Mini-Teachmeet

I have attended two Teachmeets and I have found them fun and inspiring. I've never had the confidence to present and admired anyone who does. So much good practice is happening in schools all over the country. We decided to use the Teachmeet model to share this great work in our own school.

Our 'rules' were:

• Give it a go - there's no pressure
• You should share something that works well in your own classroom
• It doesn't have to be ICT-based
• You can share a commercial resource if we have it in school

The whole thing took an hour and a half and everyone felt proud, enthused and inspired!

Here are the notes from the mini-Teachmeet:

Monthly Review: December 2011

December has been busy for me, just the same as any other teacher. Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year, although it can be quite stressful. So much takes place that it is nice to get back to 'normal' (if there is ever such a thing) in the new year. Here is what I've been doing:


Christmas Concert
This year we performed Scrooge - a classic Christmas tale if ever there was one. We have a concert for children in Years 4 to 6, with the children in Y6 taking the acting roles and children in Y4 and Y5 performing dances to the songs. After nine years in Year Six, it was strange to 'only' be involved in putting together dances. In the end, though, I did lots of other things too - helping with some of the acting, the technical stuff (sound and lighting), the programme and other things I've forgotten about. I really enjoyed it and many parents commented that this year's play was the best one ever!


Christmas Events
Other school events included our Christmas parties and our traditional carol service in church which I work with Year Six pupils to put together.


Treating ourselves to a new TV
We've had a gigantic box of a TV for the last seven years. We've been desperate for it to 'go wrong' so we could get a new one. In the end we decided to treat ourselves. We found a good deal and bought a huge TV! It will help for when we are watching films. This year has been prolific to say the least for our film watching. I've kept a list on my phone for the year, and we've watched over 140 films in 2011!


Enjoying our first Christmas as a family
It was wonderful to spent our first Christmas with our baby. Lily loved the whole day, without ever understanding what the fuss was about. We could have saved lots of money and bought her a roll of wrapping paper and gift bows as that's pretty much what she played with on the day!! With the aid of some of her toys (like the baby walker) she has started to take her first few steps! With a baby in the house, we didn't have our usual New Year's Eve party, and so for the first time in nine years no one came round. For the first time ever I stayed in to bring in the new year! But our baby makes it all worth it!


Eating
I've pretty much eaten and drank my way through this entire month. I need to do more exercise in the new year!

My targets for 2012

I guess my targets for the year ahead should be split into personal and professional promises. Here goes:


Personal:
Be a good dad and husband.
Keep the house tidier.
Go to church more regularly.
Spend less.
Decorate the hall, bathroom and bedroom.
Landscape the front garden.
Keep a photo every day.
Get my knee sorted.
Swim once a month.
Start running again.
By the end of the year I want to be able to play football more.
Go to bed no later than 11.30pm each night.
Read a newspaper each day.


Professional:
Teaching
Enjoy teaching Year Four.
Get my classroom (and storeroom) looking like I want it!
Develop our class blog more.
Use resources like Purplemash more.
Redesign the Year Four website.


ICT Co-ordinator
Establish our new ICT scheme of work.
Update the ICT inventory.
Improve the resources available on our school website for the children and teachers.
Promote the use of email within school.


Deputy Head
Successfully apply for the Investors In Pupils award.
Continue to develop our performance management process.
Develop my understanding of using data to monitor progress in KS2.


Blogging
Involve myself in Twitter more.
Write more! (My use of Twitter and Blogger has dropped over the last few months).

Week 1: Introduce yourself

I'm a Deputy Head Teacher in a school in Cheshire. I've been teaching since 2001. I love my job (most of the time). I can't imagine doing anything except teaching. My ambition is to become a head teacher within the next five years.

I currently teach in Year Four. Last year I worked in Year Three and I taught in Year Six for nine years prior to that. I teach for 60% of the week, with 10% PPA and 30% time for management duties. Due to my timetable, I teach Maths, English and ICT only this year.

