Day 5: TFIF

That Friday feeling. I don't think I've ever appreciated it before until now. Well, the end of one of the most stressful weeks of my life was in sight and there was a tangible buzz reverberating throughout the English department. I got in at 7, prepped my first lesson (year 10) and was looking forward to finishing at lunchtime.

Unfortunately, my preparation was not as good as I'd thought, and my year 10 lesson was a disaster. Attitudes were running high and, even with the threat that one of their class had been moved down for not working hard enough (and because I was one over my class size limit) the class were irritating. I had to leave to try to find the film I was going to watch with them to help their understanding of Act I Scene i, but couldn't find a copy anywhere, so showed them a clip of the reduced shakespeare company, which meant that they didn't really get the full idea of the scene. They were supposed to be in groups to perform their interpretation of the scene but only 3 students from two groups got up to do it. One boy performed it himself, Eddie Izzard-style, but otherwise it was pretty embarrassing. I told them I was sick of them talking over me and have decided I'm putting them in boy-girl seating plan as of next week. No more Miss Nice Lee.

I relaxed for the next hour and then had my lovely year 7s before lunch. I had three pupils in the group who hadn't turned up before so laid on the class rules thick and fast. I ended up jabbering on about the English language for ages which they seemed interested in, but otherwise the class was unremarkable, apart from a Polish boy who didn't know who Simon Cowell was, and a 12 year old who had to tell me how old Nelson Mandella is. I like that class, they're small and cute, and easy to mold.

After that I was finished - hurrah - and spent an hour or so chatting with the head of year 11 (and English teacher) and a couple of the other English teachers about Islam and problems students - there was no connection, that's just the way the conversation went (5 pillars of Islam to 5 pillocks of year 11.)

I observed my friendly colleague's year 7 class for the last period, but not before greeting my evil year 8s on behalf of the teacher I share them with. It was a relief after her lesson to hear that the ones I'd have trouble with were all getting a phonecall home from her that evening. The year 7 class were interesting to observe, mainly to see how my colleague dealt with the behaviour, and present the lesson. He played music whilst they were filling in their worksheet and even sang the "oooh!" part of that calvin harris song out loud.

3.30 came and I was free! for the weekend. I can't believe I've survived. I can't believe that it was so hard, and yet I've been promised that the kids were granting me a grace period, and it won't get better until half term. The thought of 6 weeks that are worse than this one is something that I can't compute, but I suppose the point is that I have to keep going, keep chipping away, until I really know what I'm doing. Whatever, I'm going to enjoy my saturday off, until I start planning again tomorrow.