Geographical Association

August/September 2006

Well the time is almost here. I can honestly say that I have never been quite so excited, apprehensive and just plain scared.

Where to begin? I guess I should tell you a little about myself.

My name is Richard Ledingham and having graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005 (BSc. Geology) I joined 19 other Geography students at Moray House for my PGCE. I have enjoyed every moment of the past year... even the more trying moments. I was lucky enough to have three brilliant placement schools: Dunbar Grammar, Craigmount High and Boroughmuir High. In fact whilst I was at Dunbar I started a weblog for East Lothian Council charting my year's experience.

Obviously with my geological background I lean towards Physical Geography although I have actually been very happy and pleasantly surprised by just how much Human Geography I have managed to remember from school. Be in no doubt though - I am in no way complacent about any of my knowledge, physical or human, and will be swatting up on everything for the next year... well if I am honest for the next 40 years!

Perhaps my biggest want for any students that I teach is the chance to experience fieldwork, and not just traffic surveys at the bottom of the street. Actual hands on experience looking at glacial features, river features and industry

I have visited my school, Kyle Academy in South Ayrshire, and been given a provisional timetable, which much to my relief looks quite sensible - busy with a wide range of years which is great, but ultimately sensible with the appropriate number of hours per week. Kyle Academy itself is located just to the east of Ayr with a catchment that looks to be mostly 'middle-class' bungalows and small houses. I have been told that I will be team-teaching an Intermediate 2 class composed of pupils from another local school which has closed down for the year. These pupils are said to be a lot more challenging and I have to admit it is more than a little worrying as I have never taught Int. 2 before.

Hopefully the coming year will improve my teaching as much as the last year, and I will learn a lot from every experience. Of course at the moment I am petrified that I will have forgotten everything and that I am completely unprepared... please tell me this is normal?!


25 September 2006

The first month has come and gone so quickly that it's scary. I now understand why most of the teachers I spoke to on placement last year couldn't remember if they had taught at their school for 7 years or 17.

Everyday brings new challenges, whether it's the creation of schemes of work, the general paper chase of punishment exercises and attendance slips or the unforeseen ephemera that eats into the spare hours. I am thoroughly enjoying it though. Nothing prepares you for that first day when the children look to you as their teacher and not as a stranger whose presence will be only a memory in a months time. Outlining the Standard Grade course to the new S3 pupils and introducing Geography and all that it encapsulates to the timid first year students were definite highlights, especially as all of their jotters say 'Mr Ledingham' on them.

After two weeks the romanticised image of teaching began to fade as the reality of hard work became apparent. I cannot remember a time when I have been so tired. The individual lesson preparation, which had become a thing of normality whilst on placement, is now joined by lunch time activities, after school activities, conferences, meetings, CPD activities, the choir, the charities committee, the eco-schools committee, website creation and departmental development.

The teaching hours, although a major component of the day, are only a fraction of the job. Feeling reasonably confident about my subject knowledge I was initially more concerned with classroom management. As a naturally happy person I thought that the pupils would respond well to a happy and fun teacher who was firm but fair. Unfortunately most pupils, of all ages, proved themselves unable to behave under these conditions so early in the term. The level of immaturity is quite surprising, especially within S3 and S4 (age 14-16). So I have learnt that there is some truth in the old adage, 'don't smile until Christmas'.

I quickly found out that the first step to gain their respect is to act as a figure of authority. Not to scare them into submission but to make them realise that I am in charge. Only after this will I relax and allow them to see the human being hidden behind the job title.

I am pleased to say that the staff at Kyle Academy are extremely friendly and my PT is always happy to listen to, and help with, any problems that I have.

Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the inclusion of two PSE lessons in my timetable, allowing me the opportunity to engage with pupils that I don’t teach as a subject teacher. This has confirmed my belief that pupils need to see their teachers in a different setting and I am pleased to report that fieldtrips to Arran are on the horizon.


December 2006

What a difference three months can make! Despite being the youngest member of staff in the school the pupils consistently guess my age to be at least 15 years higher than it is. Perhaps this term has had more of an effect on me than I noticed! Either way we are all more than ready for the Christmas break.

Perhaps the biggest challenge so far this term has been the teaching of Standard Grade without any textbooks for 6 weeks. My PT and I are both new to the school and were shocked by the lack of resources currently in the department. Luckily the Head Teacher has been more than understanding and has helped provide a budget for us to rectify this quickly.

