DESCRIPTION
A teacher at the Woking Chinese Complementary School explains how her PGCE has helped her teach from the students' point of view.
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Video Transcript
Clip A
I think my teacher training is very benefit for me. I started to do a PGCE in Goldsmiths in 2003, and I did it in one and a half years part-time study. So in 2005 I gained a PGCE qualification and since then I’ve been teaching in private schools and mainstream schools part-time. And this is my Saturday school; it is also another teaching job if you like. I come here to teach every Saturday. Term only yes.
Clip B
I think that the most important part I learnt in my PGCE, obviously I learnt so many other things, is how to teach from the student's point of view; how to interact with them. And also being able to speak the language doesn't mean you're going to be a very good teacher. You need to teach from, you know, stand in their foot, if you like, to understand the way they learn. So I started to slow down, tell myself how to write characters, which is very different compared with the European language writing and to understand from their point of view.
Clip C
Planning is a very important part to deliver the lesson. So in my planning I focus on the 4 skills which are required for them for the communication for the exams in the future. In my class I would say I focus more on reading and writing because they do have the opportunity to listen and to speak some of them in their home. So for example today we were talking about why, and at first I encouraged them to talk and how to say that and how to put it in a sentence so we did a few objects which I wanted to encourage them to ask why something like the moon, the sun, the fish. They always like their yes or no, correct or not correct questions, for practising and to emphasise the learning part. So I would use 'is it correct' after I taught them the words I’d asked them to identify the words and recognise the characters I would use 'correct or not' as a first step. And then they’re able to write them so we do some writing in their actual sheet – I encourage them to write a few sentences, using them in practice. So the Games are always interesting in the classroom and the writing and listening. During the time we ask questions to other students and other students’ mothers and use that opportunity to practice.
