Oh Canada!

I am in Canada, woo hoo! I haven't met this person yet, but I hope to.


Flight was delayed and so spent 10 hours on the plane and a further hour in Customs & Immigration. However, lots of lovely Canadian people on the flight made up for this.

Crucially, since I have been here, I have eaten enough for food a week. Of special note are the four puddings we each polished off at the wedding yesterday (by we, I mean my cousins and I - and yes, it was a lovely wedding) and also the two buckets of KFC we ate last night after an epic game of charades. The charades was especially fun since the youngest player was 5 and thinks that whatever you are acting, the answer MUST be the Lion King. Added dynamic of boys vs. girls brought out a bitter rivalry but we made our peace after chicken.

Also met my littlest cousin who is almost 2; the last time I saw her she was just two weeks old, bless! She waddles around and squawks a lot - there is definitely a duck connection on there somewhere. Alarmingly, I am 22 years older than her. This means that when she is finally old enough to enjoy a beverage with me, I will be 40. Eeek!

Drama-Central

This is where I've been living the past week. Now, apologies for not posting sooner, and also apologies for this post since it won't contain much detail. Essentially I have had a very stressful week. Key events include:

1. TF Coach matching event and associated hangover on Tuesday night
2. Having all the things nicked outta the boot of my car and glove compartment sometime on Tuesday night/Weds morning (including my teaching stuff, my wallet, house keys, school keys, expensive sunglasses, USB stick with personal files on it, and all my PE stuff - special gym trainers are gone, boo hoo)
3. Being very cross with the colleague I left my car with, who I suspect either forgot to lock the car (how could someone do that in Walthamstow?!) or nicked the things herself. Negative thoughts, I know, but I am still cross.
4. Spending hours in 3 different police stations over two days.
5. Having a semi-black eye and looking old and haggard and rough.
6. Walking outta school on Weds and then being royally bollocked by my folks. Deservedly.
7. Having OFSTED in on Thursday, having lost my lesson plans for the day, made new lesson plans, finding that the server has crashed so all plans for ICT lessons were defunct, making a third set of lesson plans, and otherwise having a very intensive day.
8. HSBC maths day today, again running activities, which was a bit stressful, but really today has been the best day all week.
9. No petrol in car and no money to buy petrol so adding hours to my journey time whereever I've been going. Not that I've been going anywhere exciting since I have no keys to get back into our house.
10. Minimum sleep and food and general smileyness over the past few days.

Actually, that is more detail than I intended, but clearly you can't wait to hear the full story. Have to pack for my flight to Toronto tomorrow, but will update as soon as poss. Woo half-term, the light at the end of the tunnel!

Barriers to actually working

Grrrrr. Trying to get anything at all done at school today was near impossible. The sodding server was still down so you couldn't print anything or save to the server. Emails were really temperamental, as was internet access. One of the photocopiers was broken. There was exams in the maths block, which disrupted lessons. The online registration system and the reporting system were both still playing up. Nothing was working, and so it was near impossible for the teachers to be working. Plus, it was raining.

See how dependent on technology we are? But really, it's so annoying when you're trying to do the most straightforward task, but everything just holds you back. Grrr. Another source of workplace stress.

In other news, I was sent on an errand by two of the members of my department last Friday, to buy chocolates for the Y11s. This errand cost me precisely £32.80. Now, I don't want to seem tight, but I'm not a Y11 tutor and had no real desire to spend what is essentially a week's worth of teaching Y8 on a sugar-fest for some right clowns. The question is, how do I get my money back now? I hate owing people money, but even worse, I hate being owed money. But I don't wanna be hassling them for the cash, but then again, if I leave it too long, it'll be too hard to ask for it back. Ho-hum, what an exciting dilemma. Not.

Oooh and a quick update on my wild mane of hair. I think it's almost 3 months since I last washed it with shampoo, and it feels pretty good. Washing with just water seems to work, even with horrid smokey hair or sweaty gym hair. It has a kinda natural oil feel to it, which isn't too bad, plus I swear it's stronger and thicker. So yes, going strong on that front.

