Teaching | But I Smile Anyway...

One more sleep!

21 Jul 2016 65 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, end of year, summer holidays, Teaching

Well that’s it….

One more day then I’ll officially have finished my first full academic year as a teacher!

It’s been a colourful year…

Many ups and downs. From a class that was really hard work, to a team who were possibly slightly resistant to change. From inspectors to high expectations … but I got there!

It was, I quote, “a baptism of fire” but I’m still here to tell them tale!

A smile on my face every day helped get through, and supportive people around me.

I look forward to the summer holidays. No,I won’t forget school totally. I’ll still need to go in. Classrooms don’t get themselves ready! But only for a couple of days!

But I feel positive. I feel GOOD!

And whatever September brings, BRING IT ON!!! I’ll be ready!

In the meantime I can spent quality time with my family and my blogily!

R and R the way I like it!

‘Til tomorrow Peeps!

The Life of a Teacher…

16 Jul 2016 102 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, love my job, Teaching, work/life balance

Feeling the tiredness of my first full academic year, I felt a repost of this particular post wouldn’t go amiss!

Life… teacher… the words don’t naturally go together, not here in the UK at least!

Why? Well, I am here to report back to you that the reality of a teacher’s existence is not what many people out there think.

There is this all important phrase bandied about ‘work/life balance’ and it is a very important principle. Your work shouldn’t be all-consuming, you need to be able to compartmentalise your life so work doesn’t overshadow your life, and your personal life doesn’t impact upon your professional one.

And for a teacher, this should be really easy, right? After all you work from 9am to 3.30pm, and you get all the weekends, and all those holidays?!

Really???

Nope, not reality AT ALL!

I have been in my new teaching job for the last 6 weeks and I am exhausted! And you know what, I haven’t even really started properly yet! September, when I have my own first class, will herald the start of a new love/pressure on my already full life!

My day, my working day, starts at 7.30am, when I get into school. Yup, 7.30am. I bring my children to school to go to breakfast club, and then get started on preparing things for the day, alongside my team. This involves, setting things up in the classroom, updating children’s books, photocopying or printing, having a cuppa, catching up with the team, and preparing each other for the day ahead.

Then from 8.45am to 11.45am we have the morning children in. Apparently, lunch starts then for an hour, but in reality, we have to clean up the morning children’s mess, then prepare the classroom anew for the afternoon children’s arrival, before actually eating. Oh and there are inevitable emails, and other bits of paperwork that need doing too, then 12.45pm doors open again for the afternoon lovelies, and we are kid busy until 3.45pm…

Yay! School day done! the kids are gone! But not the teachers… oh no. Then the fun of discussing the day gone by, any changed to plans for the week, paperwork, emails, more preparation for the next day, and depending on the time of the year, there will be reports, progress grids, and at the moment for us, the fun of home visits and new pupils, and their indecision as to whether they are coming to us or not, to contend with too!

It’s not long before the clock says 5.30pm, and on occasion it’s even been nearly 6pm before I have finally left the building. My kids aren’t having to endure nearly 11 hours at school, I have wonderful in-laws who come to pick them up at the end of the children’s school day, and they are fed and relaxed by the time I get home!

At this stage, realise that within the day, we have had no official breaks apart from the lunch hour that ends up being the lunch 15 minutes, due to the other jobs we need to do.

So that’s more or less 50 hours a week… so far…

But I haven’t factored in the evenings or the weekend, where you may sit, researching, or planning for an hour or two a night sometimes, or updating books, writing reports and updating data, again, depending on the time of year.

So probably a 60 hour week, related to work, then obviously the time for your family is really important. I need my time with my impressionable kids, and need to try to not be tired, and ratty with them. And obviously my hubby, who is neglected, due to my exhaustion, needs time too. I have friends who I don’t get to chat to on the phone, let alone see, because the moments I have in peace, are just that… moments… and I have learned to really appreciate them.

