t’s the Monday of our final week—and also presentation day. Last night and throughout the day leading up to the presentation, my group and I worked very hard to pull everything together. But before we could get to presenting, we first visited Joseph Chamberlain College.
When we arrived at the school, the first thing I noticed was the presence of two “bouncer-like” guards at the gate before the main entrance. I was a bit confused about why they were stationed there until Dr. Marks, our advising professor on this trip, explained that Joseph Chamberlain College is very strict about safeguarding. It’s a sixth form college, which is similar to the Junior and Senior years of high school in the United States, and serves students aged 16 and older.
Safeguarding refers to the measures taken to protect the health, well-being, and human rights of individuals—in this case, the students. The college takes this responsibility seriously. In fact, there was only one entrance to the entire building. Later, we learned that even students and visitors are not allowed to use the restroom without being accompanied by a member of the facilities staff. I found this very interesting, as it’s quite different from my high school experience back in the U.S., where we had multiple entrances and students could go to the bathroom freely. Our security consisted of a few guards, but the overall approach was much more relaxed.
During our time at Joseph Chamberlain College, we experienced several interesting things. First, we met Tom Williams, the Associate Assistant Principal, who kindly gave us a tour of the building. We walked through the halls and visited a skills classroom designed for students interested in healthcare. It featured CPR mannequins and other training equipment. We also observed a class in session before splitting into two groups to sit in on English lessons.
I was placed in Group B, which was invited into Mr. Patrick Harvey’s class. He was very kind and even encouraged us to participate in the lesson. It was fascinating to observe how lessons were conducted in a different educational system. I noticed some terms and approaches that were unfamiliar to me, which highlighted the differences between our schooling systems.
After observing classes, we all regrouped for a few short lectures. The first was by Anna Richards, another Assistant Principal, and the second was by Hongmei Zhang, the Assistant Head of English and Languages. Their presentations focused on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), adult learning, curriculum, and pedagogy. One particularly interesting thing I learned from Anna Richards’s presentation was the growing need for White Papers among immigrants entering the UK. These papers require a certain level of English proficiency, which in turn increases the demand for ESOL programs.
Finally, it was time for our own presentations. Like everyone else, I was pretty nervous to share our research with the faculty and students of Birmingham City University. But looking back, I think our group did quite well. In fact, all the groups did a great job, and we definitely earned the delicious Indian food that was waiting for us afterward. Here is a picture of some of us in our presentation outfits:
