Teacher Interview
Attending Norman State High School for one week as a student teacher has exposed me to some of the issues and requirements of teachers within schools. Norman State High School is now seventeen years old, having being opened in 1980, and has a current enrolment of eight hundred and fifty students from grades eight up to twelve. The school is situated in a middle to lower class suburb. Students with professional-classed parents, who can afford the higher private education fees, send their children to one of two large private high schools in the surrounding suburbs. Being a public school it has a wide variety of students from both above and below the poverty line. The majority of the eight hundred and fifty students have chosen Norman State High School because of its affordability and closeness to home.My assigned teacher, Mr Coolbee, is a senior science and chemistry teacher at Norman State High School. Mr Coolbee's education career was sparked while tutoring science students at University. "I'd done some tutoring before and enjoyed that, so I got into teaching." (Loader, 2000, p. 1) In 1988 after completing a one-year postgraduate he was offered his first teaching position in Tully. The Education Department posted him in
Loader B.S, (2000). Teacher Interview Forward: Unpublished. National Association for Sport and Physical Education, (1992). Outcomes of Quality Physical Education Programs. Publisher not listed Australian Education Council, (1994). A statement on Health and Physical education for Australian Schools. Carlton: Curriculum Corporation. Commonwealth of Australia, (1998). A Class Act http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/EET_CTTE/ClassAct/ As I observed Mr Coolbee's year eight science classes, they reflected the change in pedagogy recently introduced in Norman State High School. When teaching the basic procedures of using filters Mr Coolbee was able to link very simply the application of newly learnt definitions to the student's home environment. These included pool filters, car filters, tea bags and many other examples. Mr Coolbee sees the changing pedagogy as a great benefit to both students and teachers alike. He states, "Its different, but I think it's a good thing. Because if you try and take it on properly with the outcomes, more students are engaged, more students are actually getting involved rather than having some students sitting there doing nothing." (Loader, 2000, p. 4) There has been a move away from standardised practices towards personalised, individual service, which acknowledges the needs of the students. (Queensland State Education, 1999, p. 17) Although changing curriculum and pedagogy methods benefit the students and teachers alike, it also places stress and strains on teachers. The State Education Department recognises that "Periods of fundamental change involve a degree of uncertainty." (Queensland State Education, 1999, p. 20) Many teachers recognise that each step of change needs specific training and are requesting additional time, during paid hours, to develop and train. Mr Coolbee states that "[teachers] aren't happy that they have to do it in their own time." (Loader, 2000, p. 2)
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1424
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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