Monday, March 31, 2008

Last week of term!

I have three and a half days left to teach this term. Awesome! That's only 12 lessons since Friday is the 1pm finish day, and I only actually teach lesson one that day.

Tomorrow it will be April. One quarter or 0.25 or 25% of the chronological year has gone. Two thirds of the academic year. I ask again, where has it gone?

I have a lot of work to do. Marking-wise I am about three weeks behind with most of my classes. Despite this, I am struggling to make myself actually mark through. For example, today after the year team meeting I got home 6ish and decided to get my Y10 books out of the way. Figured I could do it in an hour. Only really started marking about 2 hours later. Whoops. I bought some stuff on Amazon, answered all my emails, messed about on Facebook, called some people, read the papers online etc. It's so easy to distract myself. Boo, this weekend, the first of the holiday, may end up being all about marking.

Planning too is out of the window. I winged the day today, which was ok actually since I only taught three lessons and I had already planned one of them before. I've noticed that now I've pretty much taught every topic, it's a little bit easier, since I already know good ways of teaching them. That said, next term I will need to get back on form, particularly if I want to pass my NQT year! My folder is looking pretty barren.

The week is busy. It's Y11 awards ceremony tomorrow night. We are all grumpy about having to go since we didn't teach many of them and it's a long evening of boring speeches etc. I suppose it is a celebration of achievement, but when you have so much work to do it feels like time could be better spent. Would I spend it better though? I guess I'll just take Gilead along with me :)

Weds night is a G&T training meeting for the HEAPS Program for which I'm an Advocate. Should be good stuff I think, I'm enthusiastic about this program. But again, I should be working. Or at least going to the gym.

What else is new? I saw Bertie in Wendover this weekend, was awesome, it's proper villagey countrysidey and I loved it. There's something about living in London that makes me want to escape. X had a party on Saturday night, which was good drunken fun. A few more people know about X now, which is a good feeling I think. Weekends are like holidays, but then weekdays are like work. That's a deep sentiment.

Some important geography:

- the capital of Tibet is Lhasa
- the Argentinian plains are called Pampas

Last horoscope of this term, not really sure what it's about:

Few situations are more uncomfortable than those in which you must question those whose actions you regard as suspect. Obviously, you would prefer the luxury of having reliable information, but with so much in transition, facts arrive piecemeal. If you’re right, something must be done. Ironically, others are well aware of problems, and the more forthright you are in expressing those concerns, the better things will go. The surprise is that they’ve also been wondering what you’ve been up to. Once you’re speaking frankly, promise to keep it up. That’s because, while you may have cleared up the current crop of mysteries you’re facing, yet more are promised next week.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

I am really happy because...

    • I got my MSc in Sociology offer from Oxford today!
    • Y12 parents' evening only last 1 hour
    • I taught 4 really good lessons today
    • I didn't have to write a single incident sheet
    • My tutor group had a really deep and mature PSHE lesson on death lesson 1
    • I was observed with my top set Y8s lesson 4 and got some great feedback
    • The Advocates (Y12 mentoring) launch event last night was a great success and my kids are really inspired
    • Some more Y12s have offered to run extra coaching sessions for my Y7 footballers
    • I got a new phone off my brother
    • Bertie is back in the country and I'm going to see him tomorrow
    • I don't have to work in the City any more
    • I've applied for another job at TF, which I probably won't get, but am glad I've tried anyway
    • I get to see X tomorrow

    A long list and a really good day. And now it's time for bed. Cool.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Too busy to mark, heehee

Wow, it's been AAAGES since I posted on here. Bad me, whoops. I have been truly busy busy. Hmm.

I am busy today too, I have just decided not to do any of my work. This is a mistake, clearly, since I have no other evenings free this week. Whoops again.

So what's new? 8 teaching days to go, woo hoo! School is as nuts as usual, all the kids are behaving either really well, or really badly. Loads of my tutor group are being naughty, but my Y10s are a little better. My Y12s are lovely, we discussed Marxism and feminism today, and they became all argumentative and then cynical, it's great to see them connecting with the arguments.

I'm being observed lesson 4 on Thursday, great. I haven't planned a lesson yet. Tomorrow night it's the launch of TF Advocates - a mentoring programme for gifted and talented Y12s to help them with uni applications. Should be good. Have Y12 parents' evening on Thursday too, more great. I don't think ANY books are going to get marked this week. Also, I have no time to go to the gym.

It's weird, I seem to alternate between extreme leisure/fun time and just loads of school work. I have taken to spending almost all my spare time with X, which is awesome. We went to Stonehenge weekend just gone, was properly cool, those stones are HUGE! Also saw a poor adaptation of Love in the Time of Cholera and an excellent version of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I enjoy my time off so much that the time at work and during the week have become even tougher to get through because I compare it constantly with how happy I could be if it was the weekend.

I'm going to Toronto at the spring break, great! That's a genuine great :) Apart from that, I've been spending a lot of thinking time having minor panics about my life and my decisions and the future. As soon as the panic leads to a shortness of breath, I disengage. I wonder what will happen when I really think about these things?

