Hiya, me again...

HA! Over two months since my last post. I knew I'd be inconsistent with my blogging but I wasn't quite thinking I'd be this inconsistent. Thing is, I'm not even sorry. Teaching is BLOODY HARD WORK, and I don't always find time to click on my little 'Blogger' tab at the top of my screen and tap away something half interesting into this box for you to read. That's life though.

I'm three days (three days!) away from finishing my first term as an NQT. D'ya know how that feels? Pretty good tbh. I mean, it's pretty good but I'm also absolutely effing exhausted. Like, properly. I went to Harrogate to do some Christmas shopping with my Mum and sister at the weekend and I fell asleep leaning against a mirror in the middle of M&S. I am not joking.

Last time I updated you all it was because we were midway through our Ofsted inspection. I am DELIGHTED to tell you that we ended up with a "Good" result off the back of that. Considering the school had been put on "Requires Improvement" for the last two inspections - this was exactly the news we needed and had been hoping for and working towards. It was incredibly well deserved. I know I've technically only worked for the school for four months, but I've been involved within the school I work for over the course of the last eight years - I've seen what it has been, I've watched how it has improved, and I can see a massive amount of improvements and progress from that start point. The result we got was so deserved.

This is literally just a quick check-in post. I'm still here, I'm still surviving (just). I've been told by the cleaning staff that I am definitely the teacher that puts the most hours in - at least in school time... They should know, they have to kick me out of the building every single night... But don't worry - my #worklifebalance is alright. I might do a shit load of hours within the school building itself but when I get home I do literally nothing.

...Generally because within an hour of getting in my front door I've fallen asleep on the sofa clutching half a glass of sauvignon blanc.

Some things never change.

Anyway. I'm still here. I'm still teaching. I'm still exhausted. I promise I will try and post more often in the new year... It's just y'know - kids to teach and all that jazz.

The Call

I've heard a lot about "the call". I wasn't sure exactly how to feel about us receiving it. Our school knew it was coming, we had an inspection two years ago and it's not like we didn't know we were expecting another. But it's still a bloody shock when it arrives. I don't even think I need to explain what "the call" is to any teachers reading this. They will know exactly what I mean. However, for those of you not working in the education sector - "the call" is from a wonderful little organisation called Ofsted.

Ahhh Ofsted, the word that strikes panic into the hearts of many. To me, it's kind of stressful but kind of not. I don't mind my lessons being observed, and I don't mind receiving feedback. If anything, I'll drag anybody into my classroom to get them to see what I'm doing right, and how I can improve if I'm not doing something properly... But maybe that's because I'm an NQT and I'm keen as anything.

Yesterday, our school got the call at lunchtime - and before the end of the day the entire school was buzzing with activity - because of Ofsted? Oh no... Because we also had the school open for the entire evening for a function. Excellent. Nobody left the school until 8:30pm (at least), and then had the standard checks every teacher wants to do (and do again, and again) until we're happy that we are ready to be seen. After the standard post-midnight bedtime, I mean - obviously.

So today I had my very first lesson observation from Ofsted as a real-life qualified teacher. I knew that I was a likely candidate as an NQT and with a six-lesson jam packed timetable today, I would have been very surprised if I hadn't been seen at some point! The worst part of the whole thing? Not knowing when, where or what lesson they're going to come to. Will it be the first half? The second half? Five minute learning walk or a full-blown 25 minute observation?

Today I got the full-blown 25 minute observation, during a Y9 Textiles class. They came in during my Starter activity, stayed during a demonstration, stayed whilst the students began their practical work, examined my teacher planner, examined my marking, looked through my books, asked the students questions about the work they were doing... And then they left.

And do you know what? It wasn't that scary. I don't know if it's just that as I've only recently qualified that I'm just used to having people in the room with me, or that if it's because I'm only five weeks into my teaching career - or if it's just that generally I'm not one to get into a flap about situations I only have so much control over. For whatever reason; I did alright.

I've just had a meeting where I've received my feedback, and everything that was said tied in with the things I already know. Obviously it's not going to be perfect; I'd have been concerned if it was to be honest... But luckily everything in my "areas for improvement" feedback is everything that is already my focus points in my NQT Action Plan. So I can't be too concerned about my shortcomings - I'm already working on them!

Obviously I had strengths that were noted as well - my subject knowledge and my positive relationships with the students in my class (both big deals for me!) - and to be honest I had another noted strength but I've genuinely forgotten what it was. It was such a blur! Let's just pretend that Ofsted said I was awesome and have done with it? Yeah?

Anyway. That's been Day One with Ofsted in my school. In my fifth week as an NQT and inspected by HMI already. That's surely a reason to have a glass of wine tonight?

Wait, they're back in tomorrow?! We have to do this all again?!

It's alright. We got this. Just keep smiling, and it'll work out just fine.

Sunday Night Blues?

Oh hey! Remember when I started this blog and I said I'd be inconsistent and crap at posting regularly? Told you so! This is literally the first opportunity I've had to even open Blogger lately, and considering when I had Life by LDE I'd check it about twenty times a day, that's pretty weird. My whole idea of what blogging is about has changed - and for me, it's definitely for the better.

On Life by LDE I would write a weekly "Reasons to Smile" list. I used to say five things every week that had kept me happy. Generally, I'm a pretty happy person - so this was never difficult. People used to tell me that they knew the weekend was over because my Sunday post went live, and they read it religiously. Today - being a Sunday - I'm having a bit of a mope and I am missing my old blog. I Googled myself earlier (shut up, you do it too) and a few of my old bloggy snaps came up in the results, where my posts have been shared by other companies I worked with - and it made me feel massively nostalgic and ALL the feels came flooding back.

Life by LDE isn't live any more, but it's still there. I can still see it. For the first time in aaaages I clicked back onto it this afternoon and I felt this swell of emotion. I used to pour my heart and soul into that little online space. I didn't give a shit if I made any money from my blog, but I'd do everything in my power to write at least twice a week. I worked with some amazing companies, I had some fabulous opportunities and I met some of the most kind-hearted and wonderful people through Life by LDE and it was a massive part of my life for four and a half years.

I'm tempted (very tempted) to bring it back. Not to update, not to share anything on - but just because I love it so much. And I invested so much of my time into it, I just feel saddened that it's no longer available. I don't really know what to do with it really, it just seems a massive shame that it doesn't appear to be a part of me any more. If that makes sense?

ANYWAY. I'm only really writing this because I've got two stacks of Y9 books to mark and I haven't really looked at them since I brought them in from the car on Friday. This weekend I've had two (rather heavy) nights out and lunch with a friend today... So I'm afraid marking/planning/making PowerPoints just hasn't been anywhere near the top of my priority list. This weekend I definitely made up for the "life" part of my non-existent "work/life balance".

So that's me cracking on. A Sunday night post with a twist I guess. Feeling a tad nostalgic shall we say? Right. Marking. See ya.