But I Smile Anyway…

” [Class teacher] has a wonderful aura around her that makes the classroom environment inviting, entertaining and leaves the children wanting to learn…”

My Observer – 2019

Okay, so it won’t quite be a one liner today, just a few more to explain the quote above.

Yesterday I had my formal lesson observation.

For all you non teachers, this is a time where you are watched to make sure you are doing the right thing, all the way through your teaching career.

At each stage the expectations rise higher and higher…

The last two years have seen my observation be a total shambles. I have been stressed out like you wouldn’t believe!

The first one last year was scheduled at a tough time for me, after a lunchtime sale with my School Council, in a class I hadn’t worked with that week yet… not my choice. It was just how the cookie crumbled.

And it was awful. Even after huge amounts of planning, nothing went right as I felt so stressed out. It was no fun. And the results were so awful that my Team Leader said she knew what I was like usually, so she discounted it and said we could reschedule at a later date.

Great.

Then the rescheduled one never got organised so I requested that the Head just come and observe me instead, which was duly arranged.

Except, after planning, I managed to fall in the classroom and had that suspected fractured elbow.

But even if that hadn’t have happened, I would have been stuck, as the snow fell hard at that time, and school would have been closed anyway!

Third time lucky and finally the observation happened, with lovely, positive feedback.

Phew!

This year, I think we may be due three separate observations.

The first which should have been before Christmas ended up being delayed, again, because of staffing shortages.

So my last one ended up in January.

You don’t understand quite how much extra planning goes into these observation sessions.

For a start, I have to fill out a two-page plan for that 30 minute session… and that takes ages… alongside making sure everything is there for the children and adults in the room, it’s no wonder we teachers get stressed!

So this morning, with trepidation, I came into school, butterflies in my tummy and a nervous disposition at my disposal. You see, I had a new Teaching Assistant who had only started on Monday, and my other one had been off sick on Monday. Would this observation happen?

It did, and at the right time, thank goodness!

My staff were all in, the Parent helper who volunteers was amazing, and the kids were really on task for the most part.

Sure, there were a few points to pick up on, which I agreed with (the issue being not being in a class of my own, so having to really fit in with what needs doing in the class), there was that lovely comment above.

And it made my day!

I slept like a happy baby last night!

For Linda’s #1LinerWeds challenge.