Back in my day...

Since escaping my last job I've been working in a secondary school as a teaching assistant, as some of you may or may not know. A lot of the time it can be quite challenging, but I do enjoy working with the kids - or I should say 'young people' to be PC - and it's funny when I have days that totally take me back to student-hood and remind me so totally of what it was like to be a student because I was the same. Today was one of those days.
All of my time is divided between science and PE, but on the very odd occasion I get to help out in a year 10 media studies lesson. Obviously I love this because it's my subject and I really get into it. In today's lesson the class was watching Psycho, which I studied virtually scene by scene at A Level and it's easily one of the most amazing slasher films ever made - not just because it was the first, but because of the skill in all of the direction. It's one of those movies that I can completely geek out on when it comes to film analysis and this is exactly what I found myself doing in that year 10 class. It took me straight back to the days when we looked at it with my (amazing and fantastic) media teacher and as today's teacher, Mr Davis, addressed his class asking them questions about audience, camera angles and mise en scene it took all my professionalism and restraint not to start waving my hand in the air and scream out the answers!

I think possibly the kids picked up on my 'enthusiasm', but in a good way because it got them asking questions about what I knew and hopefully they'll have taken some of those points on board. See, here's me doubting whether I want to do the whole teacher training thing, and I have to admit that it's little moments and lessons like that which make me think fuck yeah I could totally do this and actually be good at it. Still though, part of me is determined to be the best media teacher I ever can be and I think a big part of that is having the experience of working in the industry. I always planned to do my teacher training, just not so soon and I think that's something I really want to stick to.

Still, today it made me feel good and reaffirmed that eventually I know where I want to end up.

After media came science and today's topic was alcohol and the effects it has on your body. Now here's a topic I know well! "Oh, sorry, what's that Miss? You don't want drunken anecdotes told to the kids? Right well, I guess that's me out then!"

Ha! Just kidding, I'd never tell a bunch of 14 year olds about that time I fell down the stairs naked with toothpaste dribbling out my mouth...what?

No, no, I was much more teacher-like and we went through all of the risks and dangers of alcohol and how it can pickle your liver to the point that you can't drink anymore because it'll either kill you or you'll end up needing a transplant. My favourite question in regards to having to give up the drink was this:

Student: "Yeah but if you can't drink then that's just really boring."
Teacher: "Possibly, but being dead is even more boring."

A fair point well made I think and maybe, just maybe if my teacher had given me that bit of advice way back when, then I too may never have tasted the amber nectar....Yeah ok, I'm not convincing myself either.

What really threw me back to student-hood though was the discussion about the state of today's alcho-pops. Gone are the days of Hooch and Bacardi Breezers because apparently the flavours are "rubbish", it's now (apparently) all about blue WKDS and Smirnoff Ice's, although one girl admitted that stout was where it's at. Yeah, I was surprised too!

Whatever the beverage though under-age drinking is REALLY bad and I in no way condone it.

On the other end of the spectrum, today I re-experienced that nervous exam feeling which always made my palms break out into a sweat. I was never all that great at exams mainly because I'd find myself pushed for time, or I'd waffle, or I'd end up reading over the same bit several times and crossing it out before re-writing it. Probably not much different to how I write my features and articles even now. Hm, that's possibly something I should really combat.

Anyway, it wasn't even me sitting the exam today, but I still got that same knotted feeling of tension in my stomach and found myself constantly clock watching, trying to time each question as the minutes ebbed away.

Now we've hit May GCSE season has just kicked off and as a teaching assistant we're assigned to read or scribe for certain students. It's always really difficult doing this because these are kids you've worked with and supported in lessons and you want to see them do the best they possibly can, but of course you're not allowed to lead them in anyway. If they go off on a tangent and tell you they want you to write about blue elephants doing circus tricks in an RE exam, then you've gotta even though you get that sinking feeling and wish you could just drop one little hint. I guess though, essay-tangents are more likely to occur for those students that have to dictate as it must be harder to form a whole essay answer in your head and keep the flow when you're having to stop every two minutes while my poor, aching hand tries to keep up. Definitely hats off to them. *Sigh* but at the end of the two hours what can you do other than try your best as a scribe to get down as many of their ideas as you can.

So, time's up, pens down and I'll see you all next lesson.

RoseC