My last week at Fitzroy High School has been bittersweet. As the practicum comes to an end, I am excited to be going home, finishing my degree, and applying for my certificate. However, it is sad that I am leaving Melbourne, and most importantly Fitzroy High School. It is hard to come across a staff and school where everyone is on the same team and is so friendly and welcoming. I hope that one day I can return to Melbourne and be a part of the Fitzroy staff.
Pop Can Crusher Lab
This week started off with finally having the year ten students back from their work experience, therefore I was able to teach my “Look How Cool Science is”, lesson. It was defiantly a different experience teaching year ten students, who are much older than my year six and sevens. I started the lesson by doing some demonstrations, followed by a lab, which students conducted. The lab was a pop can crusher lab, demonstrating the pressure exerted by air. After I followed the lesson by an explosion, which I got a little bit of a reaction out of the students. Lastly, I ended the lesson with allowing students to make their own slime, which they were able to take home. Overall the lesson went very well, however I noticed that with older students, when you think a lesson will take a long while, it actually doesn’t. Older students lack the energy that my younger students have, and they tend to be less disruptive.
On Tuesday, I brought supplies into the school, and during one f our spare blocks, I used the home economics room to bake cupcakes for the tea party we were having on Wednesday with the year 12 physics class. I have found that it has been very easy and satisfying to make connections with the year 12 students. I feel as though I can talk to them on a friend bases, yet also maintain the teacher student relationship when needed.
Materials for Cool Science Lesson
The tea party went very well. I had cupcakes, as well as the Maple Cookies I had brought from Canada. The students brought snacks and treats and we talked about the formal they had on Friday, and what their plans were for next year. I shared my experiences in university and how I came about to being a teacher. We ended the tea party with them teaching me more Australian phrases and I teaching them Canadian ones (although we don’t have many).
The rest of the week flew by, as it was my last week, as well for the students the last week before their two weeks winter holidays. This teaching experience has been one that I will cherish and remember. Being in a high school was very rewarding and I felt as though I learned a lot, which I can take back and use in any teaching scenario that I may be put in, in the near future (hopefully). Secondly and more importantly, teaching in a different country exposed me to a different education system. I learned how the Australian education system and curriculum functions, I learned new techniques used by Australian teachers to engage and teach students, and best of all, I became embedded and exposed to different culture, language and way of life.
I can’t express how happy, and fortunate I was to be able to partake in this practicum placement, and can say, I defiantly look forward to coming back to Australia to teach for a year or two, while I travel and see all the places and towns it has to offer. I have met great people along the way, and living in a hostel, and teaching in a high school has all resulted in great friendships.