Wet Playtime

Saturday mornings are always quite hectic. Although, I don't have to go to work, Little Z has no school and Big J has no nursery, Larry (previously known as PP) does go to work which leaves me to entertain the children by myself, which is easier said than done, especially on a rainy day like today. After realising that having a quiet morning at home always ends in tears (usually mine), shouting and frustration all round, I decided a few months ago to take the children out every Saturday morning. It worked. Saturday mornings are now great, unless we decide we are all a bit tired and don't fancy going out, in which case all is fine until about 11am and then Big J starts to get restless and goes into mischief mode and Little Z, not knowing what else to do, follows!

Our usual Saturday activity is swimming, but if we don't get there early enough, the pool gets too busy and Little Z is still trying to build her confidence in the water, which is difficult with lots of people splashing around her. Today we were not in the mood to rush, but knowing that my sanity was at risk if we stayed in the house, I tried to think of something else we could do. As the weather was so wet and had been for days, it was not easy to think of something to do which wouldn't cost too much.

I chose Serendipity Sam's Play & Party Centre. Big J has not been there to play before. Last time we went was for Little Z's 5th birthday party and Big J was still a cute little (actually, quite big) baby in a pram! Why have I not thought of this before? Before I had finished paying, Z & J were already in the giant cage-like structure (a cage for children - great idea!) which has 3 or 4 levels of slides, soft play things, ball pits etc... I found myself a comfy seat on a sofa and sat. I sat and relaxed and sat and looked around and sat and relaxed more. I was not the only one. Many parents had brought their children, sent them off to play and then settled down to read a book or newspaper and drink tea.

Before anyone rants about knowing where your children are etc. I did keep my eye on them and made sure I caught sight of them every 5 minutes or so, getting up every now and then to find Big J longingly watching other children on the money operated Thomas ride.

After 2 hours of running around, the children were tired out and I was relaxed. I think we will be visiting Serendipity Sam's more often.

What to do in an emergency...

Every now and then, one of my children does something which makes me so proud I want to cry. That has nothing to do with what I am about to recount, but is worth knowing...

Before getting his PJs on for bed, Big J always goes on the potty. He wears a nappy at night time still (not unusual for a child of his age) but still tries on the potty or toilet as it gets him into good habits for when he does finally sleep without a nappy.

After sitting on the potty for about 10 minutes reading his "My First Thousand Words" book, he stood up to announce he had done a snake! He always subjects to close scrutiny what he has created and assimilates it to something like a train or snake or mountain depending on the shape. Because he pays such close attention to it, imagine his horror (and mine) when he saw that, having stood up without everything having, shall we say, detached itself, part of his "creation" had fallen to the floor and landed on his road play rug (incidentally a birthday present from Uncle Seanie). "It's on the road", he exclaimed. Then, seeing that it was a serious situation which needed urgent attention, he reached for his toy fire engine and started to "drive" it towards the obstruction in the road. Luckily, we were able to intercept the fire engine, before it reached its intended destination. Phew!

Clear Expectations?

Okay, I know I should put it behind me and move on, but I can't rest until I can work out exactly what went wrong with my lesson at my interview on Friday.

Usually, the schools give you a guide as to what they want you to teach, but this time the school was quite specific. I had to teach a group of mixed ability year 1 children the learning objective "To investigate and learn how to spell verbs with -ed (past tense) and -ing (present tense) endings" for approximately 20 minutes.

My first thought was that this is too much to teach in 20 minutes, so after discussing it with a few teacher friends, I decided to focus on one of the spelling rules of adding -ed & -ing to verbs. As I planned my lesson, I was also aware that if this were my class, I don't think I would be teaching -ed & -ing together, but didn't really want to take more out of the lesson for fear of being told I had not really achieved the objective of the lesson.

In hindsight (stupid hindsight!) I was right. They said the lesson was a bit confusing and they didn't feel I moved the children on. I take responsibility for that, but it would have been helpful if they had made their expectations clear (surely one of the first rules of teaching?!). I assumed they were not expecting me to teach everything in 20 minutes, but I didn't know quite how much or how little they wanted me to do.

I would really appreciate any teachers' comments (Please don't write "See me!") on this. Am I right in thinking I should not have tried to teach -ed & ing together and that that is what confused the children? I tried to plan the lesson in line with the new CLLD guidelines which are apparently the latest thing to be occupying teachers' time. If you are interested, here is my plan. I'd be happy for anyone to give me their (constructive) opinion.

As always, I have learnt from this experience. The interview part went very well, which is, as I have mentioned, something I have struggled with in the recent past, so I am now much more confident in my ability to "articulate the wider aspects of the job" as one interviewer describes it, and I feel I can now talk the talk much better. Are my legs starting to give way though?

