I am experimenting with orange. I quite like it, although I think it'd be more ace against black.
Following Spurs' defeat on Weds, I taught a whole day on Thursday. Pretty exciting stuff in the afternoon. I was in with Y9 and the Head of Department comes up and asks me to go and get a member of SLT to remove a kid from his class. Given that usually we call our HoD to haul kids outta our class, I wondered who it was that he needed help removing. I duly summoned an SLT member and they got "RP" out the class. However instead of dealing with her themselves, they gave her to me to take back to the lesson I was in. Why? Because they were all busy sorting out a fight between Y8 and Y11 that had happened at lunchtime. Anyway, she obviously caused a fair bit of chaos there (telling the kid next to her to "f*ck off" and calling me a "bitch") before we had to kick her out too (handing her back to SLT in the PE block). The next day, I asked SLT why RP was in school anyway when she clearly wasn't suited to our school life. They said they couldn't kick her out until they'd done everything they could. How is that fair for all the other kids that have to put up with her?
Thursday night went to TF Diners' Club in Waterloo. This one was for entrepreneurs' so had lots of nice chatter with people who owned their own businesses and people who wanted to set up things etc. Wasn't quite as impressed or inspired as I usually am when watching Dragons' Den but one guy in particular (salesforce.com) really sold himself and his business and managed to fight his corner very well (yes, I had indeed had a few drinks and was feeling wonderfully argumentative!)
Hangover on Friday. What a shocking week for being knackered and drinking. Finally I remember why I decided way back in September that it would be smart to go to bed early and not drink on a school night. Obviously, then, Friday is also the day that the maths department is declared unsafe for use and so all our classes are in chaos. Y11 lesson 1 were actually pretty good - breakthrough on the percentages front, whoop! At lunchtime I catch kids climbing up the scaffolding. They run away so I spend a jolly time chasing and admonishing them. Y7 after lunch were meant to have a lesson on angles. Had planned a group work lesson with protractors. Foolishly let them chose their own groups and have to improvise without the interactive whiteboard. Some work hard, others cause hassle. Finally I crack and hurl detentions left, right and centre. Tiring lesson indeed, but mainly because the scaffolding kids stressed me out at lunchtime and I was still wired for Y7. I need to learn to detach.
After that I have to cover 7E during tutor period. I like all the year 7 forms, but 7E are always a hassle. Managed to struggle through a 20 minute discussion on the "pros and cons of teaching" (yep, I often use the kids to sort out my own dilemmas) while various kids fell off chairs, shouted at each other, shook their fizzy drinks cans and sulked in corners. Good stuff. Anyway, I told them they couldn't go home until the pros list was longer than the cons, and then they started focussing, but still, didn't need the hassle.
Finally then, after school "SC" in Y9 is effing and blinding by the office demanding her mobile back. She refuses to leave the premises for about an hour before the police are called and come to escort her off. She still won't leave so they put her in the van and take her to the station. I wonder if she'll get excluded for that? By that point of the day, I wanted nothing more than to just run away, but instead played a solid game of indoor 5-aside and then felt like a million dollars. It's all about the sport.
Glad it's the weekend. Bumped into Dan F from primary school today - am now even more convinced that your mates at 11 will still be some of the greatest people you know. Am now inspired once again, but will focus on not thinking about kids for the rest of the day. One week to half-term :)
Puj, Fruli-frenzy had to be cut short cos they ran out of Fruli! We switched to merlot though, bon. Looking forward to hearing about India!
Following Spurs' defeat on Weds, I taught a whole day on Thursday. Pretty exciting stuff in the afternoon. I was in with Y9 and the Head of Department comes up and asks me to go and get a member of SLT to remove a kid from his class. Given that usually we call our HoD to haul kids outta our class, I wondered who it was that he needed help removing. I duly summoned an SLT member and they got "RP" out the class. However instead of dealing with her themselves, they gave her to me to take back to the lesson I was in. Why? Because they were all busy sorting out a fight between Y8 and Y11 that had happened at lunchtime. Anyway, she obviously caused a fair bit of chaos there (telling the kid next to her to "f*ck off" and calling me a "bitch") before we had to kick her out too (handing her back to SLT in the PE block). The next day, I asked SLT why RP was in school anyway when she clearly wasn't suited to our school life. They said they couldn't kick her out until they'd done everything they could. How is that fair for all the other kids that have to put up with her?
Thursday night went to TF Diners' Club in Waterloo. This one was for entrepreneurs' so had lots of nice chatter with people who owned their own businesses and people who wanted to set up things etc. Wasn't quite as impressed or inspired as I usually am when watching Dragons' Den but one guy in particular (salesforce.com) really sold himself and his business and managed to fight his corner very well (yes, I had indeed had a few drinks and was feeling wonderfully argumentative!)
Hangover on Friday. What a shocking week for being knackered and drinking. Finally I remember why I decided way back in September that it would be smart to go to bed early and not drink on a school night. Obviously, then, Friday is also the day that the maths department is declared unsafe for use and so all our classes are in chaos. Y11 lesson 1 were actually pretty good - breakthrough on the percentages front, whoop! At lunchtime I catch kids climbing up the scaffolding. They run away so I spend a jolly time chasing and admonishing them. Y7 after lunch were meant to have a lesson on angles. Had planned a group work lesson with protractors. Foolishly let them chose their own groups and have to improvise without the interactive whiteboard. Some work hard, others cause hassle. Finally I crack and hurl detentions left, right and centre. Tiring lesson indeed, but mainly because the scaffolding kids stressed me out at lunchtime and I was still wired for Y7. I need to learn to detach.
After that I have to cover 7E during tutor period. I like all the year 7 forms, but 7E are always a hassle. Managed to struggle through a 20 minute discussion on the "pros and cons of teaching" (yep, I often use the kids to sort out my own dilemmas) while various kids fell off chairs, shouted at each other, shook their fizzy drinks cans and sulked in corners. Good stuff. Anyway, I told them they couldn't go home until the pros list was longer than the cons, and then they started focussing, but still, didn't need the hassle.
Finally then, after school "SC" in Y9 is effing and blinding by the office demanding her mobile back. She refuses to leave the premises for about an hour before the police are called and come to escort her off. She still won't leave so they put her in the van and take her to the station. I wonder if she'll get excluded for that? By that point of the day, I wanted nothing more than to just run away, but instead played a solid game of indoor 5-aside and then felt like a million dollars. It's all about the sport.
Glad it's the weekend. Bumped into Dan F from primary school today - am now even more convinced that your mates at 11 will still be some of the greatest people you know. Am now inspired once again, but will focus on not thinking about kids for the rest of the day. One week to half-term :)
Puj, Fruli-frenzy had to be cut short cos they ran out of Fruli! We switched to merlot though, bon. Looking forward to hearing about India!
