results for my placement. Approachability, resilience and creativity are also attributes I hope to hone.

Professional Values and Personal Commitment (SPR 1) – Pre-Placement Reflections (General Teaching Council for Scotland, 2012)

1.1 Social Justice

  • I will need to embrace the different culture of the surrounding area of the school (Stuttgart, Germany) and take into consideration the various backgrounds of both the staff and the children that I will be working alongside in order to show a real dedication to aiming for social justice, particularly as the school will have people from across the globe under one cohort and student base.

1.2 Integrity

  • Criticality must be at the forefront of my practice, as this opportunity will allow me to see a completely different curriculum, which will allow for a real critical reflection upon my own educational philosophy.

1.3 Trust and Respect

  • Acting in a professional manner to be able to create an inclusive and accepting aura will ensure that both students and staff will feel respected and well encompassed from the get-go of my arrival. I want to be able to be seen in a similar fashion as the pre-existing staff members at ISS in that, I will be there to support all students and staff members.

1.4 Professional Commitment

  • Lifelong learning coinciding with continual collaborative practice will mean that I need to reach out as much as possible when opportunities arise for my services to be put to the test, for example, extra-curricular activities, staff meetings and CPD events, which will probably differ in comparison to those in Scotland, will be very beneficial for me so I should put myself forward for them when possible.

Identification of Skills and Knowledge 

I have a strong understanding in terms of the environment of Scottish education due to placement and the multiple workshops during the 2 years of being in university, however, have limited knowledge in terms of the differing curriculum and philosophical approach towards education as a whole, thus making it an area that I will need to work on. This placement will play well into to the skills that I was able to develop during my first year placement in that I will be returning to the environment of a primary school. During the placement, i will be staying with a Germany family, which will require my skills in the German language being tested and explored within its naturally spoken environment. I will need to use my people skills in order to overcome the language barrier that will no doubt be a challenge at first, as it has been some time since I have utilised the language. Furthermore, I feel that much of my education in the language has been centred around the written format of language, which will be trickier to formulate into speech and to also be able to engage with spoken German that is being said to me, at first.

Reflection of Experience to Date

UK-German Connection

UK-German Connections Logo

Reflecting upon my experiences as a whole, I can utilise my pre-university experiences that I gained as a UK-German Youth Ambassador for the government-funded organisation that aimed to bring young people together to promote the learning of languages and my current university experiences to show my passion for both language and education. Dana and Yendol-Hoppey (2009) find that teachers need to be flexible to any given context they are put into, and that a welcoming attitude will serve any teacher well, thus meaning that I should be open to change, especially within a situation that is very abstract from my usual experiences. 

What I hope to Achieve

  • I hope to improve both my understanding of the language of German and the culture of Germany, which will be best achieved through participation with my host family and any events at the school (Interlinks with Social Justice – SPR 1 as I will need to consider the local and global values that surround the school and my host family).
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the International Baccalaureate system, particularly the progression of the Primary Years Programme – I will be coming with a good knowledge in the Scottish education system, however, I feel it is necessary for me to learn as much as possible about the IB system, as it will give me more areas for reflection in terms of my educational philosophy when being faced with an entirely knew format to teach towards (Interlinks with Professional Commitment – SPR 1 as I need to be dedicated to continually learning new ways to hone my professional practice) – I also feel it would be beneficial to make contrasts and links between the two where possible.
  • Expand my professional knowledge in terms of strategies, teaching methods and approaches towards teaching through both observation and teaching of my own. I would also like to see more than one class levels to see a full scope in a child’s education within the International School of Stuttgart (and, in turn, understand the differing levels in education as a whole some more).

Reference:

Dana, N.F. and Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2009) The Reflective Educator’s guide to Classroom Research: learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry, California: Corwin Press.

General Teaching Council for Scotland (2012) The Standards for Registration: mandatory requirements for Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland [pdf] Available at: http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/standards-for-registration-1212.pdf (Accessed: 20 February 2018).

International Baccalaureate (2013) What is an IB Education? [pdf] Available at: http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-tookit/brochures/what-is-an-ib-education-en.pdf (Accessed: 27 February 2018).

IB logo image sourced from wikimedia and UK-German Connection logo sourced from: http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/home

Learning from Life – A Month to Go…

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1 Month.

4 weeks.

28 days.

Time is passing quicker with each passing day. One specific date is highlighted in my calendar as having great significance and it is coming closer.

12th of March 2018.

Today, specifically, marks a month until I will be working in a school in Stuttgart, Germany.

Before this, however, we still have assignments that need to be completed for our semester 2 modules. Amongst the usual productive chaos of university we’ve had to organise our own professional placement in second year as part of a module called Learning from Life.

I write this post to reflect upon the process of sourcing my placement and to outline how I have developed even before going on the placement in terms of bringing to fruition a real finalised version of a planned 8-week placement in Deutschland! This is to coincide with section 1 of the Learning from Life portfolio, as we must record the progression of our planning and development of the placement. The rest of the content for section 1 can be found under the learning from life tag:  https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/ajmeportfolio/category/lfl/.

From the offset I knew that I wanted to go to Germany when we were briefed about the possible prospects of students going abroad for their Learning from Life placements. This is due to a long-serving passion I have had for both the country and its language (along with the rich culture that intertwines the two and is further solidified by the diversity amongst the population) that stemmed from my work as a UK-German Youth Ambassador. Also, studying the language at Advanced Higher and as an elective at the university pushed me to new limits in terms of learning another language. However, I always knew that I could never truly comprehend the entire language and the culture of the country unless I was exposed to it within its natural environment.

Learning from Life’s core purpose within the course is for us, as future practitioners, to gain new insight and skills within an avenue out with the environment of a Scottish primary school. Doing so will broaden our experiences in life so that we can then utilise our new-found knowledge and skills when we return to a familiar classroom setting. I knew that I wanted to improve my German and wanted to go well beyond my limits in terms of my comfort zone.

Thus, Germany was chosen.

I first contacted previous contacts I had in Germany, however, they were unable to source the type of placement I was looking for. Luckily, the main lecturer and head of the placement module had contacts with an international school in Stuttgart and was able to organise the placement. See my proposal, cover letter and more for further details surrounding the planning behind my Learning from Life placement. 

Emails… Skype Interview… Paperwork… Applications… Accommodations… Before I knew it, the process was heading towards completion in terms of the planning that was necessary to secure my place at the school. A lot of hard work has went into being able to work within ISS.

Time itself is a complex thing. It feels as though it was yesterday I was uttering the words, “I hope to go to Germany next year for my placement.”

Now it’s almost here…

I wil be using my ePortfolio as my Learning from Life as my folder, as it will be easily accessible to be able to type up reflections of my work when I arrive.