My two week placement was a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting experience. For the entirety of the fortnight I was placed in a Primary 2 class of 19 pupils. I gained a great amount of knowledge from overseeing the teacher at work, but also from helping the children while they worked. I achieved a great deal of insight into life as a teacher through shadowing, where I saw the real stress of the job and how the workload never really stops. However the positives that come with the job were constant as it was clear to see the pride and pleasure the teacher took from the success of the pupils in her classroom.
The teacher I was placed with for my observation was extremely kind and helped to ensure I was getting the most out of the two weeks as possible. She bestowed great trust and responsibility on me from day one which seriously boosted my confidence to confide and ask her questions as I, understandably, was very nervous about the placement on that first Monday. She set out time after school to look over my placement tasks with me so she could see where she could further assist me. She also then consistently asked me over the course of the rest of the placement how I was managing and if she could help in any way. She always kept me busy with either tasks to do for her or activities to carry out with the pupils.
The pupils of the class I was placed with were an absolute delight to be around. They took me in straight away and treated me with the utmost respect which was incredible for my confidence. They really helped me to feel like part of the Primary 2 family when they listened, talked, read etc to me. The interaction with pupils was where I found the most enjoyment from, however it did also give me an insight into the challenges of understanding some pupils whose oral language is a struggle. For example there was one pupil who got his letter sounds mixed up such as f and s, as well as r and w, which I found difficult to translate sometimes.
Overall the experience was fantastic and very worthwhile. I feel like I’ve taken a lot from it which I can apply to my future learning. It was truly devastating to leave the school on Friday and I now can’t wait until the next placement.