I am a Deputy Head and I am responsible for KS2. My role is incredibly varied and every day is different to the one before it.

I am the ICT Co-ordinator for the school. This year I plan to put together a new school curriculum for the subject.

I am married to my wife of nearly two years. I became a dad in April and it has changed my life (for the better)! We have a cat. I like to play football and run (when I haven't got a knee injury). I love to use computers. My iPhone is the best gadget I've ever owned. I am 33 later this week. I think Lost was the best programme ever and I love The Apprentice. My favourite film ever is Bad Boys.

Review of 2011

2011 has been an adventure. It's been a long year (for nice reasons) and many things have made the year stand out. Here are some of the significant events:

Baby

Our baby, Lily, was born in April. To say she has turned our lives upside down has been an understatement. The first four months of the year was spent preparing for a baby - buying furniture and other baby stuff, painting a nursery and adjusting the time I spent at work. She arrived two weeks late. Then suddenly she was here! Starting a family really makes you consider your priorities and, although the amount of work you have to do doesn't decrease, you have to work differently to make the most of your time with your baby. I look forward to all the year ahead with my family.

Car crashes

My wife and I have both had (relatively minor) car accidents this year. Mine really scared me and it's not something I ever want to experience again.


Knee injury
I injured my knee in April when playing football and it's not been right since. I had an arthroscopy in August when a lot of my cartilage was removed and a tear to my ACL was identified. My consultant has said that he doesn't think it needs surgery but my physio wants me to seek a second opinion. It's really affected my fitness and it's annoyed me.

Changing year groups

At the start of the year I was beginning to feel settled in Year Three. At the end of the year I'm beginning to settle in Year Four. I've also moved classrooms twice. I've found the teaching year to be quite challenging.

I've realised after writing the above, that I feel fairly organised now. Things are settling down and I feel ready to make 2012 a successful year.

My favourite song of the year

Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

My favourite film of the year

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (to be fair, I've only been to the cinema twice all year. However this film was superb - the perfect ending to a brilliant film series.)

My favourite TV shows of the year

The Apprentice & The Young Apprentice and Boardwalk Empire.

Teachers' 2012 Blogging Challenge

After reading about the 50-day blogging challenge on @nicwwfc's blog, I thought it might be fun to try arranging a similar challenge for teachers. There's no way, however, that I could blog every day for 50 days, so I've decided to have a 52-week challenge!


The idea is that each week you write a blog post based on the theme for that week. I'm going to try to publish mine on Sundays.


2012 Teachers' Blogging Challenge

Write a blog post each week based on the following themes:

Week 1: Introduce yourself
           
Week 2: Make a bulleted list of every lesson taught this week
 
Week 3: Your favourite lesson when you were at school – what is it like to teach it now?
           
Week 4: A funny story from your classroom experience
           
Week 5: Your favourite film
           
Week 6: 5 attributes that you admire in your colleagues
           
Week 7: Your least favourite lesson when you were at school – what is it like to teach it now?
           
Week 8: Your opinion on one of the latest education news stories
           
Week 9: Your favourite ICT tool
           
Week 10: Your favourite song
           
Week 11: List some of your favourite bloggers
           
Week 12: How are your New Year’s Resolutions going?
           
Week 13: A photo of your classroom
           
Week 14: A letter to your MP about education
           
Week 15: Your favourite food
           
Week 16: 5 inspiring people that   you follow on Twitter
           
Week 17: Your career plan
           
Week 18: Something you would like to learn to do
       
Week 19: A description of your best lesson this week
       
Week 20: Your favourite TV show
           
Week 21: Something you learned this week
       
Week 22: A quote that inspires you
       
Week 23: Your least favourite lesson to teach
           
Week 24: A resource you have used from www.teachingideas.co.uk
       
Week 25: A YouTube clip that you find funny
           
Week 26: Something that makes you proud
       
Week 27: Send an idea to http://www.ideastoinspire.co.uk/ and share it your blog
       
Week 28: Things you have planned to do with your class before the end of the school year
       
Week 29: 5 pieces of advice you would give to an NQT
           
Week 30: Your hobbies
           
Week 31: Something new that you have tried this year
       
Week 32: Your favourite lesson to teach
           
Week 33: Give a great way for children to learn their times tables
       
Week 34: A Facebook page that you have liked
       
Week 35: Your ideal summer holiday
           
Week 36: What did you do during the summer holidays?
       
