Success

Finally a joyous post. I have a job for next year. It's at one of my old placement schools, and I couldn't be happier! It won't be without it's challenges, but it will be somewhere I an be me, and not feel guilty about it!

I think the cows would approve!

Feeling icky

Just in time for the holidays (there's 1 week left) I am officially coming down with something.
I've been coughing for the past few days now, and my stomach muscles are definitely feeling rather tender, the sore throat is a new development as is the runny nose. I don't think I'll be going and donating my sickly blood as planned today!
Now there's the small matter of marking books ready for our faculty review on Tuesday, I try to keep things professional on here so we'll leave you to make your own minds up about that statement!

In better news I have 1 mitten left to knit and all my christmas knitting is done! Go me!

Shetland

A job has come up in Shetland. I was invited for an interview at a different school in shetland just before I accepted the job at my current school. AS some of you might have gathered from my tweets my current work life balance kind of sucks and is making me unhappy.

I'm wondering if it's fate?

(Original photo on Flickr)

PS. I hope you like the advent calender.

Some success

I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry but crikey has this new job been kicking my butt! There have been tears from most of the department at some point this week, however I have managed to get some more tram knitting done. That frogged mess below is actually going to be a pattern that works for p/hop, I will post a spoiler picture tomorrow when I can take one in some decent light.... it's dark now, I'm in my pyjamas, and have a big glass of wine and am giving myself the evening off. I nearly fell asleep in the ICT suite period 6 today with my Year 11 group.

Look what you can get done in a week

This is what happens when you spend an hour and a half commuting each day for a week.....
Maybe my queue of projects doesn't look so optimistic after all?



The first week of school, pretty much what I expected, no better, no worse.... I feel like getting to half term is achievable, then after a week off I'll be ready to start again.

Today I am sprawled on a sofa moaning about my aching limbs. This is why I have aching limbs!

I spent yesterday helping to tile the floor at my aunties cottage. The tiles in question are 2 foot square, and the floor is no where near level. It was not an easy task!
Afterwards we sat out in what is going to be the front garden and enjoyed what will probably be the last barbeque of the year.


In knitting news, I'm actually finishing things, the latest victim of my get things done list is this lacy Baktus knitted using Yarn Yard Bonny.


I'm relaxing over the weekend, and then back to work on Thursday..... I am looking forward t it, honest!

Finished

School is all over, all in all I'd class it as not a bad way to spend my last week at work. In fact most of the time I couldn't quite believe I was being paid to do this!
The rain mostly stayed away (as much as can be expected for Scotland), though unfortunately the midges didn't. I kept waking up last night scratching, I've never reacted well to midge bites and have a complete circle of bites around my waist...



Here's a quick selection of the photos, the full set is here They're a bit of a mixture, some were taken while waiting to be picked up after checking on a group, others are Yarn Harlot style sock photos, a couple are of the wheel changing on the minibus, and some are up on Ben Nevis. After all the kids finish their expedition we have a day of activities for them. Some of the kids headed up Ben Nevis, and I managed to sneak off and get some climbing done on the North Face of Ben Nevis. We didn't get an entire route done as we had to get down and pick some kids up in the minibus, but just being up there climbing was amazing. The amount of snow left was surprising, the big lump you can see in the photo had an arch underneath it that I could have gone and stood under, evidence of just how much snow fell this year.

For now I intend to sit back, and enjoy the holidays, I've pretty much unpacked, though the place is still a bit of a bombsite... it's my head of departments hen do this afternoon, and I need to go shopping first. It might be time to part company with my bed and get the day started!

Endings

I just finished my last day at my present school I will confess to shedding a tear over one delightful class who have been a delight all year. Others I could dance with joy at the thought of never seeing them again!
This is only a quickie as I have to leave the house in 20 minutes to go to my leaving do, and I am still wearing what I wore to school. I am however all organised for the last week of term. I'm taking our Year 12 pupils up to scotland for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition, the packing has mostly consisted of me taking everything and the kitchen sink as I have no idea what I actually need, however most importantly the spindle that Natalie from the Yarn Yard posted for me has arrived so I can continue my effort for the Tour de Fleece.
I'm off to try and make myself look beautiful, see you in a week, check the twitter feed for updates on lost children!