I’m up a 6am, I probably don’t get to bed until 11.30pm… and spending a day with a class full of children is exhausting, physically and mentally. I say whole heartedly, that teachers deserve those holidays. Those holidays where they spend a whole lot of time thinking about their class, and the next term, the topics and tasks they will be covering. Or they go to places and think ” Ooooh! My class would love this!” or “I wonder if they do class trips? But seriously, I do love what I am doing right now, and I finally feel I am in my ideal place, with my family and home, and in a job I love. It’s just a shame that teaching is not actually just about teaching anymore… if the government could cut the red tape, the constant data yielding that teachers are expected to do, and actually allow them to teach, from the heart, I do believe that the results would become, themselves, amazing!

So, the next time you sit there thinking a friend who is a teacher has an easy life, please check this post out again!

( I haven’t even touched on the pay in this post!)

All images from Google Images

Am I A Child Beating Racist? 😨 – Accusations On A Teacher

24 Sep 2015 60 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Daily Life, kids, Teacher, Teaching

Seriously, this may be what some children are going home and painting my picture as! (Or parents!

The things we have to do…

I haven’t updated you much on my daily life, well, because I haven’t really had much time!

But it’s been a true challenge!

One session of children are darlings and are settling down, still a couple of criers initially, but they have settled pretty well.

The other… Oh My God! What with possible Special Needs, and huge behavioural issues, it has been really tough. There have been insolent children, no manners appear to have been taught. There are spoilt children who think nothing of shouting “No!” in your face when things don’t go their way. There are clingy children, who are so insecure, and these other ones really frighten them… and many more….

But back to my post title… Yes, I have since reported my faults to the Head teacher, and she said she will duly note it on my records!

So the other day I had to physically take a large toy away from a child as he was about to use it to hit another child across the face…(because he wasn’t getting his own way). well, I went off on my way, and later I saw said child on the climbing frame, looking forlorn. I asked him what the matter was, and he pointed my way, with a rather angry look across his face, you know, eyebrows down, brow furrowed, lips pursed. I looked behind me, he surely wasn’t pointing at me… there was no one else, so I went closer and he said “You hit me.” Really??!!! I was flabbergasted, but I couldn’t show it. I asked him when. He just repeated it! Then I explained that I hadn’t hit him, I had taken something from him, as he was about to hurt another child…then he just flipped emotions, ran down the slide, hugged me and kissed me on the cheek!

I did bring it up with his dad, but he just laughed and said, “Oh, he’s always saying things like that, we know he does it for attention, or to detract from his own naughtiness!” Thank goodness! Well, that’s the child beating element sorted!

I have a huge mix of nationalities in my class as you know, and with the sweet things in my crazy session, I have had to have chats with several parents, just to get them on side, and explain that we need to work like a tag team, between home and nursery, to send the same message to the children, with regards to behaviour, and respect. It will all take time but you know, it’s good to know the parents understand.

Well one has become very concerned about her precious little bundle… only child you know… and he is one that can be a little pickle (actually quite a big one!). But when I report back to her every end of session, when she asks, I have to say the truth, that he is ok for a while, then he starts the hitting, squealing, pushing and shoving, and defiance. So the other day she said to me that the other mums of her community said that I don’t; say anything to the other nationality parents, just theirs… I must have something against them!

HELLO!!!! I am also from a minority community lol!!!! But also a possible racist!

Then in the next breath, she said that actually they are quite uneducated (unlike her of course) and that she knew we were just trying the best for her son. That said, the next day, he didn’t come.. I thought I had offended her!

But the ‘dear boy’ was back today… in full form. Today he was lovely, until he started fighting with a child over a toy, and I removed them from strangle holds, restored peace, then he went to hit and kick again! So the toy was confiscated. Boy, if looks could kill….!

He then proceeded to fill his mouth with spit, and tried to launch a missile at me… but it all failed, and nothing came out, thank God! Then he tried to flip the bird at me! except he very defiantly stuck his index finger up at me, not the middle one! It took a lot to stop me from laughing at this point!

