I have had my 1st set of summer holidays, and have completed changed my personal circumstances and location, as well as personal situation.

I have come to a complete realisation:

Life is important, there are no needs, except shelter, food and love.

Doing things for yourself is just as important as doing them for other people, and making sure you are happy is paramount.

I don’t know what will happen to this blog or when it will be updated.

Adios Amigos.

I will share (eventually)!

I felt somewhat disconnected from the award, as I have only been there from last September, but I think that even I spent hours and hours planning and preparing lessons that were never seen, I took part in supporting my other colleagues and co-workers.

I have also been involved a subject inspection by the Local LEA. This was actually today, I was observed and found it quite nerve racking and frustrating.

I was nervous because I had an all singing all dancing lesson planned, and was going to be have to really tight on my timing. Which I was.

I was frustrated because the inspector left after 25 mins to go and observe another IT Teacher, and the students didn’t get a real chance to show what they had leant and done in the 1st too activities.

So what have I learnt from these experiences:

1. On your marks - keep on top of all your marking. I need to make sure that course work is marked up to date, section by section. I think I have let students get too far ahead without getting enough feedback to create high quality work.
2. Get Set - The planning and preparation needed for lessons is necessary for good learning.
3. Go - Follow up my classroom expectations with strategies to support them. Such as using MIN, and clear objectives and outcomes.

From:kevinlehane.com

Coming soon - a post.

Or at least thats what happened to me.

Today is a monumental day, I got my 1st pay check as a “proper” teacher. Scary. I am doing it for real. The training wheels are off!

So what do I have to tell you?

Well, its hard  (yeah, really!). But it’s good! I am in a really good dept, and my fellow ICT NQT is a great support. I couldn’t ask for more really. My classes are (on the whole) great. A few problems, but I hope to get them all under control quick sharp.

The new courses are tough, doing Full GCSE (year 10 and 11) and 3 classes off iMedia in yr9, is taxing, as is the new OCR Nationals Level 3. No easy rides fo me!

But even though, i find it hard, tough, difficult and challenging, I do think it is worth it. I don’t have a lot of time to do other things, but that is a blessing in disguise as it means I keep out of trouble!!!!

The things that seem to bother me the most is setting myself ridiculously high standards to achieve, and then beating myself up when I don’t meet them!

The thing that I am focusing on is this:

1) Become a good classroom teacher. Be kind, be fair, expect more!

I think that me focusing on classroom practice should help me really cement myself as a good teacher and not get to carried away with tech, or high flying ideas.

Hopefully I will post again before christmas. There is but hope!!!

Tags: long, summer,

Is this a technology thing? Is my need to gather and process information so strong that I actually don’t get anywhere. I research and learn, but rarely actually put things into gear.

Or is this some kind of fear. Fear of doing something wrong. Or just plain ol’ fear of failure?

I read, I think, I blog….. what next? I act. Oh yeah, actually do something.

I have spent most of this week looking through and organising all my lecture notes and hand-outs (all paper), from my year of teacher training. I started to wonder whether I had forgotten more then I actually know!!! Even by doing this, clearing some space in my house, has led me into finding material that I want to explore and blog about.

Overall I think the biggest reason why I personally am not implementing as much as I would like to do, is by asking myself these questions.

Where do I get the time?
How much effort does this involve?
What is the benefit to me/pupils?

Nearly always there is a negative response to one of those questions. I have not time, it is not doo-able. It will not help me/pupils.

Truth is, I probably need to spend less time questioning myself and more time doing. As Bruce Lee once questioned (and I paraphrase):

“Stumbling block? Or stepping stone? What is the difference?”

3,2,1 go.

Tags: thinking, motivation, planning, projects, implementer