Week 37: A photo of your school
       
Week 38: Your CV
           
Week 39: A smartphone app that you use for school
       
Week 40: Your favourite book
           
Week 41: Comment on three blogs
       
Week 42: Something new that you want to try in the classroom
           
Week 43: The best bit of advice that you've ever been given
       
Week 44: A time saving tip for teachers
       
Week 45: Your favourite possession
           
Week 46: What three words sum you up?
       
Week 47: What would you like to see happen change in the new curriculum
       
Week 48: A resources you have used from www.primaryresources,co.uk
       
Week 49: What Christmas activities do you do in school?
           
Week 50: Things you love about Christmas at home
           
Week 51: What would you like to try in the classroom next year
           
Week 52: Your highlights of the year

Families

One of my favourite tweets of 2011 was from @angelabishop: "Pixar, which #stevejobs helped build, has a staff policy.Leave on time every day cos you can't make family movies if you never see your own."

It really made me think, and I began to realise how relevant this statement is for teachers too. How can you teach children and help them to develop a love of life and learning if you get too busy to spend time with your own family. If ever there was a message to remind us about what really matters it is this:
"Leave school on time every day and switch off from work because you can't teach children about life if you don't make the most of yours."

Image: http://www.ohmyweird.com/2007/05/03/family-love-is-everything/

Monthly Review: November 2011

I have found this month very hard. For various reasons I've missed management time and so have fallen behind with work. I feel like I haven't stopped all month. At least December is now upon us, which is a good time to relax as things wind down at school *sarcasm*. 



Football
Our school house football competition and an inter-school competition have both finished this month. The member of staff that runs the school football team is very underrated. The amount of time that is spent attending football matches after school is outrageous. In our school we will have almost 15 after school football matches this academic year (more if we do well). And this is in addition to running the actual football club. In my school I'm fortunate that the role is shared with a number of colleagues.


Visiting LEGOLand Discover Centre
We enjoyed a school visit to the Discovery Centre in Manchester.


Paternity Leave
I was owed a few days of paternity leave which my headteacher kindly allowed me to 'bank' and take later. We enjoyed days out in Manchester and Warrington. I felt terribly guilty about taking the days now, but everyone has told me that I mustn't, and that I must enjoy them. "You'll never get these days with your baby again."


Not striking
I chose not to strike on 30th November. My reasons for this are not appropriate to be shared here and I will write them in a different post.

Monthly Review: October 2011

This month started badly, with a car accident. I wasn't injured and, luckily, no one else was in the car with me. The car was almost written off but it lived to fight another day. The insurance company have been very good, though. 


Blogging for school
I've discovered Primary Blogger, which is a free blogging platform for schools. I loved it, and I have set up a blog for our year group. At the moment it is just for sharing items of news but ultimately it would be good for sharing work on it. I have also set up a blog for my role as deputy head. This blog is purely for school news so I will be keeping Primary Deputy going as a personal reflection. 


Spinning metaphorical plates
I'm not sure what the start of this year has been so busy. It might be because I'm now a dad, and my priorities have changed somewhat. I've found it very difficult to stay on top of things at school and at home. The half-term holiday was a welcome break!


Senior Leaders' Conference
I attend a conference for senior leaders which I will write about soon! Not only is it a great opportunity to learn, but also it is a real perk of the job, staying at a nice hotel and catching up with colleagues from other schools.


Visiting Lincolnshire
We enjoyed a short break in Lincolnshire, our second short holiday as a family. It wasn't great weather but it was lovely to get away from it all for a while.

Something to remember