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| The lupins are lovely this year. |
I looked out this morning and my heart sank, It was raining. I'm hoping to get my long awaited visit to Hyde Hall with a friend this afternoon but not if it is raining. However, it wasn't long before things dried up and now the sun is shining brightly, trying to make up for its laziness earlier on in the week. Fingers crossed.
Yesterday started off sunny, then it all gloomed over and there was rain in the air, then the sun came out again and the day ended gloomy, windy and damp again. A real mixed bag! Fortunately, the children got their playtimes. It was a pleasant day all round really. I got plenty done at school and had a nice relaxing evening with a bit too much to drink, for which I am now suffering, but never mind. Beth's boyfriend gave me a bottle of his home-made wine - Beth thinks it is sorrel - and it was jolly nice! I have no idea how strong it is and there's some left which will have to wait a few days now.
Today - well, I hope to get a few more reports finished and the aim is to finish them completely for Monday when I can print them out and hand them in - here's hoping. It will be nice to get them off my shoulders. I've done all the assessments and Tracker is up to date so now I have to start on the curriculum wheels which is always something of a pain.
And on Monday it is the Phonic Screen! Oh joy, oh delight. What fun, to be sure! < sigh >
We can't decide what the government agenda is this year. If they want to 'prove' that they are doing a good job, the screen will be easier than last year. If they want to 'prove' that year 1 teachers are still a totally lazy shower who need a good kick up their collective backside, the screen (I nearly typed 'test' there) will be harder. I have results from last year's screen which I administered to my class as an assessment tool a few months ago so we will see how the scores compare.
Of course, it is possible that there is no agenda at all, and the screen will be perfectly fair and above board. I'm not suspicious by nature, never have been, so I am sad that I should feel that there is. Says a lot for the state of affairs between Gove and the teaching profession generally at the moment.
Very sad. it should not be like that.
I looked up phonic screening,watched a video and thought...what a waste of time! Yes the administration has an agenda: find ways to waste time, make teachers doubt themselves and ratchet up their workload. I'm fuming! Good luck next week, give yourself a lovely weekend to relax. Jx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joan. The annoying things are that
ReplyDeletea) it doesn't tell us anything we don;t already know
2) there's no allowance for slow developers
3) it's no predictor of reading level. Just about all the children who didn't get the required level last year are now good readers at the end of year 2.
Such a waste of time and money (we have to fund two days of supply cover so that us class teachers are freed up to do the screen)
J x
As with all these initiatives they waste human and monetary resources. I'd like someone to apply the same restrictions to Westminster. Interesting article by Scotland's education minister compared English 'education' to Maoist. Your time 'below the line' appears to have gone well. Jx
ReplyDeleteApply restrictions to Westminster? Goodness, Joan, everyone knows that are already perfect!!!!
ReplyDeleteLiving below the line has gone so much better than we ever expected it too. We are absolutely thrilled! :0)
J x