WEEK 5, REFLECTION
In week 5, the most prominent activities were a Trip
to HAGA-HELIA Haaga campus, Pajuniityntie 11 with Irmeli and Workshop on collaborative methods with
David Mauffret.
Irmeli met us at the bus station then we went all
together to Haaga campus, there we were met by one of the staff members. We
attended 2 different Bachelor Thesis Presentations and they
were very interesting especially when the two presenters answered audiences' questions
after each presentation. Also, something was very interesting was the visit to Finnish
Hotel of Tomorrow; there I had seen two high quality-furnitured rooms. The two
rooms were expensively equipped, so there were very attractive; I can say that
they were modern rooms and if they are applied in the future they will be very
expensive for ordinary people. I liked that visit and I learned new things.
In
addition, for week 5, there had been some practical teaching activities: that means we had applied some teaching collaborative methods. Each group were given the
instructions of the method that they would use, and were given a time to choose
a topic and to practice what would they teach. There had been very useful teaching
techniques applied in that session and I found most of them useful and could be
applied in my class. However, there had been too much time- wasting on some
known issues and a lot of boring repetitions. Also, as a member of the ocean
group I waited with David after 2:00 pm, for a consultant meeting and that was
very difficult and I found it was not too necessary for me. There was something
which I hated in week 5, it was the attendance record, and they sent that I had
completed 95 %, for weeks 1 – 5, in spite of giving them a valid reason. In
fact, I discussed Irmeli and she told me they will take that out at the end of the programme,
but I think it is very frustrated, especially we are experienced teachers and
we all know the best ways of controlling attendances in classes. I think that
way should be changed because it is not fair. 
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you very much for your active and profound reflections. I'm happy to hear that you found the visit to Haaga to be enlightening.
ReplyDeleteSome of your concerns in the latter part of this entry deserve attention.
"However, there had been too much time- wasting on some known issues and a lot of boring repetitions. "
Can you be a little bit more specific? What activities did you find too repetitive and time consuming? I ask this so that we could better take into account your wishes.
" a consultant meeting and that was very difficult and I found it was not too necessary for me."
Again, could you elaborate what you mean by "difficult"? Was it the fact that the meeting was so late and the day became very long? As you know, the group wished to clear Fridays, and since we have our obligation to TVTC, we tried to find a compromise. You say that you didn't find the guidance counseling session very beneficial. I'm sorry for that. I have found the guidance counseling meetings with my two groups very rewarding: during the discussions I have learned a lot on the background and expectations of the participants. Sometimes the expectations are quite conflicting, and it is useful to discuss them and try to find ways that overcome problems. I believe the meeting was even more valuable for Ocean and David, as you haven't had a chance to learn to know each other in other activities. I'm lucky to have been able to share many of your activities and I have thus had a chance to know you better, even without the guidance counseling session.
Attendance
I'm sorry to hear that you feel you have been unfairly treated! I'll explain the process once more. The teacher marks in the list all the absences, no matter what the reason for the absence is (many times an individual teacher doesn't even know the reason). Suvi makes weekly summaries, and "corrects" the records based on the information she has received (e.g. when somebody has been sick and has informed this in due course). It is my understanding that you was once absent 2 h (and informed Suvi properly), and 6 h last Monday 30.4. Your attendance rate is still excellent, no need to worry. You are allowed to be absent 10% of the activities with no consequences. As long as your record shows >90% attendance everything is fine!.
I'm sorry, if you feel that our way of taking attendance is not fair. What suggestions would you have to make it better? The strict 10% rule is not our invention, but comes from TVTC.
I hope my explanation makes you a little bit less frustrated. Let me assure you that in my view you have participated actively and have nothing to worry in regard to attendance!
- Irmeli
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI deleted my first comment, as I accidentally pasted one sentence to the beginning of the post, and it should have been elsewhere. I resent the comment with the "wrong line" in proper context.
- Irmeli
Hi
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I would like to thank you for your quick response, and I appreciate that you are serious in all issues concerning your job; really, you did your best in a classroom as I noticed during the 4 weeks ago , you were very careful to notify every one of us with the best teaching methods and the best media that can be used in our classes.
Concerning some of my notes about week 5 reflection, I did not mean that there had been something too much wrong in the whole programme , in my opinion everything in the programme till now is ok and I do not want to be understood that I indented to criticize anyone in the programme.
But I noticed that in the first 4 weeks we had learned teaching methods and in week 5 I expected something different. However, we also learned something about teaching approaches which were in a little bit different but not too much. Also, I think the time of some activities in the class sometimes was being extended more than they needed.
Concerning the consulting meeting with David I meant, it was difficult because we were late that day and it was the first time of meeting I could not recognize its benefits, but I wish that our future meetings will be more beneficial and in a proper time.
About the attendance record, I think you gave us the green light not to attended after you asked us who would not attended on Monday and I did not expected that it will be counted absence , but believe me it is not a big deal, as clarified that in your last comments
Misfer
Thank you for your reply,
ReplyDeleteyou do have every right to express your feelings, even criticize, when you find there is need for it. On week 5 the new theme was thesis work and project work with companies (visit to Haaga). The idea of collaborative methods was that this time you could plan and implement them yourself. Up till now you have used a lot of collaborative methods e.g. with Merja and Katri, but it has always been the two of them acting as facilitators, now it was your turn.
Yes, I understan that Thursday was a long day for you (did you have any chance to get something to eat?). The problem is that our deal with TVTC is 30 h/week, and when you preferred not to attend on Fridays, we still need to arrange those sessions otherwise.
About the Monday: this was a cultural communication challenge we already discussed with those who attended on Monday. As I explained, I didn't intentionally mislead you: I understood the situation so that some people said they would not attend, and I then asked, are there others who will not come (to know if I have to make alterations in my planned program). You interpreted this as if I had given you permission to an extra day off, while I interpreted it so that some of you chose to use your 10% quota, and that's it! By not saying nono, you cannot do that, I tried to express my respect for your right to make your own decisions.
Communication is always challenging, and particularly challenging when different cultures meet! This is a learning experience for all of us, and I believe we are doing fine, as long as we can openly discuss even the "not so good experiences". As you say above: this is not a big deal, nevertheless, I appreciate that you trust me so much that you feel comfortable taking up also things that you feel aren't done properly. I take it as a compliment, when you say "you are serious in all issues concerning your job". Thank you!
- Irmeli