To do

Here's the most recent list:

1. Photocopy Hinduism booklet for all classes, and complete answers for other teachers.
   
2. Finish Year 10 reports.
   
3. Mark three sets of Year 9 assessments. (2 and a half down, half to go...)
   
4. Write 3 lesson plans for project. (One planned; two to write, but planned in my head.)
   
5. Write Case Study for project.
6. Send off all project stuff by 14 June.
7. Write essay for other course.
8. Plan inspection lessons.
9. Plan all assessments and lesson plans. (This is done in my head, and will be completed by the end of the week whether I like it or not!)
10. A whole load of KS3 stuff ... write a yearly plan, make sure all books are up to date etc.
    

To do over half term

1. Complete Hinduism booklet and photocopy it.
2. Write Year 10 reports.
3. Mark three sets of Year 9 assessments. (2 down, 1 to go...)
   
4. Mark books: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9.
5. Write 3 lesson plans for project.
6. Write Case Study for project.
7. Send off all project stuff by 14 June.
8. Write essay for other course.
   
9. Car insurance, tax, MOT stuff - asap.
10. Plan inspection lessons.
11. Plan all assessments and lesson plans.
12. Financial stuff.
    

I'm sure there's also all the admin and housekeeping stuff too. We'll see.

To do this week

1. Finalise lesson plan and resources for observation.
2. Write up all lesson plans and produce resources for project.
3. Complete Hinduism booklet.
4. Produce mark scheme for Y9 assessment.
5. Send off all car insurance stuff.
6. Pay bills, MOT etc.
7. Go on school trip!
8. Attend course.
9. Write a resume of St Paul's letters for Year of St Paul stuff. (Wasn't needed in the end!)
10. Produce subject specific ICT links for teachers.
11. Write Year 10 reports.
12. Plan all lessons, including cover lessons.
13. Plan homeworks (for over the holidays ...)
14. Produce KS3 review of schemes of work for inspection.
15. Mark Year 7 books.
16. Write essay for course.

I'm sure there are more things I need to do! But this will more than keep me going!

Bank Holiday Blues

What a lovely day it is today! But here I am, stuck inside, trying to get all my admin done! Woe is me!! And we've just had a powercut for the past two or three hours, so no internet access - which has been good, in that I've managed to mark some assessments - but not so good in that I kept thinking, "I should ... look up my new classlists on the internet ... Oh no, I can't. I should ... find out more info about that job ... Oh no, I can't! I should ... look up some info for the new scheme of work I'm writing. Oh no, I can't!"

Had a lovely day yesterday visiting friends, which it makes it all worthwhile though. They now have three lovely children, so I took 140 photos (ah, the age of digital photography!) a few of which I've uploaded to Facebook. Very nice to see all the family, more so since they will be overseas for a year, leaving in a few months time. However, with blogs and Facebook and Skype, I am sure we'll be able to keep in touch and see how the children are growing!

Now, where was I? ... Marking, that was it. Bye!

Back to school

Well, that's one day over! Another three and a half weeks until Easter!

It's wasn't that bad, actually, although the new seating arrangements - islands of desks rather than the rows that had been driving me crazy, they're so boring - caused a bit of consternation!

The highlights came in my Year 7 class and at lunchtime. Both involved handing back the assessments I've been marking over the holidays. One boy, who is often quite badly behaved, got back his assessment. The first level written on it was very low - I only had a sheet with a few notes. But I thought he might have written another page. At first, he started protesting - "But I wrote all that, Miss!" - but then I showed him another page - "Yes! That's mine!" - and soon he was jumping all over the classroom shouting with delight at his grade! He has asked me to send it home, so I am going to photocopy it and send it home with a note. And I've been telling his other teachers, so hopefully he'll get more praise too.

Then at lunch a couple of Year 9 boys came by to see if I had marked their assessments. I had, and, once again, they were delighted with the grades - they were the top two in their class, one joint equal second with one of the girls who is normally top of the class, so they were really happy too!

It makes all that marking worthwhile!

Time for Bed!

Well, I've passed it, actually. And foolishly - I could have finished this marking ages ago if I hadn't interspersed it with random and pointless excursions to the internet.

Anyway.

