Who knows?

You know when you get that feeling of - that was a long week but also Friday came quick. (No! Ok just me.) Well I have had that.

I keep thinking I've got three weeks until half term, however it isn't, it's four. I said to myself I wouldn't wish it away and believe me I'm not.

It's been ok this week and I feel I'm back into a good routine. Christmas feels so long ago and despite it being cold I'm getting that Spring feeling already. Maybe I do prefer the warmer weather.

Anyways... the children have been planning and writing letters, which they have really enjoyed. The idea of writing a letter seems like a dying act. I sometimes feel the creativity has been taken away. When I was younger I loved writing. I would always write stories, poems and lyrics for the 100s of songs I have. (When I was a singer- a wannabe pop star! I wish.) I want them to be creative, however I'm always following guidelines and someone else's plans or ideas. Don't get me wrong, I like being creative and I do do some quirky lessons. I think they are interesting at least. Next week we start writing newspaper articles. I'll probably be more excited than the children and I constantly keep thinking about ideas. Hopefully they'll like them.

In Maths we moved onto Scaling after my lovely Chunking lessons last week. I must have confused the children so much because I had the parents worried, as they couldn't do the Chunking homework. That's the parents, not the children. (The homework is optional, however most children always give it a go). I constantly remind the children that knowing their times tables will help them with everything.

Unless you work in a classroom you just don't know how diverse a class is and how abilities vary so much. The government want us to close the gap (EPI, 2017), however every class is different and every child learns in a different way. Is this always possible? I'm trying my best, although I feel so many children get overlooked and I know I can try more to support everyone. It's just sometimes not possible no matter how hard you try.

Which is why as an NQT all these training courses have been arranged for me. I had another one this week and I admit I come away from them buzzing with ideas, however having so much to think about you soon forget all those exciting things.

Now I try to make everything exciting and I do have a good rapport with the children in my class and the parents. I feel I work hard, the same as any teacher, however that looming fear of Ofsted (GOV, 2019) and making a mistake is ever present.

I just want to do my own thing and want the children to be happy. If only my Blue Peter audition video (YouTube, 2013), had got more views! I constantly remind myself that things happen for a reason.

I'm impulsive and can never make up my mind. We don't know what's around the corner. I said this year I would try new things, so maybe I should. Is this really for me? Who knows?

Steve Maull. An NQT

References: EPI, 'Closing the Gap? Trends in Educational Attainment and Disadvantage' (2017) Online at https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/closing-gap-trends-educational-attainment-disadvantage/

GOV, 'Ofsted' (2019) Online at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

Youtube, (2013) Online at https://youtu.be/NIKkEe22v5M