156
in the Course rather than the wishes of schools or specifically edu-
cational rationales it is worth considering how this affects the
main functions of the group.
First there is the integration of the student’s work in the school
and the Institute which was discussed at the close of the previous
chapter. There it was shown that the group's agenda was built up
with reference both to practical teaching experience and to under-
lying educational issues. This agenda needs to be quite clear before
teaching practice begins. Once the students are immersed in the
block teaching practice they
become aware of the dislocation between
the school and Institute .
For the students who are meeting with
their method group once a week in the Institute at this
stage there
is the very real problem of making sense of other students'
experiences
in schools which may be unlike their own.
In the first
extract from School B the group isjoined by EδO, an English student
from the previous year of the course who is teaching in a nearby
school.
School B 24.11.81 PlO ai
Res The other thing I am wondering is what's
Tutor happened to the Institute in all of this
Hums Not much. It's really weird.
El
It's receded well into the background - I
ost resent the Fridays - it’s nice to
hear what other people have been doing.
E8θ
This strikes a note from the past.
Ml
..... I was very sorry to hear how people
felt about Fridays because I and М2 have
a great
- our Maths
Group is really
good - we hear a lot about other schools
and people .....