10917 day 15 of section at KKHS

Piercing alarm went off during the form period after we had been in the classroom at least ten minutes. All piled outside until it stopped. However, no sooner were we back in the classroom than the alarm was reactivated. This happened three times before the teacher who uses pod 1 regularly came and deactivated it. Kids told me it had happened in the past but it was a mystery as to why it went off as the regular teacher had been in the classroom earlier in the morning and had deactivated the alarm. As a relief teacher I do not have a code so cannot turn alarms off in any of the classrooms.

 The school had purchased a mannequin(dummy). Could it be to take the place as a substitute for the dwindling number of relief teachers? LAT’s are dummies too as they need no teaching qualification nor are they forced to do a TER course!! However, they can keep teaching year after year after year. Why?

Very satisfying today as my second associate teacher, Laura, told me my lesson was excellent. She was also impressed as I knew the names of all the students and could call upon them to respond during the initial part of the lesson. Had some students coming up to the whiteboard to show me what they understood. My reliever enjoyed her time with me as well, as my chief associate had today off too.

Working in different classrooms you become aware of the actual working space you have to operate with. I find that I prefer to have a large, uncluttered whiteboard, rather than one already covered with stuck on headings and decorations. Even better are the whiteboards in the science department as they slide up and down giving you double the space. Now that my associate is away I do not have access to the back-storage room in our main teaching room. Again, this is an advantage of a permanent teacher who can have all their resources securely kept within easy reach for whenever they require them. Such things as rulers, calculators (no phones allowed) and extra activities, scissors and glue sticks, coloured pens and pencils, extra paper: - all may reside in the storage area.

I had planned on having an activity corner for fast finishers, where I was going to set up my soma blocks, if I could have kept the gear safely stored away while I wasn’t in the class. This is the disadvantage of working in a high school as all classrooms are used all the time. You may be shunted from room to room especially if you are low in the pecking order. Teachers in this situation have to have some means of getting their gear from room to room. Many have a suitcase on wheels. They still have to get students to collect all their text and exercise books. My point is that the longer you are at a high school the more likely hood it is that you get your own room with your own storage space. The new teacher is more likely to get the runaround

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Took my SOMA blocks in today and used them for my year seven class last period. Gives the students a challenge without having to use a pen and paper. They appreciated it and worked well trying to produce the shapes I nominated. (There are over 200 that you can make from the seven blocks)

Last day for WAKA cards for the current push. Much excitement especially from the year sevens for whom it is mainly targeted. Really like this concept as it makes the kids feel good about themselves and it gives them positive reinforcement.