Nothing else of note to say except that I have so much paperwork to generate for my "portfolio" for OFSTED that I'm just not gonna do any of it. Mwahahaahaha.

Catch up and upcoming stuff

Think it has been a while since I posted. Busy busy as usual. Mostly being hungover. Whoops.

School happened, can't remember anything too exciting or of note, except that we only have one week till half-term! Ooooh and also this week Y11 are away on study leave and Y10 are on exams, yay! Surely this will become boring at some point, but at the moment it sounds pretty good to me.

Yet another Sunday not spent lesson planning. I don't know when I reached the stage where I thought I didn't have to work on a Sunday (by work, I mean specific school work....of course I still spend lots of time doing other work-type things). Today, then, I wrote two covering letters for two summer project applications - one working with Business in the Community and one working with MyBnk. Both sound exciting projects that we can really get our teeth into and contribute something of value. Was also gonna apply for the Institute of Philanthropy, and this one at Hansabank about developing a stress diagnostic tool for banks, but after it taking soooo long just to write the first two, I couldn't be bothered. Plus the Hansabank one is for 4 weeks, and it's in Estonia (yep, clearly I didn't read the application info properly the first time round) so scrap that - like I'm gonna work for 4 out of my 5 weeks of summer!

What else? Went out on the lash for Suze's birthday on Friday night, good solid fun, my feet are still cut up though, and the Corona hangover was shocking (think it might have been the sambuca actually). Lots of lovely drama anyway, including drunken idiots sneaking into photos and causing fights, and other drunken hilarious dancers getting into trouble everywhere, funny funny.

Spent most of Saturday whimpering about and watching the rubbish FA Cup final (have seen more exciting U11 girls' football matches, really). Went out with the girlie wirlies to Binky Bina Ballerina's birthday dinner on Saturday night, a nice and funny affair full of reminiscing and silly chatter. Binky I wish you were in London more. Sparrow, I hope you are getting better on some level, and Puja, you need a nickname....I can't believe you don't have one! HW props to you for bailing on your other plans for us, good stuff.

Taught them to play 304, a card game like bridge, except more mysterious. Played it with the crazy Venice cards, they loved it. Am now convinced that we are all grandmas...but very excited about the thought of a whole evening playing cards and Mahjong!

Meant to hit the gym hard today after all the junk we ate last night, but that plan was scuppered by:

1. My mother holding a committee meeting in our lounge, thus requiring me to help with stuff. This was particularly funny since at the next reunion thingie my mother's committee is doing a big dance and so lots of time was spent dancing around the front room.
2. My father inviting my uncle and family round to look at the new staircases (what an exciting invitation! I bet you're all jealous I've not invited you round to see the stairs). This, in principle, wouldn't have involved me, but my uncle has two young sons, Krishan (4) and Danushan (3), who required entertaining. Thus, instead of crosstraining and lifting at the gym, we watched 45 minutes of Power Rangers, counted chairs in the lounge, talked to ants, learnt about pipes, and ate food so that we would become big and strong. Fun times!

Well this week is hectic hectic with highlights including a coach matching event on Tuesday, OFSTED on Thursday, and the HSBC trip on Friday. This time next week I'll be in Toronto, woohoo!

Have a good week!

Funny Ginger + ranting

I am not well and about to go to bed. But before that, some ranting.

Forgot to mention last time that when that little boy lost the plot and started shouting at me, he did it in front of another teacher, who at the time tactfully didn't get involved, but then later told the rest of the maths department about what had happened. This explains why my Head of Department tried to have a serious chat with me (think I avoided that one) and why my subject mentor asked me, completely out of the blue, who I would get rid of from my Y8 group if I could get rid of anyone. Obviously the fact that the kids think of me as weak is one thing, but it's lovely to know that the rest of my department thinks I am a bit rubbish too.

Hmmm, so maybe this is why I don't feel well, my body is wimping out of having to face more of the music tomorrow.

Berts, really, now I don't remember the conversation at all. I'm glad I was nice, but my memory is clearly shot to pieces - maybe it is taking the assault intended for my liver?

