Day 1

I have vowed to keep a reflective diary of a week in the life of an FE teacher. I guess I’m writing it more for myself than anything. Others are very quick to criticise my workaholic lifestyle. Some do it out of concern for my health, others say it because they can.

I know that I have a work filled life at the moment but on the whole, I have done this because I’ve chosen to and because I love my job. It’s also because I’m just that kind of person!

Day 1 began at 7.15am today with my alarm soothing me awake. I have a new app that measures my sleep cycle and it suggests I was only in a deep sleep for approximately 1 hour. For the remainder, I was just about awake. No wonder I’m so tired all the time. I have no idea how accurate this is but because I saw a graph with numbers and lines, I believed it to be true. I will try it again tonight and see. Whatever it says, I’ll probably just believe it!

As is the case on any morning when I intend to go into work super early, I mess around and arrive in work at 8.20am. Ah well, I’ll try again tomorrow! Before I left, I spotted a gigantic spider on my window. I took a picture and texted it to my mum to see if she knew what kind it was (this might be one such unnecessary activity that leads to lateness!) It was hanging on the outside of the window but my text probably didn’t express that particularly successfully. She rang me straight away, thinking I was worried about it being inside- oops! I then had a nice chat with her but felt sad afterwards and cried a little. I am far from friends and family and after a weekend of non-stop planning, marking, Monday morning and a spider outside, I felt a strong pang of home sickness.

This was fairly soon forgotten as I left, crumpet in hand. I am a northern lass and easy to please. All it takes is some nice, tasty food! Preferably butter soaked and not very good for me!

I arrived in work, buzzed through the gate and made my way up to my floor. This week is the first ever open classroom week and has been planned by the Pass It On CPD team. All staff have been given a red and green door hanger and within 10 seconds, I had already seen 3 of them, hanging green side up. I took some pictures like some crazy tourist and posted them excitedly on Google + for my colleagues to see. I knew I had lessons until lunch so I wouldn’t be able to wander until then. Very sad face 🙁

I went straight to my classroom, sent off my printing for the morning and set up various resources. This, as usual, involved several dashes between my classroom and the staffroom as I kept on forgetting blue tack, scissors, A3 paper, coloured pens… Oh crap, and the projector remote!

My 9am class has had increasingly poor attendance and punctuality over the last few weeks. I don’t know what to do about it. This wasn’t a good start to my day. Even sadder face 🙁

It got better. Last week, the students had planned mini lessons and delivered these effectively; covering character voice. They needed more time. I’m going to give them full lessons to deliver in future. Two of the best deliverers are students who struggled last year at College and showed a poor level of commitment and motivation. It turns out that second chances can work for some and I couldn’t be happier about that! Slightly happier face 🙂

So far, green door hanger and no visitors, maybe next lesson… Is that the time already? Where does that 15 minute break go to? That cake will have to wait…

My A2 class arrived and they were well humoured, if a little lethargic and Monday mooded. A couple of students who I haven’t seen for a few lessons appeared again and this was a happy event 🙂  I had a workshop lesson planned as students needed to decide on coursework essay titles. Most of them succeeded in this by the end of the lesson and I’ve had a couple of emails since… which I need to read and reply to.

To be honest, lessons like this, where students are working on totally independent things are very difficult to control and manage. I possibly feel this way because I need to be in control and don’t like letting go as much as this. I was trying to keep check on every individual, all at once, whilst I felt like Stretch Armstrong being pulled by students’ questions every which way. Don’t get me wrong. The students are trained in working very interdependently but they needed to confirm the titles with me and the questions and conversations with each individual couldn’t be avoided.

I felt frazzled already and it was only lunchtime.. Still no visitors 🙁

I was really excited to get out and about to peek behind the green doors so I tidied my classroom, grabbed my iPad and headed off on a hunt for green. I saw lots of it, but no students. That’s when I realised most were probably in lunch! Duh!

I ate my lunch at my desk, tidied up a little, answered some emails, spoke to some students and then it was 1.20pm. I decided now would be the best time to head off on a little green coloured adventure. I vowed I’d be back at my desk by 2pm to start some actual work.

