Twenty-two students for three hours.
The day started outside. I wanted to avoid the chaos of people entering the building and took the students to a grassy patch to start the induction scheme of work.
Seeing the students engage with each other as the sun came up, and the added calmness of the outside world, the pandemic seemed not to exist.
Whilst outside the students kept two metres apart but it was good to see them interact with their friends which they had not seen in over six months. After a few social distance icebreakers and an explanation of the maze in the campus, we discussed the importance by Covid 19 rules. The students understood the severity and reacted positively to the changes made.
We entered the classroom (which was too small) to get settled for the remainder of the lesson. We had one student sitting on the floor facing the board and away from the other students. In my previous blog I said this week would be a learning curve and this was my first one.
The lesson started with the principle’s speech, followed by other sections of the induction scheme of work and before I knew it the pace picked up and I was introducing their first assignment and the three hours was coming to an end.
Reflecting back, the students all left with a smile on their face and were happy to be back at college, but what happened in the class?
I now know the classroom is too small. The department manager has now changed the room. We had a few hiccups with student passwords when accessing the WIFI. I had to demonstrate how to clean and ensure that cleaning is now part of their entrance and exit routines. Cleaning pencils before and after lessons takes a long time! I also know that by staying calm and being relaxed the students would replicate the same behaviour.
I wouldn’t say my lesson was 100% perfect, but it was a positive start to the year, and I will adapt, overcome and evolve my lessons in time.
Top tip this week: Stand up and sit-down questioning. Despite students not being allowed to leave their chair, doesn’t mean they can’t move at all. Stand up and sit-down questioning allows you to reinsert the energy when the lesson has potentially slowed down.
- Nathan Homewood
Comments