Our day started with a tour of Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College located outside of Birmingham, United Kingdom. This school is for older students in the education system, some of whom are preparing to go to University in the next few years. Featuring a surprise twin day with out guide Ana!
The first part of the tour had us observing a Technology class of students who are English learners. The class was working on creating their website about themselves. Which is a very similar activity to what we are taught in the States. The methods are very similar but the class felt very different. To begin with, the class sizes are significantly smaller than in America. The class we were sitting in was only 9 students when other classes in America had at least 15. This personalization is a strong method in helping these students learn English in not an overwhelming way. The teacher uses the board in the same way by projecting the examples and using it as a guide.
We got involved in their lesson as well. An interview took place. The instructor had three questions that we asked the students while they recorded their answers. This was an exercise of their English-speaking abilities and comprehension. The teacher in the classroom is very patient and repeats the questions if the students are having a hard time translating. Their English abilities do vary in the classroom. I was so excited to tour this school. Out of everything we have studied this day was my favorite. It was so exciting to see how their schools were set up and run.
In between lectures, we went on a tour of the college campus. This college was a mix between college and high school in America. Students had much more independence at this age than they do in America. Study spaces are scattered over the campus and there are multiple pavilion areas on campus for them to use for breaks or studying together. The size is comparable to the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. They explained the setup of the campus. Due to the location of the school, there must be only one entrance and exit. They are very serious about security.
Today’s lecture was the most exciting for me. It was centered around the importance of balance in the classroom. This is very important for teachers, not only for classroom management but student learning. He started with the teacher’s input for the class. Lectures in the class are great examples. The teacher is sharing their knowledge with the students. Which feeds into Student Output. This is where you have the students getting involved with their learning and having the students take part in group discussions or class Q and A’s. Though, Q and A’s could be used as an assessment as well. Getting an idea of what your students are understanding or having a hard time grasping. With assessment comes Feedback. This can come in many forms, one of the best in my opinion is asking students how they found their answers. This gives the teacher a glimpse into the way that their brains work. How the student got an answer wrong can help explain to the teacher what they need to change with their system of teacher. As a student, I always appreciated it when teachers did that for me because I felt understood and given credit even if I was wrong.
Our second classroom observations were in an English class preparing for A levels. They were preparing for the exams that start next week. It resembles our prep for AP-level courses back in the United States. Studying and focusing on understanding the reading, finding the metaphors and figurative language in the works to write their papers. The teacher in this classroom has a management style mastered. She has everyone listening and being respectful. Her experience shows through and she knows what she’s doing. Like all classrooms, you have your students who do not want to participate the ones who call out or the ones who are trying to be that class clown. She knows how to get the quiet ones interacting and the ones who are not taking the class seriously to focus on the task at hand. It is important to have a teacher who is strict but wants you to succeed in teaching you when you have such a big exam coming up. I know what it’s like to have a relaxed teacher who doesn’t seem to acknowledge the importance of certain exams. Those types of teachers leave more room for error and so far in the UK I haven’t seen any of those types.
After our tour, we went to Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This was beautiful to walk through and take pictures in. These will be great memories for me to keep forever. I can’t believe this is Day 6 already. We are almost halfway through the trip and I’m starting to get sad. This group of people is amazing and I can’t wait for the rest of our trip and all the future memories we will be making.
