DONE LIKE A DINNER!

NAPLAN is over for another year... well for the moment.  As far as classes are concerned we now start preparing students for next year's testing, but we can relax a little.  All the classes have returned to their regular rooms, catch up tests are completed, forms are filled in and tests have been couriered. 

The excitement of it all has kept me away from the blogoshpere.  Of course the world does not stop for standardised testing so my desk is hidden somewhere underneath a pile of papers and folders and hands on materials.  A colleague sent me a sample pack of maths resources and I haven't even cracked open the box!  The group table has boxes and folders and notebooks all over it.  My poor staffroom buddy has to wade through the debris to get to her own desk.  It seems that once the inundation of my desk reaches a certain point everything starts spilling over into the surrounds of our staffroom.  It is getting quite overwhelming. 

I am at home today... wishing I had the energy to take myself to school and get some tidying up done.  Tomorrow is almost full with teaching and observing classes.  Then, in the divine brilliance of our administration, I am expected to sit through two hours of "behaviour management" professional development.  Usually I don't mind professional development, but I have been to several sessions with the same presenters. I often find that they spurt out a lot of "research" but don't give me many practical strategies for dealing with my little darlings. 

There are two students in one of my classes that are getting high before coming to my class and are on the way down when they get to me.  Then, there is the girl who has nits.  I have been teaching her for over a year now and I don't remember when she hasn't had nits.  There is the other boy who, at the age of fourteen, still doesn't have a grasp of letter- sound relationships.  This is just the beginning of the wonder and excitement that are my class profiles.  So, a lovely young woman comes to my school in her delightful business suit and tells me that students who misbehave usually do so as a result of their life outside of school and we as teachers need to adjust our pedagogy and even our demeanor when dealing with them.  When this happens I sit up the back and go "DER, honey, tell me something I don't know!" 

I am taking some family leave on Friday, although I am now wondering if that is wise.  For my health and the health of my family it is the best course of action.  For my desk and the clean up effort in my staffroom it is unwise.  I know that the mess can wait.  I just want to get it sorted before the Environmental Commission turns up and shuts us down! 

Enjoy the rant... you will hear from me soon. 
M:)