Our first week of work experience started on Monday the 13th of February til Friday the 17th of February. My first week of work experience in Rockfield National school.
Day 1 – Monday the 13th
I got to the primary school at 9:10, I met the principal Mrs.Corrigan. I stayed in the senior room for the morning their teacher is Mrs.Corrigan . After break I went into the junior room their teacher was Mr.Burn and I helped them out with art, they were making valentines card for their parents. Then I helped the tied up as it was lunch, I stayed with them until the finished their lunch and then they went outside. I ate by lunch at the back of the class room. After lunch I went back in the senior room and I did a bit of photo copying and I corrected the 3rd class maths . I was finished my first day of work experience at 2:40 pm
Day 2 – Tuesday the 14th
My day started at 9:10. Up until lunch I helped with the senior rooms knitting and they also came to me if they were stuck with their English. Then after lunch I helped the fourth class out with their maths and I corrected the 3rd class maths.I finished at 2:40
Day 3 – Wednesday the 15th
Today started of they same time as the last three days 9:10. Today I was in with Mr. Burn for the day. They had tablet laptops that they used and they called them “Transformers” Junior infants till first class had one between two and they were taking turns at playing maths games and I had to help them out if they were stuck. At about 10:30 everyone had to put away their transformers and they did Irish but second class then had a go on they transformers. At 11 it was break i helped the younger was get their lunch boxes from the back of the room, I opened on and wraps for them and then at about 11:10 they had about 5 minutes outside to play. When they came in after I did English with they 8 junior infants I had to call out words that they had in-front of them and they had to hold up they word I had called out. Then I helped the three-second class students Aran, Tómas and Toirleach with their maths, they were on time so I had to call out certain times for them and they had to put it on the clock for me. It was then lunch, I helped them again with their lunches they had 15 -20 minutes outside for lunch. Once break was finished Mr.Burn talked to the class about litter in the towns, farm, beaches.. and the dangers of it. They are trying for their 6th Green Flag this year. I had to photo copy pictures for them so that the could colour in about litter in towns… Once they Junior and Senior infants left at 1:50. They second and 1st class did English. I had to help them out if they were stuck. I also tided out the library when they were doing their English. I was finished that day gain at 2:40
Day 4 – Thursday the 16th
From about 9:15 till 10:15 the junior room had music with Ms.Currid. They started of with their warm up they do every week for music, they warmed up their body and their voices. They sang about 8 songs in total. They were practicing for their Open Day they were having next Wednesday. Some of they songs they where singing were quit funny and they enjoyed singing them. When Ms.Currid went into the senior room, Mr.Burns built up the day on the board with the children. It was then break, after break I helped Ann the N.S.N.A with writing the Name, Age, Class, School, Name and Email on posters the 1st and 2nd class did for Home Work the night before. I did helped the second class with their maths again today. After lunch I helped the junior infants with their English handout, they wanted me the help them colour in the pictures with them. I did helped one of the first classes Jamie with his English as he was finding it hard. At 2:30 I had to help the wee ones tidy up the class room before going home time at 2:40
Day 5 – Friday the 17th
Today was my last morning starting at 9:10. Today was the schools P:E day, so at 9:15 Steven a gealic coach took the junior class out to the hall to do gealic. I sat on the stag with Ann watching them. They did gealic drills for the first 30 minutes, then for the last 15 minutes the played a game were everyone had a bib stuck into their trousers and two people were on. The two that were on had to run after everyone else and grab the bib out of their trousers. It was so funny watching some of them play it as one of the junior infants Conor ran around the hall with his hands in his pocket and another one Darle ran with his hand on his hip holding the bib in!! Once they were finished at 10 the senior class then went out for P:E, from 10-11 Mr.Burns done spellings with 1st and 2nd and while hey junior and senior infants worked on their English handouts, I helped them colour them in. It was already break and on Friday they are allowed to bring in a treat, so at break all the junior infants were showing me what the got with them. When they came in after break I did Tómas spellings with him as he was with Ms. Geraghty, when the others down them. I then had to do Sabhas reading with her. I was then lunch again. Just after lunch I took down alien pictures the class had down a few weeks ago. I then was sorting out pictures when the senior class called me out from outside were they were playing rugby.Their coach Thomas wanted me to play with them as they teams were on even. He asked me for my surname, which I though was strange as everyone called me Aoife. Then he said Ms.Cassidy is going to play with us, I just started laughing as I didn’t know what to say. No one knew what they were meant to be doing as Thomas didn’t explain the rules very well. He then turned around to be and asked did I know what I was doing I said “no”.Then he said great they teacher doesn’t even know what she’s doing and she’s the teacher! Then we played another game and I was useless at it and Thomas said “Great I get the teacher out first, go shows how much she’s paying attention and shes to teacher”. Their was ten minutes left of the school day and I went back into the junior room to tidy up. They all thank me for coming and they said goodbye to me.
So that’s what my first week of work experience was like. I had a junior infant blame me for breaking the school bell ( which I didn’t do), I was also blamed for losing someones knitting needle ( I gave it back to her), every morning one of the junior infants Conor would take my hand a bring me to his seat and get me to sit beside him for the day and someone thought I was a teacher on work placement for the week from college so he called me Ms. Cassidy that was a first ! I learned from this week that I don’t want to be a primary school teacher any more as I would not have the patience for it, as every minute you would have some up complain about something, my tummy is sore, can I have a drink?, he laughing at me, she touched me… Also I think I would lose it with them cause after break or lunch nearly everyday (when I was their anyways) some was in a fight with someone else. But overall I really enjoyed myself and it was an experience I probably won’t get again.
AOIFE CASSIDY 