Anyway, in funnier news, I am stealing this from Ginger's drunken FB note cos it's just that funny!

Ahhhh everyone loves a good school anecdote. Well, not when I'm drunk and ranting about them, but none-the-less, let's get some of them down for posterity.


Year 9 girl: "Miss, am I a sperm?"
Me: "Errrrr.....no".
Girl: "But, miss, Racquel said I was".

Hmmm.

Same girl: "Miss, where are you from?"
Me: "Birmingham".
Girl: "Oh, is that why you're so posh, then?"

If only she knew.

My favourite anecdote - everyone has probably heard it by now:
Year 11 science. Thursday afternoon. Have alreday been called a ginger bitch. Not feeling great about the lesson. Go to demo group 1 metals in water. Slightly over-enthuse with the sodium. Massive explosion; smoke fills the room, a loud bang is heard and sparks rain down on us all. A piece of paper is set on file. Many girls now screaming and hiding under tables saying that I'm trying to kill them. One student shows me her t-shirt; it is covered in little singe marks from the sparks. Thankfully, she thinks this is "cool".

Once girls have dismissed, have a little cry in the deputy head's office.

Oh holy Jesus.

Obviously, some children have no sense of what is acceptable:
"Miss, how is your sex life going?"
"Miss are you on your period, because you're in a really bad mood tooday".

Me being inappropriate when yr13 girl answers phone in the lesson:
(pointing at phone) "Oi, Debbie, can we have it off please?!"
My subsequent giggling kind of undermined the telling off.

Bizarreness:
(in the middle of a lesson when I am dissecting a pig's heart):
"Urgh miss it looks like a pussy."

Observing at a mixed school, also in Hackney:
yr 7 boy: "Oh miss, you're giving me a boner".

A lovely Turkish yr 9 girl is using her Turkish-English dictionary to help with her work - she is trying to describe an experiemnt where we looked at kitchen roll soaking up water and she is trying to describe this:
"The flaccid tissue will take up more water."
Poor girl had mis-translated "soft". Once I had figured this out I explained that flaccid was probably not the best word to use. Bless her. Struggled to keep a straight face.

A good thing and a bad thing

I am worried. Today one of my Y8s completely lost the plot and started ranting and shouting and crying at me. And I kept my cool and just soaked it all up. Strange.

Those of you who know me from back in the day will testify that I have a bit of a temper. Bit being a slight under-exaggeration. Perhaps the only girl to actually commit a violent act ever in the history of our wonderfully prim and proper independent school, I had a reputation as a bit of a hard nut. Unjustified really, I think I just lost control occassionally. But only cos I was immature and bit of an idiot.

But today, really, I remember feeling like I wanted to smack someone for only about a second, and then it all just flowed outta me and I was calm. I called the kid's mother and she was very supportive, and I think I will try and demand an apology from him on Thursday. But with regards to this little episode ruining my whole day, well, it didn't.

The reason I am worried is that I think I have become apathetic. The kid's behaviour should concern me I'm sure, I should be dwelling on it and thinking about how to fix the situation and how to avoid it happening in the future. But I don't really care.

Aaah it's a slippery slope, soon they'll all be walking all over me. Burn-out anyone? Hahaha, yes, paranoia too.

In other news, I think my Y7s are loving our current work multicultural maths. So far we've learnt to count, read, write and do sums in Chinese and Roman numerals, solved a number puzzle written in lots of different numbers scripts, learnt about time zones, and made Vedic square patterns. Still to come are lots of Vedic maths techniques using computers, rangoli patterns, islamic art, multiplication from around the world, and tangrams/egg-grams. I love teaching this way, it's so much more fun than textbook work and the kids are genuinely enthusiastic about it. Bless, maybe I care after all.

Mind your f-ing language

Just watched an excellent Cutting Edge titled "Mind your f-ing language". Read the program synopsis here.