I headed up onto D floor and wandered round to science. I found a green sign. I was about to go in and then I lost my nerve so I went skulking off out of sight. Then my dad’s voice broke into my brain, ‘Get a grip!’ The door is green. Just go in. I marched more purposefully towards the door and then, oh god. What if the teacher didn’t know it was on the door? Argh. The door was open. I held it ajar. The teacher looked up. I pointed bizarrely in a Mr Bean fashion to explain my presence. I then remembered that my voice existed. I asked, ‘Is it ok if I come in?’ She said, ‘Of course’ and gestured me in. I saw students going through homework questions. One student wrote their answer on the board whilst others suggested their own changes and solutions. I knew nothing. It was physics. It was awesome to be sat in a physics lesson. I hadn’t been in one since school. I would never have spent my Monday afternoon in this way before. Wow!

I typed my comment on the Padlet wall and left. First though, there was a significant length of time spent glancing furtively at the door, gulping and fretting. Did I need to say thank you? Does she expect me to stay for the whole lesson? Would she be offended? Then I was up and out and onto the next. Phew. A decision had been made. My dad’s voice once more, ‘Get a grip!’

I walked down to BITE and spotted a number of green hangers. Then a door, wide open, with a noisy (in a good way) class AND a green hanger. This was perfect! I walked in. Argh. No seat. Where do I go. Oh, looks like I’ll just perch awkwardly on this here desk.

Here, I was welcomed and introduced. The buzz in the room was brilliant. The students were focused on the teacher’s introductory lesson questions. They were then set off to work with each other on their projects. Without a moment’s hesitation, they were off! They were working away, asking each other for help and full flow was in action. I asked the students what they were doing (making a computer game) and they showed me all of it. I left the room wishing I was a student in that class. It feels such a privilege to be able to go into other people’s often so private learning spaces.

I popped into two more rooms at the end of the corridor. In one, another embarrassing moment.  I searched for a seat, couldn’t see one, stood in the door feeling like a total plonker and then dashed awkwardly across the room to one I could see.

I left this floor feeling satisfied and determined to return to my desk. I got down to my floor and thought I’d just check out the other half of my corridor. It seemed sensible. I was inches off it, after all!

I went into two more rooms- one had an open door and a line of seats- the sheer joy! I added my thoughts to the Padlet and finally returned to my class. No, wait, was that another green door I just passed? A green door with an English class in it? Too tempting to resist! Here, I enjoyed some calm discussion. Why are my students never this calm? It was beautiful! I was jealous. I returned to my desk super excitable but questioning if people would have left feeling so excited if they’d been into my room this morning…. hmm… I guess I’ll never know. Probably for the best.

Back at my desk, I sorted some printing of resources for the rest of the week, replied to some more emails, put two students on the safeguarding register and headed to a colleague’s class that I’m sitting in on at the moment.

I left there at 3.20pm to go to a meeting and thought I’d just have time to dash along to a colleague’s class I knew was green. I tried the door handle one way- no movement. Tried the other, still none. I crouched out of sight for a split second and then ran away!

I headed to my meeting to plan future Pass It On CPD activities, including our advent calendar- I can’t wait. We’ve had one resource donated already!

I then headed back to see the end of my colleagues lesson, chatted with her afterwards and then remembered I was delivering some ‘top tech tools’ training. I had decided last minute, due to no confirmed room booking, to pop to our collaborative learning zone to deliver this. It was pitch black when I got there and there were no staff around. I bumped into a colleague, we caught a brief chat and I headed back to my desk… Or so I thought!

Another green sign had emerged and was waving at me. I went in and students here were fully engaged in planning their ideas for a controlled assessment using Chromebooks. Such strong resources envy!

I finally got back to my desk, tidied up, had a mini meeting with my manager and then sorted final resources for tomorrow’s only lesson.

Tomorrow is my last quiet day of the week in terms of teaching. In this particular week, this presents a clear danger. I MUST refrain from opening green doors all day. I have a graded observation later on this week that I need to ensure all the paperwork is in order for, I need to finalise a couple of lessons, reply to a gazillion emails, do more academic induction planning, Pass It On CPD things, failure and success weeks planning  and marking!

Must resist the lure of the green.

I arrived home at 7.30pm after phoning a friend on the walk home and buying some food. Here, I made a poster and drafted an email to send to staff to remind them about open classrooms week. I wrote this reflection, ate dinner, did some marking and got into bed with a book (those last three are intended things but we all know how easily my intended actions fail!)

