We began the day by touring Joseph Chamberlain College, a college in one of the poorest wards of Birmingham. The school has a very high OFSTED scores, and high pass rates. We spoke with the schools vice principal, who showed us around the campus. We definitely stuck out, and we got weird looks from staff and students while we walked around. We were a bit confused at first because in England, college is high school level education students! Despite this difference, the layout of the school and classrooms seemed very similar to high schools the United States.
One thing I noticed right away was the culturally diverse student population. There are many students who have immigrated to this country, and many people who speak English as an additional language. The Vice Principal told us that typically, low SES students are less likely to have high expectations set for them, and as a result they are not pushed them to achieve. He says that JCC is attempting to change this. He wants to show his students that “students that look like you, with names and backgrounds like you, can achieve”. An example of this is the honor wall in the main entrance of the school. It shows all of the honors students with a picture, name, and the University they will attend. This diverse and high achieving group shows students that they are able to achieve through education. The Vice Principal also discussed the importance of the aspects of student learning. Learning requires expert input, student output, assessment and feedback. Each of these aspects are essential to insure students are properly engaged, and know what they can do to improve.
We were then able to sit in on two classes. The first was an English class for students who are retaking their GCSEs. They went through an in depth packet of how their exam will be laid out, and used student questioning to engage students and gauge their understanding. He told the students “the examiners want you to pass the exam”. He also gave tricks about managing the test, and formats for writing paragraphs. For example, he told them to write in first person and write about the environment they’re in. He told the class that they should write about familiar situations so they are less likely to make mistakes. At first I thought the teacher was a bit harsh in cold calling students. After the class I learned that this was a class for students who had already failed the baseline exam. The Vice Principal informed us that everything being done in the classroom is deliberate. They are being direct with these children and pushing them because this is a rest class. The teacher also gave the students the tools they need and encouraged them that they will take the exam. He was outrightly pushing them to achieve higher scores so they feel more confident in their ability to succeed academically.
Next we visited a GCSE preparatory English class for students learning English as a second language. The students in this class were a lot more outgoing, and student interaction was encouraged. The teacher had each student start by asking us a question about our trip so they could practice conversation. He also tried to give funny examples while reviewing terms to keep students engaged. He also encouraged students who were sitting alone to move next to others during the exercises so they could be more involved in the discussion. Something I liked about the class was that teacher went around to each student during an individual activity to help them according to their needs. Beyond teaching vocab, he tried to teach the students how to be respectful according to British culture. For example, he told the students that descriptive words like thin/fat or referencing their ethnicity are rude or insensitive to use when describing someone. He then helped them come up with alternative words for description. He also talked about how British English can change specific words in their culture. For example, he used the phrase “I have a pen”. He told the students that British English would be “I have got a pen”, and the students practiced saying this phrase quickly. This was an aspect of teaching a foreign language I hadn’t thought about. I can see how essential these lessons are for helping these students be successful in the UK.
After we visited the school, we returned to BCU to talk about the expectations for our upcoming presentations. We also visited Birmingham’s Botanical gardens and saw some beautiful plant life. Tomorrow I’m excited to take a day of from lectures and visit the Black Country Living Museum!
My visitor pass from JCC
Ready for school!