Basically it was about a school and it's swearing problems and the approaches it took to solving them. There was no real swearing policy and kids argued that swearing was a way for them to express their feelings. Hidden cameras showed the full extent of their foul language, some of which even made me blush. However, when privately surveyed, many pupils said they would be happier in an environment were swearing was more of a rarity rather than standard noise pollution. Poignantly, one child pointed out that perhaps poverty and injustice were bigger problems in the world than the odd c-word here and there. After consulting specialists and visiting other schools, the focus school implemented a one-week zero-tolerance no swearing policy, the results of which were mixed, but which ultimately led to the introduction of the school's first swearing policy.

The whole program was engaging and well made (clearly I don't get enough swearing at school so I need to watch it in my free time!) and got me thinking about swearing at our Academy. It's pretty low-level in classrooms but the corridors and playgrounds are peppered with colourful expletives. The perpetrators are hardly ever picked up on their language - I'm just as guilty as the rest when it comes to turning a blind eye at the swearing of random children. However, I'm sure it'd be a much nicer and friendlier place if the kids just thought about what they said a bit more carefully. Though that would imply a certain level of maturity not even common in university graduates!

Today was unusual in that there was swearing in both my Y8 and Y11 classes. I think the Y8 one was accidental - we were looking at pictures of cars as part of the car hire investigation and one child said one of the cars was "sh*t", but then clamped her mouth over her hand and apologised profusely. She got a formal warning for that. In the Y11 lesson one girl called a boy a "div" and then when I asked her to leave the room, she started complaining that it was all so "f*cking unfair". She got a full incident sheet for that one.

Anyway, a point was made in the programme that if children swear in the classroom it shows a lack of respect for their learning environment, classmates and teachers. I think I agree with this - I mean, I don't swear at them, no matter how much I want to! In fact my Y11s mock me for saying "whoopsie daisy" when I drop something, and my Y7s know they can't even say "crap" in front of me. But still, from tomorrow I think I will up my position on this.

Finally, this week is the last for Y11s before study leave. You'll be pleased to know that three of my kids forgot to bring their practice papers, thus completely missing the point of today's lessons. Worse, two of them proceeded to have a spirited conversation about farts and how best to release them in a formal setting. I was not pleased but frankly have given up trying to make them understand that perhaps GCSEs are a bit more important than they seem to think. I'd hate for them to learn their lessons the hard way, but I fear they may have to.

Drinking and Walking

I wanna have a nap but feel the need to update the old bloggy first.

I've spent all day with Y7 kids on the Bridges to Africa walk. 10km, 10 bridges, 1000 kids, and pouring rain. You know I loved it though, actually loads of fun, and our kids were so well behaved and good and didn't moan about being tired or bored or cold or anything like that. Even if they did start thinking about moaning, all we had to say was "think of the children in Africa" and they got on with it. Plus I caught up with lots of other TFers, many of whom I haven't seen in ages, so that was wicked too. A lovely day for a worthy cause :)

In other news, here is what I have drunk this weekend, in chronological order (I love the word chronological, it's ace!):

1. A third of a bottle of cabernet shiraz
2. A pear Kopperberg
3. A vodka lemon and lime
4. A jagerbuller (or Jaegerbomber as Puja thinks it's called, but really she is wrong)
5. A double SoCo and lemonade (I think...?)
6. Two generous measures of Chivas Regal on the rocks (my father is so proud of his daughter's ability to drink neat whisky)
7. A gin and lemonade (we had no tonic)
8. A nice glass of Hennessy
9. A chilled Bailey's with ice


I think there was more in there, but really, how proud are you about the variety and diversity etc. of my drinking? I think I might have had all my units in about 24 hours, but that is a huge improvement from uni times. And sure I have been quite shockingly hungover for two days now, but it was worth it!

Girls, Friday night was ace, we must do it again soon, and not just so that we can complain about good for nothing boys. And Bertie, you musta loved my rambling, and don't worry, you must be good for something, I just don't know what yet.

Right, I still haven't written my Y7 reports properly or my applications for TF summer projects. Onwards and upwards (by that I mean, to my bed!)

A good day!

Finally! A good day! What a looooong time coming!

