[MUSIC] Welcome and thanks very much for agreeing to tell me a little about this issue of lesson planning and some of the things that flow from that. So perhaps you would first just introduce yourselves. >> Right. My name is Claire Woods and I'm a teacher at Kelburne Park, and I teach, presently teach primary two. >> Okay, and I'm Lindsey Boyd, and I'm currently a teacher at Kelburne Park primary, and I teach primary four five. >> There's a lot of literature and of course there's a lot of advice, isn't there, about lesson planning. And we're exhorted always to plan lessons. But I mean, in the real world how realistic is that? >> I think planning is essential to be an effective teacher. We have termly plans, and you do like four plans a year. And that's, so you're sort of, evaluating what the children already know, and then you're going to build upon that. And, as Claire was saying, that could be with, for our kids, it could be with physio, it could be with emotional needs, it could be academic work, like numeracy and literacy as well, health and well being and things like that, feelings are quite big. So, we do termly plans and, it is a lot of work to do, that, but it has to be done, and from that you assess how the children have come on, and for your next term you build upon those assessments, and then from that, you can make daily plans about what you're going to teach the children, and that, I would say for me, I do that every day, you need to make a plan otherwise your lessons do not run smoothly and you become stressed as a teacher as well. >> But we assess it on a weekly, if not a daily basis with them and when we are planning our daily work, we don't really plan every lesson in the most minute detail. >> Yeah. >> We think of our priority areas for the children, we think of our term plans and they are almost, they're always uppermost in our heads. So from that, we are breaking it down into small, manageable chunks on a daily basis. And at the end of the day, we'll say, how did that go? Where are they on their learning journey? Are they any closer to achieving the target that we've set for them? If not, what can I do better? What can we ask the children to do better? Is there maybe a different way of teaching them? Some children are visual learners, some are kinesthetic learners, maybe active learning would be a better approach. So we assess our teaching, as much as assess the children's learning. >> Whoever says teachers work 9-3 are telling lies, because they don't. >> Yes. Don't come to this school. >> So in planning, I do, after school, and maybe when I go home, and, and first thing, I come in early in the morning and do it as well. So, yeah, it's sort of all the time, even when you go home you're thinking about it. [LAUGH] What can I do to help that child? So, yeah it's before and after school, you sort of do it as well. >> Why do you think lesson planning is seen as so important? What's the big deal about it? >> Lesson plans tell you where a child is on his journey in education, and it helps you to know where you'd like him to go to, and how to get there within a set period of time. We do termly plans and within a ten week block, you look at the child at the beginning and hope, you try and predict where he's going to be at the end of the term, and your lesson plan lets you-- is an instrument of letting you know how he's going to get there in that ten week block. Or how far of the journey he is going to make in that ten week block. >> So yes, to become an effective teacher, planning is essential. >> Do you find though, you've made this lovely plan and it's all going to be great and then everything goes to hell? >> Oh yes, that does happen as well. That depends on how the children are feeling when they come into school and if you have not, sort of, done a lot of research about what the kids already know then your lesson could just fall to pieces if you're not building on prior knowledge. >> Well, there you are a nice nine to three day. Finish at 3:00 and off you go home that's why people say teachers have such an easy life. >> I come in early in the morning. I come in 8:00 in the morning and sometimes I maybe don't leave here until about five, half past five. And even when I go home I'm still at home doing worksheets and making resources and finding things on the Internet that I could use for the children. And then in the morning I bring it all in and I print it all out. So, you're-- it's always in your head, you're constantly thinking of new ways to sort of, teach the kids, so. >> I've spent a lot of time in working with teachers in Ghana, and it's interesting when you say, know the child. Have you ever been in a class with 300 children? >> Yeah. I taught in Malawi. When I went out to Malawi, they had no resources in their class. And I was told to teach an English lesson my very first day. And I read the children a little bit of Mr. Happy because you couldn't take big, bulky books over there. So, I took lots of balloons that you did balloon modeling with them, and things that didn't take up much room and I love the Mr. Man series. Mr. Men series, and I read them Mr. Happy book. And then, over to them, what makes you happy? And this little child said, I would be very happy. I have a four year old sister. She's dying of AIDs. If she makes it until the weekend, I'll be happy. I've never been so moved in all my teaching career, because my life experiences are I know nothing about what they have to live through, the heartbreak, the sort of the trauma they have to live through on a daily basis, and this child said, if my little sister survives to the weekend, I'll be happy. And it just got to me. >> The kids can come away with some things that are heartbreaking or a bit, quite disturbing, so with your professional head on,\ you have to maybe move on or take them away at a later stage and maybe talk for a little about whatever it is that they've been speaking about. And because it's your job to make sure that they are okay emotionally as well. And that they are okay at home. And, so that's definitely a point where you have to put a mask on and pick yourself up and get on to the next child. >> We also in this school, come up against cultural issues. >> Mm-hm. >> Where a lot of our children might come in and drop a tissue on the floor. And say, pick it up because maybe Mum picks it up at home for them. We come across that quite a lot and it's not really problem parents, as such, as just cultural issues. It's not the child's fault. It's nobody's fault. But it's just about breaking down these barriers about what's accepted at home, might not be acceptable in school. And again, it's learning for bigger world, but it's what makes a difference to the child that's a priority. So, we come across that as well. And sometimes with our professional mask, if you like, we're all human. We all come in, we've maybe had problems at home, or feeling a bit rotten, we've got a headache, we've got an upset tummy, you've got the dentist after school and you're a bit worried about it. And yeah, you paint a smile on, whether you're feeling like smiling or you're feeling like crawling under a rock, and, you know, the children inspired us though. >> Yeah. >> They're just absolutely wonderful. You might come in at 9:00 and go oh, you know, I'm feeling really rotten, I'd rather be under the duvet and then you see their wee faces. >> Wee faces. >> Their wee faces, just lights up your life! And you think, oh gosh, aren't they wonderful? >> And you want to make a difference, and you feel very privileged to be able to try and make a difference in them. >> Yeah. >> We have a great job. >> Uh-huh, we do. >> Thank you so much for this, it's been a hugely, hugely valuable conversation and I hope that there are messages in there for other teachers. Teachers who are teaching in very different kind of contexts, and who may have 150 children in their class. But at the same time, can recognise that there are things you can do, and that all children can learn. Thank you again. [MUSIC]
