Hi!
I am writing you again with some updates on my every day at Longyearbyen school as an intern. I have now been here for a bit over a month, and I feel that things are getting into place! I am getting more and more responsibility, and I must say that I really enjoy teaching.
I have now, among other things, tried to lead classes by myself and prepare experiments and performed them with the kids.
A bit about what I have been up to lately:
Because of my background in natural sciences, I have gotten some requests to do scientific experiments with the kids at SFO and for the 7th grade at the school. For the kids at SFO I tried to come up with some fun and easy experiments, where they could play a bit around at the same time as they learn something new! The kids were super exited, and I think experiments such as this could become a re-occurring event at the SFO. For the experiment in 7th grade, in their natural science class, I had a bigger challenge. They are now learning about electricity, and I must admit that it has been a long time ago since I have done experiments in this department. After some time at the natural science lab at the school preparing the experiment, I felt ready to lead the class through it. It went very well, and I think the kids, as well as I, learned a lot that day. I think it’s very fun to be put up to new challenges and given responsibility! For the older students, I prepare a lecture for every week, in addition to preparing task for them to do at home. It is great to see how eager the students are to learn, and I am looking forward to prepare the older students lab work for the coming weeks as well.
There is not only the academic content that can give challenges at the school. There are students in different ages and from different background, and you have to have different approach to all of them, both when it comes to learning and their social well-being. All the students have different needs, and you learn a lot on how to interact with students at different ages and stages of learning. I have already now learned how to handle situations presented to me in a good way, and this kind of knowledge I think you can only gain by hands on experience such as this!
Write you again soon,
best Dagny
