The Canterbury Tales

I didn't start this blog till after the Summer Institute last year, so I've had to wait a long time to use "the Canterbury Tales" as a title. Still, better late than never.

So, a whistle-stop tour of our three days in Canterbury. We:

• presented our WA4s to the '07s
• shared resources and ran workshops with the '07s
• completed our final QTS portfolio checks and interviews
• set two new targets for our NQT year
• learnt about rights and responsibilities for our NQT year
• got introduced to the GS Learning Log (part of a 3 year research project to try and measure the impact TF teachers have had with regards to achieving the TF mission)
• enjoyed a delightfully cheesy TF QTS ceremony

A very busy 3 days indeed. My WA4 went down a treat, despite having a choking fit in the middle of it. Comparing my Y8s to the Sesame Street Bunch (cos they are all very strange, and because they seem nice enough on the outside, but could cause trouble at any moment!)

and my Y11s to the Ocean's 13 gang (cos they were just too cool for school)

got me a barrel of laughs, as did the slides where the spell-check had changed all the "maths" to "moths", which I didn't notice until I was reading out "I have tried to incorporate real-world moths into my classroom this year". Aside from my own, I was thoroughly impressed with the other presentations I saw - we've come so far this year; WA4 is a wonderful celebration of this.

It was great working with the '07s - we saw them micro-teach, very impressive stuff. Also set up a resources carousel for them, which was good fun. Again, it was highly evident how much we've learned and developed over the year - I wouldn't want to go back to the state of impending doom most of them seem to be in at the moment! That first term is oh so tough, I don't think I could do it again.

Finally the end of QTS ceremony. Our CEO made a hilarious video featuring clips from the Wizard of Oz, the Lord of the Rings, and Gladiator, all of which were meant to represent our teaching journey. The barbershop boys sang their funny song again. We were praised by and applauded all the TF staff and our tutors. We watched our SI music video again.

And finally we had the participants' diaries, which were the real highlight - so honest and heartfelt and just downright funny. My favourite bit was R's story about how one day he was marking his books and heard a boom in the room next door. He ignored it until he heard another loud crash. Reluctantly he wandered next door and found a load of rowdy Y10s causing chaos for a supply teacher. Standing in the doorway, he found himself doing that thing that no-one has ever taught us, that's not in any book or guide or anything. It's just something that, at moments like this, just comes from deep within - the barking of the seal.

"Errrrrrrr," he said, pointing at one child. "Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," he said, facing another. "Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," he said, glaring at yet another. The barking continued as child after child stopped in their tracks and returned to their seat. Eventually the room returned to normality. Returning to his own classroom afterwards, he wondered if it had all really happened, before shouting out in glee. I think we've all had a moment like that.

Sports Day and associated ramblings

Sports Day today. Much fun had by all. Very impressed at all the posters and chants and things the kids made. Also by the general behaviour and positive attitude throughout the afternoon - even some of the naughty kids were on their best behaviour. Sad not to run in the teachers' relay - can't wait for this knee to sort itself out.

Had a nice chat with Mr L (the epic former head of Y11 and now head of Y9). Taught me some stuff to do with behaviour etc. and how I shouldn't let the little monsters defeat me, but instead keep going and show them who's boss. He sorted out the nasty Y10 who had a go at me at break time. Basically tried to get her to turn her phone off - I didn't even try and confiscate it! - and she starts swearing and then turns and points to her face and says "does it look like I'm bothered? I don't care what you say" and then walked off. Nice. Between him and the head of Y10, who is also pretty damn good, the girl was in tears and later came and apologised in a very mature way. Was impressed there.

Obviously easy to do when you've got people around. Not so when I'm left to my own devices. Later in sports day, caught a Y7 hurling a cymbal into the grass (one class had bought a load of instruments down). When I tried to reprimand him, he just flew into a strop and refused to apologise or improve his behaviour. Similarly, three other Y7s were throwing water at each other. Managed to get two of them to stop but the third one just wouldn't cave. So in the end I kinda gave up. Wrong thing to do, but it just feels hopeless sometimes.

And finally, I got moved from being a Y11 tutor (yay!) but am now instead going to be a Y8 tutor (no!) for the current 7E aka "7 evil". I'm sure a few posts back there was week when they destroyed me. Oh dear. Still, I will try not to let the dread of next year encroach upon me already.