Testing of our current S4 pupils also revealed a massive gap in their knowledge and understanding and led to serious action. Supported study sessions took place after school and for seven weeks we removed pupils from PE/PSE for an additional Geography lesson. To my surprise this was greeted with much enthusiasm from the pupils despite the loss of PE as they appreciated that we had noticed the problem early in the year and were prepared to solve it. Unfortunately it meant that one of my PSE lessons would have to be given to another member of staff, the other had already been removed from my timetable as I took on an additional three periods of Higher.

The lack of resources has also meant that new schemes of work for all years are having to be created as they are taught although the recent exam leave for S4 has allowed time for greater long term planning. As such brand new lesson plans, resources and workbooks had to be created for S1 units on Map-work and Environmental Resources, S2 units on Japan, Brazil and Earth Hazards and for Standard Grade Climate Zones, Industry and Trade & Aid. Sharing the teaching of the Higher class has also helped to reduce the workload for myself and my PT. It also means that I get to teach my favourite part of Geography... Physical Geography.

Of course this term has also seen the submission of the Interim Profile to the GTC and it was a nice surprise to see just how much progress I have made already this year. The final observed lesson of the term was by the Deputy Head and involved some great Georobics (a term I have invented for dancing to geography videos... not as strange as it sounds and a great revision tool).

I have thrown myself into every event and extra-curricular activity that I possibly can. I'm a strong believer that pupils and staff benefit from spending time in each other's company away from the classroom. We have a duty to help develop the whole person and not just to create mini-geographers and the quickest way to set a good example as a role model and to gain their understanding and trust is if you are prepared to give of your free time. So an appearance in the school talent show playing my trumpet and strutting my stuff on the catwalk for the school fashion show were highlights for all! Children in Need also provided another opportunity for me to make a fool of myself and to help out at several school discos. I have also really enjoyed being in the senior choir despite the strange experience of singing Christmas carols in Dobbies garden centre on the 5th of October! (at least it was good practice for the carol concert in December).

I have to say again that the staff at Kyle Academy are an amazing bunch of people and the end of term has been really great. An enterprise week for the S1 pupils saw all sorts of crazy activities occurring throughout the school and the dancing at the staff Christmas party... well let us never mention it again. Hopefully the break over the festive season will return me to my youthful ways.


February 2007

Blimey... 'hit the ground running' has been the motto of the term so far. No in-service day at the start of the year was a strange experience and going over prelim results first period on Monday with S4 did not prove to be popular. It has been rewarding though as the attainment of those pupils who attended the supported study sessions rose and we all began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Marking the prelims was interesting and at times funny! Talking of prelims the Higher class (all four of them) have just sat theirs and I am pleased to report that some very good answers have been written.

The past month has seen the writing of reports for S2 and S4, S2 and S4 parents evenings and course choices. A quick re-write of the information in the course choice booklet for Geography saw a positive response from pupils as did a talk today from current S3 pupils on how much they are enjoying the course. The second years are currently making volcanoes from recycled material for homework and we have been making them erupt in class with baking powder and vinegar... messy... smelly... and great fun! Having cleared out the classroom at the end of last term my PT and I have created several classroom displays and the pupils have contributed with posters which are now in the classroom and around the school.

In my search to contribute more to the wider school community I am now a Co-Editor of the schools new website and even gave the 'Address to the Haggis' at the school Burns Supper. I have also volunteered as a pupil mentor and agreed to help take 300 pupils to Alton Towers in April... it should be 'interesting'. As part of the eco-schools committee it is great to see pupils caring not only about the environment in which they live but also that of the rest of the world. Our first meeting today saw some great ideas being generated by representatives from all years... watch this space! I have also taken it upon myself to try and form a barbershop quartet with 3 of the senior boys from the choir. Sounds good so far.

I took great pleasure this week in awarding S1 pupils with Merit Certificates for some truly superb PowerPoint presentations on the Geography of Scotland. I have already had one parent phone the school to say thank you as their son had never been praised like this before and it has really made a difference to his attitude towards his school work.

Unfortunately the past week has also seen some of the worst behaviour from pupils. On Friday one pupil had to be removed from class after swearing, punching the door and trying to knock over the television because I had confiscated his mobile phone. This meant for the first time I had to complete a Violence and Aggression form... hopefully I wont see too many more!

Of course we are getting close to that time of year when a job needs to be found. As the only Scottish NQT keeping a diary I think I should mention that in Scotland Probationer Teachers are automatically guaranteed a job after college but only for this one year, and obviously it is not always possible for the school to keep you. Another adventure begins.


<<< back to NQT Diaries