Wow, overdoing the old exclamations there. So teaching is the perfect forum for me to indulge in my manic depressive tendencies. I was super hyper today after minimal sleep and a slightly generous amount of vino at dinner last night, and thus the day went swimmingly. Actually, I think it was because I decided today to be positive, rather than a whiny old witch, and it worked!

I remember singing as I was walking into school and then humming my way through the day - I swear singing sometimes makes you happy.

But also, things were good because I had my internal formal observation with Y11 today, and despite one boy putting his head on the desk and one girl almost in tears (because of some unknown reason - it wasn't me!) I got 2s and 1s all the way through the form (2 means good, 1 means outstanding). The feedback session was really good and I was really pleased with how it all went. I have to work on implementing the behaviour policy (not giving a formal warning to a deserving kid dropped me from a 1 to a 2 in the classroom management section) and also on really breaking down how to get each mark in an exam question for the kids. These are good targets for me, I can do that for sure.

What I was most pleased about was how my observer said that I had the most positive classroom style she'd seen in the school since she'd started the observations. In fact, she said she took a leaf out of my book and tried praising her Y8s for good things instead of telling off the naughty ones, and that this worked a treat! I got points for my relationship with the kids and my enthusiasm for teaching too (hahaha, if only she'd read the blog!)

Anyway the fact that I was so chirpy today could be partly attributed to this lesson, but given that I didn't get the feedback till the end of the day, other things must've contributed too. My Y8s were really good during their notoriously awful Thursday period 4. I took them to the computer room and they did well, so I think I'll try and take them again next week. Naughty S was much better behaved, and crazy D is in the LSU from next week, so we'll have a bit of respite there. Was free period 5 and did some sweeping up of the kids that had walked out of lessons (this happens quite a lot, kids storming out). Was chuffed that I'd managed to persuade an angry Y10 back into her class - it's nice when your reasoning and persuasion skills get the kids to do the right thing.

And finally, had the Leadership Discovery Day twilight tonight. Lots of stuff to take in, all about opportunities and skills and knowledge and experience etc. in the "leadership journey" we'll be going through. Hated all the TF jargon/lingo, it's so Americanised and management-consultancy, and obvy the thought of having to do lots more work is a bit of a turn-off, but secretly I think I'm quite excited about all the things we could potentially do next year. More on this soon, when I've read through all the paraphenalia. Crucially, we only had to do 90 mins tonight - the rest of the TFers had to do an 8 hour day of it last Sat!

So, in conclusion, I think today shows that a positive mind is a strong tool. And also that everyone needs some positive praise now and then. Teaching can feel like a thankless job but I've been reminded there's light at the end of the tunnel - sometimes it's a looooong tunnel though!

More ranting

I have my SLT observation tomorrow morning and a twilight to catch up on the Leadership Discovery Day that I missed tomorrow afternoon. I have Year 7 maths papers to mark and a Year 8 group to entertain in a computer suite. I'm not sure how the day could be any better.

Oh wait, something funny. There were two completely different papers to be answered in the Year 7 end of year test. The papers were sat on two consecutive days in formal exam settings. And yet, one of my kids somehow managed to do the same paper twice. How did she not notice she was doing exactly the same test all over again? At least she got a better mark the second time round.

I'm also glad I'm not Adam from the Apprentice. Shame he was fired tonight, I kinda wanted him to win, just cos he wound everyone up so much.

Nothing else useful to say except that if one more kid calls me "Miss Paramashawasha" I will be forced to plead temporary insanity when my subsequent actions are questioned.

Ooooh just read this little nugget....hahaha if it's good enough for Tony Blair's son eh?

Some good things in a list

Another tough day at school. I think if they offered me the option to quit now, and there would be no negative consequences, then I'd do it. In fact, late this afternoon I found myself fantasising about deliberately sabotaging my work towards my QTS so that I wouldn't achieve QTS and thus would be automatically freed from my contract. This is worrying.

I heard today that my mother's receptionist sold her four-bedroom flat in Earl's Court for £1.2 million. Wow. To think I gave up such a lucrative career as a medical PA. Hahaha.

