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.

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.