Oh Lord what have I done?

WHAT A WEEK!

I have a class of 30, six and seven year olds.  I know I have high expectations of them after my previous class, but some of  these children are so educationally poor.  

There are issues with behaviour, no SEN children, at the mo (not officially anyway). Some of the parents are down right rude and aggressive.  

I suppose you could say that I got what I asked for, a bit of a challenge....  But this is ridiculous.  I'm finding it hard making friends, as all I want at the end of the day is to have a shower and then binge watch OITNB Netflix.

I hope it gets better, I hate September....

Yet another last day, but my last one for a while, I think

I have said it before (dozens of times) and I'll say it again, no doubt, it's sad to leave but exciting to move on to new challenges.  Today was my last day at my first Northern School.

We had a bit of a fuddle (it's not what you think, it's a buffet) and then the head handed out bouquet to all the leavers and said some lovely things. 

 When it came to me she told two anecdotes about my time there; "I knew you had settled in when the head of Education in Yorkshire came for a visit to your class and he commented that you had the children right where you wanted them and you had obviously been here for a while, to which I responded yes, about two weeks!  And the second time was when I asked one of the children what they were playing and they said "we're not playing, we're exploring our learning."

I have really enjoyed my time at the school and I know that I made a huge impact on the students and staff.  It is lovely to be appreciated, I felt more at home there after six months than I did after five years in the LVS Oxon.

My Facebook status sums up my feelings;

Obligatory I'm a lucky teacher photo.  Thank you to all LMers for making my first Northern school such a special one, it'll be hard to beat you guys.  You welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like one of your own straight away.  Thank you all, you have been so very generous.  Have a good summer you all deserve it.  In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back!"

I could get use to this

I spent Friday at my new school, the Requires Improvement (RI) School. I thought it was transition day, I wasn't really prepared, luckily I had a meeting with the maths team. The school are using a similar system to my current school, but to familiarise me with it they head had arranged for me to spend the morning looking at how to plan, it is a different way to the way I usually plan. I worked with a lady who is so passionate about maths that even I found myself getting excited about place value.

Roll on September.

- Kind Regards, C xx

Bored on the playground

Still getting used to having to do playground duty.  There are three adults on duty, two a TA's and a teacher.  It involves wandering around keeping an on the children and making sure that everyone is behaving themselves.  It was on a beautiful, sunny day that I stopped to help Ruby tie her shoe, then I spoke to Violet who was complaining about something Scarlett had done.  It got me thinking about all the girl's names that are also colours.

Ruby - red

Scarlett - red

Violet - purple

Jade - green

Ebony - black

Ivory - white

Rose - pink

Lilac - purple

Saffron - yellow

Ginger - orange

Sienna - brown

I've got a job!!

I was asked to do an afternoon in year a year four class in a school in Halifax.  

I googled it and found that it was an Outstanding school.  Nervous I turned up and was shown to my fellow year four teacher who gave me all of the planning. 

The first lesson, maths, went off without a hitch. The second was a bit of a muddle, half of the class had done the lesson before the others knew nothing about it.  

We muddled through and made it to home time, "you know miss you are very familiar". Said one of the boys, he thought about it and then said "I know you sound like Nanny Plum from Ben and Holly's Magic Kingdom.  

With a giggle I waved them all off and began marking.  I had to work out all of the answers before I could mark the books.  With a sense of achievement I went back to Tod.  

My teaching career "Oop North" had begun. I liked the school it seemed nice.  I thought nothing more of it.  

A few days passed and I received a phone call, the school needed a year one teacher to cover a mat leave until July, would I plan a maths lesson and have a bit of a chat?  I agreed.  

I was very, very nervous.  

I went online and asked the supply teachers network for suggestions, I had a plan, I only hoped it would be enough.  I carried out the lesson and had a chat, I wasn't confident.   "We'll have a chat and get In touch later, either way". Where have I heard that before?  I drove back to Tod and fifteen minutes later I got a call telling me that they loved me and wanted me to start that Thursday.   What a relief, just when I was convinced I would never get a job. 

Noo Skool

I was settled into the routine of day to day supply.  I was working in a year five class, I wouldn't say I was enjoying it, but I wasn't hating it either. 

Was I a key stage 2 convert?  

No, I love early years, don't I?

I got a call from the agency asking me If I was interested in working in a year four class intil the end of term.  

Year 4!  

I went to have a look at the school, they knew I was an EYFS specialist, but thought that would be a benefit as the children needed a bit of nurturing.  I was sceptical but they were adamant.  I went home to think. By the next morning I had decided to give it a go, what did I have to lose?  A

I'm a temporary Hampdener

Another day another phone call.  I had been doing a couple of days here and there when the acting head of an Inner Oxford school asked if I would consider doing a week in year five.  My head and heart were saying no, "you've never taught that age, they'll eat you alive, you're an early years specialist."  What came out of my mouth was, "yeah! Sure, why not?"  So began the scariest week of my career, considering how I was treated at the first LV school that is saying something.  While I can't say I enjoyed it, it wasn't as daunting as I had first thought.  On the Wednesday I got a call from the agency, a school needed a teacher in year four until the end of term. I agreed to pop over and meet the head and Senco.  I explained that I hadn't really taught key stage two (KS2) before and that I was early year trained, but that seemed to encourage them more.  The class were in need of some fun and nurturing.  Before I could talk myself out of it I said I would do it.  The following Monday I taught alongside the teachers I was replacing and so began my first real long term soirée into KS2.  It won't be my last, but that is another story...@

Scary new school

I went to visit my next school today, I will only be there for six weeks or so, I must remember this.  It was so scary, the principal was very severe and not at all friendly.  

The teacher who is be covering for just kept repeating "I've been here for ten years!"  I know it'll be ok, I'm not staying permanently, but I am not looking forward to my time there.  In fact I'm dreading it.

New School....

Monday morning 6.15am and I was awake, I lay waiting for the alarm to go off.  I always find it difficult to sleep the night before school start again.  My mind wanders full of the usual worries, will I get up in  time?  I am I prepared?  Will they like me?  Will I like them?  This time I had the added worry of will I be asked to do more then I should? 

Because this time, for the first time in my 14 year teaching career I am a supply teacher, and although I have this class for three months, they are not my class. 

I can put things into place and start the normal beginning of the year routines, but come January somebody else will be taking this class through until the summer term.  Somebody else will have the joys of working with children who are now able to cope with and understand the nuances of being at school.  Who do you think teaches the children what lining up and sitting on the carpet mean and look like?  Did you think they automatically do it?   

Part of me feels sad, I would love to take these 30 little tikes all the way to year 1, but I have to be realistic.  Teaching is a hard and very stressful job  (right behind paramedic and nurse on the stressful jobometer), made even worse by all of the bureaucracy and paper shuffling involved these days, and I cannot put myself in the position where I am dealing with extra stress.   After my operation the results showed that there was nothing wrong  with my baby factory (apart form my cystic ovaries). Which, I believe means that the only reason G.O and I haven't conceived is down to stress, and the only stress in my life these past couple of years has been due to work.  It was a hard decision to make but I feel that working as a supply will enable me to manage the stress.  I choose to take a three month placement at a school as I felt it would offer me the security of routine (I love routines) and allow me the chance to breathe and enjoy life again.

So fingers crossed, sprinkle the baby dust and lets hope this has the positive outcome we are wishing for.