5.Trainees’ Reflection After Practice Teaching

The trainees of the Government. College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum, South India, reflected on their Second Spell of Practice Teaching(PT)  held between 22^nd  June  and  20^th  July 2009. During their reflection, they spoke about certain aspects of school climate and problems experienced in classroom transaction along with personal experiences. Given below is a selection which  includes some startling revelations about the educational system. One might be prompted to ask  whether we are setting a fine example for pupils in schools, and  whether every thing is right with the  educational process.

• The teachers of the Government-run school which they were sent for PT did not seem to be in any way interested in the students of the school.
• In the same school, the first few minutes of a period each trainee had to spend to get the students to settle down.
• The teachers of one  particular Government school was notorious for mercilessly beating up pupils.
• In one particular Government school, trainees were forced to complete four units in the Course Book in  thirty days of their PT!
• Teachers of a particular Government school was hostile to the trainees.
• The ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ story was repeated in a Government run school in the city. The only difference in this case was that it was a country dog, not a lamb. But the irate school authorities chained the dog to a tree and showered blows on the dog  and ultimately snuffed  the life out of the dog!
• Getting the same batch of students for the Second Spell of PT as in the First Spell resulted in the pupils  displaying laziness to learn.
• A trainee claimed that he could change the irregular dress style of his pupils when he affectionately addressed them. This was something the teachers of the private school in which he was sent for training, failed to achieve!
• There was one instance of a student  serving  as a newspaper boy  every  morning before coming to school.
• Making students stand in the hot sun during school assembly was thoughtfully discouraged by teachers of a private school, which conveniently did not encourage singing of the National Anthem to mark the conclusion of the school assembly!
• Preparing  an Achievement Test with Blue Print, getting the Question Paper printed, distributing it all  students numbering fifty four  in the class all alone, supplying answer scripts and  twine for tying up the answer scripts and finally  seeing to it that students do not copy was an unparalled learning experience.
• To some trainees, the Second Spell of PT was not as satisfying as the First Spell.
• Trainees from a particular school requested that hence forth, trainees less than four  should not be sent to any school for PT.
• On trainee claimed that it was during the Second Spell, that they really felt that ‘motivation’ which they learned as part of Educational Psychology is really useful.
• Some trainees of the Geography optional were forced to prepare Lesson Plans in Social Science and   teach the  students.
• Many trainees found that pupils  are not attentive in the class .
• To some trainees, more than the introduction of the Issue-based curriculum , it was the nature of the disciplinary issues in the class room,  which they found really difficult to handle.
• Some trainees claimed that they were disappointed in terms of the teacher qualities acquired during PT.

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