Today my friends daughter died. She had Leukaemia for 10 of her 12 years and sadly after numerous bone marrow transplants and much chemotherapy, she passed away.
In her short life though, she lived more between treatments than any person I know. She swam with Dolphins, road fast river boats up the Thames, attended concerts, sang, danced and travelled all over the world, went to school, and always did her best.
On joining her new Secondary school, she was waiting for a friend outside the girls loo when an older boy came up to her and said "wrong one mate, boys loo is over there". She thanked him and smiled to herself. Chemo had left her with little hair (just fuzz really) and in trousers, she probably looked boyish. When asked when she hadn't said anything, she replied " I didn't want to upset him". That was her all over; always thinking of others.
In tutorials, I've occasionally spoken of her to students; encouraging them to consider being a Bone Marrow donor but mostly to try and inspire them. Some responded, others shuffled awkwardly in their seats.
If someone with so many mountains to climb, so much to contend with can still put other people first, be a high achiever, inspired other people to donate thousands of pounds to cancer charities and do her homework, surely they can deal with the trauma of getting out of bed and taking a Functional Skills exam?
What she taught me more than anything was that it is attitude and personality that counts. Do everything with your whole heart, love everything about your life no matter how difficult it is, think about others, experience everything you can when it is offered you.
She ran ahead of life, grabbing every chance with both hands and rugby tackling it to the ground with a huge smile on her face.
If our students with their Facebook friend worries, moans about lack of 'designer clothes', disgruntled faces when asked to do a bit of research on a topic had one millionth of her spunk, we'd have a nation of the highest achievers imaginable.
I never would want any of them to face the adversity she did, but if at 12 years old a girl can exhibit so much life, spunkiness, bravery and curiousity about every single thing, who dreamed of being an Oceanographer, loved her dog, made the most of every single opportunity and when one wasn't there, went looking for it or made one happen; why can't some of our spoon fed students?
Having seen just how incredible a determined 12 year old can be; how much she can achieve; how do I translate that into lessons that will inspire the students?
There must be a way?
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Time to reflect
Oh, it's been an exciting sort of week.
Last few students running in with bits of paper shouting; "mark it, please mark it now" ... "can I have the grade now, Now, NOW"!
Of course, you can; I've only been asking for this since .... Noah was young anyway.
Last minutes of college are bittersweet; for students and staff. That sensation of seeing the twinkling lights of the safe, welcoming harbour of diversion with a couple of weeks of CPD, planning and desk tidying.
Wondering how they'll do in their exams, nervously waiting for Results Day, the satisfying 'click' of sending the last SRF; a few moments of peace but you can't help but look at the enrolments for next year and wonder what they'll be like, how they'll cope, how you will cope with all the new changes.
Just how much Maths, English, Enterprise, Entrepreneurship, Equality and Diversity, Employability Skills can you embed in a one hour lesson and still include the main subject?
With a SOW that looks increasingly like one of those Self Help books from the hippy corner of a bookstore, dominating your thoughts, you tidy your desk and find all those bits of paper that were so essential, but so elusive when you needed them.
Too late now.
The place is quiet; the students gone. Staff roam the corridors like ghosts, looking for interactions. The canteen no longer smells of chips, the waste paper bins are empty, the car park has an amazing range of spaces to chose from.
The Sun shines down brilliantly making long shadows on the classroom walls. The smell of freedom is strong in the air and we reflect on our year, our learners and our teaching.
The longest term will begin soon enough; leaves will fall and crunch under out feet, our heads will spin with the demands of a new term, new learners, new challenges and our exhausted selves will again navigate the thin line between home and work.
But for now, it's summer; the holidays. Students have achieved, SOW's, Lesson Plans, CPD accomplished and the Staff Room echoes with joyful chat.
Enjoy everyone; savour the peace. Happy Summer to us all.
Last few students running in with bits of paper shouting; "mark it, please mark it now" ... "can I have the grade now, Now, NOW"!
Of course, you can; I've only been asking for this since .... Noah was young anyway.
Last minutes of college are bittersweet; for students and staff. That sensation of seeing the twinkling lights of the safe, welcoming harbour of diversion with a couple of weeks of CPD, planning and desk tidying.
Wondering how they'll do in their exams, nervously waiting for Results Day, the satisfying 'click' of sending the last SRF; a few moments of peace but you can't help but look at the enrolments for next year and wonder what they'll be like, how they'll cope, how you will cope with all the new changes.
Just how much Maths, English, Enterprise, Entrepreneurship, Equality and Diversity, Employability Skills can you embed in a one hour lesson and still include the main subject?
With a SOW that looks increasingly like one of those Self Help books from the hippy corner of a bookstore, dominating your thoughts, you tidy your desk and find all those bits of paper that were so essential, but so elusive when you needed them.
Too late now.
The place is quiet; the students gone. Staff roam the corridors like ghosts, looking for interactions. The canteen no longer smells of chips, the waste paper bins are empty, the car park has an amazing range of spaces to chose from.
The Sun shines down brilliantly making long shadows on the classroom walls. The smell of freedom is strong in the air and we reflect on our year, our learners and our teaching.
The longest term will begin soon enough; leaves will fall and crunch under out feet, our heads will spin with the demands of a new term, new learners, new challenges and our exhausted selves will again navigate the thin line between home and work.
But for now, it's summer; the holidays. Students have achieved, SOW's, Lesson Plans, CPD accomplished and the Staff Room echoes with joyful chat.
Enjoy everyone; savour the peace. Happy Summer to us all.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
More of a fortnightly waffle really ...
Unlike the other #sundayconfessional peeps, I can't blog weekly, or to order. My brain isn't that obedient.
