This week is Year 7 Camp week and with an enthusiastic faculty that means lots of staff attending and lots of casual staff members back at school. My reflection on this week is, being a one woman show is a drag - I miss my colleagues when they are out - not just because they are excellent in the classroom and the kids are calmer but because they are great people and lovely to chat to during breaks! The reflection from our cleaning staff - the rooms are as messy as they usually are - dang it!
I spent a lot more time in the block over the camp days just listening out for things going pear shaped and making sure students were staying in the classrooms. If thee kids are in the right rooms then most issues are prevented. When they spill out things get a little precarious. It was useful though - I cleaned seminar room and created a workspace for staff and an area where I can keep book covering supplies in order and now, when I need to be in the block, I will have something productive to do (I find it difficult to concentrate on intellectual tasks when I have to get up often).
I sorted out all of the books that needed to go back into the bookroom, put all of the novels in big piles on the side cabinets (possibly to create a faculty library in the future), threw out a bunch of old posters and books that were beyond repair. I cleared every surface and wiped everything down. The professional library needs to be reordered so it is more appealing. I spent hours and a portion of the faculty budget over the three years of my first Head Teacher stint building up the faculty library but I don't think it is widely accessed.
There did used to be a working air conditioning unit in the room but it seems to have broken while I was out of school for three years - I need to problem solve this issue if I want the room to be useful. Small air conditioning units aren't overly expensive - it is probably worthwhile either fundraising or using some of the faculty budget, or a bit of both to purchase a new one.
I have finalised the PL agenda ready for the Twilight session next week and I have sent off to the HTs at the other schools, my Principal, and the Guest Speaker. I still need to schedule an email to alert the office staff of the arrival of our guest and the coffee person. I also need to call the coffee shop. I am really hoping they will deliver at 5.10pm so drinks will be hot and everything will run according to plan - fingers crossed.
I am in the middle of organising NAPLAN and I really haven't done enough to feel happy I am on top of it all - I still need to order the headphones, meet with last coordinator, new HT Admin, HT T&L, and co-coordinator about the scheduling and testing procedures. As it is all online there is no way the hall is the best venue. I am thinking about the library as a possible venue as it worked for other whole school online testing but ensuring students are calm for the duration of the tests will be the challenge. I have a training day next week detailing the online processes.
It is nice to be mostly well, I should not take health for granted because as soon as things are not going well it is awful. So I am thankful for that.
My partner convinced me to buy a new computer that holds its charge and wow, it is epic. It is so light and I can pop it in my handbag and the battery, of course, is just so good.
Uni has started and I forgot about the second lecture already. So much for a weekly routine. I suck at routines. I really have to get reading and the assessment task organised this weekend as it will soon get away from me with a big week at work next week.
I have a few big events heading towards me - Open Night, Twilight Professional Learning Session, the English Faculty Assembly (not the best timing but we are going to have some fun with it). Just smashing everything out and then there will be a bit of a lull. Hopefully.
We have got the Drabble competition (100-word story competition) happening and thankfully the artist who designed the poster was able to find his original poster so I altered it to say Week 8, 2020 and it is good to go. I have a keen bean who has written THREE drabbles already - it is great to see the kids engaging in the art of story telling!
I have signed up for a few professional learning events - the AATE Webinar and I have organised the Extension 2 class to attend a webinar as well.
Tweeting continues for the upcoming IFTE AATE If... Conference. I am using TweetDeck to get ahead on the scheduling and the more information is released the more there is to Tweet about. I hope I am keeping the account active enough. I will aim for bi-weekly tweets and as more is released and once the program is firmed up I will be able to add a few more in between.
Classes are going quite well. I have had a few wins with my Year 10 group. It really takes time to get to know kids at this stage in their schooling. They aren't going to listen to someone they don't care about so I am working hard to earn their trust so I can then pull them along when they get stuck. I am not feeling as overwhelmed as I was earlier in the piece. I know we will get there and the class will become more of a community.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Reflections on Week 5, Term 1, 2020
How difficult is it to build continuity and rapport when you are off work sick every other week. The report from students about the lessons in my absence was less than enouraging but sometimes one is just too ill to be in front of 100+ students in a day, and it would be terrible (not to mention, gross!) if they were to all catch my illness. I think it is also damaging to rapport and classroom management when one is not well enough to uphold the facade of certain rules and procedures.
