SCHOOL PLACEMENT: PRIMARY SCHOOL

Apart from the lectures, I had to spend one week or five days at a primary school as part of the course requirement. The primary school was Balgreen Primary which was a 30 minute bus ride from the halls.

The first day at the school was rather exciting and I was also uncertain as to what should be done and how to go about gathering data and information that was specified in a booklet given to me.

Initially I carried out casual observation and taking notes of whatever I could find in the class. The class that I was given was P5A under the guidance of the class teacher Ms Lesley Reid. She was always busy and in total control of the class. I was sure she was a good teacher; dedicated and successful too, as she planned her lessons well. This was reflected in the pupils in the class as they knew what to do and how to go about doing the tasks given.

The greatest difference between this class and that of schools in Malaysia was lessons were or are integrated around a central theme. When I was there, the theme was “Vikings – life in the middle ages”. Other subjects like language, Maths, History, Arts and Environmental Studies were integrated around the theme.

Teaching aids and reading materials were readily available either found in the resource centre of the school or on loan from the resource centre in Edinburgh. This enabled learning and teaching to progress well.

By the second day till Friday, the last day of the placement, I had adapted and got to know the staff and most of the pupils.

I was happy that my presence was welcomed and was in no way an obstacle to their daily chore of teaching and learning. The pupils were a delighted lot. I really liked them although I did not have a lot of time to spend there as the lessons were packed with work and short recess.

School hours were from 8.50 am till 3.30 pm except on Wednesday from 8.50 am till 12.45 pm because of the weekly staff meetings.

Honestly I was really happy to be placed here because of the casual and friendly atmosphere. I had come to know the head teacher, Miss Catherine Douglas, Deputy head teacher, Mrs Jalloway, Assistant head teacher, Mr. Head and Mrs McDonald who at one time spent quite a number of years in Malaya before independence. She had toured and stayed in Ipoh, Kota Bahru and several places due to the nature of her belated husband’s work as a geologist.

Then there was Mrs Allen, a learning support teacher who was most helpful and gentle to her pupils; being slow in academic subjects like English and Mathematics.

In a nutshell, I had no regrets being placed in Balgreen Primary as I loved the school, staff and especially the pupils.

See the following photographs as testimony.