They manage to be creative, interesting and timely, so they are TICs; I am often fortnightly, late, obtuse and pedantic FLOP. This is education speak, so we must have an acronym to describe our actions. So here is a rough overview of the last few (I speak elastically here) days.
Met the amazing #futureprincipal @nikkiGilbey, she is just as lovely as you would imagine and actually looks like a future principal. She has an aura about her.
Discovered that cars no longer come with spare tyres; this was both bewildering and annoying, requiring a long wait on the hard shoulder, followed by the arrival with a man in his van; much tutting, hissing through teeth (I thought only people who came to fix the boiler did that) and more waiting whilst he trawled around the garages of North Hampshire to find a tyre that fitted. Gosh that was a slow process, had my creative juices been firing, I had plenty of time to invent something ... like a wheel?
Weekend spent IV'ing work and moderating already IV'd work. Good to see learners really getting involved in a topic, although perhaps more web based work and less on giant sheets of paper I could easily have transformed into a yurt for Glasto would be a good idea next time.
The cats loved it, although when I couldn't find one on Monday night, there was a concern that I'd folded him into the L1 IV box and left him at work.
Next week involves lots of CPD; planning that now, based around Assessment methods. It's going to be fun and frantic, plus I'll get to see which 'colour' my brain is, thanks AOSEC.
Was absolutely thrilled to see that a mole was tunneling all over the garden this week. If you sit quietly i.e. not rustling the marking and IV'ing, you can hear him chomp through the daisy roots and move around the garden.
That has to be the best thing about Summer. Glass of wine, a chomping mole and a great big pile of IV and last minute marking; glorious weather makes it seem a pleasure and the look on the learners face when you tell them 'you've passed' still thrills me more than the determined chomp of a mole.
They manage to be creative, interesting and timely, so they are TICs; I am often fortnightly, late, obtuse and pedantic FLOP. This is education speak, so we must have an acronym to describe our actions. So here is a rough overview of the last few (I speak elastically here) days.
Met the amazing #futureprincipal @nikkiGilbey, she is just as lovely as you would imagine and actually looks like a future principal. She has an aura about her.
Discovered that cars no longer come with spare tyres; this was both bewildering and annoying, requiring a long wait on the hard shoulder, followed by the arrival with a man in his van; much tutting, hissing through teeth (I thought only people who came to fix the boiler did that) and more waiting whilst he trawled around the garages of North Hampshire to find a tyre that fitted. Gosh that was a slow process, had my creative juices been firing, I had plenty of time to invent something ... like a wheel?
Weekend spent IV'ing work and moderating already IV'd work. Good to see learners really getting involved in a topic, although perhaps more web based work and less on giant sheets of paper I could easily have transformed into a yurt for Glasto would be a good idea next time.
The cats loved it, although when I couldn't find one on Monday night, there was a concern that I'd folded him into the L1 IV box and left him at work.
Next week involves lots of CPD; planning that now, based around Assessment methods. It's going to be fun and frantic, plus I'll get to see which 'colour' my brain is, thanks AOSEC.Was absolutely thrilled to see that a mole was tunneling all over the garden this week. If you sit quietly i.e. not rustling the marking and IV'ing, you can hear him chomp through the daisy roots and move around the garden.
That has to be the best thing about Summer. Glass of wine, a chomping mole and a great big pile of IV and last minute marking; glorious weather makes it seem a pleasure and the look on the learners face when you tell them 'you've passed' still thrills me more than the determined chomp of a mole.
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Sundae Confessional
@drkeevil came up with the idea of a 'Sunday Confessional'; what our week in F.E. had been like. I missed the target last week (baking) and have now been challenged to write the post or forfeit 20 fresh baked, cream and jam filled scones to @clyn40.
Well, this week it's a double bonus: Scones and a Confessional.
Monday was a series of meetings on policy (Curriculum and Learning, Teaching and Assessment) then the long slog to write those policies. Some research and paper writing, then an end of year results meeting till 7. Contacted my last centre for a sample of work and stressed the urgency of the situation.
Tuesday Teacher Forum, on embedding video and using Twitter. That is the favourite part of the week, seeing the staff together and enthusing on new ideas. Followed by more policy, and a Curriculum and Quality meeting, followed by another end of year results meeting till 7.15.
Wednesday a couple of lesson observations, deliver some CPD to Programme Managers and another end of year results meeting.
Thursday, more policy writing, a lesson observation and delivered CPD to lecturers, followed by the final end of year results meeting. Got home and enjoyed the fab #ukfechat with @mrssarahsimons et al.
In between, I met with people on IV, eILP, teaching strategies and ideas for assessment.
Looking back at this litany of paperwork, did I achieve? Yes. Do I miss being more involved in the Curriculum, hell yes.
Well, this week it's a double bonus: Scones and a Confessional.
Monday was a series of meetings on policy (Curriculum and Learning, Teaching and Assessment) then the long slog to write those policies. Some research and paper writing, then an end of year results meeting till 7. Contacted my last centre for a sample of work and stressed the urgency of the situation.
Tuesday Teacher Forum, on embedding video and using Twitter. That is the favourite part of the week, seeing the staff together and enthusing on new ideas. Followed by more policy, and a Curriculum and Quality meeting, followed by another end of year results meeting till 7.15.
Wednesday a couple of lesson observations, deliver some CPD to Programme Managers and another end of year results meeting.
Thursday, more policy writing, a lesson observation and delivered CPD to lecturers, followed by the final end of year results meeting. Got home and enjoyed the fab #ukfechat with @mrssarahsimons et al.
In between, I met with people on IV, eILP, teaching strategies and ideas for assessment.
Looking back at this litany of paperwork, did I achieve? Yes. Do I miss being more involved in the Curriculum, hell yes.
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