Monday, October 16, 2006

History Matters

Just a quick post to let any other bloggers who may be reading know that tomorrow you can join in "the biggest blog in history".

Go to www.historymatters.org.uk and fill in the details about your day on Tuesday 17th October 2006. I think they want you to explore how you have encountered history during the day but they also want it to be a record of a day in the life of millions of ordinary people (and some who are slightly more extraordinary!). I think the Sunday Times said it was going to go into the National Archives to be preserved forever.

Should be an interesting read for me - I'm teaching Year 8 how to write a persuasive speech tomorrow LOL!!!!

On the plus side some of them (most of them, to be fair) were working well for me in drama today and I am going to observe them in history tomorrow....ooh, how spooky, just found my link methinks lol. Anyhoo, we will see how they are for me in English....it will be last lesson of the day, after all......*rolls eyes*.......

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Year 8 are still awful!

Just need to put my feelings down on (cyber!) paper again.

Year 8 absolutely wore me out again yesterday. They are so completely and utterly childish, they make stupid noises and complain when I give them one minute to write down one short sentence.

I kept 17 of them into lunchtime to repeat the classwork they did on Friday as it was awful. Most of them improved but two girls walked out after having written in their books how much they hate me! I don't really care if they hate me - I'm just trying to make them learn that they won't get away with doing nothing in my classes, no matter how hard they try. They waste my time in class, I waste their time at lunch and after school. I put those two girls in department detention for next week and got through to one of the parents who was totally supportive and said her daughter has a similarly bad attitude at home, which was good to hear. Am hoping to speak to the other one today. I think if they are still being awful at the end of the week I might call all the parents en masse about it, play the "I'm worried about your son/daughter falling behind" card, as well as inviting them in to sit with the child and observe their behaviour!

Have decided with Julia (fellow Enlish and Drama-ite) that I need to introduce some routine into their lessons, so we're going to go through the Master Your SPellings books on Wednesday with a view to using them as a starter every lesson for ten minutes. They need the practise on their spellings anyway, and I was going to do a spelling rule with the whole class once a week, but this way they can use the books that are tailored to their individual spelling ages.

Well, I've rambled on and on - thanks if you're still with me! At least today I don't have to teach them and I've already planned tomorrow's lesson. for them. Today I get to work with my lovely Year 7s and film them doing their circus acts, which look like they could be really good fun :D

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Year 8 - EURGH!!

Lol, sorry for the title! My Year 8 English class are just the most lazy kids I have come across in my life and they are incapable of doing anything for themselves. I set a homework task, due in tomorrow, that they were to spend half an hour on (they get English homework once a week). The complaints were incredible!! Half the class left without taking their prompt sheet with them so I'm expecting their efforts to be outstanding.....we really are breeding generations of children who expect not to have to work or compete for anything.

I'm also knackered as I had duty today and my free lesson got taken for a Year 9 maths cover - no toilet break from 9.45 til 1.15...joy.

Anyway, I thought I'd have a go at today's blog prompt to cheer me up, after my little rant of course! It was to list five things that make me happy, so here they are:

  1. Being challenged in my job - after four years of boredom I don't know where my days disappear to now.
  2. Knowing that Carl loves me and knowing my family love me - the fact that I have such a good relationship with my mum these days really makes me smile.
  3. Coming home, putting on a cosy cardie or jumper, and drinking a cup of jasmine tea before I even contemplate doing anymore work.
  4. Having my cat sitting on my lap while I use the computer or watch the TV.
  5. Thinking of the wonderful memories I've already made and those that are yet to come.

Well, that was all very sappy but it has certainly made me feel better inside :D Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I'm shattered and ending the day with Year 8 was not much fun lol!