I have just finished marking my Year 8 Assessments! And half inputted their reports! And I have also made a good start on another essay that is due in on Friday. So my to-do list now looks like this:

1) Finish writing Year 8 Reports.
2) Complete lesson plan on the Sacraments.
3) Write booklets of work as back-ups from Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 - except that's not really necessary, and instead I have made some key word list worksheets to keep me going.

It's been a really productive half term, relaxing as well (although it's so late, so I'm bound to be tired tomorrow!), and I'm feeling positive about going back. I'm going to rearrange my classroom ... Let's see how it goes! Goodnight!

Eating Out and Staying In

Had a lovely evening out last night meeting up with a Dutch friend and one of her colleagues. We went to Chutney's on Brick Lane, our "local" Brick Lane restaurant, but it was a bit weird. We waited ages to order, then the man insisted on bringing us poppadoms before he took our order, then left these with us without taking the order at all! Someone else did take the order, and the food was really good, as always, but I had to ask four or five times (possible more!) for a second mango lassi, which eventually arrived after the hot food it had meant to cool finished! H decided the waiters were probably overworked and very tired by the time they were serving us. Anyway, the company was great, and we chatted until midnight. It's always good to get someone else's perspective on education as well. Our friend has encouraged me to try a Michelle Pfeiffer on some of our more difficult students. I will try!

Have planned a couple of assessments, but no further on the essay or Year 8 marking and reports. Must get the essay done now.

My new to-do list!

I have just finished the revision guide! So now the to-do list looks like this:

1) Complete an essay on sex education and email to tutor by the end of the week.
2) Submit my Y9 project proposal to appropriate person.
3) Write up an overview of my Masters for the grant awarding body.
4) Marking Assessments: - Year 8 Assessments
5) Write Year 8 Reports.
6) Choose and start planning essay or lesson plan on the Sacraments. (Check when due.)
7) Write booklets of work as back-ups from Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9.

So it's a lot shorter now!

Back in London

We left about 1.30pm yesterday, after shovelling away snow from under the tyres, stopped near Leeds around 6pm or so, then arrived in London about 10.30pm last night. About 500 miles. It rained all the way. Fortunately the traffic wasn't too bad. We were lucky in both directions this year.

We have had a great holiday. Christmas was really relaxed, and we had a fun time at Hogmanay, playing games and singing lots. Then the few days since then have been fun and laid back, and it was great to see all my family again. Hope it's not too long until we can spend some time with H's family as well.

My list of things to do before I go back to work in two days time?

* Finish marking Year 11 Mock Exams
* Mark assessments for Y7, Y8, Y9 and Y10
* Mark books for Y8, Y9, Y10 and Y11 so I'm up to date
* Plan Y8 SoW and put onto school website
* Plan Y7 and Y9 lessons
* Plan lessons for Y10 and Y11
* Put all assessment data onto school data system
* Start writing Y11 reports
* Finish essay for course I've completed
* Start essay for other course I'm following

Not too much then ...! Wish me luck!! (Oh, and I've still to go to the shops - at least I've unpacked from the holiday up north!)

Christmas Carol Service

When I looked out the door this morning, I wondered what had happened - I couldn't see anything! Then I realised it was really foggy, so misty that I couldn't see far at all. Frozen fog. And the alarm hadn't gone off, so I had slept in. Then I couldn't get rid of the frost, so I had to pour hot water over the windscreen before I left. Still managed to arrive in time though.

So tired I curled up on the two comfy sofa chairs in the departmental office at lunchtime and slept for half an hour. Haven't done that before.

At the end of the day a few of us went out for dinner then came back and enjoyed the Christmas Carol Service.

However, the highlight of the day was one of my Year 9s reciting his lyrics about how men should treat women (ie with respect, well) and it was excellent - great lyrics, rhythm, rhyme, meaning. Unsure how I', going to manage to assess all these poems though!

Almost didn't update!

It's been a busy, eventful and generally positive week - and a busy weekend - again! - hence the late entry.

Monday was fun - we had the TV cameras in, and the Year 7s were excellent. Very well behaved. I've managed to make some nice certificates for them which should be handed out in assembly this week. I took off the two lessons before filming, which was just as well since some of the websites I wanted to use weren't working, and we had to get them up and running first!

