Acronyms, Assignments and Artichokes (not really, just liked the alliteration)

So basically we've been asked to keep these Personal Development Portfolios but I just can't seem to get my head around them. There's space to write things, CV, IT skills and all but it all seems so formal and scary so for now I'm writing here, jotting down ideas, saying what's on my mind. I imagine I'll be putting up links to websites that I like etc. Lesson plan ideas and so forth. And then maybe I'll unblock the stuff I need to write for my PDP (it seems that the teaching/education fraternity just lurve acronyms. Much like the NGO world.) SEN, ESL, ZPD, PSHE,

So currently I'm having to write 2 assignments at once which is a bit tricky. The course is divided up into 4 sections, with an assignment for each (and a 'process work' section which informs the assignments). But the third assignment is practical, with a sequence of lesson plans you have to teach. And this is due right in the middle of the long holidays, and school breaks up in a few weeks, so it has to be done now. Gulp.

Currently I've been helping out with the BTEC Performing Arts class - 5 students (16 year olds) and tutoring two of them who have chosen to do the extended course. Which is great. I can cope with them. They are sweet kids. Enthusiastic, thoughtful and keen. But for my lesson sequence I get to teach the year 9's. Full of hormones and self absorbtion. God help me.

I've done a few starters with them and helped out with some of their mini rehearsals in lessons and they absolutely do not listen to me! But the drama teacher and I are strategising. Last starter I did I think I got through to a couple of them. We shall see. I think I'll have to place my lesson sequence within a behaviour management context which is great. I can do this. (said in small voice).

If I write nothing more on this you'll know I've been eaten alive.

More intro

Firstly, if you've stumbled across this blog somehow and are hoping for excitement, wit and tales of adventure you should probably keep stumbling on... I can't guarantee tales of adventure, but you never know. I am using this space to write about my journey to becoming a teacher. So there'll probably be some angst and some cursing and some 'oh-my-god-have-i-made-a-terrible-mistake' rants. But hopefully the excitement and the fun will outweigh the cursing... we shall see.

I've long wanted to be a teacher. When I was a safari guide I thought I'd use my spare time to do a correspondence course to become a Montessori teacher. I bought the books. I applied for the course, got accepted. Managed about half of the course until I realised actually that free time I thought I'd have? Or maybe it was more about self discipline than time. It's always a good excuse.

Anyway, more recently I thought I'd have another crack at it. Did some research, checked out a few options but none seemed to work. Either they didn't do it in Tanzania or it was too expensive and I could never figure out how to combine the theory with the practice...

...Until one day into my lap fell this. The school 5 minutes away from where I live offering a PGCEi teacher's training course through the University of Nottingham. Correspondence but with practicals at the school.

Just perfect.

So now here I sit writing this when I should be completing my coursework.

Intro

I've long wanted to become a teacher but life distracted me along the way. I'm glad it did though because I think now I have a great deal more to offer as a teacher than I did straight out of university. 

I grew up in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, one of the world's great wildernesses. After completing my degree in Drama and Classical Civilisation I went home and became a safari guide for a four or five years. I then went on to represent Zambia on regional southern African project that used theatre to address community conservation issues. This involved setting up small theatre groups, researching and gathering information, and lastly acting in a play that toured all of southern Africa and Washington DC.  

And so the seeds of Seka were sown. At the end of this tour I set up a small company in Zambia called Seka which has since expanded into Tanzania. Seka runs various educational programmes using theatre to educate, stimulate debate and find solutions to pressing environmental and social issues in rural and urban communities alike.

I now live in Tanzania with my husband and two small children and am embarking on an exciting new journey to become a drama teacher.