2010 has been a busy year. Here are some of my highlights:
Baby
Back in August we were delighted to discover that L is expecting a baby. We have wanted this for so long and so it was the best news ever! The baby is due in April, meaning that 2011 promises to be eventful!
iPhone
I know it sounds ridiculous, but this gadget has changed my life! I guess I'm being a bit overdramatic. But getting my new phone back in January has changed the way I relax, the way I record my memories, the way I communicate, the way I shop and the way I learn. It's amazing, and I don't think I could ever be without it.
iTunes
As I have never had an iPod, I have never really bothered with iTunes. But getting my iPhone encouraged me to explore it. It took some getting used to but eventually I got the hang of it. It forced me to 'sort' my music collection, making sure information was correct and organised. Now I love it, and I like watching the play counts!
Dropbox
I have used Dropbox for a while but this year I upgraded to a paid package. It is, without a doubt, the best application that I've used this year. I can work on projects at work and at home without needing to take anything with me.
Last night of the Christmas Proms
Just the other day we took mum and dad to the proms at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. It was completely amazing and it has already encouraged me to listen to more classical music. This will help me work and relax.
Lost
The Lost finale, back in May, brought to a conclusion a programme I have obsessed over for five years. Unfortunately the final series was not what I imagined (it went off at a tangent, making large parts of the programme irrelevant) but the whole Lost experience remains a highlight for me.
Holiday
Leadership Pathways
Earlier this year I completed the Leadership Pathways course. Whilst I was quite negative at first at the idea of doing more 'learning' I grew to value the experience very highly. I learned a great deal about the leader I am and the leader I want to be. In a couple of years time I would like to complete the NPQH.
Moving to Year Three
After spending nine years teaching Year Six it was time for a new challenge. In September I moved to Year Three. It has been a challenge, for all sorts of reasons, and I haven't found it easy. But I have found it very rewarding and I'm looking forward to the next two terms.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
How Santa Really Works
The last few weeks of English lessons have been based upon a fantastic book called 'How Santa Really Works' by Alan Snow.
This wonderful book explains how Santa makes Christmas happen, talking you through the different departments of his North Pole set up, describing the training that the elves must go through and then explaining his specialist equipment. It also gives top secret information about how he can get around the world to visit every child without being discovered!
It really is a wonderful book and the children loved reading it. I used it as inspiration for various pieces of writing, and I thought I'd share the ideas.
The elves' jobs: We read about the different jobs of the elves and the training that is required to do the jobs well. We then wrote a letter to Santa to apply for a job in one of his departments.
Toys: After reading about the Research and Development departments we designed our own toys for our friends. We drew a picture and labelled them with short explanations of all the special features.
Recount: We recounted an explanation of how Santa manages to deliver all of his presents, describing some of his specialist equipment
Santa's Suit: We produced a labelled diagram of Santa's suit, explaining all of its special features. One child included special pockets for storing mince pies!
Reindeer Food: We watched a video of Santa's reindeer in action (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzCnQSwuFhk) and then created our own special recipes for reindeer food.
Stories: After watching the Snowman, we wrote a story about the day a snowman met Santa and helped him to deliver his presents.
Have you done any special Christmas writing activities?
This wonderful book explains how Santa makes Christmas happen, talking you through the different departments of his North Pole set up, describing the training that the elves must go through and then explaining his specialist equipment. It also gives top secret information about how he can get around the world to visit every child without being discovered!
It really is a wonderful book and the children loved reading it. I used it as inspiration for various pieces of writing, and I thought I'd share the ideas.
The elves' jobs: We read about the different jobs of the elves and the training that is required to do the jobs well. We then wrote a letter to Santa to apply for a job in one of his departments.
Toys: After reading about the Research and Development departments we designed our own toys for our friends. We drew a picture and labelled them with short explanations of all the special features.
Recount: We recounted an explanation of how Santa manages to deliver all of his presents, describing some of his specialist equipment
Santa's Suit: We produced a labelled diagram of Santa's suit, explaining all of its special features. One child included special pockets for storing mince pies!
Reindeer Food: We watched a video of Santa's reindeer in action (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzCnQSwuFhk) and then created our own special recipes for reindeer food.
Stories: After watching the Snowman, we wrote a story about the day a snowman met Santa and helped him to deliver his presents.
Have you done any special Christmas writing activities?
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