Just for Dale

Just for Dale I have made the effort to post today. I realise I have neglected the blog lately but, since starting my new teaching job, I have been struggling to find 26 hours in the day. It's ridiculous really but the job, together with the counselling, placement etc. seems to be taking up every spare minute. (And if anyone makes an age-related comment, I will personally shoot them!)
Although I have only been out of full time teaching for two years and thought I was doing well at keeping up with things via the internet, I am amazed at how things have moved on even in that short time. I sit in the staffroom and listen to conversations punctuated with acronyms and initiatives which mean nothing to me. I cart bags full of unfamiliar resources and CDs home to get to grips with the 'in' things to use in the ICT suite and on the interactive whiteboard. The latter is enormous fun, by the way and I am filled with enthusiam and excitement at things which my blase six year olds just take in their stride.
Oh and last week's faux pas? Writing on the (ordinary) whiteboard in permanent marker. It did come off eventually, with lots of elbow grease.
We're getting there...

Losing it

It's getting to me already! This morning I dashed out of the house at 7.15, jumped into the car and drove off to work...
About half a mile into my journey, happening to glance down at my feet I noticed that they were still encased in slippers, a dark, discreet navy blue, but slippers nontheless.
A rapid about-turn (no screech of brakes), back to the house, nearly giving Keith a heart attack as I burst in, unannounced and unexpected through the door, a few seconds to change and give him the chance to demonstrate his hysterical amusement and I was off again, but this time, just too late to avoid the worst of the traffic queues.

Phew! Back again

Last week was the first of the new term and the first at my new school. As it is probably going to be closed next summer, due to falling rolls, many parents have chosen to vote with their feet and move their children now rather than wait till next year, which is a great pity because it is such a lovely school with a dedicated and talented staff. However, the result is that there are now just over half the original number of pupils in the school, which means that I have a class of 8 Year 2 children.
Sounds great, of course, except that the amount of planning is still the same although the marking load is obviously much lighter. However, as no-one knew at the end of last term how many children would be here this year, I was unable to do any of the planning I would normally do during the holidays, which meant that last week was a bit of a baptism of fire in that I had to sort out what the topics were for this year and get to grips with many resources which are new to me, as well as the delights of the interactive whiteboard. Things have certainly moved on since my last full time teaching job, two years ago!
Anyway, from feeling last week that maybe, with this job plus the demands of the counselling courses and placement, I just might have bitten off a little more than I could chew, I have now moved to the more positive position of feeling that maybe things will sort themselves out and so what if I don't have a social life? So what's new!!

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...