Czech introduction to teachers' reports

Report about discussion with visiting Czech student teacher and teacher

Introduction

We discussed the differences between the way the experience was reflected by T and ST. For the ST, the experience was new and so exciting that he reflected on his teaching in a much more detailed way. He compared all lesson plans with the procedure of their implementation in the real classroom.

Before in Prague

T expressed difficulties in finding the intersection of timetables (availability of the T and the visited class)
ST’s position was easier because his was the second placement and he profited from the T’s experiences

Before at the venue

T stressed the necessity in getting acquainted with the country and local school curricula. He appreciated the amount of lessons to observe classes

During the stay

T commented on some initial difficulties in creating positive working atmosphere.
Both T and ST expressed no substantial language problems. They concluded that it is not necessary to have a perfect command of a foreign language. On the other hand it is vital to be well acquainted with the way of giving instructions (mathematics, especially mathematical notation, and classroom language).
Both T and ST agreed that it is not necessary to plan the lessons in detail before the visit. They stressed the necessity to be flexible and sensitive to the environment.

What they learned

The teaching experience abroad made it possible to gain deeper insight in both the subject matter and the ways how to teach it. The experience was enriching – the discovery of new teaching strategies.