A quote from K to finish (she says she was quoting Gandhi): you must be the change you wish to see in the world. Right then, sounds easy enough...

Winner!

Yep, I feel like a winner today :) Since I can't drink yet, have been chomping on these amazing Jelly Belly jelly beans, yum yum!

My final assessment went really really well. I got graded "very good", which is the top grade CCCU gives to TFs. My portfolio was pretty hot, almost everything was there, just need to do some more work on assessment. My observed lesson could hardly have gone better - the kids were great, really keen and on the ball, no behaviour problems, all engaged and on task - it was a thing of beauty. Only minor issue was time, but I dealt with that. My favourite part of the interview was when my assessor said to me that I taught like someone who'd been teaching for 2 or 3 years, and that I was a natural. Hahaha, a natural teacher, who'd have thought it eh? He also said I should start laying the ground work to move up the ladder because there's lots of potential for responsibility. Exciting stuff! So yeah, I'm feeling pretty good right now :)

It's weird though, because recently I was really not enjoying this job, and obviously things are still tough, but I think my faith in me has been slightly restored. Maybe I could be a teacher after all....

But I wonder what it would be like to change schools? I'm always ranting about the problems in school, but my department and so many of my colleagues are just amazing, I don't think I'd want to go somewhere else. Really, especially with my department, they're all just so supportive and lovely, I don't think other departments could compare. Today, for example, after my observed lesson, they were all waiting outside to see what had happened - how sweet! And when I couldn't walk up the stairs they helped me get all the resources and organised room changes and sorted things out for me. I really owe them.

Wow, I think I am a wee bit emotional today, heehee.

Ooh but in other news, D in Y8 was back in my lesson today after 4 weeks in the LSU. He lasted 20 minutes before he started simulating a sexual act and so I had to kick him out. Also, heard a scary rumour that I may in fact be a Y11 tutor next year. Errr, no thanks.

Must stop the negativity....winning thoughts, winning thoughts...I'm a winner, yay!

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.

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!

Day 30 + later in the evening ramblings

Day 1 of the summer term. I have called it Day 30 since this is how long my Y11s are in school for before study leave. Only 29 days with them to go, how sad! I do love that class.

Anyway, so far so good. New behaviour policy was implemented today. I don't think I fully understand it. Clearly made an error since have filled in 0 incident sheets today, whilst the more experienced and senior teachers have filled out looooooads. Obviously in two weeks when my classes are running riot, this will be why.

Strangely I feel like I have nothing pressing to do right now. I better enjoy this feeling - no doubt it will vanish rapidly in about 10 minutes when I actually let myself think about what I have to do.

Sprousey, perhaps I should submit a thesis on why ethnic people are more punctually challenged? I'm sure I read somewhere it was because the emphasis on time is much greater in Western societies, whereas in our ethnic worlds, time doesn't matter, events happen when they happen. Also, who is JM? I've forgotten, crumbs.

What else? Well, I stumbled upon this blog since it was the one that had just been updated as I signed into blogger. Haven't read it, but how cute are the babies on there? Forget mixed race babies, now I want Aryan ones.

Update - 22:23

Some things I forgot to mention/have happened since my post:

1. Sparrow had some tests done today and she'll get the results soon, but she's been feeling better. Yay!
2. I made awful fun of a Y11 girl in my group for having a lovebite. Not very professional.
3. Birds pooed all over my car bonnet while I was at piano, grrr. Still, my little car is in dire need of a wash, so I guess it's time.
4. I remembered to pick up my dry cleaning but forgot to take enough money. Whoops.
5. I realised that my "piano crazy" is back - namely being unable to control my hands independently of one another, and also completely freaking out if my hands touch each other or Jade's when we play. It is now an official syndrome.
6. I went to an amazing dance class at the gym. We are learning a routine to Entourage. At the start of the class there were about 35 people, and by the end less than 20 were left. Clearly we are the hardcore. I have limited co-ordination, but was so much fun!
7. I watched a great Horizon on intelligences, which featured Gardner's multiple intelligence theory (of SI Professional Studies fame).

What a great list of stuff I've done. How interesting for you to read.