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.




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.