So it’s late … I know! VERY late but I can’t sleep.  This is nothing new to me so don’t be thinking I’m losing it … but it does seem worse at the minute. Too many unknowns and we are marking mocks at the minute so maybe that has something to do with it … who knows?

My two most recent school visits as part of my Pearson secondment (The Bristol Free School and Twynham School in Bournemouth) have reminded me so much of how we are all in this together and what a fantastic passionate profession we have out there.  As I say to students all the time: we have to work on “insert skill/topic/problem” together and at some point you’ll look back on this and wonder what all the stress was about. Maybe saying this is bullsh1t but  it seems to help! This week I’ve been to a meeting at Ofqual (I know … little ‘ol me!) and I feel a little better that students are not going to be sold short in terms of grading. I have to say, the meeting was very well led and I have sooooo much to tell you about it … I’ve promised myself I’ll write it up on Friday night (I know how to rock n roll me!). In the meantime you can find more information about the meeting and the slides on their own blog here -> Let’s talk about maths.

Half term seems such a long time ago already but to use a “sort of” analogy about where we (maths teachers) find ourselves at the minute. Whilst in France myself and my husband took a trip to the “Step into the Void – Aiguille du Midi Skywalk” attraction in Chamonix. If you haven’t heard about this (most of you won’t) its a glass room with a glass floor, situated off the uppermost terrace of the Aiguille du Midi at an altitude of 3842 metres. It claims to be “the highest attraction in Europe and is basically a glass box on the side of a building with three glass walls,  glass floor and glass ceiling panels AND 1000 meters of free air can be seen directly under their feet. Now for someone that doesn’t like heights (like me!) it sounds like a nightmare but I knew that if I didn’t do it having taken the effort to get up that high in the first place I would regret it. You will notice that in the first picture my husband is holding my hand as I step in (and please forgive the silly hat with sunglasses too … I’ve never claimed to be a fashionista!) and what you don’t see in the second on is me gripping his hand very tightly. I did eventually look down and around and it was an amazing view to behold and I was so very proud to have overcome a little bit of irrational fear.

So, two messages to you, dear maths teachers … I’m here holding your hand .. so very tight … we will survive this and the students will be fine! I am not going to say they will be unscathed but it’ll be fine. The  second message is … the slippers were compulsory and provided to us .. they are not our own!