I'm staying

In my current location that is. After 4 job interviews I was finally successful, next year is going to be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it. It also means I get to stay in the same place as all my friends, and close to my family. Now I just need to find somewhere to live, ideally close to a tram sop as I can actually catch the tram to work! Oh yeah!
Only 2 days until the holidays and as we are currently going through a silly season I'm very grateful. I would rather not stand out in the rain during another prank fire alarm again.

Lazy Day

I'm having a lazy day today. Yesterday I rushed around like a loon, doctors, hairdressers, tried to give blood but Haemoglobin was too low by a lousy 0.1 (apparently being 12.4 instead of 12.5 matters.....) buying an iPhone, buying some new summer teaching clothes, new bras, checking my Duke of Edinburgh group was alive and safe and going to the pub.

After all that I feel justified in looking out of the window at a grey patch of sky and deciding to get some job applications done. Good job as well, 2 were due in tomorrow. Luckily one is close enough to be hand delivered and the other one is very much not (are you intrigued) but could be done on line. I have an interview when we get back and over all I'm not concerned about the job situation, I feel I'm filling enough applications while still being picky about where I apply to.

Time for some relaxation for the afternoon, I'll sort out what we're doing with Rainbows on Tuesday and for the rest of teh term tomorrow!

would you

If you saw a female sat on the side of the path with what might have been blood oozing over her lower leg would you walk past without asking if she was ok? I'd hope all of you would say no, but that's exactly what happened to me today. I was being a pretend casualty for a local mountain rescue team and was waiting to be "found", and not one person asked me if I was ok, admittedly I probably didn't look in distress at that point but still!

I'm back at my parents now defrosting, and being bought cups of tea.I had to have Friday off work as I came down with a bit of a killer cold, the main symptom of which was the complete loss of my voice, so teaching was a bit of a no go. I still don't have much of a voice, we'll have to see how I go for tomorrow, at the moment I wouldn't even last one lesson before I loose my voice completely again.

Jobless

I got told today that my current school can't make a job for me next year. It's not really surprising, I was doing a years maternity cover and school budgets haven't exactly got larger. I will get another job without too many problems, without blowing my own trumpet I am good at this, and have been promised a glowing reference. It's the hassle, I was looking forward to enjoying September knowing I already knew how stuff works, without dealing with new kids and new schemes of works at the same time.

Oh well, these things happen for a reason right?

Like looking in the mirror

This post is inspired by a post written by Antonia over at Whoopee. She was describing some of her former teachers, which got me thinking. I have yet to over hear a conversation where the kids describe me. All kids talk about their teachers, after all we are the most important people in their lives....
My inner vanity likes to think it's as that hot young teacher, my professional side likes to think of it as a firm but fair yet still slightly cool, my more evil side likes to think exactly that, the kids believe i am some kind of witch sent to Earth to torture them! Then my inner common sense tells me it's maybe best I don't know!

What a week

Today has been what I would describe as one of those weeks...
lots of marking, change of classes to a group with poorer behaviour, awkward parents, more poor behaviour, dreadful landlords, and just higher levels of stress than I really needed.
however the weekend has begun, I will manage to get the Tudor Grace you can see in the side bar finished, and start something new...
I'm still waiting to hear about a job for next year, I'm starting to consider a move to a new part of the country if nothing ends up happening with my current school. Ideas are forming about where, but I'm keeping them to myself for now!

A fun day

i have had a really good day. One of those days where nothing (touch wood) has gone wrong and that I really think the pupils have got something out of!
My Year 8's actually allowed me to go through their test without me loosing my voice shouting (turns out none of them can do chemical formulas but this is why we give them tests!), my Year 7's had me in stitches talking about reproduction. In answer to "How do animals reproduce?" one said that the male gets on tops of the female and they do "things".... I did have to fight to keep a straight face! My Year 12's vaguely did some work and actually seemed to appreciate that they are getting some revision lessons, though they're not entirely getting the hang of the actually answering the question part... Still it makes for funny staff room conversations.
Then my last lesson was with a group of Year 8's who for the past 10 weeks have made it very clear that they much prefer their other teacher. Today though we had a great time. They have just finished 3 modules and have had a test, for the week while we mark tests and work out who needs to move up or down sets we're doing a fun week. Today we had to a container preventing an egg from breaking when dropped! I ended up knelt on a stool on the side bench and we still couldn't break the eggs from some groups. It was great to be able to relax and not worry about them learning anything in particular at the end of the lesson!