Our next big day was Wednesday, a special day for our House. We had a visitor to the school, a man whose son was killed a couple of years ago. He spoke very movingly - you could have heard a pin drop. Shame the students weren't so attentive during Mass in the morning!

The next major event was after school on Thursday. I had to give a presentation of my findings of my research. Just need to get it written up as my dissertation now! It was a fun evening though, especially on the way home in the bus with some other teachers, where we discussed how we could use new technologies to move the school forward.

I've spent the weekend marking the Year 7 and Year 8 assessments. The Year 9s will finish theirs tomorrow, then the Year 10s and 11s later in the week. And then it's half term! (And writing up the dissertation ...)

Disappointment at Formula 1

Well, I'm feeling really quite sad at the moment, since we've just watched Lewis Hamilton go off the pit lane and have to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix. So there's just Brazil in two week time. I hope Hamilton manages it ...

Highlights of the week? Well, my Year 7s gave their presentations, and some of the students in the lower group did particularly well. They had to speak about their community, and there were some very clear and confident speakers. It's a shame that in between times, so many of them are rude to each other, shouting out, pulling faces, drumming, getting out of their seats ...

My other Year 7s were practicing using the computers. I got them all logged on - and the website was blocked! Great. Such are the pitfalls of using the ICT suite!

It's been quite busy, but mostly okay. The Year 11s were much better than last week, and the Year 10s had a couple of good lessons, mainly because some of the more disruptive students were not there.

We had a parents' evening as well, which was interesting ... it was an explanation of what parents should expect with the SATs coming up, and one parent made a big scene about the lack of communication with the school (I think she thought it was the sort of parents' evening where you meet the teachers rather than an information evening), then another parent asked her to talk to someone by herself rather than wasting everyone's time, so that was interesting.

Busy weekend trying to get ready for tomorrow and a presentation of my research on Thursday.

I'm back!

I hadn't realised it had been so long since I had last blogged! In fact, it hadn't really dawned on me that I hadn't blogged once since I had been on holiday!

We've had a lovely holiday, and I especially enjoyed yesterday when we had a large family party at home, and I got to meet my (third?) cousin for the first time. She is lovely - four and a half months old, very sweet, curious and strong - she is keen to start dancing and exploring, I think!

I am also delighted to say that I managed to write 1200 words or so of my literature review, so I'm about one fifth of the way through it. Another highlight was the day my sister and I visited our Gran and had a girly day out. Not something that we do very often! Also came across an old story "what I wrote" when I was young ... lots of exclamation marks. Has anything changed?!

Now have to tidy the house, finish that literature review, write the methods and methodology review, write ICT and Asssessment policies, finish the SoWs (at least the first three ...) and plan my AfL and Literacy displays. Still, I think I have just under three weeks to do all that. Oh, and we are going to see Prince tomorrow night, so watch out for my report on that!

Key Stage 3 Assessments etc

I have had no classes today.

Instead, I have worked from 8.30 am through until now (11.20pm according to my computer) with time off to drive home and cook dinner.

Would be easier having classes!

No, it probably wouldn't, because I'd still have to do all the things I've been doing today! We have a meeting tomorrow morning looking at KS3 Schemes of Work, attainment targets, levels and assessments. So today I decided to plan what we are going to do. I started an overview of the three years (7, 8, 9) on a weekly basis. I managed about five SoW. Then I wondered how we should implement the new attainment targets that we have. There are six different strands. HoD asked if I was going to implement them straightaway, or form a working party, planning some SoW to implement later in the year. Well, I feel that would just confuse everyone. So then I began to panic a bit, feeling I had bitten off more than I can chew. (I probably do that quite often, but don't really feel as if I have!) Fortunately up in the staff room I met a colleague who is also doing her Masters and is a great sounding board as well as being an excellent practioner. (I'm not sure if she's an AST, but she should be.) So I ran the idea past her, and she came up with loads of excellent ideas, as well as helping me decide what the priority should be for tomorrow.

So ... I have spent this evening breaking down each unit of work assessment into one of the six strands, making sure there's one strand covered per year group. For each assessment I have also suggested a type of task eg letter, article, evaluation. Tomorrow I will explain the difference between AT1 (learning about religion) and AT2 (learning from religion), and in pairs, we will look at one assessment, and write out pupil friendly success criteria based on the one chosen strand. That means the members of the department should know one strand well to begin with.