I guess I better start planning that lesson, especially since I've already accidentally had a two-hour nap, so sleeping now is probably not an option.

Will do my best to update more regularly, who cares about marking?

Monday, March 17, 2008

Naughty Kids, Good Lessons, and Time

Monday week B is over. There are only 12 teaching days left of the term. And then I'll just have one term left of my NQT year. Where is the time going? In equal parts it seems to drag and rush by, and now it's my "half-birthday" and half of my time being 24 is up, and where has it gone?

My classes are ok for the most part. I taught some good lessons today, using this fun starter activity in all the maths ones. I'm more and more convinced that if the kids get into the starter, then the lesson is a good one. So now I will do my best to make the starters accessible and fun, as they should be.

C is back in my Y10 class after parents' evening last Thursday. He was good today, I think because at parents' evening I told most parents their kids were not going to get C grades at this rate, which shocked them a bit, good.

Crazy H pushed an LSA three times today, got kids to throw books at him, and also had a fight in his Art lesson. He's lost the plot, I don't know what to do with him. Similarly with another C, who was moved to my tutor group because his other tutor couldn't stand him, and now he is starting to go back to his old ways, including punching someone today, and also being accused of indecent behaviour. Our school is so up and down.

In other news, tonight is my chill night, and I should be marking, but due to the joys of Good Friday, I've been setting homework from today, so I only have one lot of books to mark, excellent! The rest of my week is pretty busy, as is my life generally, although recently I find myself bailing on things to spend more time with X. I think it's because I've started of thinking of time as my most limited resource so I may as well do what I most want to do with it. A good plan I think. We're going to Stonehenge this weekend, should be good fun. Have also booked my Spring holiday to Toronto, whoop whoop! Just gotta get through the 12 days first, I'm optimistic. And dramatic. In equal measures.

My horoscope:

Every Virgo respects the need to be painstaking when dealing with delicate situations, which is exactly what you’re facing now, and have been for weeks. Although it may not seem as if this process — which has been tedious and intriguing in equal parts — is coming to a close, it does, and suddenly. So say whatever you must and gather whatever facts you still need during the week’s first half. This frees you, so that when the focus shifts to practical matters, just before the week’s close, you’re ready. What’s more, this is so contentious that you’re relieved you familiarised yourself thoroughly with the minutiae involved. Better yet, in clearing up these problems, you’ll eliminate a few others as well.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

I am sleepy

I am sleepy. I have been for two days. Not that kinda zombie feeling I've had before; I don't feel unmotivated, just tired. Thus the days have been calm since I have floated through them in a daze. Have had lots of bad behaviour around the school though, mainly from students in the corridors who I don't teach. Wet weather makes the kids a bit mad, especially when they are trapped inside the building.

Had a lovely weekend. All weekends are lovely really, I just wish there were more weekends and less weekdays. Am now busy(!) marking books.

Took my Y7s to football today - they won a match and then lost one, but I was so proud because they are such good little sportsmen, really supportive of each other and fair players etc. Made it worth going despite me craving a nap from about 1pm.

Have busy evenings for the rest of the week so no nap opportunities. Boo. Think I will have a shower now to wake me up a bit.

Sorry I haven't got anything too exciting to say - when you are asleep things tend to be pass you by.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Saturday morning - don't want to work yet

I am procrastinating. It is going well. The lesson planning, however, is not.

This week has been really busy. Now that I finally have a chance to sit and reflect for a bit, I am taking it, and thus struggling to actually do the things I am meant to do, and have to do, today.

Highlights and lowlights include the TF Women in Leadership Event on Weds. It was that event last year that sparked my demise in teaching, in that S and I went out on a bender and then school became tough. Not that the two events are directly correlated. The speakers were good. One was hilarious - she kept making random outlandish statements, and actively contradicting other speakers and putting them down. I think all people named Julia are a bit eccentric. The overall message was that we had to compromise and prioritise, but we could get what we wanted so long as we were driven enough. Never heard that one before(!) Saw a friend from uni afterwards - she's on a year abroad and she reads this I think, so here's your name check R...was good to see you, hope things are chirpy!

I forget about people who don't have to work the next day, and thus try and drink with them, error. I really should learn that mid-week fixtures are for the most part just not on. Thursday day-time was a right-off, which was unfortunate since I had a parents' evening. That was a nightmare - Y8, so my maths group AND my tutor group. Was still there after 9pm having done 150 mins of solid speaking to various concerned/irate parents. Also I thought some of the kids in my tutor group had given me their disgusting eye infections, but fingers crossed I have escaped.

What else? Teaching was ok, standard dramas, manageable. Oh, except the whole "failing the year" thing, but I've decided to ignore that for now. Had a lovely dinner with the girls last night, some good chatter and gossip + managed to deflect any serious chatter that was aimed my way (although they did pin me down in the end). I love going out for Indian food, it's ace, particularly when it's really good food, yum yum.

