Grammar for writing support group has now ended, and it is time for me to introduce what I have been doing. During this period, I attended in three grammar for writing sessions, the first one I already told you in my previous post and then in two after that. In those sessions we made some grammar exercises together, prepared texts and analysed them. The exercises were mostly about punctuation and rules of using commas, but we also talked about articles and other common errors. Especially the comma rules have always been very unclear to me. It just seems to have no logic at all. Therefore, I think these sessions were quite useful for me. It is sure you cannot learn anything 100% in this short period of time but every bit of work you do is a step to the right direction.
For the third session, I wrote a short text which we went through together trying to find the errors and other little things that could be modified. The writing process was surprisingly easy and quick. When I finally found the topic, I wanted to write about, the writing just flowed and the text nearly made itself. I chose to write a less formal text, because I just had practiced my academic writing in another support group. I wanted to get a clearer picture about what is different in academic text compared to unformal one. Below you can find that text and the modifications that were made in it. The original forms are overlined. I wanted to include those corrections into the text to remind myself about the things we discussed revising the text. What errors I made and why/how they were corrected.
My path to become a teacher
I remember clearly that the time when I was in the primary school and had a slightly different opinion about teachers than today. I remember how I first scanned our class. I took a good look at each and every one of its students. Some of them were quiet and diligent while some others giggled and chatted, exactly how you could assume a class of children to be. Then I turned around to look at our teacher. I often felt sorry for our teachers, especially the substituting ones. The main thing that was going through my mind was that how any reasonable person could want to become a teacher. It just seemed to be so absurd that anyone would want to put themselves in that position willingly. I knew already at that time that teaching is a truly challenging profession that takes a lot. But yet here I am, studying educational sciences on for my second year. And now I know that even if being a teacher takes a lot, it also gives you back in the same way. But how did I end up here after all?
By the ninth grade, it was clear to me that I wanted my future work to be somehow related to the work done with children. I just hadn’t figured out yet what it would actually be. Then an opportunity occurred for me to get an internship work do a practical training period in a kindergarten. However, by the end of the two weeks I had been working there, I had realized that it was not for me. The next step after that I thought would be was to consider the idea of becoming a teacher. So, I went to explore the school I went to myself as a kid. There I got to observe a few lessons and took part in the teaching myself as well. I remember how natural that felt. I actually enjoyed being surrounded by those little human beings, who were all so unique in their own way. That was the day I got that confirmation I needed. That was the day I had decided made my decision.
As a teacher, my goal is to help the pupils feel safe and cared for every day they open the school door they step across the school’s doorstep. I hope that even if the children have problems at home, the school could be the place where they can feel the security to grow and express themselves as the way they are. I wish that by the time the pupils leave my classes and proceed to the secondary school, they would have the necessary abilities to fend for themselves in the challenges yet to come.
ALMS hours spent:
2 Support group sessions: 3h
Writing the text: 2h
Writing this blog post: 1,5h
ALMS hours remaining: 80h