Once we have the assessments, that will influence our lesson planning, so that we can teach the skills and knowledge necessary for the assessment - these are already in the SoW, so we shouldn't have to do much, perhaps just hone them so they fit more neatly.

We will focus on Year 7s. At Christmas, when the Year 11s are off on Mock Exam Leave (if they get any), we can use some time to plan the Year 8s, then this time next year we can plan Year 9s. So by 2008 all the levels and assessments should be fully in place. Having learnt about the strands with Year 7s we'll all be happier to use them next year.

So all I need to do now is to work out how to share the complex six strands with the pupils. I'll probably simplify it to their common denominators - ie we'll be back at where we were at the beginning of the year! But somehow I want to include AT1 and AT2. So still a few things to think about ...

Will let you know how I get on, I'm sure!

Back at the British Library

Spent another fun day at the British Library, researching for my dissertation. Today I eventually got through five books - I now have 40 pages of notes on my laptop! The research is about assessment, and it's been very interesting learning about the different kinds of assessment. I also got two sets of microfilm (dissertations) but I'll need to look at them another day, because I ran out of time.

I wrote a few notes while I was there that I will post up later - they are on the other computer and I can't be bothered getting the other one out just now!

Shame to miss all the good weather, but since the Lit Review is due after the holidays, I really ought to get a move on! However, I'll be at home tomorrow, so hopefully I'll see some of the beautiful sunshine that we're supposed to have!

Hurray for the Holiday!

I've finally made it! I'm on holiday! I'm not quite sure that it's sunk in yet ... I was still busily beavering away in the office at 5pm last night, trying to decide what to take home and what to leave. It's all because the Call has still not come ... Frankly, I think it's rather unfair of Ofsted leaving us hanging on like this ... The short, sharp shock of inspection is supposed to make it easier, so that teachers are not planning for weeks on end for their inspection, but instead we've been on 72 hours notice of an inspection since September, and it's going to loom over our half term too. Anyway, at least it is the holiday, and although some teachers are running classes and going in over the holidays, I am not one of them. I've even been good at not bringing home all my boxes of marking this time. I've only got my Year 11 end of unit tests that I should mark today so I can update their predicted grades.

So, what are the plans for the week? Well, some are unfortunate and mundane tasks - after finishing the washing up and the laundry I need to arrange to get a new windscreen, since there are two rather large cracks in it ... a by-product of pupils throwing stones, perhaps? I can't be quite sure, but I suspect they may be the culprits. Only noticed it as I arrived home last night. I can be sure about the providence of the scar along my glasses, though ... you're not supposed to use the edge of your top in order to clean your glasses. Especially if that top has small diamontes sewn on. So that is my next chore, to book an appointment with an optician. Especially since I've not had my eyes tested for about 18 months, either. I'll probably try to book that for Monday afternoon, so I can go straight there after my dentist appointment. Another unhappy visit, I fear. The last time I saw him, my dentist told me I'd need to have my wisdom teeth taken out. They've been fine recently, it's okay, they can stay there ... So I'm not particularly looking forward to that.

The next category of things to do involves my research. I must complete my questionnaires, both for the pupils and the teachers. My tutor is having a look at them this week, to see if they look suitable. I should also try and use this opportunity to complete my Methods and Methodology Review, and it would be great if I could get started on my Literature Review, which is due in after Easter. I also need to write the Marriage and Family Life Scheme of Work, which needs to involve lots of Assessment for Learning.

This leads me onto my next category - school stuff. I am jointly responsible for the next Year 9 SoW, Jesus in the Gospels. I need to do some work on that, in conjunction (via email) with a colleague. I think I will also try to make sure that there are at least three lessons planned for Year 7 (Reconciliation) and Year 8 (The Paschal Mystery) in case the colleagues responsible have not managed to complete those for the first week back. I will also try to write a SoW for Year 10 ... Living the Christian Life. And I should plan a few lessons for my A Level classes too. So, as you can see, my main aims this week, school wise, revolve around one of my favourite parts of teaching - planning lessons. But it's been such a long time that I've had to write one that I'm worried they'll all be rubbish! I also have some admin-y things to do, too, such as checking over the SEF and making sure the handbook is up to date. So all that should keep me busy.

