What a Week! ctd...

WEDNESDAY

D-Day. This was the day I had been waiting for and dreading. I was being observed first lesson (maths) by the Headteacher and, added to this, by the end of the day she would have told us all where were going to be next year. Exciting for some, not for me. I was going to find out if I had a job for September or not. Although it felt like I was being observed to see if I could keep my job, it was just an unfortunate timing of events and the two were not related.

The observation could not have gone better. Although I didn't get feedback until the end of the day, she made a point of telling me she was very happy with it, so that I wasn't left wondering. She said my planning was fantastic (wow!), I had differentiated (planned for different abilities) well and loads of other really positive stuff. What was really nice, was that she said she appreciated that this was a model lesson and said, "I don't expect every lesson to be like that."

Later that day (ooh, time connective - 1 point! See what too much SATs does to you!) she told me C would be coming back and that unfortunately I would not be staying on next year. She asked if I would like to apply for a 3-day-a-week job share with C, which I said I probably wouldn't. She explained that she would have to advertise it anyway even if I did want it. I felt sick. I love my school. I don't want to go. I considered chaining myself to the railings, but was not sure that would convince them I was the right person to work with their children for the rest of the year! I just wanted to go home and cry, but there was staff meeting in 10 minutes. just a short one in which she was going to announce where everyone else was next year. "...and in class # will be C who is returning 2 days a week." Silence. I looked around and no one looked back at me. The head finished telling us the staffing arrangements. No one seemed desperately unhappy, except me. I smiled politely & probably quite insincerely at the few people who made humourous comments about where they were going to be next year and the children they were going to have. The meeting finished. I was saved the question time about whether I would apply or not by the head who left promptly at the end of the meeting and indicated me to go with her. She then gave me the super feedback on my lesson which made me feel slightly better, for a while...

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!