Le Meme Chose (The 'Meme' thing!)...

I sat down to look at my blog this morning after a busy week of supply teaching, personal statement writing, application completing, interview question prep, interview lesson planning, interview, dealing with little Z's nose bleeds (not, I hasten to add, caused by Big J) and a few mundane things. It's not unusual to have no comments on my blog, so It was nice to find that my reliable Big Bruv and my 'neglected by me but not forgotten' blog friend, Kerenza, had both left comments without me realising as I have not had chance to check my emails either this week!

I thought it was about time I visited Kerenza's blog and while looking through her recent posts found she had created herself a "Meme". Having no idea what this was, I decided to do a bit of finding out. On my search I found the daily meme which, if you also do not know what I am talking about (please, someone say you have never heard of it), gives a clear explanation of what a meme is. So, I thought I would have a go myself at Kerenza's Meme. It was harder than I thought, but here goes...



1. Dr Who - usually catch the repeats as well.

2. Torchwood - watching back episodes. Can't wait for new series.

3. Hotel Babylon - same as above.

4. Grey's Anatomy - Haven't seen this recently, but really would like to make time for it.

5. Teacher's TV Primary Zone- lets you into other peoples classroom to see how they teach. I love seeing expert teachers doing things I do - it makes me feel really good about my teaching.

6. Extras - Back episodes again (the wonders of technology!)Ricky Gervais really makes me laugh in a "How does he get away with it" sort of way.





1. How to talk so Kids will Listen, and Listen so kids will talk by Faber & Mazlish. (predictably my no.1)

2. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Not a week goes by when I don't share this with children in the classroom or read it at home with my own children.

3. Belonging by Jeannie Baker. She has done a range of lovely picture books for older readers. Really good for class discussions on a range of environmental issues. Really worth a look.

4. Pete My Story by Pete Bennett. Somehow I expected this book to be better than it is. Interesting reading about his childhood though.

5. How to Create and Develop a Thinking Classroom by Mike Fleetham

6. Waiting patiently for the new Harry Potter to be released. I shall confine myself to the cupboard under the stairs then read & read until I have finished!




1. Julie Andrews

2. Emma Thompson

3. Catherine Zeta-Jones

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

5. Juliet Stevenson

6. Catherine Tate - Foul mouthed and not at all glamorous, but she makes me laugh out loud and I need that sometimes.



1. David Tenant

2. Alan Rickman (yes, I know how old he is, buut he has the certain something)

3. Orlando Bloom

4. Johnny Depp (sexier as he gets older)

5. Colin Firth

6. Val Kilmer (Forever!)





1. Love Actually

2. Nanny McPhee

3. All the Harry Potter Films

4. Truly Madly Deeply

5. Sliding Doors

6. All the Aardman Animations Films - Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run etc.




1. Talk to my husband!

2. Go Canoeing

3. Learn to play the Guitar (I started, but didn't get far)

4. Learn Polish (Am learning slowly, but would like to have more time to do it)

5. Go to the gym (finances allowing)

6. Tidy the house (of course it's at the bottom - it's less fun than the others)




1. Peanut KitKat Chunky

2. Cadbury's Chocolate Buttons

3. Millionnaire's Caramel Slice

4. Thorntons champagne Truffles

5. Nesquik Chocolate Milkshake (Makes lovely smooth hot choc too!)

6. Thornton's Cranberry, Orange & nuts chocolate bar.

Job?

Interview? Yes.
Job? No.
Feedback? Not really.
Confused? Very.

Thank you Sarah & all my friends at St Mary's Primary Foundation Stage who helped me prep for the interview lesson and helped console me afterwards.

What has gone wrong?

In my job, I get to work with a wide range of children from a wide variety of backgrounds. I am at a school at the moment (yes, it's the one I am always going on about - hopefully I haven't named it in previous posts?!) where lots of the children come from deprived backgounds and although that is not an excuse for poor behaviour, it is often part of the cause of it.

So, What sort of weekend am I having then, when I would prefer to be there than at home? A weekend where my own children, who are definitely not deprived of anything, are just out of control and PP and I just don't know what to do next.

When doing my PGCE I read that "All teachers need to remember that however frustrating a pupil may be, he or she is somebody's precious child." This works, unless they are your "precious" children. Then what do you do?

So, What have we tried?

1. We have house rules:
- We do not hit
- We walk in the house
- We do not interrupt when someone is talking
- If we don't eat our dinner, we don't have dessert
- We do not shout
- We do not swear
- We tidy up after ourselves
- We speak to others how we like to be spoken to
- We are responsible for our own actions
- We respect each other
- We share things
- We use our manners
- We do not throw things
- We help each other

I know, it sounds a bit like the rules you get in a classroom, but they do work, or should I say, they did work. We have had these since before Big J was born and little Z helped to make them.

