Well, back at the grindstone again, and I swear my weekend just blew by. This weekend, besides finally getting my hair cut and coloured, I feel like I spent it figuring out what I would do for my next break (at the end of May) where I will be joined by Katie (can't wait!).
Funny enough, I also then thought of planning a trip for this coming long weekend (bank holiday weekend for May Day), where I will be going to York...all by myself! A friend of mine had encouraged me to try and go on a journey on my own, and ...well... I think I'm going to need it. So, I will have to make sure I have enough memory on my camera card, especially after my trip to Rome with Mom and Seb (I still can't believe that was only a few weeks ago).
As for life...well, Mondays are my full days, teaching non-stop...and it wasn't until the end of the day that I found out that the first set of GCSE marks (for the test written in March) were available. I looked at them very quickly after school and was happy to see that a handful of students received A*, and even more received A grades. About half my class received Bs, and only 3 of my students received a C grade. This is awesome in the sense that they received these marks in a national standards exam. However, it worries me for 2 reasons.
1) They were predicted to get an A and half the class didn't (although most weren't too far off);
2) These grades actually "haunt" them for the rest of their lives...literally. Apparently, not only are they used to get into schools they want to go to for post-secondary education, but it affects jobs, etc. (posting their marks on their resume). I know I shouldn't be too worries, as apparently they can re-sit their exam and if they do worse, it just doesn't count (weird, huh?)...but still, I am worried.
Anyway, I haven't been told anything yet about how the school feels about their scores, but those who also teach the higher tier of the year 10 maths classes were impressed (maybe because their marks were so consistent).
There is, however, the flip side... Remember, I not only teach the predicted highest of the high year tens, but I also teach the lowest of the low...and their marks reflect that. All my students received either an F or a G (yes, they do mark that low here), unless you talk of students who get an "unmarkable" (i.e. U). I have been reminded that, for these students, there really isn't anything I can do...and I can't say that my class has the lowest grade in all they year grade (shocking!) - so I guess that's something.
In other news, today I had to write a report on a student (male) who, for the second time since February, slapped one of the other students (female) in the ass during lesson. Neither student could understand why I had had to report it. Hmmm! If you slap another person on the ass in the workforce...uh, there'd be repercussions. As for what happened here, who knows? Not even my HOF has informed me of their consequences (besides the fact that I PERSONALLY removed them from lesson).
Oh...the stories...
My Laugh for the Day
I'm not sure if I've mentioned the term "PSO" before, but our school has a group of individuals (one per year group) that is responsible for helping to maintain order in the classroom when students are "kicking off", or removing students if it gets bad...you get the picture. Anyway, the one in charge of the year 11s is useless, which is why I don't call her when I have a student slap another on the ass in lesson, or a student straightens another person's hair in class.
The PSO came to my room during lesson 2 today, asking to speak to 2 of my students and asking if I knew what room another 4 or 5 students were in. When she had entered the room, I noticed that the students were starting to giggle, but were also waiting to hear who was called. The two students followed, and other student began to crack up as the door closed. I looked at the student and asked, "Uh..what was that about". The boy who cracked up made no qualms about explaining how he and a group of other year 11 boys had locked the PSO in a storage cupboard by placing a cement bin in front of the door and blocking the other with their foot, and watched her run around like crazy trying to get out. As soon as he had finished telling the story, he was "surprising" called to join the party in the hallway to deal with part in it. The rest of the class just cracked up (as did I, but damned if I could let them see it). I later found out it wasn't just a couple of seconds. According to another student who told Nike the story (strangely enough the student who slapped the girl on the ass to day in lesson 1), "It was only for something like 10 minutes, Miss".
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