Hopes for tomorrow:

I hope I manage to ACTUALLY get in early.

I hope it is a super productive day.

I hope that I experience a lesson I’m happy with for once in my life (tall order).

I hope that I find time for a chat with a friend (on the phone. They’re the only kind I have at present).

Oh… And I hope I don’t overdose on green doors! Wish me luck!

Day 2

Day 3

I don’t know where I am today… what day is it… oh crikey, two days left?! Only 3 days gone?! I’m currently in that strange time warp of thinking the week is flying by so quickly yet feeling sheer disbelief at how much of the week is left!

Day 4

So today is when my week caught up with me… I have been feeling totally shattered all day. I think writing up every detail of my day might be making me feel even more tired… I apologise if today’s post is slightly flatter than what I’ve produced so far!

These lessons were great yet again and one pair in particular managed the activities effortlessly; directing the students with appropriate questions, careful pacing of activities and clear explanations. I wondered how they made it seem so effortless… I think I was a little envious of their skills and team teaching with my students in future lessons looks even more appealing now!

I spoke to a student about his written work in the ‘break’ and readied my room for the next class.

I had one student for the first 10 minutes. One solitary learner and me. This was an even more nervous moment than earlier in the day. The others were sufficiently ‘told off’ in the only way I can tell anyone off… serious disappointment in them being unable to meet my high expectations.

We explored character highs and lows in the novel. Students had to create a graph (a rare moment of embedding maths into an English lesson!) and were then asked to ‘sell’ their ideas to the rest of the group. Students were given 10 coloured counters and as they spoke to each of their peers and questioned them about their choices, they had to give them a number of counters they thought were deserved. The winning entry was then transferred to our online graph for all students to view from home on our website. I had two visitors during this lesson: Rocky from student services and Anna from my department. Both my learners and I are getting used to visitors at any point during a lesson now and it’s great. I feel a little more confident that when I am formally observed, it will affect their behaviour less as they’ll be so used to it. Yet another advantage to green doors exists.

I then tidied my classroom, spoke to a few learners and carted my things out to sort out for tomorrow… perhaps it will hold my graded observation. I hope so.

In my sleepy state this morning, I left my lunch at home 🙁 so I had to buy some. It wasn’t as nice as the soup that was sat in my fridge at home. I checked a few emails and today’s Padlet wall for open classrooms. I then arranged resources, did some laminating and prepared my academic induction on questioning and speed dating at 4pm. I organised some things for my lessons tomorrow and realised that it was 3pm. I reflected and concluded that I’d completed a sufficient amount of work to warrant a green door adventure.

I walked around almost the WHOLE College: all of D floor, all of C floor, all of B floor, all of A floor, all of HHTTP, all of construction and engineering… I think you know what’s coming! Well, almost!

I did find one door with a green hanger but the teacher hadn’t seen it was there and I didn’t stop long. What I saw was great though with students naturally collaborating with one another.

I then went to a colleague’s lesson that was two doors down from where I had started! Here, the students were working to brainstorm for the upcoming exams. I was disappointed not to have seen any other green doors that I hadn’t already visited.

I returned to my desk, grabbed my resources and headed to my academic induction session. We covered questioning skills, had some great discussion about hands up or selecting students and shared some new ideas. I had invited other staff from College along to speed date and problem solve. I had almost all of the employability team- boy, do they get about?! as well as two BITE team members. All attendees put on stickers with things they wanted help with. Everyone was encouraged to move around the room and share ideas with one another. It was a buzzy session and it was hopefully useful to the attendees too!

I stayed behind to speak to individual teachers who had questions and returned to my desk at about 6pm. I then had to check over my first lesson for tomorrow including paperwork, handouts, resources and preparing the classroom.

I have some exciting things in tomorrow’s lesson that I hope will go down well. With any luck, attendance and punctuality will be good so I don’t have to make my disappointed face and keep students back afterwards… It would make for a much nicer Friday if I don’t have to do this!

I will then have a tutorial session: some 1-1s will be needed, we’ll be doing some revision sessions that the students have prepared and we’ll be doing final planning for the following week’s charity fundraising activities.