2. We have family meetings.
Every now and then, if everyone seems unhappy and things seem to have got out of hand, we have a family meeting. We all get a chance to talk about how they are feeling without being interrupted and we usually manage to get issues resolved. It makes us all more aware of how everyone else is feeling. Big J has always been too young to join in. Now he is three, he is old enough to join in, but won't sit down for long enough and doesn't really understand about not interrupting and respecting others' opinions.

3. We say how we feel.
We are open about our feelings and encourage the children to express their feelings too. This is harder than it sounds as it is sometimes really hard to remain calm when you are bubbling with anger inside, but part of expressing your feelings is about saying that you are bubbling up. The other side of this is accepting other peoples feelings and allowing them to express their feelings. This sounds like a load of touchy feely nonsense, but it's not. It does work!

4. We give them a choice.
The children are given responsibility for their actions. If they are not behaving how we expect them to, we give them a choice. They then take the consequences for their choice.

I am exhausted.
~ Big J hits us and blows raspberries when we say "no" to him.
~ He hits Little Z when she freaks out at him going near her.
~ Little Z whinges constantly about how hard done to she is.
~ She encourages Big J to do naughty things when we are trying to calm them both down for bed.
~ and the list goes on and on and on....

I look at other people's children, and I'm sure some of them are worse at home behind closed doors, but lots of them seem to be much better nehaved and easier to cope with than Z & J.

We don't smack them and we hardly ever shout, so what went wrong. What have we done to make our children behave like this?

I have run out of ideas.

Thanks for listening. Feel free to make suggestions...

Letter have it!

Little Z came home with her school newsletter today. I usually enjoy reading it as it tells me what events are coming up and what is going on in school. However, after reading the letter today, I was not impressed.

Having recently applied (yes, this again!) to little Z's school (no, I'm not naming the school as I want to be rude about it!) for a year 2 teaching post, I had received no letter or acknowledgement and so had to assume I had not been shortlisted for interview.

I didn't expect special treatment simply because I am a parent at the school (and wouldn't have got any even if I did!), but I don't think it would have hurt to have let me know, seeing as I am at the school every day and have given up quite a lot of my own time in the past to support the school. I felt I had been very professional.I had not told any of the other parents I was applying; I had not discussed what I had seen on my walk around with the head teacher and I had not mentioned to anyone that the vacancy was due to retirement of one of the year 2 teachers (although they could have found this out by looking on the LEA Website).

I had spoken to the office manager and asked if, instead of going to look around the school (which I was already very familiar with), I could make an appointment with the head or deputy to briefly discuss their expectations etc. I was promptly told that this would not be possible as the other candidates would not have the same opportunity and that it would not be fair.

Here comes the best bit: In the newsletter today, the head has announced the appointment of Mrs K who had worked as an LSA there and had left the school last year to do a Teacher Training Course. Well, I'm sure she was appointed in a way which did not give her an unfair advantage over the other candidates.

As far as I'm concerned they can stuff their job. If that's the way they work, I wouldn't want to work there anyway.

No. I still haven't. Don't even ask!

I recently had another interview back at the school who told me I could teach but couldn't talk about it. I really thought I had it this time, but although he said my interview was a lot better, I they said I was still not articulating the wider aspects of the teaching job. He did say, however, that they had not appointed anyone and told me to "watch this space!" Is he seriously expecting me top apply for a 3rd time? It took courage to phone them up to apply a 2nd time. No, I think I have to accept, I will not be working in that school. Not yet, anyway!

Two days after that interview I received a call from another school inviting me for an interview on the first day back after half term. AGAIN, I came very close to getting it and he couldn't really give me a real reason why I hadn't got it, except that they had to choose someone and they felt the other candidate had shown off her skills more.

It is really sole-destroying. I keep being told, these things happen for a reason, but that never helped in the past and it isn't helping now. Knowing that my perfect job is "just around the corner" is not very reassuring and it doesn't pay the bills.

On the positive side, I have to consider that I have now been observed by several different headteachers who have all said my lessons were very good. That has boosted my confidence and has given me the encouragement to keep applying for jobs.

The hunt continues...

If only...

A three year old boy from Southampton,
Just didn't care what toys he stamped on
he would spit, hit and kick,
and behaved like a (naughty boy),
and so now the front lawn's being camped on!

There was a young girl from the south,
who just could not control her mouth.
She thought it was funny,
to shout at her mummy,
and now also camps outside the house!