The First Fortnight

This was definitely supposed to be published last Friday and be called "The First Week", then I was going to do it on Saturday... Then on Sunday - instead, I've waited until the following weekend to do it because urm... My life just got pretty bloody hectic. This is one of *them* blog posts without a plan or agenda, it's just a blaaaaah and me getting my thoughts out. So I apologise in advance if it's half incoherent ramblings. That's what I'm like in real life too lately, so get used to it.

My job is ace.

Like, properly ace.

I'm a Y7 form tutor. That means I got to spend a load of time in the first couple of days just getting to know the 29 kids in 7A and telling them all about the school. It's a time for reading through planners and finding out where classrooms are, and getting to know the members of the form. My form are all awesome. I'm not even saying that just because I have to. I genuinely think I've got an amazing little bunch of kids and I cannot wait to see how their high school journey continues.

On the first day, I asked them to write "a letter to my future self", this is something I'm planning on holding onto until they are in their last day in Y11 - in 2021. YEP. 2021. Seriously. Basically, the school knew exactly what they were doing when they handed me a Y7 form, because I'm so committed to them that I really want to stay with them the whole way through school!

I've finally got my timetable. It's a bit scary. I've got days where I'm teaching the full six lesson days - this is something I've never had before and I'll tell you what - it's bloody knackering. I do, however, also have a pretty good day which includes three free periods. Obviously a "free" in the teacher world is not free time. It's planning/marking/resourcing time. Still, I'm incredibly glad of it!

I'm also teaching Tech subjects that aren't necessarily my first choice or specialism - however, I'm learning all of the skills needed to teach them from a teacher in my department with over thirty years experience, and a technician who works tirelessly in the department to make things flow smoothly. We have an awesome team, I have to say - and funnily enough, we're the only all-female faculty in the school. That's pretty cool - we all equally love being organised and making spreadsheets and stuff. Such nerd. Much teacher.

So yep, I'm two weeks in. I've had evenings already where I've been so tired after teaching all day and trying to get my head around new schemes and projects whilst making seating plans and trying to eat my tea AND learning how to make fancy stitching work on a sewing machine... That I've already cried. Not out of being upset - not by a long shot - just out of sheer frustration that I can't do everything at once. That's just something I'm starting to get used to though. It's a case of taking the important tasks first, breaking them down and then actually coming up with a manageable plan of action.

Note to self: YOU CANNOT DO EVERYTHING. Please stop trying.

Having had since the beginning of June off teaching and getting thrown back in at the deep end in September was never going to be easy. I'm still finding it hard. I haven't even worked out when I can get my marking done yet - there are three big boxes of books currently sitting on the floor next to my desk and I will get around to them this weekend! At the end of my PGCE placements I was still only working to a 60% timetable, the NQT timetable jumps up to 90%... So it's a pretty hefty chunk of teaching time that's been added on - it's only natural that it will take some time to adjust!

BUT I've started, the ball is rolling. I'm absolutely loving it. I nearly forgot how amazing it feels to be up in front of a class of kids, talking about something you love and watching them cogs turning in their minds whilst they learn something new.

My favourite thing so far though? It's being a form tutor. I genuinely got a bit emotional yesterday because I was sat chatting with my form and realised just how awesome they all are and how much they've already grown up in the space of a fortnight.

Anyway. I've turned to my blog because of a case of severe procrastination. I need to plan, I need to mark, I need to make some resources and I desperately need to finish a GCSE Scheme of Work that I started in the summer holidays and have not yet finished. HA.

There will be many more rambly updates over the coming weeks, I'm sure. I'd apologise but I don't really care what you think so nah.

Pre-NQT Jitters

T'was the night before the NQT year, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring - but for a woman staring at her laptop screen with a furrowed brow meaning she's definitely going to have more wrinkles on her forehead than she'd like to have by the time she's thirty.

Oh hiya, yeah that's me!

ARGH. Tomorrow marks the beginning of my NQT year. Am I nervous? Hell yes. Am I excited? Hell yes. Am I daunted? Ohhhh, hell yes. Am I letting it get to me? Nah, I'm alright really - it has been rolling it's way around for a while now and it's finally here... Who am I to complain? I've had a pretty awesome summer, and I'm going into a job I've wanted all my life. It's naaaaeeee a bad thing.

But at the same time I kinda feel a bit like I wanna do this:

Although like most schools up and down the country - the start of term never actually means the start of term. Tomorrow is a staff training day. I've been sent an itinerary by my Head of Faculty and the first thing on it is "8:10am - Breakfast" so I'm already happy with that. On Tuesday, the school is open but only for Y7 and Y12. This is a pretty good thing for me because I have a Y7 form group and I get to spend the whole day with them - I do love a good 'getting to know you' kind of day and it means I get another day of settling in myself before Wednesday. 

Wednesday is when shit gets real.

On Wednesday I have a full six-lesson day, which in itself is something I've never had before. So yeah. Wednesday is when I'll 'officially' begin my NQT year. 

Like I say. It's making me nervous, excited, and mega daunted. 

I've done all I can though. I've made my classroom look b-e-a-uuutiful (if I do say so myself), I've made myself my infamous spreadsheet that I swear by when I am teaching, I've swotted up on the Schemes of Work and I know what I'm teaching in my first three days. I reckon that's prepped enough, don't you?

Pretty convinced my life is about to get hella stressful. But it's the kind of stress I enjoy, I guess? So I'll keep you posted, I'll share my thoughts, worries, woes and opinions - as well as the other life stuff I've been sharing so far. If anything it will no doubt distract me from the inevitable mountain of work I'm supposed to be doing in my NQT year.

See ya.