Relief | But I Smile Anyway...

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 396 – Relief

09 Oct 2022 37 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Relief, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
John Lennon

Loving this pearl of wisdom from John Lennon, this week, Spidey! Thank you!

If you recall my post on Wednesday, I was rather nervous about something… (I may be able to be a little less secretive in my Chai Chat tomorrow, but it won’t be full disclosure, unfortunately!)

Something that had been building for a long while.

And now it’s over, I can honestly say, it is, thankfully ‘the end’, at least for now. Because there will be sequel to this event, but, fingers crossed, not for a long while!

I have celebrated by doing pretty much nothing this weekend, as well as having a couple of glasses of well-deserved glasses of wine. Because my mind and body needed that release. And I need to ready myself for other challenges that have been languishing in my nerves and stress surrounding this last chapter.

So, tell me, how do you wind down after a particularly stressful situation?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 353 – Relief

12 Dec 2021 36 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Ofsted, Relief, School, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.”
Victor Hugo

Thanks, Spidey, for another appropriate quote!

Last week we were all on tenterhooks, at school. One of the other schools in our academy received ‘The Call’ from Ofsted. Usually, this means that if you are due, too, there is a good chance they could call you, especially if they are in the area, and this other school is literally 10 minutes away from us.

And we are overdue, now…

Monday to Wednesday are the big days… if you haven’t heard by Wednesday, consider yourself safe, for that week, at least!

But, there is still a week of school to go, until the break And next week is a Christmas filled week. There is no way that we are on the curriculum timetable, in the same way as usual.

The kids, for one, are high as kites, thinking of advent calendars, filled with chocolate, and high on the idea of a certain big fella in red coming to visit them, with sacks brimming with presents!

And we are in the midst of trying to practice nativity plays and making cards, etc., as well as trying to instill the true meaning of Christmas to them!

However, on Thursday, the heads of schools were sent a little missive from the DofE…

In light of the current situation, and with schools expected to put mitigations into place for the chance of a Covid wave, due to the Omicron variant, and what with Christmas leading everyone a merry tune, Ofsted inspection will be put on hold until the new year.

PHEW!

Now, that doesn’t mean we are safe. There is still going to be an inspection, however, at least we can enjoy our festive period without that hanging over our last few days at school, this term!

To say I am relieved is an understatement!

So, is there anything, like the threat of Ofsted, for me, that scares the living daylights out of you?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Observation Expectations

27 Apr 2017 58 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Feedback, Lesson Observations, Relief

Yes, yes you all know what I was doing today.

Stressing myself silly about that lesson observation!

And I am here to report back and tell the tale, so to speak!

The kids, though wonderful at times, were pretty overexcited. It can always throw some of them, having a strange person in their environment. Make that two new faces and well, you can imagine…

Still, they did exactly what I thought they’d do, the Head has seen some of the children that may need additional support through out school too.

There was much watching then conferring. You know how that can get your hackles raised… what are they talking about?

Oh man, were the kids really behaving that badly? My behaviour management techniques were going to be questioned. Had the kids answered questions thown at them with the words they were hoping to hear?

It was a tense half an hour. Weeks of stress, a week of sleepless nights for that half an hour.

Was it worth it?

Hell yeah!

In my feedback, I was told that the Head thought it was a ‘strong Good’ rated lesson! My line manager gave my lesson an overall ‘Good with Outstanding features’ rating!

The kids were on plan, busy and actively learning.

The staff were all reading from the same hymn sheet.

I did the best I could with the behaviours that were displayed.

They showed that they understood, learned and retained facts through activities and play!

Phew!

I can breathe now!!!