Impressive Experience in Haileybury Astana

Nowadays, giving the child to international schools becomes prestige day by day. It gives opportunity for parents to invest valued education in their children within international level and environment. While my working experience in Haileybury Astana, I revealed the factors which parents tend to give their children to that school is that there is significant difference between British and Kazakhstani educational system.

After graduating teaching profession at the University, almost all graduates went separate ways, choosing completely different directions. I was one of the graduates who found a job in English speaking library as an administrator (Books&Coffee). Even though, one occasion opens door to the next, I was recommended to work as a teaching assistant in Haileybury Astana.  

 Here starts everything new; new teaching method, new individual approach, new curricula and new environment. I thought that is something I was looking for, seeking it in mainstream schools. Even if I did not teach periodically and I did not write the plan for lesson, there was enormous responsibility to manage. Great support for teachers was organized through providing professional trainings and teachers shared their ideas in order to exchange experience. I could easily see elements of collaborative culture which is defined as “administratively supported”, “teachers establish the tasks and purposes for working together” and “advanced strategy for fostering teacher development” (Hargreaves, 1994, p. 186-192). At the very beginning of my job, I was observing several classes just to get idea of being part of the school. It was mentoring from head of department side to guide me in my first period of time to adjust the school environment and also to work as a teacher. Every lesson was unique with its interest and productivity. My responsible included to assisting children via explaining the task in Russian if it’s needed, controlling their safety, interpreting parents meeting, and supporting children during the lesson, supervising them at sport games, preparing resources for the lesson etc.  

Most of the time, children were divided into three groups according to their learning ability and English language level. I was responsible to lead one of the groups and help them with the given task. Sometimes I was asked to lead the lesson especially to teach phonics to help with learning the sounds.    

In this school I had desire to teach because school was surrounded by support and resources to teach. I was learning a lot and gaining a lot in terms of valuable teaching. Class teacher paid attention to children`s reading and I was supposed to read with children every day and make sure they get new reading book. I think this is very important to pay attention to their readings and books were sorted by the level and words were selected with relevant level. At the same time I was always thinking and applying to Kazakhstani schools by making the comparison in my mind “I wish mainstream schools could have the same curriculum, same lucky learning chance, resources and etc…”. For instance, as I know there is lack of reading books in Kazakh with appropriate level, hoping that someday children will have chance to enhance their reading.

To conclude, this is just beginning of my teaching profession career. When I looked back of my life I saw big difference between schools that supported me and helped me to find my path. What was the thing in my deep soul that I was looking for, looking for myself? How does condition of teachers matter for developing motivation inner side of teacher?

P.S. If you are interested as a parent, ask Malika Abitayeva to share her impression giving her child to Haileybury Astana. She will be happy to tell you more…

Reference

Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing teachers, changing times: Teachers` work and culture in the postmodern age. Teachers College Press, 186-192