Day 21: Getting Ill

As I write this I am beginning to feel impending illness, in the tingle at the back of my throat, the weight of my chest, and the less-than-attractive hacking cough. In short, I feel run down. Unfortunately, I no longer have the sort of job where I can just call in sick and know that someone else can cover for me; if I don't do the work, the kids will fall behind and it will be my fault. As it happens, we have training tomorrow in the department for speaking and listening marking, so I won't actually have to teach, but I still need to do it. I think the best thing to do is go to bed, so I will quickly write this then retire to bed.

Ah, Monday Monday Monday. It took me a full 45 minutes to get out of bed this morning, and I managed to make it in a little after 8. First lesson was year 7, and I hadn't really prepared more than the basic lesson plan from the scheme. It went ok, except that one kid turned up late and I, wanting to make an example of him, told him to wait outside. When I did he presented me with a note and burst in to tears. The note was from a colleague, stating that the pupil was having trouble adjusting to secondary school and could I excuse him for being late. I felt pretty bad at this point, so gave his arm a comforting pat and told him to wait outside until he was ready to come in. We were reading Captain Scott's extract, then the kids had to write a piece to make their reader feel hot - so I played them "Feeling Hot Hot Hot". Four times in a row. Ha. (I would have chosen a different song but one of the kids had a badly cut hand and couldn't write so I let him tap away on my PC.) As I sent them off to break, I checked on the sad kid to see how he was - he said "Thanks Miss, it was a fun lesson." Bless.

I was free then until last lesson, so busied myself sorting out random crap, planning my last lesson (what a bust) and trying to mark my year 9 assessments. I have to fill out an APP form for each one, and it's rather tedious to say the least. I got through only about three before I gave up; I have until Wednesday to do them.

Finally, it was time for year 11. The lesson was disastrous, although only because I decided to show them the video, which I then couldn't find, so showed them a different one, but played them the bit we'd already seen, so didn't finish it. Bah!
They were in a bit of a stupid mood anyway. Oh well. I need to plan a really good next lesson for them.

After they left, I went to collect my HoD and we went down to meet A and his Mum. I was pretty nervous about this; it would be the first time I'd meet a parent in this context. We eventually found a meeting room and the four of us sat down. Luckily my HoD did most of the talking, basically telling A's mum that he won't be allowed back into English until his behaviour improves. I chipped in every so often, but felt mortified when his mother, in somewhat broken English, talked about him having a problem with his "English Teacher" and asked me if I was new. Oh well. I asked him if he found the work too difficult; apparently he did. He also volunteered that he misbehaves because the other children provoke him - as if I needed any other reason to differentiate and make the work extra engaging for this particular group. I know that they're going to need a lot more work than I currently put in.
I offered to him the chance to see me after school if he has a problem with anything and told his mother I would call her after every lesson to let her know how he is doing. My class with him is being covered tomorrow so I don't know how that'll go.

After the meeting, which ended with handshakes all round, I had a TF meeting with one of the SLT on "engaging parents" or something, which was quite interesting. Then I went upstairs to sort my cover out for tomorrow. My colleague told me off, again, for using the printer in the office for printing a class worth's of worksheets (I was being selfish: that makes the toner run out - it's only for individual things) and I felt like a naughty child and sulked for a bit. I eventually made it home to a warm flat and tasty food. And so I think it's time for bed.