ABSTRACT
The series of short entries in this chapter gives a sense of what it is like to be immersed in four months of teaching after one week of orientation. While most programs of pre-service teacher education provide a more gradual introduction to a full-time experience of teaching, there always comes a time when it is ‘now or never.’ The first time one stands before an entire class, knowing that many more lessons will follow, is a unique moment for each of us entering the teaching profession. In that sense, we hope that the voices presented here will be helpful to every new teacher about to ‘take the plunge.’ These entries were written at the start of a four-month term of education courses, immediately after four months of teaching, and these questions were posed to help people find an initial sense of voice:
Was it‘sink or swim’? Did you feel like you were sinking? How soon did you feel like you were swimming instead? What role did the teachers in the school have in your ‘learning to swim’?