Ok, I think I'll book my April escape to Toronto now. It IS on the to-do list, so I don't think it counts as a distraction.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

A good day, even with drama

Today went well. Mostly. I had some lovely attendees at my maths support club, and all my lessons were good - I think I gave out about 20 merits in the day, that's loads. Y10 were really great, worked really hard etc. I think my day depends on Y10 and my tutor group - if they are both good, then the day is good.

Have two kids on blue report (danger of exclusion) and one girl currently excluded, plus some other TROUBLEMAKERS. Wish they could behave better. On the plus side, had a discussion with my Learning Log mentor, and he seems to think we're making good progress on the goals. This is despite the Head of Y12 having to postpone the Cambridge trip that I spent ages trying to organise. Grrr.

Only have one set of books left to mark this week, yay! Also, tomorrow is World Maths Day so I figure I will take my classes to the computer rooms so they can take part online. Obviously this is a recipe for disaster since the website will crash and the kids will riot. Oh well. I am happy right now.

One minor drama today though. Apparently I have had so much time off school that I am in danger of not passing my NQT year. That is awful bad news, equivalent to failing, I can't be doing that. Except I have already resigned my post, so it'll be tricky to have to extend my training to another term. Plus I don't want to have to come back in September, I already have a job lined up. I can't believe it really, I'm slightly shocked, since I was so highly rated last year, and now this year they think I'm going to fail. Crumbs. Better pull my socks up. I'm sure it'll be fine...

That's all for now. National Bed Month remember? Go to bed!

Monday, March 03, 2008

Quick Ramble

My job is being advertised in the TES - wow, kinda final huh? I'm glad glad though, phew, means my department will be sorted for September.

Aaargh, I'm so tired. I should learn that drinking on Sunday always makes me feel rough on Monday.

8E were naughty today, I can't control them, and now without a Head of Year, it's even tougher. Am starting not to care though. Bad bad. I have 81 more teaching days to go, I have to keep caring. Can see it slipping though. For example, I no longer set detentions for missed homework with my Y10s - partly because they don't come, partly because it's not worth the battle, partly because it means I can mark the books faster because fewer students have done the work. JADED.

What else? Horoscope here...

Bitter experience has taught you that, thrilling as others’ descriptions of ideas, ventures or even intriguing individuals may be, you must check things out yourself. Still, the dramatic changes ushered in by the Virgo eclipsed Full Moon two weeks ago got you wondering whether you’ve been overly cautious. You have. And if you refuse to go along with this week’s developments, you’ll not only miss out on worthwhile information about what’s happening, you could also miss out on the opportunities they bring. During periods of transition such as this, there are no guarantees. Stick with things that are certain and you’ll soon be watching others overtake you in the fast lane.

My gosh, take a risk, leave the plan, stop being cautious...are they talking about Virgos?

And finally, heard the new Kooks song, good fun indeed.

Roll on the busy busy week - but first, BED.

PS It's National Bed Month!

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Highlights from the End of the Week

It's Saturday morning, woo! I woke up at half nine, just cos. Awesome! I am not even hungover from last night, despite drinking cocktails AND champagne, dangerous combos, so that's also awesome! Went to a cool little Scottish cocktail bar called Doon in Traf Sq - have a friend born on 29th Feb, so it was his 6th birthday party, cue lots of childish cards and badges etc. hahahaha.

Inspection feedback - we were "good". That is seriously good, since schools are rated outstanding, good, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory, and for a school that's had so much drama, this rating is ace. The maths department were named as "a beacon of excellence", woah. Obviously we are, but they only saw one maths lesson, and then seemed to watch us maths teachers teach PSHE, so not sure what they based it on. Must be our stellar Head of Department, and all our statistics. Our department is in the top 2% nationally with regards to value added scores (how much the kids improve from 11 to 14).

The head of Y8 had her last day on Friday. Kids were high as kites, everyone very emotional, there were crying kids (and teachers!) everywhere. She was properly ace at her job, I'm dreading the rest of term where we have no-one to do this job for us and keep the kids in line.

Y9 parents' evening on Thurs night was exhausting, and pretty emotional too. Really proud of my class - in their SATs mocks half of them got level 5cs, which is so many more than I'd expected. I want to get almost all of them into level 5 when they take the proper ones in May. It was emotional because loads of the parents were really pleased and grateful about how their kids were doing in maths. And then this boy S, I see him last, and he and his mother ramble on and on about how much S loves maths now and how he can't wait for me to teach him again next year and how I'm a lovely teacher etc. (see how my head gets big?) and on the one hand this makes me feel great, and on the other it makes me feel awful, because all these kids are making plans, and I'm not around to be there for them. More and more people at school have found out that I'll be leaving, it's awkward and difficult, I feel like a traitor. Sigh.

On to happier things - have decided to plan all my lessons now and do my Y12 marking, then I can play all weekend. But first, let's check out the TES for international jobs, I miss the sun!