Categories: uncategorized
Date: 06 September 2004 18:59:25
it's back to work. Jolly dee!
Strange how each new year sees us making yet another attempt to come up with the perfect behaviour policy. The latest brainwave is to do away with the assertive discipline practice of balancing sanctions and rewards. Also we are no longer allowed to stand a child outside the room for five minutes to calm down - if we want them to have a bit of "time out" (or, as it is in many cases, to give ourselves a bit of time out) we have to ring for a helper to come and collect the child, fill in a page of paper as a referral, set work for the child to do, meet with them later in the day to discuss the incident... oh, and ask the helper to bring them back in five minutes when we've just finished settling the rest of the class. Cynical? Me? Mind you, I got a taste of it myself when I dared to ask a question and was told to sit and be quiet until the Deputy Head had finished talking when I would be permitted to ask questions if necessary!
The rest of the day was great fun, though. I always like the first day back with no children, especially as I only had two meetings to go to and the rest was just personal preparation time. You know that lovely fresh feel you used to get in school when you started a new exercise book? Well, I get that sensation all over again at the start of a new school year - labelling their maths books and sticking "help sheets" in; sorting out new filing systems; labelling drawers etc etc etc. I am soooooooooooooooooooooo organised. I could do with OFSTED coming in now, while I still know what I am doing and am still fired with enthusiasm.
I have managed to get the time off that I need.. although there was a slight attempt to make me feel guilty (which I smugly ignored) when the staff were told that there wouldn't be the cover for homework detention that they'd originally planned because I didn't want to stay that late in the afternoon. No I jolly well didn't!
My Smudgelets are all hyper tonight - school tomorrow. Glad to say they're both looking forward to it. Both moving into a new Key Stage. Oooooooooh, exciting. Tiddles proudly informed me that he had all his uniform ready for tomorrow a week ago as he'd been asked. Trouble is, he forgot to mention he'd lost all his sweatshirts and his rugby shirt, his shinpads and his shorts, and his trousers are all too small for him really. This information emerged this evening. Bless his little cotton socks (and yes, he's lost those too).
Now I have deliberately brought no work home to do tonight. A nice long soak in the bath with my book and an early night are in order, methinks...sipping at a luxurious glass of sweetly chilled slimfast strawberry shake.