Finally, the most important category ... H and I having a lovely holiday, using the opportunity to visit museums and galleries, or simply wandering around the shops, or sitting at home getting some reading done. Relaxing. Resting. Enjoying life, and each other's company. I'm looking forward to it. Hope I can manage to fit in some of those other things around this most important task!

A bit under the weather

The plan is that we teach a full week this week. Wonder how we'll cope?! I'm already counting down the days! I think because I felt very tired today. Felt a bit ill on the way home. Slept for 15 mins or so in the Tesco car park. Hope I'm not coming down with something!

I'm going to blame it on my Year 7s, I think. They listened so nicely to each other when the AHT was in the room, and they had such good ideas in their assessment presentations. But then she left, and they got noisier and noisier! So that hurt my throat. Then the Year 10s - I'm not quite sure what happened there. A large number of strange pupils came into the classroom - not sure who - but that wound up my pupils, and it took 15 mins to get started. We only managed half the lesson. Let's hope we finish it next lesson.

Right. Time for bed!

Dishcloth Day

As in, I feel completely wrung out just like one. I don't think I could wring very much else out of me. Except I now have to come up with two-way tables for every group, collate a target group of Year 9s who are or are not achieving their target L5, make a list of all the things that everyone in my department has to do (thus creating more work for them), and make sure they are doing those things, print out my departmental handbook and try to update it, prepare for my line manager meeting, fill in risk assessment forms (which means we've been allowed out on trips - hurrah!) ... and did I mention marking and planning lessons?

No time to blog! Goodbye for now!

To do this weekend

Tomorrow (well, later this morning ...): Study day for another certificate. Maybe get to the cinema.

Sunday: (After reading at church)

* Year 11 Reports
* Year 10 assessments to be marked
* Plan for Line Manager meeting
* QCA Levels etc: type up
* Write up minutes of last meeting
* Plan agenda for Wednesday meeting

I'm sure there were loads of other things too! Oh well, that will have to do for now!

Sleep, sweet sleep, wherefore art thou?

I am exhausted ... have been ever since I woke up. Must get to bed early tonight ...

My AS pupils have difficulties arriving at school. One arrived, about ten minutes late. Another arrived about ten minutes later - he was supposed to be elsewhere, but we suggested that since his exam is next week, he would do well to ask for permission to leave his last class and come to my one. He disappeared, and re-appeared about five minutes before the end of the lesson. A couple of minutes before another girl arrived. And a few minutes before the final two attendees decided to attend, after the bell arrived. Did I mention they have an exam next week?

My Year 10s sat their end of unit assessment. Not as much cheating this time, although after a few illicit conversation and some strained eyes, I decided it was easier to just to read out the key word from the poster on the wall, rather than put up with their devices to get to the front of the class ... oh dear, I've just dropped my pen and it slid along the floor to the front of the room just disturbs everyone else. At least they might see the point of my wall displays now.

The Year 7s? Lots of shouting, some tantrums, stamping of feet ... and they were pretty bad too. Eventually had a few of them back for detention. Didn't manage to play the game that was part of the lesson plan. Shame. I'd been quite looking forward to it. Wonder if they'll be able to manage lesson 3 in the scheme of work? As for their homework, quite a few came up to me to say they hadn't understood the homework. List some communities you can think of eg church, school, guides. Choose one and describe it. Even if they didn't know what a community was, I can hardly believe that noone in the home knew either,and there were no dictionaries, internet search engines, or mobiles to "phone a friend" around.

Only one A level student. Since he's from Uganda, my favourite part of the lesson was where we discussed the forthcoming film, "The Last King of Scotland". But we looked at Natural Law too.

I also managed to squeeze a couple of meetings, some form filling, a lot of filing, some other admin and a couple of short conversations into the day. Then I went off to uni for my dissertation seminar. We were thinking about the Literature Review. Well, they were. I was thinking about sleep. No wonder I got lost on my way home.

I have a meeting with the other ex-HoD tomorrow. Looking forward to it, but exhausted. Still have to do those final Year 11 reports, plan tomorrow's lessons, go to a conference on Saturday, go to an opening on Friday, and see TLKOS sometimes during the weekend.

Sleep, sweet, sweet sleep ...