tinyjo | (no subject)

Well, if I had any doubts about whether it was worthwhile buying my tablet, I can be reassured by the fact that I left it at school accidentally (at least I really hope I did - I was using it to read an ebook to my class so that we'd have enough copies that they could read along with regular books) and am really really missing it today. Normally I would lie around and read a book in bed and then get up and futz around on the internet while sitting in my comfy chair with it. I am actually missing it enough that I popped over to school because I thought they were open for ballet classes and stuff (they weren't actually, which was annoying) to see if I could find it.

In other only semi-in-my-brain related news, this is the first week in which Alex has gone to Oxfam and will be buying books which will end up at school which will actually be paid for by school money! I talked to Rach (our head) and she's agreed to fund us improving our bookshelves by, you know, having some books on them through giving Alex a list of writers and just buying the bloody things. I asked my class for suggestions and got a list of about 20 authors so that should keep us busy for a while!

Also, I am spending far too much time thinking about the experience machine. I wish I could do the last assignment on it but the question about it bears no relation to my thoughts on it so I might have to do something else! I have now started the registration process for my next OU course (Themes in the history of Wales), which is a small one so that I can also do a Masters level course next year without buggering up my transitional funding arrangements for my OU study. My school are offering/asking to fund me to train as a Mathematics Specialist Teacher. It looks interesting and comes to 60 points of Masters study (out of 180) over two years. I emailed Oxfordshire to ask about applying and got an email back saying "Yes, you can totally have a place!" which was a bit unnerving, but I think Rachel had already talked to the person there about me so hopefully it's just that and not that anyone can have a place for the asking! As a result, I'm also being made Maths co-ordinator, as our current one is about to go off and have a baby, so I'm also going to be applying for a salary bump, which I really hope I get as it comes with extra non-contact time attached so I'll be able to cover the extra work! It's a really good opportunity, but I feel very early in my teaching career to be taking on this much responsibility! There seem to be a lot of exclamation marks in there, which feels not quite right. There should be an uncertainty mark or something that I could use.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wow! That is a lot of responsibility coming your way. Hang on to it-- it's a great experience, even if it's the experience of "oh my god I was NOT ready for this you can have it back next year now."

What age groups and subjects are you currently teaching?

I teach 9-10 year olds and I basically teach the one class all the subjects - that's how the primary system works over here.

yeah, our elementary schools are much the same-- one grade, just about all subjects until you maybe get to 4th or 5th or 6th grade when some elementary schools will "rotate" the students between two or three teachers (we had one for science, another for math, and a third for social studies) to get kids ready to go to middle school / junior high.

So do they start having different teachers per subject in middle school then (which is age 11ish, yes?)?

It depends on the school and the grades, but yes.

Some elementary schools will start moving students between teachers for different math or reading groups around grade 4, which is usually students of 9-10 years old at the beginning of the year. Some elementary schools go up to grade 5, while others go to grade 6. There are also some city schools that are K-8.

By the time kids get to middle school or jr. high grades, grades 6-8 or 7-8 and starting at age 11-12 or 12-13 at the beginning of the year, there's much more moving around. It gets students ready for moving all over the place in high school. Most middle schools will have bells, and most will have students switching around on a similar schedule, though some entire classes of students may have the same teacher for two periods in a row [a "double block"] or for several periods during the day.

With our 6th grade, we *used* to have teams, so each of 3 teachers would teach one reading and one writing/language arts class (2 pds but the same students, usually as a double block), and then one would have science, one would have social studies, and the third would have math. That kind of teaming is the definition of "middle school" vs. "Junior high" -- students grouped with the same teachers so they're easier to monitor during the transition. More recently, budget cuts have meant that our teachers may teach multiple subjects and multiple grades, so we're more like a junior high where students will have reading with one teacher and one class, and writing/lang arts with a different teacher and a completely different mix of kids.

I have been eying the transformer for ages. I am glad you are enjoying it.

Yay teaching and congrats! <3

It is TOTALLY AWESOME! That is the end of my review :) Also, I owe you an email but have failed to actually write it because each time I start I feel guilty about the marking I also haven't done!