Then the best bit… When it was home time, I called his name, and he wouldn’t come. I didn’t chat to his mum today, as I frankly didn’t have the energy! But he ran to the other end of the classroom, and I had to catch him! Mum took him, hugged him, whispered endearments to him, and said to me, ” He was scared… he thought you were going to do something to him!” Wow! This child beating rep of mine is spreading!

Phew! Yes, still a colourful time I am having! One of the teachers I work with further up in the school walked past our playground and mouthed to me “Are you ok? Is everything going ok??” I said “Well I’m still here!” And she commented “And you’re still smiling!!”

See! That is me!!!

But, on a serious note, it is quite scary to think what one child might go home and say to his or her parents, could have a profoundly negative effect on a teacher’s career, especially if the parents are likely to believe a child, before finding out everything!. I know that there are unfortunately times where a child is telling the truth, and there is a real issue with a member of the teaching profession, but there are also countless times where an innocent teacher becomes a target, and loses their professional credibility due to a child’s fickle words. Here is where I thank goodness I am with my union! Hopefully my newly acquired negative reputation will be nipped in the bud… but just in case, I am covered!

And in other news… Lil Man was chosen as his class councillor by a landslide of votes! he is so proud of himself! and I forgot my car needed a service and MOT! Eek!

So an emergency appointment was set up by Hubby Dearest, and the lovely Bebe, my car, passed, thankfully!

And I am off to London for a course tomorrow with my Tag Team teacher colleague. A day away from the crazy class! YAY!!!! But I feel for the supply teacher and our support staff! Oh I wish them well, I really do!

Right… night night my dearest Peeps! Thanks for sticking by me on my new teacher journey!!!!! I need to crash!

Even The Word Exhaustipated Dont Cover it!!!!

16 Sep 2015 30 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Hard day, love my job, Teaching, tired

Seriously…. this word, which I loved, doesn’t even cover half of the exhaustion I am feeling right now!

A week with my new babies, and a crazy busy weekend meant I started the week, on Monday, not as fresh as I would have liked. But Monday night, I was ready to drop at 9pm, and when I got in to school the next day, all three of my colleagues were the same! Was there a gas leak in the room? A virus going round?

Possibly, but the most likely culprit? The weekend itself! Most parents, and people in general forget what a weekend can do to a child! At 3 or 4, those two days are like a life time, and last week, Nursery was a novelty, but Monday loomed, and there was bedlam with a few children who suddenly realised they had to come to school! (Or Nursery!)

We had screaming, and crying, and some new children too, to add to the mix! Oh my!

Don’t get me wrong, the majority of them are settling fine, still not understanding sharing, but they are happy, not ready for proper routines yet, but we manage to pass the time, and are introducing them to new things. But those select few… the biggest problem is that they have been really spoilt at home, possibly they are only children, Little Princes, aka only sons, or the baby, the youngest of the family. They have wanted for nothing, and some parents have not readied them for this next step in their life.

As you know, we still have children in nappies too, but that is the least of our issues… (By the way, got my experience of changing a pooey nappy too… standing up as well, as this child would not lay down, so there were two of us, and all I can say is “What an experience!”)

The next big thing is the language. With all these different mother tongues, it is tough, as very few of them have been taught any English. I know with a lot of families, the thinking is that they will learn English here at school so we don’t need to, we’ll keep their mother tongue alive at home. This is not a bad thing, of course children should know what their home language is… but surely they need to equip their precious bundles with a few words at least, so they don’t struggle somewhere where mummy and daddy aren’t around.

Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank You, Water, Milk, Hungry, Toilet… such key words, and they can’s communicate them to us. Some use signs, or pull is across to things, but that is not always the best way to let us know things. The frustration these kids then experience as they are babbling away, and aren’t being understood… Imagine, you just want a drink, or you have a tummy ache, or even you just need a wee… and no one can understand you. A cuddle isn’t helping, and this big person is just babbling away to you in this funny language, kind face, but not giving you what you need. The next think you know there is a puddle.

