Trying to be productive

The last few school days of 2007 might as well be written off as far as getting any productive work done – and why should it be all workworkwork anyway? It’s hard to drag yourself into school at this time of year with a hangover as Christmas parties rage every night – at least, this is what my form group tell me.

So I decided to take the opportunity while one of my classes was colouring in some snowflakes to plan my photocopying needs for the beginning of next term – just eleven work days away after all. And while I was leafing through my planner I decided I may as well work out what I’d be doing with my Year 11 group up until half term in February, which boils down to only about 12 teaching hours. This for me is when the panic begins to set in. For the Year 11s it’s irrelevant, they feel no panic until the moment they realise they’re off on study leave the next day.

When Year 11 sauntered in later that day I still had a pencil poised ready over my planner. I’d noticed the annual ski trip etched in during term time and wanted to know how many were going to be on the piste rather than in my classes for that week. Thankfully, only two would be away. But eleven others were off the week before on some timely geography field trip, so altogether I have already lost 4 of the 12 hours. Add to this the mock exams… argh… well, just half the amount of planning for Year 11 then. Teaching, eh? It just gets in the way of everything else going on in school.