Messages and Day 1

29 school days to half-term. I'm not counting down, that's just a statement of fact.

Today went remarkably well, I think perhaps because I maintained a smile on my face. And also because I have a co-tutor for my crazy ones at the moment, which means between us we can just about keep on top of them. Just.

Some good things:

• The kids were actually really well behaved and glad to be back
• My new classroom looks ace
• I managed to plan most of my lessons in a blitz at home after school
  
• I don't have a class of 30 year 7s after all, only 28, so I'm only missing two of them
• This means that I can have seven tables of four and get rid of the extra table that made the table of six (you probably won't care about that, but layout is important to me)
• I got an excellent amount of sleep last night and am determined to repeat the feat tonight
• I feel neither low nor high, just normal, woo!
  

Some things that could have been better:

• During the fire drill three of my kids started squawking and poking each other, right in front of the senior teachers, which made me look like a muppet
• Some kids (not mine, some others) have already graffitied parts of the toilet and outer wall (losers)
• I have been given a lunch duty and an extra break duty (the lunch one particularly annoys me since its only people on the Academy contracts that have to do this, not the old school staff, plus having a 30 minute break only is nowhere near enough, given that most of my lunches only last 15 mins as it is, what will all the usual school-chaos)
• I also have an extra slot with my lower group 7s, which I don't understand, since I didn't last term. This bumps up my teaching load to too much.
  

Anyway, enough grumbling, on to the messages. I received four really contrasting emails today. One was from a friend in Kenya, who talked seriously and vividly about the problems he's been experiencing over there since the elections. Scary stuff. There are similar problems in Sri Lanka, which I read about in a petition sent from my uncle. I can't believe the minor things I stress about when there are real people in the world living hand to mouth with no sense of stability or security. Be more grateful was a resolution, and I am.

The third was from a FB group dedicated to the recent passing of a Keble PPE finalist. He died at only 21 on the college ski trip, and his memorial was today. Poor boy, so young; it makes me think I should do better things more quickly, because you never know. On a lighter note, the last was from a TF friend inviting me to her birthday drinks, which was written with such eccentric and quintessentially British humour that I'm still laughing, and entirely jealous of her way with words.

No TV today, I am determined to finish my book since it's due back at the library tomorrow. And given that I can't go to the gym yet due to creaky-knee, well, there's no excuse.