Amazing discovery!

Although I have been in my classroom almost a term, I still find things I have never seen before. At half term I rearranged my classroom furniture and found lots of things I never knew we had. I sometimes open a drawer when looking for something and find not the thing I am looking for but something new and interesting. A few weeks ago I walked along the corridor and noticed all the other classrooms had a notice board outside. In my usual grown up way, I thought to myself, hey! Why haven't I got one of those? (now I see why little Z does it so often!) Then I took a look and saw that actually I did have one, but had never noticed! It's great!

But, the best find happened on Thursday evening as I was looking for last years "not SATs" teacher assessment papers. I found a box which I thought they were in, I opened it and I found...

LEGO

I was very excited. It had been there all the time collecting dust. I thought the children would love it and actually it was indeed the most popular activity of the morning (we usually have games out on Friday morning for a morning activity).

It made me think about the huge box of Lego I had as a child. The box was as big as me and I remember struggling to bring it downstairs to play with. Four years ago, I asked my mum to bring it with her when she came to see us so Little Z (no Big J yet!) could play with it. Mum arrived with a box. I asked her where the big box was. That apparently was it. I remembered it being huge, much bigger than this medium sized box of lego she was carrying. Little Z and Big J think it is a big box of lego. They enjoy rummaging through the box for a piece of the right size, shape and colour for what they are building. I still enjoy doing that too. I don't think we ever grow out of Lego.

not SATisfactory!

My observation went very well. Phew!

My last obs did not go so well and although it came out as satisfactory (satisfactory does not really mean satisfactory, does it!?), my mentor had commented that the children had not been engaged in the input as it did not take account of all of their learning styles.

The lesson went very well indeed.

This time I made sure I had all the learning styles covered and she commented positively on that.

I was very pleased to see L, my TA, back after being off sick. She is an asset to me, particularly when teaching maths as she really knows her stuff and so I can rely on her to work with my most able children and to make a judgement about whether to move them on or not.

Yesterday's lesson had been tough. Teaching 'division as grouping' to year 2 is hard. Firstly because it is not the way we were taught at school. We learnt sharing and so grouping is the wrong way around for us. Secondly, because it is simply a difficult concept for them to grasp, or it can be. My children, even my top children, didn't get it. Some of them said they understood it, but when I came to mark their books, they hadn't got it at all. I knew already that the children I worked with just didn't understand it, no matter how many different ways I explained it. So, todays lesson was real assessment for learning in action. There was no point in moving on until they had understood division.

I reflected long and hard about yesterday's lesson. What was it that was missing? What was it that was confusing them? Why were they not getting it? I identified something which I thought it could be.

Today, I went back to basics and improved the explanation of it. They got it. I knew within the first 5 minutes that it was working. Some of them said, "Oh, I get it!". It is so gratifying when that happens. One girl even commented, "Oh, Mrs L, you have explained it so much better today. I really understand it now." (Those sort of comments help me to choose my star of the week! :oD)

It was a pleasure to mark their books. By George I think they've got it!

Now we are counting down to SATs, oops, not allowed to call them that now. They are 'Teacher Assessments'!

Observations

I am being observed tomorrow. I only found out yesterday and after being asked by my mentor if it was okay, at first I said it was not, as my TA is off sick and it wasn't much time to prepare. I also have my NQT time this thursday morning and so I didn't want to give that up to have an obs. However, I then thought about it and decided it was ideal as I could use my supply as a TA if my TA is still off sick and after being observed I could then leave the supply in charge of my class while I go and talk about the lesson and get feedback from my mentor which saves me worrying about what she thought about it. Then I taught todays maths lesson - their first lesson on division as grouping (sorry to any non-teachers reading. It just means we are teaching it the opposite to how most of us learnt division!) and they didn't get it. Even H, my brightest maths pupil who I can always rely on to come up with the right answer and prompt the others with a child-to-child explanation. So tomorrow's maths which will be observed will be a "see how it goes" lesson and so I am using todays plan with a view to repeating todays teaching and hoping to be able to move them on, even if just a small step. Oh well, at least he will see a proper lesson without all the fancy stuff you put in just because you are being observed.

On a more positive note, we had a meeting this evening after school about able children and using thinking skills in the classroom. I was really pleased that many of the suggestions are things I am already doing, so it will be great to be observed already doing those things.

Thing that made me cross today: One of my definite level 3 pupils (yes, he also has a name but the number is more important at the moment!) is going to A.N.Other school not too far and which I know very well. So, on top of all the things which already annoy me about that school is the fact that I am having to hand them a level 3 on a plate. Anyway, who would move a child to another school at this time of year just because they are going to that junior school? Yes, well, maybe I would do the same, but it's my job as a teacher to whinge about such things.

Well, must go and plan for the supply teacher now. Also have to make my CPD folder look like I have at least opened it in the last 6 weeks!

Parents Evening

Got through parents' evening and the experience was less stressful than I had envisaged. I had been warned at interview that the parents had very high expectations and that if they were not happy they would not hide their concerns. So, still on a temporary contract, I prepared apprehensively for parents' evening.

The general consensus is that the children are happy at school and the parents are happy with me. Phew! There was only one child whose parents were unhappy with his progress which actually has more to do with their unrealistic expectations of what he should be able to do (i.e. multiplication at the age of 6!!!) and the fact that they make him do an hour or so of written maths work at home several times a week. I pushed the boundaries as far as I possibly could and may have even stepped slightly over that fine line a little when I suggested they were pushing him too hard and should be making it more fun so that he would enjoy it.

I think overall, I handled them well: a parent governor, the chair of governors, a bloke in a dress (lovely black boots, actually!) with his (soon to be ex-)wife, as well as another mum with a history of being verbally abusive.I had the headteacher on hand for that one, but am pleased to say I didn't need her to intervene.

Eater weekend could not come soon enough. No, that was not a spelling mistake! I shall not be celebrating the death of Christ. I shall be eating lots of chocolate!

MISSING

My social life - looking rather the worse for wear but has sentimental value.

Last seen in January 2008 looking rather confused. May be in need of medical attention.

Appears harmless but should not be approached as may be dangerous.

If seen, please call in to "nice little school", southampton where the owner can always be contacted, night or day.