Things I love about Britain No. 5

Red Nose Day

Today is Red Nose Day which is the big fund raising day for Comic Relief, a charity I support whole-heartedly. I know other countries have Comic Relief but it seems so British to me to do silly things to raise money for disadvantaged people.

At school we wore something 'funny for money'. It's very hard trying to teach children who are wearing red afro wigs, pyjamas, red noses, out-size sun glasses, deely boppers and clown outfits! Even harder when you yourself are sporting fetching red hair extensions and a nose with glasses on. I wish we did this more often!

Looking forward to a great night's TV - funny and moving in equal measure.

I have a dream....

It was SEAL day at school on Tuesday. Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning. In year 6 the theme was dreams, goals and aspirations and to get the children to think about short term, medium term and long term goals to achieve on the way to their ultimate goal. Not sure of the wisdom of asking 11 year olds to think about their future job - seems a bit premature to me.

Anyway, the intro to the whole thing was to read Martin Luther King Jnr's "I have a dream" speech. It went something like this:

Me: Who started a very well known speech with the words "I have a dream."?
[hands up]
Child: Bob Marley?
Me: No
Child: Isaac Newton?
Me: No
Child: The Queen?
Child: Moses?
Child: Tony Blair?
Me: No!
Child: Nelson Mandela?
Me: [starting to lose all hope] Good idea but.....no.
Child: That girl off Mamma Mia?
Me: [Speechless]

I eventually told them. They had never heard of Martin Luther King Jnr nor what he stood for and campaigned for. They listened in total silence as I told them about slavery, segregation, the campaign for racial equality and why the election of Barak Obama was such a landmark for the USA. They were so interested and it made me realise that in our school culture of levels and results and curriculum to be adhered to, there is little opportunity to talk to children about the world and historical (or indeed current) affairs. I'm sure we'll end up with a whole society of people who don't have any 'general' knowledge.

Perhaps I'm being pessimistic. I am nearly 40 after all.

An Inspector calls

Today my maths class was visited by an inspector.

I was surprised because I was told that he wouldn't come to my group. I am temporary (on account of our imminent move) so I suppose it was thought that there's no point in observing a temporary teacher. I was pleased because I go into major panic if anyone comes in to officially observe my lessons. I can be happily going about my teaching, perfectly capable, perfectly lucid, perfectly knowledgeable and in control. The minute I am observed I turn into a gibbering wreck and question everything that comes out of my mouth. I can't explain the simplest concept and start sweating profusely. Then I make the whole thing much worse by making nervous jokes to dispel the tension. The children look at me as if I've gone mad and I want the floor to swallow me!

But.....this time.....he came, I gulped, he saw my group and watched me teach. They were doing a really good activity (for very low ability maths). It was practical and they were enthusiastic. He asked a child what they were doing and, thank goodness, it was my one child that has a bit of brain (sorry, un-PC). She answered clearly and made me look good. I was sat on the floor surrounded by children, 3D shapes and hoops (don't ask) and remained calm and unsweaty throughout. He left. The head complemented me. Job done.

I suppose it was because I didn't know he was coming and I didn't have time to work myself into a frenzy. Also, being temporary, I don't feel the pressure quite the same.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad it happened because I feel pretty good about myself right now.

Mum versus teacher

It's a funny old thing being a teacher in the same school that your own children attend. It's even funnier when you teach them for some lessons.

Good points

*I know what is going on even if my children forget to give me letters/information.
*I can usually find lost homework sheets and obtain them by stealth so my children don't have to go to their teachers and confess they've lost the one they were given.
*I see them everyday, which is lovely and I can 'spy' on them in the playground and see them in a situation not many parents get to. They've never let me down. I wouldn't like to see them in the playground bullying or behaving badly! (I'll point out that I don't actually spy on them, just occasionally have a little peep!)
*I can plead their case if things have not been done on time.
*I always get convenient appointments for parent/teacher interviews.
*I always know 'the method' for maths.
*I can ruffle their hair when I pass them in corridors. They like this at the moment, they are not embarassed yet.

Bad points

*I hate having children home for tea and for sleepovers. It's like being back at work.
*It can be awkward talking to parents of their friends, especially if they moan about teachers or another aspect of school.
*I sometimes step in for them if they've not done homework etc. It's good that they don't get punished but bad because they're not taking responibility for their actions (or lack of action).
*When I get home all I want to do is hear silence, not children bickering or whining. My fuse is shorter than it should be.
*Living in catchment means that lots of the children in my school know where I live. Has never been a problem up to now but you never know.

For me, the good points outweigh the bad points. I love, love, love seeing them every day and I make a point to seek their faces in the crowd during assembly. They seem to cope really well but I wonder what they would write if they noted good and bad points about having their mum teach at their school.......

The weekend comes at last!

My brain has slowly turned more into mush with each passing day this week. Back to full time teaching, each day brings more paperwork, more planning, more marking, more meetings, more assessing, more displays to put up, more resources to make and of course the growing knowledge that whatever I do with my little groups, it'll never be quite enough.

I take the very bottom ability groups for maths and english and it breaks my heart to be teaching these 11 year olds that are so far behind. To an extent they are given up on as they have had every intervention possible for four years and they still have made little measurable progress. I am a firm believer that measurable progress is not the be all and end all and, in fact, they have all increased in confidence and social skills a great deal. They have also been cared for and on occasion washed and had their head lice sorted out. BUT...The government doesn't consider these things when it conducts OFSTED inspections or publishes league tables or awards SATS levels and so my little gang, who won't be entered for the tests, are not priority.

But I haven't given up on them and I'm determined that they achieve success of some kind and so that is taking up lots of brain space at the moment. I almost dream about them.....which really isn't good!

This week 4 members of my family have told me not to get myself in a state about my job. They worry that I take it soooo seriously and take things too much to heart. It's true - I'm so determined to do a good job and feel that it's never good enough which stresses me out. I'm trying hard to take their advice and so I didn't bring work home with me (not much work anyway!).

This weekend I plan to......do some baking for Sunday teatime, draw in my visual journal, enjoy having my brother to stay, watch a childhood favourite film - The Court Jester starring Danny Kaye, go for a walk and breathe fresh air, sit by our woodburner and feel cosy.