My orientation as a Practicum Field Observer occurred on Monday, 10th, February, 2014. I was assigned to a coeducational Government Primary School in south Trinidad. The population of the school is approximately 130 students and there is one class per level from First Year to Standard Five. Three other First Year prospective teachers accompanied me, however, there were also two Year Four prospective teachers conducting their individual field teaching exercises. The majority of my day was spent in the Standard Two classroom to which a Year Four colleague was previously appointed.
I went into the school on "over drive" because I was eager to capture as much information as I possibly could. However, my first moments at the school were plagued with a measure of uncertainty and embarrassment (because UTT personnel had not confirmed our placements with the cooperating school). This experience altered my psyche and it took me a while to regain a mental state of equilibrium. I did not outwardly react to this deplorable scenario, but I was grossly displeased. This displeasure naturally stemmed from the fact that this was the one thing I did not want to encounter (as I had repeatedly voiced in my Practicum classes). The actual experience was even worse than what I had imagined because the school's principal was absent and calls to all relevant authorities were unanswered. In all fairness, my lecturer forewarned me to be prepared for anything, hence this was no exception. As the day progressed and the situation became more favourable, my feelings of despair gradually dissipated.
The key lesson I learnt today was the strong impact of a teacher's attitude towards children. I first got to observe the cooperating teacher as he delivered his lessons. He spoke with compassion, both for the subject and for the students. He praised the students frequently and tried to include everyone in discussions. He used a lot of humour and he smiled constantly. The atmosphere in the classroom was relaxed and comfortable. The teacher maintained a good rapport with his students. He spoke casually with them to see who had understood the lesson.
I was amazed at how focused and engaged these students were. Even though there were many distractions around, they seemed oblivious to it. The expression on each child's face was one of contentment and happiness. If I did not know better, I would have thought these students were in a trance, for they were very well behaved and obedient. The teacher gave an instruction once, and the class responded in unison (with the exception of one student who appeared to have some cognitive disability). The students worked quickly and independently, but the teacher supervised them and offered assistance where he could. When the students had completed their class' assignment, they begged the teacher for more. He gave them home-work instead, and they were excited to receive it. This was the most disciplined class I have ever encountered.
In the afternoon, I got to observe the Year Four student-teacher deliver her lesson. From the onset, her approach was a threatening and intimidating one. She held a stick in her hand and pointed it at the children as she shouted her commands, "I want all yuh to sit up straight and look at me! I am the teacher now, so all yuh have to listen to me. I doh want to see anybody talking, or laughing or writing or doing anything else. Just sit up and listen to me, because I am in charge now!!" She then ordered all the children to put their heads down and remain quiet. The children started to fidget during this time and she struck the furniture loudly with her stick each time they moved or talked.
The class teacher was not in the classroom during this ordeal as he attended to other school matters. After a prolonged "rest period", the prospective teacher instructed the students to raise their heads. Some complied, but some did not. She rehearsed her former set of instructions to the children, and dared them to disobey her. Her approach was hasty, abrasive and dictatorial. I searched for the contented expressions I had seen on these faces earlier, but there were none. They were replaced with fear, shyness, and anger.
As the lesson progressed, the students became disenchanted, disruptive and uncooperative. Those at the back turned to me with an expression that could be interpreted as, "Can you help us please?" A few minutes later they confirmed my suspicions as they turned and asked in hushed tones to avoid getting caught, "Miss, can you come and teach us please? Miss can you find our teacher for us pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Instead, I sat and continued to observe in horror. I wanted to do something but I did not want to make the situation worse. I saw another side of these students. Their behavior was completely opposite to what I had observed earlier. I could scarcely believe this was the same set of students. They seemed uninterested in participating in the lesson. When they were questioned about what was taught, few remembered the main points. This infuriated the teacher even more, and she meted out different forms of punishment and insults at them for "not paying attention." When tears of frustration began to form in some pupils' eyes, I excused myself from the class to avoid a confrontation.
The events I witnessed this afternoon disturbed me greatly. I was more disappointed with myself because I sat and did nothing. I desperately wanted to intervene, but I kept silent because I was unsure about what was the ethical thing to do as a Field Observer. I witnessed how differently the same group of children reacted to a positive and a negative environment. Truly, the teacher creates the atmosphere in the class and sets the environment for learning. As an educator, I will take that lesson with me and use it to make a positive impact on students.
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