The Teacher Returns

I’ve made a conscious effort to stay away from all things school related over the last two weeks. I know that come Wednesday, I’ll be right back in the thick of it and I won’t get a chance to breathe until half term, whenever that is.

Saying that, I have marked my Year 7 work and still intend to get the Year 10’s folders done relatively soon, but then again, I’ve had other things on my mind over the last two-and-a-half weeks.

Today, I can no longer pull the academic wool over my eyes and am  fully aware of the fact that I’d better start planning for the new term as it starts in 48 hours. This will be a bit of strange week, not least because it starts at 10 am on Wednesday morning and ends two days later. My most challenging days are Mondays and Wednesdays and since I’m avoiding the former, the latter hopefully won’t prove to be too much of a struggle.

I now have the July sights in my mind. I need to be on top form until then, so that I can pass my induction year and become a “real” teacher, if you know what I mean. I’m going to have quite a few lesson observations over the next few weeks, not least because I managed to get through the last half-term without having any  - an oversight by my mentor, I hasten to add. He told me that I would be visited “early in the new term”, so I’ll assume that it could be anytime from Thursday onwards (they wouldn’t come in on my first day back….would they?)

I’ve had a good rest over the last few weeks and hopefully recharged my batteries to their semi-optimum levels (I’m being realistic here…it was not that relaxing at home!) but it all depends on what kind of state the kids come back in. Hopefully, they will have had a good holiday,  albeit spoiled as they were over Xmas, and will be more willing to get into the spirit of work. The worst months of June and July are still some way ahead, so yes, there is hope.

This term runs until Easter which seems an awful way off, so I guess I’d better enjoy the next three months and get the most out of them. It’s a new year and a chance to go in there with a fresh mind. I just hope this manages to last me until at least the middle of February!