Sunday, 14 January 2007

Hmm, time for a change??

If I'd have wanted a job with animals I'd have taken job at a zoo or safari park but just recently it feels like I spend too much time getting human animals to behave themselves for long enough to learn something than actually teaching. Sixteen years into the profession I find myself seeking help from someone who has not been doing the job as long as i have and has got to the position they are in by sucking up to the boss. Don't get me wrong the advice is sound but to take it from someone who was still in school when i started teaching is demoralising. Every profession has its share or creeps and crawlers but sometimes they really get up your nose. Well I guess I have little or no choice but to go along with the suggestions but quite frankly I don't believe anyone who comes to observe a lesson and who says I'm watching the kids behaviour and not how well you teach, it simply can't be done the two are so closely intertwined, so my ability to teach is going to be judged by a thirty something upstart DRAMA teacher who thinks he knows all there is to know about teaching, which quite frankly is crap. How a DRAMA teacher can tell anyone how to teach is beyond me in a subject where freedom of expression is the norm and desks are unheard of!!! Still means I have to put twice as much effort in as usual and maybe god forbid write a full lesson plan aarrrggghhhh!!!!! Well read later to find out what happens and if the upstart knows the job as well he professes.

Saturday, 6 January 2007

Rainy Weekend

So what do you do on a rainy, cold Saturday in January. Well if you know it's raining I guess staying in bed is an option but even that gets boring after a while.
Well if you're me and in possession of a handy little program called Skype you chat to a friend who isn't cold and wet. In my case an Israeli friend in Jerusalem.
But eventually you have to bite the bullet, brave the weather or go hungry. which in my case was a quick walk to the stores on the high street.
Its now almost 10.30 and close to bed time or at least reading time. Seems as I get older I need to read earlier in the evening or fall asleeo during a crucial part of the plot which if you are a devotee of crime fiction does not help.
This is becoming a blog of me whinging but sometimes we all need to moan, sadly too many people seem to moan all the time and really get on the nerves of the rest of us 'normal' people.

Wednesday, 3 January 2007

Spring Term- new boss day 1

Well its been a long day, the alarm went off at 6am and it was nearly 12 hours later that I finally returned home The first day back at the chalkface or should that now be the whiteboard face. Whatever it is the sight of 30 12-13 year olds still in Christmas mode did not gladden the heart and neither did getting the voice going again.
First day of new term, first cover of said term. What kind of person cannot drag themselves back after nearly 2 weeks off I ask you!! And then some other poor sod, namely yours truly, has to deal with the charming individuals who probably hate maths as it is. Ok delayed flights in the summer may be a valid excuse but being snowed in in Colorado would be taking the piss.
As for the new boss when the first word that comes out of her mouth is a request as to whether or not the homework was completed , gee can't it wait until after hello? But that said she did get them back to me and with a big grin so maybe not all bad. I'll give her a little more rope and maybe she'll hang herself or better still just leave me in peace to do my job.