What a difference a day makes!

What a difference a day makes.

Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was because it was the last day of term, maybe it was because a number of pupils were involved in a special assembly, but I found my classes to be much calmer today.

My first lesson, a double, was really enjoyable. The class received back the test that they sat last lesson, and were keen to swap results. A few pupils asked if they could resit the exam they sat last year, because they want to improve their grade. It was nice to see them being so keen, smiling and trying to work out what mark they would have to get this year to make sure they would get a C (although I feel a bit for the boy to whom I had to answer ... "Emmm, 100%..."). We then learnt the key words for the new unit of work, which is one of the most interesting topics that we look at - the key words included heaven, hell, purgatory, paranormal, contraception, abortion, euthanasia ... So for every word we had an interesting discussion, with pupils posing me the questions ("If you had a child who was extremely ill, and was going to die, and was in a coma, and was on a life support machine, what would you do, Miss? Would you switch off the life support machine?"). We also had an interesting discussion about Madonna and her adoption of a Malawian child, which prompted a Ghanaian pupil to ask why it is always the negative aspects of life in Africa that are shown on TV, such as poverty and dire situations, instead of more everyday and balanced scenes. A question that my husband often addresses. A good question. Eventually, having copied down all the key words, we played Pictionary on the IWB. Great fun was had by all, getting to draw using their fingers. A really enjoyable morning, one of those lessons that makes teaching so worthwhile.

Another nice aspect of teaching is when you get the rare opportunity to sit down for a few minutes with colleagues. Today at lunchtime I discussed the finer points of civil and criminal law with a couple of other teachers who had managed to find twenty minutes in their busy schedules to sit in the staffroom, eat some lunch, rest and relax. My A Level students had been asking whether UK Law is based on determinist (hard or soft) or libertarian ethical theories. Made a change from discussing pupil behaviour!

I was exhausted by the end of the day, but a good exhausted. The first half term has finished; I can rest for a bit, catch up a bit, plan a bit, prepare for Ofsted a bit ... Have brought five sets of books home. Hurrah for holidays!