The circle problem, solved at last trial and error, excellent team building exercise though, all of us in the group seem to have bonded fairly well. A good range of experience and backgrounds, from banking to pottery, management to teaching, a great melting pot of ideas. Seems also to be a good range of ability. Some of us are a bit rusty, but it all seems to be coming back now.
Teaching Styles, mmm, interesting. We have four lecturers, two in education and two in mathematics. The difference between the two departments is astounding. On one hand we have Doug and John discussing the best way to get ideas across and encouraging constructive discussion, and on the other we have Professor Quinney, trying to beat his personal best time for covering material. Dr Bedford, I must say, has a difficult subject to teach so I’ll reserve judgement on him for now. The main point that comes across though is that the maths department does not teach maths the way we are being taught to. Perhaps it’s the “University” thing, in that we don’t need our hands held any more. Perhaps? But I feel sure that those who are struggling would suffer less if the pace was loosened up a bit.
School Placement – Due to the logistics of driving and car ownership etc. Michelle and I end up going to Weston Road School in Stafford. I was really nervous and apprehensive. Before the summer I’d spent time at The Mitchell School in Bucknall. It had been a particularly challenging school, and probably the reason I’d chosen to undertake a PCGE over a GTP. Now what was I to expect? Would the kids eat me alive? How stand-offish would the staff be?
No need to worry. The school, children and staff were delightful! There seems to be an undercurrent of care running through the entire place. The staff respect the children and treat them fairly. In return, apart from a little boisterousness and general “children being children” the pupils work well in return. I really like this place! Most of the maths department come from Keele PGCE and Hayley used to teach at Burton Borough School in Newport Shropshire, my home town. Funnily enough, they all remember Prof. Quinney and his pace.
Feedback from the rest of the group suggests that we got, perhaps, one of the nicer schools. Time to start thinking about what I want from a teaching career. Do I teach children who want to learn or do I want to teach children to want to learn? I don’t know yet whether I have the necessary skills for the latter.
Week 3
Friday 8th October 2004
OK, I know a little about terminology now. Maths department - behaviourist. Education department - social constructivist. It’s infuriating. I guess the PGCE students have a key advantage. We can see what’s happening and have the experience and maturity to manage the situation. As well we’re a pretty close group and spend a lot of time discussing material and throwing ideas around. There’s a lot of mutual backscratching going on. It’s the poor 1st year undergrads I feel sorry for. After sweating their way though ‘A’ level maths, they’ve started a maths degree in the vain hope that it will be more of the same. No such luck. The pace is relentless, particularly with the calculus. I think our group have settled down now and are finding its mainly revision of what we’ve done before, but for anyone encountering new topics, it must be seriously demoralising, enough perhaps to make them drop the course.
Time to pass judgement on David Bedford. His pace is a lot more manageable than Prof. Quinney’s is, and as his course is introductory, he is teaching in much more subdued way. It is still the classic behaviourist model though. Strange thing is, even if he wanted to, the way the lecture halls are laid out and the subject is timetabled, doesn’t allow for much variation.
Back at Weston Road again this week. No worries this time, really looked forward to it. On arrival, turned out that last week, I’d had the well-behaved sets, whereas Michelle had had the lesser ones. My turn for the more challenging ones this week!. Turns out they were great. Maybe a bit bouncier than last week, but still eager and a joy to work with
Sat the Maths Department Assessment Test this week. Turns out that my maths is remedial! Work to be done there then.
Week 4
Friday 15th October 2004
Walking across campus today, I realised that I am now starting to look at things around me from the point of view of a potential teacher. I found myself looking at leaves and considering their use in teaching symmetry. I’m also watching my lecturers and thinking to myself, “ Why are they doing it like that?”
Starting to get my teeth into Doug’s essay about the history of mathematics. Those Babylonians were really unbelievable, I reckon there was some kind of alien involvement. Some of the ideas they came up with and their ability to develop and work effectively with a sexagesimal number system must have taken some doing. Regardless of future developments, calculus etc, mathematics really kicked off with the Babylonians.
Weston Road was great again this week. Considering doing a summer placement there although that may jeopardise my potential for going again next year. We shall see how things turn out and what the options are in the summer.
Week 5
Friday 22nd October 2004
Last week before I go away. Doug’s essay is out of the way. That was really hard to get going on, but once I got into it I actually enjoyed it. It appears that a knowledge of the history of mathematics will help in the future when it comes to explaining where ideas have come from, and how societies coped before certain concepts were introduced.
Week 6 & 7
Friday 29th October 2004 and Friday 5th November
Been away for two weeks sunning myself and the family in Spain. Its funny, but I missed the guys on the course. It’s been a good time for reflection though.
Week 8
Friday 12th November 2004
Wow, two weeks is long time. Analysis has really bounded along. Returned to find that I’m way behind with that, and if I thought Prof. Quinney moved quickly, he’s got nothing on Anthony Osbourne. Interesting discussion with John Miller this afternoon. He tells me that it’s always been like this. But he suggests that maybe it is intentional, and the underlying motive may indeed be to encourage students to do the research themselves and essentially teach themselves. I may have a tendency to agree with him. But wouldn’t it be nice if the students knew that was how they were to react. It would save a lot of despondency.
While talking to John, he also mentioned that I might like to look at taking on one of the future Mechanics lectures. Purely to give the group a different face to look at. I don’t know if I’m up to teaching my peers. We shall see when I have my catching up out of the way.