I have four mouth ulcers at the moment, not very nice. I have thus decided I must either be suffering from chronic stress or even burnout - oh dear. Still, there are some highlights in my life:

1. My football girls - both teams lost their matches and there was lots of drama, but good spirits there. Particularly funny was the fact that we play next to a gigantic rubbish dump, thus making the Leyton football tournament seem similar to an impromptu street tournament in some Brazilian favela/Kenyan slum. The rubbish and dust even blows across the pitch into our eyes and mouths. Nice.

2. My dance class - actually, this really was fun, completely took my mind off things. We learnt to do this funny twirly thing, and I kept getting caught up in my own feet, but had lots of fun doing it.

3. This link sent to me from Potter - how lovely! I do love a good hug, but I think hugging kids is a bit of a no-no.

4. The email below sent to me from my Dad. So I guess they want me to get married soon, but only to a nice man:


WAYS TO TURN DOWN UNWANTED MEN !!!!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> HE : Can I buy you a drink?
> >>> SHE : Actually I'd rather have the money.
> >>>
> >>> HE : I'm a photographer. I've been looking for a face like yours.
> >>> SHE : I'm a plastic surgeon. I've been looking for a face like yours.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Hi. Didn't we go on a date once? Or was it twice?
> >>> SHE : Must've been once. I never make the same mistake twice.
> >>>
> >>> HE : How did you get to be so beautiful?
> >>> SHE : I must've been given your share.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Will you go out with me this Saturday?
> >>> SHE : Sorry. I'm having a headache this weekend.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Your face must turn a few heads.
> >>> SHE : And your face must turn a few stomachs.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Go on ,don't be shy. Ask me out.
> >>> SHE : Okay, get out.
> >>>
> >>> HE : I think I could make you very happy.
> >>> SHE : Why? Are you leaving?
> >>>
> >>> HE : What would you say if I asked you to marry me?
> >>> SHE : Nothing. I can't talk and laugh at the same time.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Can I have your name?
> >>> SHE : Why? Don't you already have one?
> >>>
> >>> HE : Shall we go see a movie?
> >>> SHE : I've already seen it.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Where have you been all my life?
> >>> SHE : Hiding from you.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Haven't I seen you some place before?
> >>> SHE : Yes. That's why I don't go there anymore.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Is this seat empty?
> >>> SHE : Yes, and this one will be if you sit down.
> >>>
> >>> HE : So, what do you do for a living?
> >>> SHE : I'm a female impersonator.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Hey baby, what's your sign?
> >>> SHE : Do not enter.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Your body is like a temple.
> >>> SHE : Sorry, there are no services today.
> >>>
> >>> HE : If I could see you naked, I'd die happy.
> >>> SHE : If I saw you naked, I'd probably die laughing.

Keep smiling!

Busy Weekend

I have lots of work to do. There's a surprise.

So my phone ran outta battery some time on Saturday morning, so apologies if I've not got back to you if you tried to get in touch. Crazy weekend. I will try and give you just the highlights, but you know what I'm like with the rambling.

School happened on Friday, pretty standard affair, nothing too exciting except I threatened some random child with an exclusion because he asked me if I was a "dyke" cos I taught football....how inappropriate! Plus I think "dyke" is in line with "paki" or "nigger" or "cripple" as offensive terms for things so had to cut that one down. I think the sports kit isn't really showing me off in the best light. Hahaha, anyway, he was pretty scared - I hope he doesn't realise I have no power at all to exclude anyone! I am proud of myself though - check me out challenging stereotyped views and standing up for equal opportunities and all that - Standard 3.3.14 all over!

Friday night went up to Oxford, had a few lovely drinks with Mouche, MeJij, Rouse & co. Mouche gave me a book and bought an excellent multi-sensory birthday present for MeJij. The Goooooose was just the same, I love it. Moved onto the Turf where there were lots of nice familiar faces and good catching up times to be had. Chatter was fuelled by numerous pints of Old Rosie, wicked stuff. Some unnamed people got pretty hammered and then there was a bit of a falling out. McDonald's was also involved at some point in the night (McPigeon Nuggets - gross!), alongside some deep and meaningful chats and all that drunken stuff. Essentially a fun night was had and a splitting hangover and sleep deprivation suffered the next day.

