Back and Happy and Grizzly Too

I am back from Dubai and still a bit dazed from it all. Had a fantastic and awesome time, it went so quickly but was great, I wish I was still on holiday.

Have lots of work to do but am ignoring it all. We're being HMI-ed (inspected) when we get back after half-term (STRESS!) so all the books have to be marked up to date and we need to make proper loooong detailed lesson plans for the inspection days. Lame. Can't be bothered, think I will have a panic on Sunday night instead. That will be the official end of half-term for me, and hopefully after Spurs beat Chelski in the Carling Cup Final on Sunday, well, I will be a bit drunk, so the lesson planning will be fun!

I had a knee appointment today and it was sad because my ACL graft is ruptured so I need to have ANOTHER knee reconstruction, which is obviously crap news. I dealt with it better this time, I am not as devastated, mainly because I expected it to be coming, and also because I am less into contact sports and stuff now, I can deal with a busted up knee better than I could when I was at Oxford, when everything I did required a super duper knee. Still, it's not great news, and buying lots of random stuff afterwards was perhaps not the best idea (although I DO now own a lovely pair of brown leather boots and also lots and lots of socks and blusher, excellent).

A busy weekend planned and next week too is super busy, I don't think I have a complete day of unplanned stuff until the following Sunday, BUSY! And Puja, the capitals are for you :)

Finally, just so you know, an emirate designates a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled emir (thanks for that Wikipedia!). The seven dwarves are Sneezy, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Bashful and Doc. And it's totally worth watching Severance, a silly British comedy horror film, gorey and goofy at the same time.

That's all for now.

The Wrong Side of the Bed

A valuable lesson learned today. If I get up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning, the correct course of action is to get immediately back in and try again, else the day will be a write-off.

I only pursued this correct course of action at 4pm, when I got back home from school after much trauma, and lo and behold now I feel better. But a lesson learned the hard way.

Actually, I didn't sleep last night, that is probably more the cause of my traumas. I guess it was to be expected - I was having far too good a day on Wednesday that there was no way Thursday could keep up. The problem when I get really happy is that comedown is inevitable, and along with it arrives all kinds of paranoia, weird thoughts, and generally ridiculous actions. For example, I am running redlights, which is something I only do when feeling reckless. Luckily that was ok, but I hit problems when we made a giant skipping rope in the corridor at school and I tried to jump in without looking at the rope (surely the other members of the maths department should have stopped me?!). Inevitably I f-ed up my knee, and am now back to being Limping Lucy. Rubbish. This meant that I didn't do anything properly at school today, preferring instead to cause drama.

That was the most minor of traumas. I upset three people today - two on a small level, one on a real level. I don't know why I have to be honest about what I think and feel. Life was much better and easier when I just kept things to myself and didn't let other people affect me. It turns out being honest about things isn't always the best way forward, particularly when you end up looking like a fruitloop and people get upset with what you say. Further, knowledge is clearly power, so I should try and keep some of this power for myself. As a result, I am now making an effort to be quiet.

A few good things though. I packed up the Christmas decorations early, so at least I have done one thing today; I don't have that Norovirus thing, although am convinced I'll get it since some of the kids will have had it, plus my mother's a doctor so surely it'll somehow sneak in here; I am ignoring school work; I can still walk despite my knee :)

So yes, the RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED tomorrow. It has been decided.

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...

T minus one

Tomorrow is final assessment day, exciting stuff!

For once I have actually planned the lesson more than 24 hours in advance. Good stuff. Wow, I remember back in the day when I used to be able to plan almost a whole week on a Sunday. Hahaha, nowadays I am still planning as the lesson is going on.

In other news, I can now hobble pretty well sans crutches, but have real problems with stairs and also sitting down/standing up for longer than about 5 minutes. The stairs thing is particularly funny in that I have regressed to an ascending and descending technique very similar to that of a toddler. I look forward to having to address lots of "equal opportunities issues" with the kids tomorrow when they take the mick out of my limp.

My portfolio is done, yay! But I am out of ibuprofen, which means the big guns aka codeine will have to come out tomorrow. Those of you who know about painkillers and I...well, you can join me in the chorus...altogether now, "oh dearie me...."

This Rant Could Be Bigger

My knee is buggered again. I am cross. But also glad in that it's not as bad as it could be. I think I may have partially dislocated it, but luckily fell quick enough for it to pop back in. I felt my thigh and leg bones move away from each other and click. Gross. Now my knee is a big puffy ball and I can't really bend it or carry weight on it.

My HoD was complaining about tennis players and their excuses. He was saying that if you're not fit enough to play then you shouldn't play, rather than losing your match and making lame excuses afterwards. Extending the theory and applying it to teaching, does this mean I should try and postpone my final assessment on Monday? I won't be able to walk around and I'm on a rather weird combination of prescription medication which makes me feel a bit strange, both of which are delightful ready-made excuses in case I don't get the grade I would be expected to get. But would the honourable thing be to simply reschedule the assessment rather than putting in a mediocre performance now?

My professional tutor was in on Friday and my subject mentor asked her to come and talk to me about my "problems". Humph. My professional tutor is one of the least subtle and discreet people I have ever met. For example, in an attempt to get me to confide in her, she proceeded to disclose another girl's confidential information. In the past she has revealed and openly discussed the situations other TFs were in without seeming to care about privacy. How unprofessional! Anyway, I remained button-lipped, she is never going to be a help.

And finally, we got the draft version of next year's timetable on Friday. It is awful. I will save that rant for later. Oh yeah, one good thing from the buggered knee - at least I will have to stay in all weekend and be responsible and make my portfolio. Every cloud eh?