I was unsure whether I would be well by Friday and the reality of facing a big day when still feeling a bit delicate was a bit much but it ended up being just fine. I had 4-periods on, recess welfare meeting, and Pen and Paper Lunch 1 and Lunch 2. I got a sudden burst of energy when more kids started wandering in for the lunch time creative writing group and wow were they adorable when I gave them each a journal. They were only the two for $3.00 ones form Kmart but the kids were chuffed to be given something to capture their thoughts and drafts.
My Year 12 students have expressed their love of writing notes, my conundrum is, how do I give them the briefest notes possible so it fulfils their wish of having some notes and 'actually writing something' in their workbook but also not losing time for them to think and respond and compose... the things I really want them to do. I will have to think on this as I prepare for next term.
This job is such a balancing act and it has been the roughest of starts, I am still planning week by week for every single one of my classes, uni has started, I have to write a book, I have to plan for NAPLAN, I am running a Twilight Session next week, Open Night is next week, and it is assignment time... I am tired just looking at that list. I once told a friend that I bite off more than I can chew and then chew like hell and that is where I am at right now. It is a bit silly, really, but it is hard to give up passion projects even when I know it is going to be a lot - they are the things that keep us going.
I spent a few hours getting baby and myself out of the house so my unwell partner could have a rest. We went to Officeworks where I purchased some lucky door prizes for the Professional Learning I am running - two lovely Lamy ballpoint pens, a few notebooks, memo pads, and some sticky notes, and a big packet of Tim Tams. We then went to Woolworths to buy a roll of wrapping paper and our guest speaker some chocolates as a thank you. I managed to get everything wrapped and ready which means next weekend I won't be feeling stressed knowing I *have* to go out to get things. It will all be done.
Almost at the halfway point.
I was unsure whether I would be well by Friday and the reality of facing a big day when still feeling a bit delicate was a bit much but it ended up being just fine. I had 4-periods on, recess welfare meeting, and Pen and Paper Lunch 1 and Lunch 2. I got a sudden burst of energy when more kids started wandering in for the lunch time creative writing group and wow were they adorable when I gave them each a journal. They were only the two for $3.00 ones form Kmart but the kids were chuffed to be given something to capture their thoughts and drafts.
My Year 12 students have expressed their love of writing notes, my conundrum is, how do I give them the briefest notes possible so it fulfils their wish of having some notes and 'actually writing something' in their workbook but also not losing time for them to think and respond and compose... the things I really want them to do. I will have to think on this as I prepare for next term.
This job is such a balancing act and it has been the roughest of starts, I am still planning week by week for every single one of my classes, uni has started, I have to write a book, I have to plan for NAPLAN, I am running a Twilight Session next week, Open Night is next week, and it is assignment time... I am tired just looking at that list. I once told a friend that I bite off more than I can chew and then chew like hell and that is where I am at right now. It is a bit silly, really, but it is hard to give up passion projects even when I know it is going to be a lot - they are the things that keep us going.
I spent a few hours getting baby and myself out of the house so my unwell partner could have a rest. We went to Officeworks where I purchased some lucky door prizes for the Professional Learning I am running - two lovely Lamy ballpoint pens, a few notebooks, memo pads, and some sticky notes, and a big packet of Tim Tams. We then went to Woolworths to buy a roll of wrapping paper and our guest speaker some chocolates as a thank you. I managed to get everything wrapped and ready which means next weekend I won't be feeling stressed knowing I *have* to go out to get things. It will all be done.
Almost at the halfway point.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Reflections on Week 4, Term 1, 2020
Just a quick overview of the week - in Year 7 English we created a list of ode topics and then moved onto anti-ode topics and one student loudly proclaimed as I walked around the classroom that his topics for possible anti-odes were English and Maths. He explained his reasoning for 'English' being on his list - he knows how to write so English is a waste of his time. I guess I appreciate his honesty. Conviction is important even though hearing such an opinion after he has been in my class for just four weeks made me a little sad.
I applied to be a volunteer for my Professional Association and went to the first meeting. It went really well. I am on the Communications Committee and the work in the lead up to the annual conference is to spruik, spruik, spruik!
University has started, well O'Week has, and I am a little scared to be honest. The lecturer is right on time - the materials were not uploaded a day earlier than they had to be, which, to be honest, again, means that I am going to be behind very quickly.
We worked out the non-charging laptop issue. It turns out they charge but the little lights that indicate that they are connected to the power doesn't work, on any of them. Fabulous. It was a lot of stuffing around to get to that point. I moved them to three different power points to test them, knocked the trolley over on myself, and proceeded to break two chargers. Thankfully the laptops didn't break and I was only slightly damaged. Someone with more knowledge than me figured it all out in the end, thankfully we now know.
