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

Year Two Anyone?

I was given a couple of numbers of head teacher's desperately in need of teachers for the new year. The head I'm working with currently (who doesn't have a job for me, sadly) gave me the number of her ex husband, who is head at a tough village school, with a y3/4 vacancy.

His school felt fresh and bright, he was very honest about behaviour and expectations.  I liked it, I didn't feel 'at home'.  The second school I visited felt quite buzzy, the are a RI school and will be visited by the little grey men next year.  I liked it, I wasn't sure if I made a good impression on the boss ladies.  I returned to school to think about applying.  Half an hour later I received a call from the head "I know we said we'd give you time to think about it, we discussed it we think you'd fit in and would be great would you like the job?"  I wasn't sure whether I could commit to a school again after the little village school (LVS), this school is very similar.  It's one form entry, Church of England, and it has Ofsted looming.  Unlike when I joined the LVS I knew I could make a difference at this school and maybe have some positive impact.  I said yes.  It's year two (following on from year one at the mo, will be useful as I know exactly what they should be capable of).

Roll on September, oh well July and transition days first.

- Kind Regards, C xx

Don't ask!

Pre-Trip-Trip

In preparation for the school trip to Filey next week, I volunteered (SUCKA) to do a pre visit.  In previous years the itinerary has looked quite scant.  I have never worked in a school that requires so much information about a trip before you have even sent the letters out to parents. 

I had initially planned to go on the Wednesday, but after an action packed weekend we needed a bit of a break, and I had sodding reports to complete (2 down, 22 to go....).  So Friday morning we checked the weather app (all sunny and bright) and tootled off up the M62, following the trusty satus navigus.  I had looked on the map and it looked about an hour or so away (you know its not going to be even slightly that close).

Our delightful satus navigus  must have at some point, by me I must admit, been programmed to take the scenic route, because that is all it ever takes.  We have just left the M62 when we hit a spot of congestion.  As GO rightly mumbled from the passenger seat, "bloody weekend traffic, holiday makers all going home".  None of which I had any control over, we also hit road works, road narrowing and a whole shed load of traffic lights.  We both noted that the road leaving Filey/Scarborough was just as congested and made mental notes to go home a different way. By now we had passed, Huddersfield, Halifax, Leeds, York and Scarborough,  but we had made it, the sun was shining and we found a parking space, all be it on the top of the hill behind the grand hotels, at the cost of £5 for 4 hours.

We grabbed our gear and made out way to the seafront for our picnic, as we walked through the park past the playground, boating lake, mini race track and three putting greens, we noticed everybody else was wrapped up in jackets and scarves.  I then started to feel chilly, I had dressed for a day trip to the Northern Riviera in June, I should have dressed for a spring day by the North sea.  It was freezing, we decided against the sea front and took shelter in a pavilion on the putting green.  We/GO wrapped ourselves/himself in the picnic blanket and had our lunch.  As GO was still in recovery he passed on the coffee and just ate his roll, slowly.  I didn't want the whole day to be a bust so I told him to stay put an keep warm and I would go and take some photo for the trip.

As I strolled along the prom (prom, prom, tiddly, om, pom, pom) taking photos, planning activities for the children to do.  I realised that we would be here for about five hours, with 24 5/6 y.o's and all they had brought with them in previous years were some bats and balls.  I am planning on doing some sketching (of the beach huts), take some rubbings of the pavement (lots of shells and rocks), setting up a scavenger hunt, before running along the beach and paddling.

As I turned around making my way back to GO, I got a text message "I'm cold, going back to the car."  Bless him, he had to carry the backpack, cool box and my handbag back to the car all by himself.  just as he got himself comfy cosy I arrived and off we went, after a two and a half hour journey we had spent fifty minutes in Filey.  WE have used all of the fuel that we had put in the car (I will find out about getting that back, or maybe I should just claim expenses for it).  Mindful of the traffic leaving Filey on the way in we decided to go a different way towards Hull via, Bridlington and Beverly.  The satus navigus wasn't happy and kept trying to turn us

around.  Finally after being caught in the rush hour traffic we got home, 7 hours after we left.  This trip better be good, because I am not sure it will be worth all of the agro.  On the plus side it was a day out and I can now say I have been on the world tour of Yorkshire.

I didn't get a job I didn't want, ah well

I was pressured into applying for a job recently, it was a managerial position and I didn't get it.  It went to a candidate who is currently working in the role in her school.  I didn't really want the job, I had managerial roles in the past and ended up in an operating theatre having a procedure I didn't really need.  The email I received asked candidates to prepare an assembly from a different country, take part in an inbox/date activity, do a 10 minute presentation and then take part in a formal interview.  I was expecting to be done and dusted by lunchtime and to teach for the afternoon.  I by chance mentioned something to the office staff who told me my day would start at 10am and I would be finished by half past two.  I would also have a two hour gap between the first two activities and the presentation/interview.  I prepared myself, sort of.  I had a discussion with one of the ladies in my class, telling her I wasn't sure I wanted the job but that I would give it a go, just for the interview practise. 

I was led to believe that it would be a walk in the park and that I would be pretty much guaranteed the role, this made me very unsettled.  By the morning of the interview I had a flash of realisation I did not want the job.  G.O and I moved here to start a family, we had made enquiries to various local agencies and had a meeting booked for the end of May.  I couldn't take on an all encompassing role as a key stage leader and try to start a family, it was ludicrous. 