All this could have been avoided, had the child even been able to say toilet.

Still, I digress… I am knackered, shattered, worn out, and so glad it is hump day, but the next two days may be a tough call too… One of my team was ill and off sick today, and she has let me know she won’t be in this week. This leaves just 2 of us for the next two days, and that is an almost impossible task, with these new children. There needs to be at least 3 of us, so I am hoping beyond hope that the management will have someone to come and help us out for the next two days… or else I fear for my hair… it will have been pulled out, not by the kids, but by me!

Last night, I remembered to make lunches, and fell asleep early again. This morning in the early hours, the Lil Princess did her stealth thing and climbed into our bed. I refused to open my eyes. I wanted as much sleep as I could have. The next thing I know Hubby Dearest was waking me at 7am! No Alarm!!!!!! I needed to be at school at 7.30am! And Lil Man had a school trip to get ready for! In fact, he was actually already up, and getting changed, as I hared around… Lil Princess is always a nightmare to wake, but at least normally, I am already ready… not today though!

How I managed it, I don’t know, but I did, and we were at school on time. Greeted with the news we were one down filled me with dread, but we coped, screaming and all!

Still this meant I had to forgo my early morning relax, with a cup of tea, and blog browse. Hence the late acknowledgements of comments and likes, and reading of whatever I could today!

Can I slip in, here, a quick thanks to you all, my Peeps, for sticking with me, and reading my craziness. I feel I am not able to read as many of your posts, as I was before, and browsing my reader as I usually do, and I feel terrible, but God physically didn’t put enough hours in the day!

Look at me, going off tangent AGAIN! Sorry, I can’t help it!

I found this little photo on Google images, and it sums me and my life up perfectly today!

You all know I love my job, and no matter how hard things are at the beginning, I have to remember what my end goal is, and right now, my goal with these kids is for them to be happy! After that we will work on sharing and listening.. but you know, baby steps!

I am now off to bed! So have a wonderful evening Peeps, and we will chat tomorrow!

No pressure….

10 May 2015 14 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, children, Parents, Pressure, SATS, Teaching, Unique

Tomorrow there are a lot of young children aged 6-7 and 10-11 about to start their SATs at school.

For those not in the UK these are tests that are required to be taken to gauge children’s progress in Primary School.

Though I agree we need to see how children are doing, the world does not revolve around Grammar, Spelling, Writing, Reading and Maths… Many children do not have these 2 subjects as their strong points.

But the system tells us that using these results we can see if the children are learning, and progressing at the correct rate.

Really? What about that artist, or musician, or scientist even. That dancer, nurse, hairdresser, or vet? Each child is unique, and has a talent. It’s up to us to nurture that talent too.

I know we need to have an element of success in literacy and numeracy to succeed in most things, but the pressure put on children so young is immense. Children don’t learn or progress at the same level. They don’t all even learn in the same way. Many children are almost written off because these tests tell the government that these children are apparently below par.

It’s important as teachers, and as parents, that we instil the self confidence in our children to know that whatever these results, they are still brilliant at something.

Many of these kids will pull it together, maybe later than others, but with the right encouragement, they will get there. And who should encourage them? Who should be their biggest cheerleaders?

It’s us parents. Mums and dads.

Don’t make them feel that these tests, and things like the 11+, are the be-all and end-all of school life… For some children, that negativity, and pushing to achieve something that might not be within their grasp, can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Kaput! There goes the child’s thirst for learning….

Be there. Support your child. Give them all the help they need, and if, despite the help, they don’t achieve the scores you wanted them to, don’t berate them. Comfort them, and show them, high light their great points, because they do have them.

Boost their confidence, so they don’t feel like learning and school is worthless for them.

Tests.

Personally I really don’t like them, but I know they are a necessity. Just don’t let them and their scores rule your life. And the way you are with your child.

Good luck to those sitting them though! Unfortunately I can’t change that!