Time flies...

...when you're incredibly busy.

Well, last week was good.
By the end of the week of my last post I was knackered! I was also doubting myself quite a bit. The kids had been restless and generally not very well behaved and I spent ages being convinced it was my fault but I've since learnt that they were hellish for everyone!
I told my tutor of my ingrained terror of maths and she observed me and reckoned I was actually fine...it's all in my mind! Also found I am getting over sensitive to behaviour and noise levels - I told my mentor that at one point I stood there thinking 'too much noise' and I suddenly realised that there was barely any noise, and the chatter was about work anyway!
So, I taught about 50% last week - a full day on monday, then 2 lessons a day for the rest of the week - no teaching friday: it was planned but had to change.
This week I'm back at lectures 2 days a week.
Today I did Literacy and Numeracy skills tests - I PASSED!!! I PASSED!!! I failed the online Numeracy skills test every single time and was convinced I would fail - I went into a massive panic and tbh, the mental maths bit was just awful - I barely answered any questions and some I had no idea how to do and I was absolutely depressed as anything. Then I got onto the second bit and the questions were almost so easy I was thinking I must have missed something. Still I passed (still can't believe it!)
Just ICT to do now.
Anyway - teaching most of tomorrow - Literacy, Numeracy and Geography. IWB went crazy last week and couldn't use it at all, it was hellish. Don't know if it's fixed or not, and not sure how to teach what I'm going to teach without it :o(
Planning's taken forever. Folders/portfolio taking even longer...now I;ve got assignments to think about too...not enough hours in the day.

I thought last week was hard work.......

...well, this week has been harder!
I was meant to be teaching Maths on tuesday (monday I was on a behaviour management course by Harry Pearce - if you get a chance make sure you see him!), but last minute my teacher asked me to do Literacy instead (I wrote the MTP so sort of knew what I was doing). Normally I spend some time thinking about what to say and how to do it, but this time I couldn't but it still went well.
Wed my teacher was on a course and I was supposed to teach Maths first session, supporting the head for the second lesson (literacy) and then teaching yr 3 (history) for the third session after lunch. I got in in the morning to have the head say she didn't realise she was supposed to be teaching literacy and wouldn't be in school...so I volunteered to teach that too! And then it was lunch and straight into yr 3 history. That went well but they got really excitable during the millionaire powerpoint and took the roof off with their shouts!! They loved it and got loads out of it, but I'll have to warn them to keep their voices down if I'm to use it again!
So, my first day with three lessons in a row! Wow.
Coped surprisingly well, and the head commented on how well I managed and how their weren't many people who could do what I did at such an early stage - woohoo! Knackered though.
Just taught maths today, and supprted science. Problem is, I planned for tuesday's maths and today's science and didn't teach them, and didn't plan for 2 literacy lessons and did teach them. So thats loads of time wasted on maths and science, and two plans to write in retrospect for my file!!
Still, I'm attempting to plan for the whole week again this week as it has been less stressful to just know it's there.
Better got on then....

Hurrah!

Phew - what a week. My most teaching yet (3 literacy, 2 numeracy, 1 history) and I was observed by the course manager...and she said the words 'excellent' and 'impressed'!! Hurrah!!!
And I cried - how embarrassing! I didn't feel particularly stressed but as soon as she started saying nice stuff (and a couple of niggley bits which my mentor thought were *very* nit picky) my eyes just welled up and I blubbed!
LOL!
It was a very good lesson.
I put up my very first display and my mentor told me that she was a little nervous when she first met me and found out I had very little classroom experience but now she trusts me with her class and is happy to leave me to it. What a compliment!
I'm on a high and feeling like I can cope with anything!
I have just spent all day planning and gathering/making resources for 3 maths lessons next week. Arggghh. I really need to get to know the worksheets and books we have in class so I'm not remaking the wheel -which I'm sure I've been doing. It would make the whole planning thing so much quicker.
Literacy and numeracy take sooo long to plan, and involve soooo many resources.
I've just got 1 numeracy lesson, a double science and a history lesson (covering a class I've never met in a year I've never taught!) for next week and then I'm done.
I have a clear plastic folder (with popper fastening, which I put all my plans and resources for the week in, each day separated by those cardboard file separator thingies, so they are all together and ready for me. My timetable of teaching for the week is in the front (clear plastic so I can see it easily) and assessments and evaluations for the lessons once their done just slot in there ready for filing.
You really need to be organised!
Still loving it - it's hard work and stressful, and my shoulders ache from bending over a lot, but it's great!