First things first.
I have been feeling the love with the recent competition to win 3 school subscriptions to JustMaths Online and last night put the names into a “bucket” (there wasnt a hat in the house big enough!!) having sat and cut my printed spreadsheet up into slips (don’t ask!) and drew out three names. I am pleased to announce that @adamcreen, @mrtaylormaths (both via twitter) and Shobna Fletcher (via email) have all been emailed with their prize!
Thank you everyone that entered! There may be another opportunity soon … maybe.
Now to more important stuff .. me! (I am being sarcastic there people .. just in case some of you think I take myself too seriously!)
So we’ve had our training day and I am genuinely looking forward to getting back to teaching. Those of you that know me will find it hard to believe but I was well-behaved … I actually enjoyed myself today and there was no heckling, there was no buzzword-bingo … nothing. I know! Today we were given time in department to get organised and ready for the onslaught and I now just want to get on with it!
Like previous years on the night before “normal service resumes” (and yes I am normal! … sometimes!) I sit here and wonder “will I remember how to teach? how will I get everything done that needs doing? OMG So much to do!” and just like previous years my biggest worry is having to wear proper clothes again … I’ve read the new handbook stuff and funnily enough “scruffs” and flip flops don’t make an appearance. Having been here before I know that by 10 am tomorrow all thoughts of this type will have disappeared into the ether.
Having feelings of doubt is normal. No matter what point in your career you are .. it’s normal! What is also becoming more and more normal is the negative press we’re getting – actually that’s not what I mean, I mean the way that the profession is perceived. I’m not naïve and I know its hard work – the accountability is unbelievable and getting a work-life balance is tough (and don’t be asking me for advice on that one!) but sometimes you have to cut through the crap and consider the impact that we have EVERY SINGLE DAY and this weekend I was given a reminder:
Let me introduce you to Pete. He is my allotment neighbour and has just retired from running his pine furniture shop. This weekend we got talking (as you do!) about teaching and he started telling me about 2 teachers that changed his life when he was in school .. one of them celebrated an 80th birthday recently and he travelled back to his home town on the South coast to attend the event. This is nearly 45 years after he left school and he still feels the need to acknowledge how influential they were to him. What an accolade!
So my message to you is … actually there isn’t a message and it’s just my usual “twaddle”. Let’s just do this thing.
