After a fabulously glamorous, glitzy Fiftieth Birthday Party, I'm back in the classroom and loving it! :) On Wednesday I had a morning with several mongrel classes who were mixed around to accommodate a Choir rehearsal - PPA teacher was away so I stood in for her half day. I was ushered into the room and told (in front of the pupils) "We do Assertive Discipline here. These are all the children's names, and as soon as they do something wrong, we move them onto the cloud."
The class eyed me miserably, and I said I was sorry to disappoint them, but I didn't really like moving names so would they mind behaving instead? Which seemed to do the trick; we had a happy morning as I explained my total knowledge of the art of Kandinsky (which took about thirty seconds) and talked them through producing abstract art. It was VERY abstract, I'm afraid, but the Head didn't care - he was just glad I'd arrived I think.
Today I've been in a mixed Y4/5 class and I have had a brilliant day. The teacher had been called away suddenly earlier in the week and there was NO planning, which I discovered when I arrived, and I've winged through the day - including an impromptu PE lesson - great fun, and the children thought so too. Mid-afternoon, someone came in to ask if I could return tomorrow and when I said I could, the class began cheering, Very heartening - the sort of feedback I never had in my previous job. Tomorrow is a spelling test and I have no idea what the words are - hopefully somebody will know!
I had an email from the Supply agency saying well done, they'd had good feedback. It struck me that this was the first praise for work well done I've received in about - ooh, eight or nine years. I have to admit, it felt good.
In fact, I feel good. Full stop. I have not ONE regret about leaving. And getting back into the classroom feels like being on a wonderful run through the countryside.
Tonight I've been a PROPER teacher and have been planning till after ten, but I don't mind. Hopefully it will be like having been on crutches - just as I'll never take walking for granted again, so I shall remain grateful for being able to stand in a classroom and teach, nomatter how difficult it might be at times.
So - very happy, particularly as I have belatedly discovered the lido at Hathersage, and spent my last free afternoon swimming in the most beautiful surroundings... a warm sun on my back and the scent of the Peak District trees wafting over the water. Just wonderful! There were about twenty of us in the water, a real camaraderie to be had in the chats as we relaxed after every few lengths of the pool. It was one of those golden afternoons I store up and treasure for future use.
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