To end on a touch of realism Tuesday are always a dreadful day....

One down, 5 to go

I have just completed my first half term as a teacher, 8 whole weeks of proper teaching, proper timetable, nobody looking over my shoulder teaching! We're just about to get the new batch of PGCE students in to school, I saw a copy of their timetable yesterday and gasped. I'd forgotten how little I used to teach. I remember all to well how tired it used to make me though!

I'm just off to the end of half term social with all the other science staff. I feel so lucky to be in such a wonderful department, I was chatting with my mentor today and she complemented me on well I was doing, how well I fitted in, and how organised I had been. it feels good to be told I'm doing a good job!

Anyway, the pub is calling!

Coming over all light headed

I'm currently propped up in bed feeling a little unusual. I very nearly fainted at school today which would have been ok if it wasn't for the shaking, light headed-ness and tingling in my hands and feet. My lovely head of department looked after me wonderfully and dispatched me home with instructions to put my feet up. By that point I just wanted to crawl in to bed and pray that it stopped soon... a couple of hours later I have picked up a bit, my feet and hands have blood in them again (though I think I now might have a bit of a fever) and I no longer look like a ghost but I don't exactly feel great, now is just a waiting game seeing what this turns in to, is it just a 24 hour bug and I'll feel fine tomorrow, or have I caught something truly tasty?

Only time will tell, I'll keep you updated.

Employment

No not the excellent first album by the Kaiser Chiefs, but jobs, like it or not we all need one unless you are very very lucky. however i would argue that we still all need something to do, everyone needs to feel their day has purpose.
I've just got back from a climbing instruction session and have remembered why I could never do it as a job, if I am truly honest I find it boring, there is absolutely no mental stimulation for me, I'd start going stir crazy. My job as a teacher on the other hand makes me feel alive, I come home tired but happy, knowing that I've worked hard and also that my brain has had to work, pitting yourself against a class of 15 year olds will do that to you!
Some people go to work because they just want to earn a living to support their lifestyle, I work because I can't imagine not working, I need to have my brain put to work each day.

Anyway serious post over, your usual light hearted babbling will resume tomorrow or maybe a bit later!

Forgotten

I promise I've not forgotten about all of you, but I've been a little busy and am knitting things that are unbloggable as they're gifts... the possibly recipients are just going o have to sweat it out and see if they get lucky! This could be a common theme as Christmas arrives. Now what did I used to blog about before knitting?

Anyway, I've just signed up to do IComLeavWe again, the link is over on my side bar, you basically sign up to visit 5 blogs on the list over at Stirrup Queen's and return 1 comment that has been left on your own blog every day for the last week of September. Hopefully I'll have time, if you want to join the fun then head over and sign up.

I'm currently engaged in a power struggle with my Year 8 class, I have one child who does not care what I say or do to him and is openly rude and defiant, I tried the making things personal "I don't like it when you do that, I'd much rather you did this instead", I've tried the in your face shouting that has reduced lesser kids to tears, I've tried the refusing to argue tactic, in fact you name it, I've tried it. He's finally been placed in the school's discipline system as I have had enough, and run out of ideas. I taught 1 lesson before lunch time, and as a result of this power struggle was exhausted by then. I'm not going to let this keep happening, as I just don't get paid enough to have my blood pressure altered in this manner, by just one kid! and you know what, the rest of the class deserve better to, he should not be taking up this much of my time, I think I need to really crack on with the school discipline policy and stop giving him chances.
Anyway, it feels better having got this out, and I now feel clearer about what I am going to do to him, thank you for listening!

I'm rushing off as I need to cook some tea before I go out knitting, enjoy your Tuesday evening everyone!

School

I'm going to whisper this for fear of jinxing this, but I love my school, the staff are all wonderful, and even the Year 10s who I taught in my first ever lesson are no where near as bad as I feared. I'm going round doing all the things I need to do, like get keys, sort out computer passwords and wonder why my school email refuses to work...
Tomorrow I actually have to teach 3 lessons, and I get to meet my little Year 7s for the first time.
So basically saying nothing to report, all is going well, long may it continue.

PS. I love my job!