Tag Archive for work experience

Visiting Students at Work

I had a lovely couple of days going to different workplaces to visit our year 10′s on work experience. I enjoyed being out of the classroom and driving around from place to place. The students were transformed to working people and they rose to the occasion. Many of their employers mentioned how great they were and a couple even offered jobs. They dressed the part and were courteous and slotted into the working world well.

I visited primary schools and kindergartens and was very impressed by the environments created by the teachers. They are so warm and friendly. The younger students were totally engaged and I saw some interesting learning activities. I especially loved the small country primary schools. The students who had their work experience there were already known by the younger students and quite obviously familiar and loved. There is really nothing like small communities. At one of the kinders they baked everyday, none of that cold fruit and milk, warm apple crumble slice was baking when I arrived and it smelt lovely.

I also visited hairdressers, engineering firms, surveyors, department stores, chemists and a range of departments at the hospital. Next week when they return to school they have an oral presentation about their experiences. I can’t wait to hear all they’ve learnt.

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Tuesday

I know, it’s not a very imaginative title. I’ve been spending some time after school this week getting my computer and blogs up to date with back end stuff. Andy’s Poohduck is getting lots of hits, but the stat’s weren’t working and other things so I thought I’d better finally get round to doing something about that. He’s been taking some wonderful photo’s lately. I also have had more time available to me to potter around with these things. I’ve got my school blogs almost under control lately. See below for the reasons!

I’ve been catching up with heaps of stuff this week with no year 10 classes. The school ground is so empty. I am going visiting starting tomorrow. I was given a list of students to visit and made some calls today to make times to visit them. I am looking forward to it and wish I could visit every student I’ve taught, but that would be most of them, and I don’t have enough hours in the day. Some of them are in Melbourne with newspapers or architects, so I guess it’s not practical to get around that much in a week.

Darin has a new, more time consuming role at work. A couple of people at work have told me how wonderful the food is where is chef. I felt very proud of him, but I certainly already knew how great his food is. He’s working long hours and talking menu’s at home. Last night the conversation made me hungry. I decided I would wait and cook dinner and eat with him tonight. Just steak and veges, nothing as yummy as what he was talking about. Steak and veges will be good though and it’s better than getting stuck into cheese and biscuits at some awfully late hour! My waistline is expanding lately… what with all the chocolate and lemon tarts I’ve been practicing on and just a greater focus on food in general I guess. I do try to give the tarts away and I have done a lot of that, but you always have to eat some, just to make sure it is ok :-) .

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Work Experience Week

Our year 10′s are going on work experience this week and I get to visit some of them, which I’m really looking forward to. I remember work experience was a real ‘rite of passage’ for me. In previous years I have seen my former students when I’ve been out and about in their ‘work experience’ roles. This year I will get to participate more fully with that and hear more about their adventures when they return.

I did my work experience at the local hospital with the Social Worker. It was a steep learning curve and I learnt that I didn’t really want to be a social worker. It was nothing like what I thought it would be. That was the first time I experienced in a big way that even if you think you know the answers for someone else, you are not able to make them better, or change them without their willingness. I was constantly asking the social worker, why he didn’t tell the clients what to do so the problems they were experiencing would go away. I think I amused him greatly. He tried to explain it to me in so many different ways.

Our students are going to an amazing variety of places and I believe it will be a massive learning week for them.

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