I left a message on the supply teacher network, explain this and how to calm my nerves.  The response was overwhelming and it really changed my mindset.  This was not an interview where they would choose me, it was an interview where they would have to convince me to give up being a supply teacher (a role I have come to love) and join them.  I carried out my task safe in the knowledge that I didn't want the job and used the interview as a way to get a few things off my chest.  There are areas that are lacking in the school, that they need to address particularly in light of the changes to the curriculum and the way the Little Green Men conduct their inspection these days.  On the surface it is a glossy school with lots of potential, but scratch the surface and the fundamentals just aren't in place.  It is a big job, one that thankfully I will not have to worry myself with. 

The following day I contacted my supply agency who have already found me positions in schools that require a long term supply.  Sometimes it really is a blessing in disguise.

A School in a category all its own!

New school year, new school, and what a cracker I have this time.  I am hating it. The school is one of the worst in the district.  I am a temporary maternity cover, working in a two form entry early years class, I am working with an NQT (newly qualified teacher), who is very knowledgable and, I suppose the best/most tactful word is, bold. By he pressure on the school and staff is immense.  To his credit the headteacher is really trying to support his staff and protect them.  Again it's an early years setting that needs a lot of work, but unlike before where I could make the changes needed, the teacher is charge returns in the new year and she has some very strict procedures in place. I have to keep reminding myself I'm only there until half term!  Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, I need it!

OMG

Started clearing up the classroom for the new teacher.  I took down the displays, the final one was a killer. I soon realised why I always struggled to push the pins in.  There were seven layers of backing paper.  Seven!  How lazy do you have to be?  I have been known to double up when I am pushed for time, but who puts up seven pieces of backing paper?  

Another Classic

Little ones always struggle to know when they should and shouldn't "tell", it's hard to distinguish between telling to keep someone safe and getting them into trouble.  I love this, it's very helpful. 

I use this all the time

I have a lot of patter that I use in class.  This one is one of my favourites.  I taught it to a class a couple of years ago and a parent told me her daughter lived by the saying.  She had been sat in her car seat struggling to put on her seatbelt, when her mum asked her if she need help the response was "nope, Mrs M says it's okay not to know but it's not okay not to

try!"

This is my dream

This is, or a least should be, every teachers dream.  I am proud to say that I have managed to get most of my classes to this stage within the year.  This year has been trickier, but if even managed to get there with the little village class.

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.

Lara the Lion

This is a throw back and a half.  Two years ago as part of Art Week in the village school.  I was tasked, with my group, to make a rag rug lion.  It took days, we were given an extension because it was a tricky task for little fingers to do.  And it was finally ready for the parents assembly (which was at 2.40)  at 2.35.  Just in the nick of time, but it was the feature if the week and always got favourable comments.  It is probably languishing in a cupboard somewhere.

Last Day - got my mojo back

After five months today is my last day at the RC school.  It hasn't always been easy, the children were quite a handful.

 But after weeks of training they are finally a settled class.  It is such a shame to be leaving, but I case easy in the knowledge that they will be in good hands.

  The new class teacher is lovely and very similar to me in many ways.

The school were very welcoming and appreciative of me.  As I was finding it difficult to imagine being a teacher any more I am happy to say the school has most Definitely given me my mojo back.

I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.  But I am very excited about being a teacher again.

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.

Last Week of summer

When I proposed leaving the little village school one of the benefits of being a supply teacher was that we could go on holiday when everyone was back at school. 

We had intended to go away for the last week of summer, but then I agreed to take a long term (three month) supply post in a RC school in Oxford. 

As we couldn't go away when the prices were low, we decided to just relax at home together and go on the occasional day trip.

We started with a visit to Halifax.  G.O studied the finer art of cookery at Halifax New College where he; in his own words, "Cooked splendid and magnificent meals.  Proper food Northern style!"

We also made the most of our National Trust and Blenheim Palace passes.

And here we go...

It was decided that we start a cycle of the drug Clomid which is supposed to stimulate ovulation.  The side affects of it though, and increase in cyst on your ovaries meant I would need to be closely monitored, we began by forcing a bleed with progesteron and then on day one of my cycle I would I would take Clomid to stimulate the ovaries to release an egg, and call the hospital to book my scan. 

 

And so began a seven month cycle of Clomid, metformin and scans.  In my opinion the scans were taken too early, they were at around day 7 which in a 'normal' cycle of 27 days would be the perfect time, but for me who has now got a cycle that is averaging about 35-40 days it was too early and only once did we seen signs of a follicle.  That was due to the fact that I had 'late' scan.

 

During all of this I was having some issues at work, I teach in a little village school, every school and every teacher in the country at the moment is having issues.  My issues were becoming all consuming and I had gone from a confident, good teacher to a shell of my former self, and someone who just didn't have the love for it anymore.  It was a case of 'you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't' So I began not to bother. 

 

It was during a scan that I unloaded all of this pressure onto my fantastic nurse Julia, and the first thing she told me was that stress is a major inhibitor to fertility and that I should seriously think about either changing jobs or reducing my hours.