Baby is sick, again. He has spent 1/7 of his life fighting illness and if the stories are correct, this is going to continue for months to come. Parenting is ensuring you are vigilant in setting the timer for the next dose of pain relief medication. Also, working out hacks to get said medication into the baby without him choking because he is screaming the house down (sorry neighbours!), is very important.
I applied to be a volunteer for my Professional Association and went to the first meeting. It went really well. I am on the Communications Committee and the work in the lead up to the annual conference is to spruik, spruik, spruik!
University has started, well O'Week has, and I am a little scared to be honest. The lecturer is right on time - the materials were not uploaded a day earlier than they had to be, which, to be honest, again, means that I am going to be behind very quickly.
We worked out the non-charging laptop issue. It turns out they charge but the little lights that indicate that they are connected to the power doesn't work, on any of them. Fabulous. It was a lot of stuffing around to get to that point. I moved them to three different power points to test them, knocked the trolley over on myself, and proceeded to break two chargers. Thankfully the laptops didn't break and I was only slightly damaged. Someone with more knowledge than me figured it all out in the end, thankfully we now know.
Baby is sick, again. He has spent 1/7 of his life fighting illness and if the stories are correct, this is going to continue for months to come. Parenting is ensuring you are vigilant in setting the timer for the next dose of pain relief medication. Also, working out hacks to get said medication into the baby without him choking because he is screaming the house down (sorry neighbours!), is very important.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Reflections on Week 3, Term 1, 2020
What is important right now? Remembering to eat so that I don't feel like chocolate every afternoon.
Still waiting on keys. Oh how much joy I feel feel once those cold metal pieces are in my hands... well, probably not. I will likely forget my weeks of difficulties very quickly.
The laptops, not charging, I realised the wrong cord was plugged into the wall meaning that a single laptop was charging instead of the whole bank but then when I went back to check on one which didn't have a light on with the charger plugged in I found that they had stopped charging. Why does everything have to be so difficult?
Massive staff meeting calls for sweets, I am not deliberately trying to make everyone a sweet tooth but I am of the opinion that sweet treats are a good thing sometimes. I hope the small gesture reminds people that I appreciate them, that I am thinking of them.
I have created little staff roll call slips because my brain simply cannot remember who I have asked about various things, they have been useful for the mandatory training certificate collection and organising who needs a staff name badge.
PDPs are required of Head Teachers before we meet with our staff - to ensure everyone is on the same page. I have quite a bit of stuff to collect and finalise before my meeting. It doesn't matter if not all of it is done, really, but I would like it to be done because the urgency to get them done will leave if I do not get things ready prior to the meeting. If something gets put on the back burner it is often where it will remain.
Swimming Carnival this week and I honestly have nothing that I would like to wear to such an occasion. I used to have a baggy green shirt but I cannot find it for the life of me and the only other green thing I have is a shirt with some olive green stripes. Just doesn't feel very festive. I ended up wearing a black dress and a white and green throw over thing. I put so much suncream on but still got burnt but it was a nice day regardless.
Still waiting on keys. Oh how much joy I feel feel once those cold metal pieces are in my hands... well, probably not. I will likely forget my weeks of difficulties very quickly.
The laptops, not charging, I realised the wrong cord was plugged into the wall meaning that a single laptop was charging instead of the whole bank but then when I went back to check on one which didn't have a light on with the charger plugged in I found that they had stopped charging. Why does everything have to be so difficult?
Massive staff meeting calls for sweets, I am not deliberately trying to make everyone a sweet tooth but I am of the opinion that sweet treats are a good thing sometimes. I hope the small gesture reminds people that I appreciate them, that I am thinking of them.
I have created little staff roll call slips because my brain simply cannot remember who I have asked about various things, they have been useful for the mandatory training certificate collection and organising who needs a staff name badge.
PDPs are required of Head Teachers before we meet with our staff - to ensure everyone is on the same page. I have quite a bit of stuff to collect and finalise before my meeting. It doesn't matter if not all of it is done, really, but I would like it to be done because the urgency to get them done will leave if I do not get things ready prior to the meeting. If something gets put on the back burner it is often where it will remain.
Swimming Carnival this week and I honestly have nothing that I would like to wear to such an occasion. I used to have a baggy green shirt but I cannot find it for the life of me and the only other green thing I have is a shirt with some olive green stripes. Just doesn't feel very festive. I ended up wearing a black dress and a white and green throw over thing. I put so much suncream on but still got burnt but it was a nice day regardless.
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