Not good since Saturday was graduation. Most of it passed by in a blur since there were many confusing moments and strange procedures. The whole thing was more or less in latin, and we had to bow at different people at different times and then walk to different rooms and wear our hoods and then walk back. Lots of stuff went on anyway, most of which I don't remember except for lunch (which was nice, and gave me a chance to knock back some wine, which woke me up substantially) and also lots of photographs. I did like wearing the crazy bat gown though, it's worth graduating just for that.

Missed the ball Sat night, but went up to Warwick with my family to take my brother out for dinner. Went to a nice Mexican restaurant and loaded up on deep fried cheese amongst other goodies. My father kept comparing tortillas to rotis and chapattis, and my Mum needed a steak knife to cut her chicken. My brother bought me a "bop-it" as a graduation gift, but I'm not letting myself open it yet, else the day will be written off (Bop-Its are like a bottle of SoCo to me). Good times.

Early start on Sunday for my cousin's wedding in Surrey. Was having sari nightmares - it get getting caught in the sequins of my shoes and also kept exposing my sari top - not appropriate for weddings! Lots of fun again though, maaaany cousins and family present, all of which keen to know how awful teaching is. Many bemused faces from people who seemed to think I was working in some kinda investment bank - also lots of disparaging commentary from my father about the exploiting of young graduates through TF, made me proud. Wedding passed well though with not too many tears from the little ones. Every wedding down is more pressure on the rest of us though - all the aunties and uncles spend ages winding us up about getting married and trying to introduce us to random sons of random other people. Apparently if you don't get married by 25 it will be much more difficult to catch one of the "good boys". I think I'll take my chances.

When we get the photos back, will post them up so anyone thinking I was bunking the Leadership Discovery Day will have proof that I wasn't!

I hate my Y8s!

Yes, beware, this whole post is probably going to turn into a massive long rant.

I think I actually hate my Y8s. Today period 4 they were just out of control. I worry about my ability to teach - how can they get so crazy and how do I stop them?

Actually, I should just qualify these statements - they aren't all mad and I don't hate them all. In fact, there are a good six or seven in there that are perfect angels. Another four or five are manageable. But then there are some that I just cannot deal with - they drive me bonkers. To the extent today, in fact, that I missed half of period 5 because I was still so cross.

We were doing some work today based on CensusAtSchool, which I thought they'd find really fun, but the monster ones just kept complaining all the time about it and shouting and standing on their chairs and generally giving loads of attitude and not working. In retrospect I shoulda just got the Head of Department in to bollock them, but he was really stressed today too (everyone is at the moment, there's too much to do) so I tried to deal with it, but pretty unsuccessfully. One of them is still showing no remorse at all, and just doesn't seem to care at all. One of them isn't taking to me cos I called her Mum, but I don't really care about that. The rest, well, I am not looking forward to seeing them next week - they ruin my day.

I think the worst thing about it is that I thought I'd planned something really fun, and some kids were really getting into it, but then they all had to be stopped because of the behaviour of some kids. I think it might have just been too hard for them - they didn't understand how to measure themselves, or the angles between their fingers, or how they felt about politicians etc. Also, the seating plan was completely wrong - all the troublesome ones were sitting together to cause trouble.

No, actually, the worst thing was when I kept some of them in at lunchtime and I gave D, one of the naughty ones, who is already on red (head of year) report, a "two" on his report (he needs a "three" to stay out of trouble). D asks me why and I say it's because he's been shouting "shut up" all lesson. He explains that he was trying to help me control the class, and that in future he won't bother and leave them to mess about instead. It's sad but they listened to him more than to me.

Period 4 on Thursday with 8Y3 is my worst lesson of the week, almost every week. Unfortunately this is when OFSTED are coming to see me. Great. I think I need a plan.

It's so bad though - I am dreading having to keep them on next year when they become year 9 and are thus even worse.

Ok good, I have got my ranting out of the way...hopefully when I write their reports later tonight, I won't be too cross. Or maybe I will be...little monsters.