Reflections.....

Wow. Again ages since ive been on here. Frustrating because I have this, interlead, my own written diary, facebook, twitter and youtube. I tend to just write pd in my journal and on my pretty new phone now..  and reserve interlead for reflections. I should be using this too tho! Online presence and all and not clogging up others newsfeeds with my teaching comments!!

So... what I wanted to talk about tonight was thw fact that during, before and definitely after my talk with Phil, my mentor at my new school, I feel a definite shift in my thinking about how Im reaching. Particularly with my Y11 class.

This is partly due to the fact that ive now taught this same year and assessments twice so Im not too worried about it from an assessment level, but have been rethjnking how I'm teaching V for Vendetta. Now alot of this is to do with the fact that I am trying to stick with the year planner and failing miserably... and also because Im trying to revamp my resources. The ones I had from my first real year of teaching just have not been cutting it. And like I said to Phil,I feel like instead of giving everything they should learn, am giving them the things that they actually *need*! So... for example, deeper analysis of V and Evey and minor analysis of the minor characters.

Plus... doing my big spiels about the historical relevance and the thematic awareness of the film, I hope has begun to deepen their thinking. Next well be doing themes/symbols and then key events coinciding with character development. And doing techniques so that when we watch bits and pieces, we'll be able to write full paragraphs with the required info and answered both parts of the question.

What Im finding difficult is not having as many non-contacts. Plus... taking on so many other things.. tho Phil says its a good thing because its character building and its good to be passionate.

Showed him a few tricks on the phone too. Just wish we had an enabling devices policy so that I wouldnt get told off for what were doing in class. Maries advice was good too.

Am absolutely adoring teaching my y10 class. They get spoken word poetry easy as and can do mapit. Loving being in my own class at the moment too. Feel like I ca  be me properly. Alot of how I teach in my class cant be done in someone elses I reckon.

Letting my y9s loose on the windows today was an experiment in itself but they did really well! And even wrote their work down quietly in their books. Will do mapit with them again tomorrow to fully cement what weve done.

Gothic genre needs a rethink... short story wise...

Y13 is going well. Just need to get onto the themes and symbols. And then teach formal lang again.

Loving taking the breakfast club in the mornings! Its so refreshing seeing kids turn up and have a breakfast, or a milo at the very least.

PI dancing is going well as well. Tokelauan song is beèeeautiful!!

Rotaract is chugging along. Interact is getting there.

Miss doing reo maori!!

Kowhai assembly is good too. Happy today.
Keeping on track of students is hard. Fivd classes now not so many non contacts.

Police fine. And need to pay teaching reg.

Tired!