BUT WAIT...I'm not on cycle!

... the Evaluation Cycle, that is! I came across the pond and was quite happy to know that I had reverted to Year One of the evaluation cycle. I worked on a two year project - which is still in progress - and I had my classroom observation last year! Who would have ever thought I'd arrive across the pond and have to be observed! Surely my years of experience and my selection for a Fulbright Award speak for themselves as to my surety and abilities in the classroom! No one would observe me here! Ha ha...think again!

(Just so you know, most of the previous paragraph is the "cheeky monkey" side of me!) Of course, I fully expected to be observed in a classroom as I taught a lesson; indeed more than one lesson if need be. I am, in many ways, feeling much like a first year teacher, as many of previous posts have indicated and I would be concerned if no one wanted to check on my progress and my ability to handle the curriculum, and teach the children here the skills and knowledge they need to be successful on their GCSE and Coursework. I can attempt to incorporate as much of "my own" methods as possible, but if, at the end of the day, I am not communicating and teaching in a proper British manner, then the students will suffer, and that is the furthest thing from what I want to happen to any of them. I have come to value their quirky accents and their lively personalities from Year 7 to Year 11, and I am not about to let their test scores suffer on my account. I am driving my Year 10 students insane by requiring draft, after draft of their current coursework essays, as I am not settling for anything less than B or A work!

So, after observing Jayne's lesson with her Year 11 students, on The Sick Rose, I nervously welcomed the news from her, as the English Head of Department here at Fairfield, that she would be in this week to observe my Year 11 poetry lesson. How bad could it be, I thought. So what if I flop miserably on my face in this lesson, what can she really do to me??? It won't really affect my file at home? In fact, no one at home will ever see it! (Wrong, as she really did send it on to my department chair at NHS, Paula.) Well, you all know me better than that. I took this observation quite seriously and was determined to do my best; but then again, we were talking about poetry with my Year 11 students, who sometimes are not the liveliest group of students and getting them to participate is sometimes like pulling teeth, so I was a bit worried. I was lucky enough to have some prepared lessons from Jayne on the Heney, Clarke and pre-1914 poetry that is meant to be covered; but the delivery of that lesson would be the key to success. I followed the same pattern of lesson I had previously observed - but as expected, the students were not in a very talkative mood on this day - and try as I might to stimulate original thought and draw their conclusions from them verbally - it was a struggle. In the end, after a bit of coaxing, some group work, and "some get up & sit down" while writing on the board, I successfully got some very good responses from this group as we dealt with the theme of death in four different poems.

Overall, the evaluation was pretty good and Jayne's suggestions for improvement were much appreciated. They centered mostly on pairing students, having them discuss their answers together prior to soliciting answers, so that they feel more confident in sharing. This critique makes much sense to me, as I have noticed that the crux of instruction here revolves around a "pairing and sharing" model, as we would term it. I do need to learn to incorporate more of that in my instructional style. I do indeed incorporate group work and activities at home, however, much of it is focused on project work, not what I normally consider the "individual" thinking and analysis process. There is more emphasis on student centered methods, rather than teacher centered...and at home I do tend to lean more heavily on the teacher centered approach to instruction. It is more conducive to imparting and guiding my top students to test preparation; where there is a large quantity of information they must have to succeed on their tests. Here, where the focus on poetry is personal response rather than the "correct" response, the student centered approach to learning seems to be the norm and more effective.


Jayne's suggestions for improvement were greatly appreciated, as were her compliments and her acknowledgement that I have worked really hard to learn the curriculum, methods and how to mark work. It means a lot to me to have my efforts applauded by her, as I have grown to respect her very much. Students are responding and are learning...so that is the most important thing.

It was a good thing...this evaluation...and has given me confidence to approach the remainder of the term and the next term with eager excitement. I am almost half way through my exchange here at Fairfield and I know that I will be sad when it ends. I have invested a lot of energy and effort into learning this system... I am sorry that I will not proceed through to the end of the year.

Of course, I will now be back on Year 1 of the cycle as of next year...right, Mr. Gauthier?