I then run a lunchtime support session until 1.15pm. After this, I’ll be going down to B-100 to man the end of Open Classrooms Week celebration or commiseration. Staff can come and give feedback and make suggestions for the future. There’ll be cupcakes and drinks between 11.30pm and 2pm but green doors can continue all day! I’ll then be teaching from 3pm so unless I have visitors to my side of the door, there’ll be no more green door adventures for me. I am sad about this but I await its return next year. I feel so much more a part of all the teaching going on at the College after this week, despite the lack of green this afternoon.

Tomorrow might see my graded observation and all I can do is hope for everything to swing in my favour now because I’ve done all I can. I am spent and hopefully I’ll still be standing energetically enough to see the day through! On that note… sleep time for me.

Day 5

I woke up this morning with a surprising spring in my step! Ordinarily when I’m tired, I go one way… or another. It turns out that hyper rather than lethargic was the way it would go! This was very lucky indeed!

I arrived in work and sorted out some last minute things for my first lesson. What was very strange was that I had laid out all my resources the night before and 2 sheets had gone from the tables. I don’t know who might have wanted them but I hope they’ll enjoy a Popplet of A2 English technical terms.

Then I walked into the corridor to find a number of my learners early, homework in hand and in good spirits. This buoyed me into my lesson, where my graded observation occurred. I felt such relief that it was happening!

I felt so at ease, more so than I’ve ever felt in an observation before. I also ended the lesson on a big high. This is even more rare for me. I am ordinarily a total wreck; having picked apart the lesson bit by bit. I have to say that there was a particularly stressful moment when two other managers appeared in the room after I’d forgotten to take my green door hanger off. They did soon realise what was happening and dashed from the room, vowing to return later on. Almost as soon as Joy left, I got two members of the library team in who seemed excited to be in an English class. The lesson ended with a poll everywhere task and the students wanted to stay in during the break to answer another question… or two!

I dumped all my resources untidily on my desk and headed straight into a tutorial session. Tiredness was beginning to hit. It turns out that I must have been running on nervous energy until now… zzzzz…

My students kept me awake with teaching me about their other A level subjects as a revision activity; how the heart works, the components of cells, business management and memory decay. I definitely want to do this every week as I’d learn so much!

I then headed to my classroom to run my lunchtime support session; this time was spent with the same student whose day had been brightened when his paragraph had been selected by his peers earlier on in the week. After telling me he used to hate English, he has now said that it’s his favourite A level subject; I couldn’t have been more happy! 🙂 🙂

I then headed down to B-100 to join the feedback session for open classrooms week. We ate cupcakes, had fun and handed out iPads with Google forms on them. Feedback was very good with suggested improvements made for next time.

I managed to just about tidy my desk form the bomb I’d dropped in the morning and then finalised my lesson resources for my 3pm lesson. This got off to a slow start; I was definitely almost asleep by this point. My final teaching pair ran a great and very useful session on analysis and then it was my turn! I began the character studies we’d be doing for the remainder of the lesson and the two managers from earlier on in the day had appeared, along with a new teacher. They left, the lesson was finished and we were due to take part in music wars with Gerard in the classroom next door. We selected our song but YouTube wouldn’t work and my class left fairly disappointed at the whole thing. Oh well, we’ll try again next Friday!

I tidied up the room… ish- I chucked some stuff on the windowsill and wandered off to my desk. I sat down there and couldn’t be bothered to do ANY work at all! I met up with the principals to debriefed from open classrooms week and it was very positive. The week went better than we could have imagined and the next one is being planned already.

I chatted to colleagues for a bit and we eventually headed to the pub. We left pretty quickly due to tiredness and this blog is where my day and my week at work ends. It has been great to reflect on a week and these were fairly easy reflections to write as it’s been a good’un. Some weeks are wiser not to reflect upon in so much detail!

Open classrooms week has enabled me, and many of my colleagues, to have a week out of the ordinary. I always put a lot of work into lessons but green on the door means you need to put the cherry on top and that can’t be a bad thing. We will continue to run open classrooms because the vibe and the sense of community it has brought to the College could not be re-created in any other way.

Take a look at the wonderful feedback and sharing here and if you still have something to add, please do so.

Pictures form http://www.everystockphoto.com @EducationAlex @james_kieft and Phoster App.