This is Omar’s blog

I sincerely believe that, if I had to choose a single t.v. clip to watch until I was dead, it would most likely be this one. It gets me everytime. Every. Single. Time.

Big Office (US) fans in this household.

(I’m aware that you might not think so, but then it is very much about context.)

O.K. I’ve had a coffee, it was nice. I had sugar and milk in it, which Gemma thinks is a crime. Pah. I had a straight latté recently and couldn’t manage it. I need the sugar at the moment, it takes the edge off it. I bought a Phillips Senseo thing, works well so far. We’ll see, though I’m still working out if I want a cup of a mug. A cup didn’t seem enough to fill the cup that I used. Or should I be using smaller cups?

So, obviously I spent 20 minutes idly searching for pods for it online, could be cheaper. I know I’m getting ahead of myself.

Anyway, OFSTED. We knew it was coming, end of the cycle and we were one of the few schools that hadn’t had one. Our head was hearing news from other schools. We found out Friday that they were coming in the following Wednesday. Anyway, long story short. It was stressful, even for me, I’ve no idea what it was like for the head.

(I could do some research here but I’m just going to write it as it happened.)
It was very stressful. We spent Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday making sure everything was just so. The night before, I was extremely irritable - and that takes a lot for me and the day itself was… Well it wasn’t so bad for me, the new OFSTED is a ‘light touch’. They (2 inspectors) come in for a day and because they have such a short visit, a lot of it is focused on the SEF (self-evaluation form) and RAISE (Reporting and Analysis for Improvement through School Self-Evaluation). A lot the school is inspected from that, from the first link

Self evaluation is at the heart of the new inspection arrangements. For school inspections the self evaluation form serves as the main document when planning the inspection, and is crucial in evaluating the quality of leadership and management and the school’s capacity to improve.

For me this meant, I was observed for 10 minutes in the morning. Right in my line of sight, the lesson wasn’t going well. Ho hum. As well for a maybe 5 minutes in the afternoon. It was more about seeing all the paperwork, assessments and talking to more senior staff. So, it was ‘easier’ for me. It was done and that was that. Still, something to put on the C.V.

Then I moved straight onto parent’s evening. Ha!

Edit: I just read that, I didn’t say much. Basically, for teachers, schools, OFSTED is a BIG DEAL. Big huge massive. It’s the part of the job where someone comes and judges you. It’s what parents look at and for the head it reflects on her ability to do her job. I feel like I’ve finally caught up this week. And next week, Xmas starts…

Things I mean to write about

• My new classroom layout
• Courses, ideas and the lesson I observed on Wednesday

Things I still haven’t, but mean to

• Parent’s evening
• OFSTED

It’s Friday and I’m tidying, I am truly my father’s son. Ha!

I like to think I can do advice, I can be thoughful, rational, clear. Put me into the equation and it all goes out the window. Frequently I’ll say something, only to think ‘that’s what I should do’. Pah!

Changed my classroom round yesterday, big drastic changes. As the head said, just because the old way is what people have always done, doesn’t make it right.

We’ll see how it works…

I wish I had more time, to just stop. At the the moment I don’t feel I do. I know I need that time to stop and switch off and I don’t have it at the moment. OFSTED has thrown me out of sync, things that were organised aren’t, mostly as a result of not being able to plan next week.

I spent 45 minutes today with a craft knife cutting 6 slits into A4 pieces of card. Break was taken up with getting things ready for literacy and lunch with cutting strips of paper and card and wallpaper for our weaving. Things are starting to pile up. In no particular order*

• maths assessments (conservatively an hour and a half)
• maths folders for loose paper (maybe 45 minutes)
• literacy filing and marking (1 hour)
• backing Jack and the Beanstalk pictures (15 minutes)
• planning for next week (2/3 hours minimum)

It’s the fact that’s it consumes my evenings now. By the time I’d tidied the classroom in the evening and sorted bits and pieces it’s 4 and I’m starting to wane.

*ignoring day to day bits and bobs.
WOE IS ME. ;)

But my blog doesn’t like it and I’m ok with that.

I keep reading these entries or entries like them and I never know what to make of the comments. I think it’s because such a large proportion of the population has a vested interest in teaching, it’s just hard to read some of the things that are written. In regards to the pay, it’s not why I do it. I was told today that they don’t have bonfires in the morning by a child after they looked at my picture; oh no, that’s a firework. :( Some of their bonfire pictures were amazing, just pastels get on fingers get on t-shirts and jumpers!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/05/votera-pathy-hazel-blears-blogging - Corrosive cynicism, fuelled by politically nihilistic blogs and a retreat from dispassionate reporting, is endangering British political discourse, Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, told a Hansard Society conference today on growing political disengagement in Britain.

Obama won, how I wish I could get as excited about a British election. Are we not built that way? Is it just never going to happen?

Updated > Hazel’s bit is also here BUT WITH COMMENTS. It’s the second most commented piece after Obama’s win. It’s just a chance to vent I think.

Also > http://www.septicisle.info/2008/11/from-sublime-to-ridiculous.html

The problem with the election of Obama for our own parliamentary equivalents is that it doesn’t exactly show them in the most flattering light. Here’s a master of oratory who’s managed to inspire millions to go to the polls, and here’s our bunch, left looking like a stood-up date on a particularly filthy evening. Whilst we’ve learned the lesson the hard way about charisma and the apparent “everyman” quality, you’re still left absolutely bewildered, wondering where our own personal Obama might suddenly come from. With no suitable candidate in sight, we instead have to make do with both Gordon Brown and David Cameron fighting over which of them is most like Obama, reminiscent of two little boys at school squabbling over who the new girl likes the most.

Han came into school today to help me with my Jack and the Beanstalk display!

This was me last night. This week it’s really hit me, I’m just tired. Well not so much tired as just weary. It’s my first proper 6 1/2 weeks of teaching and I’m just looking forward to half-term.

I have no point of reference for other jobs, so this is just how I feel. I say other jobs and I mean other office based graduate type jobs. I worked in a hotel and could easily work 12 hours - we used to joke that it wasn’t a proper shift if you did less then 12 hours. Where I would be on my feet all day, wouldn’t stop and then I could turn around and do it again. So, this is just my take on teaching.

I suppose I have to say something now. I’ve said to Jenn in the past, it’s a job where you have to work 9-3 doing the ‘doing bit’ and then are expected to do all your paper work after that, in what is essentially your own time. Except, I find it really hard to. Picking yourself up and working in an empty classroom is taking some getting used to.

The children rock up at 8:50 and then you work through until they leave at 3. The thing about it is apart from ‘break’ (read time to prepare for the next lesson) and ‘lunch’ (read time to sort things for the afternoon, maybe mark some books) there’s just no respite. You’re there and focused the entire time, keeping track of 27 moving targets, because you have to be. Trying to make sure every child is working, that every child knows what they are doing, that the child who needs a push to get going gets it, that the child that needs extending gets it and that they don’t spend 10minutes waiting for a rubber. I think that’s the thing that makes you most tired, the being ‘on’ for such a long time. You can’t stop for 10minutes and have a sit down.

It’s hard, it really is. Still, I still love it. When a child comes up with a way of sorting that I couldn’t work out, or comes up with an idea that leaves you speechless, it’s just plain awesome. When you find the things that work, when you find the best way to get the best out of a particular child. Ain’t nothing like it.