The shortest day?

So...today was the Winter Solstice down here in the Underworld, the shortest day of the year, however I was teaching 'computer 'coding' at the local school as part of their Science/Technology day and it felt quite long to me!I started the day with the oldest children and worked down through the age groups over six sessions to the Prep/Year 1's.We started off working on laptops but after three groups had worked on them they ran out of battery. By the time the Year 3's arrived I had to continue in a small computer room on 10 desktop computers with two children at each computer. Up to that point the older children had been able to log on themselves but now the Year 3's looked blankly at me so I had to log on to the school system for them.It was the most fraught session of the day as I was on my own. It took some time to log onto the computers and then when I went to find the google search engine I had to sign in again on each computer to get access to the internet. By the time I had done that on the tenth computer the first ones had logged off while the children were waiting! It was chaos but eventually out of a 45 minute session they got about 20 minutes to actually work on the computers.I asked for help for the last two sessions with the youngest children and got an extra pair of hands. I had all the computers ready and signed on by this point, having spent all break time getting them ready, and so the last sessions went quite well.I survived the 'coding' day and on the whole it was not as daunting as I had first expected.I am back at the Stanthorpe school tomorrow for my last two days in their Prep class before I can finally come up for air for two weeks.

For Ian.

Thinking of my family today at the funeral of my sister's husband Ian England.We send love and hugs to everyone and are very sorry that we cannot be there with you.We have a candle burning for Ian here at Frogknot tonight.

At full pelt.

So...I survived a full week of teaching with one more to go and then it is the school holidays and I will be able to stay home for two whole weeks. I cannot wait.It has all gone OK so far although last Thursday I stupidly added to my stress by nipping out at the 1.30 pm lunch break to get my parachute (not a real one, but one I use to play games with the children) from  Roxy and ended up locking the keys in her. To add to the stress we were due to leave for Brisbane after school at 3.00 pm to see the Alan Cumming show. and I was worried that we would now miss it.I frantically messaged Will as I had to go out on break duty and he rang the RACQ and they came within 15 minutes and sorted it all out. Phew!The three hour trip to Brisbane that evening and then the three hour trip back again after the show was worth it as 'Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs' was just wonderful. and we thoroughly enjoyed it.There has been more hassle due to the fact that I have been unable to access the online Queensland schools website because initially I was allowed access due to my new part time contract at the local school. Since I started a temporary contract at the Stanthorpe school this week the system couldn't cope with that and locked me out. I have spent about two hours of my rapidly passing life listening to 'hold' music trying to get it sorted by IT support. I needed to get access because I have to write flippin' reports by Wednesday (Ya sucks Boo!).At  a staff meeting on Wednesday for an upcoming Tech/Science day at the local school this coming Wednesday I ended up being given the task of working with the children on computer coding!!!!!!!!!I was overjoyed... NOT. I know nothing about it and it sounded far too complicated but was told that it was easy. Time will tell.Also at the staff meeting I was informed that I am now eligible for Senior Teacher status and was I interested?  If I was it, apparently, means that I have to take on higher level duties which I really don't want to do. The Principal also mentioned that she had the funds for another teacher for another day a week and I wasn't paying attention at that moment but from the way everyone else was looking at me and laughing suggested she had a certain teacher in mind.I just said "We'll talk about it."It has been so nice to have two days at home though yesterday was wet and we had a mountain of  washing from the week to do. Luckily the sun was out a bit today so we got the washing done. I have done all the reports for the Year 2/ Year 3 class that I take for Science but still have to write them for History and Geography for the Prep/Year 1 class and can't because the online Queensland school website thingy hasn't made that class available to me yet.I will leave you for now with a picture given to me by a little crossed eyed girl in the Prep class I am covering this fortnight...I hope the resemblance to a certain German Dictator is just coincidental.

Trips to the Powerhouse.

So...we were in Brisbane at the weekend to see...a Jane Austen spoof at the Powerhouse. It was very funny and Penny Ashton who wrote it played all the characters in it at break neck speed and managed to adlib hilariously as well.I just had to have a picture with her.Tomorrow we are going off again this time to see...'Alan Cumming sings sappy songs.'As this week is the busiest of the year so far for me we are heading off after I finish work at school, we will drive the 3 hours to Brisbane and see the show then drive the 3 hours back again because I am working again on Friday!Mad I know....but sometimes it's good to be mad!

More school tales.

So...last week I did two days at the local school to make up for the previous week where I missed a day because of the Eisteddfod.Nothing ever seems to go to plan and I often arrive with my day planned out to find that something has changed.Last Thursday I found a completely different T.A. working with me in the morning for Science."And your name is?" I asked."Ms Butterh????" came the reply which I didn't quite catch because these Aussie folk can speak quite quickly.I wasn't sure whether it was 'Butterhump' or 'Butterhand' or 'Butterhind' and didn't feel I could ask her again. I knew I was going to have to introduce her to the class so worried about it from then on.When the class finally came in it turned out one of them had had a fall and so while she was quickly dealing with them I said to the rest,"And we have Ms Butterhaa???? with us today," saying the last part of her name as illegibly as I could.It turns out it was Butterham but I found out after it was too late.The day got worse from there. At morning tea another child injured themselves only this child was the son of the T.A who was helping me in The Prep/Year 1 class after the break. I was told I would have to manage alone as she was going to take her son to get checked out by the doctor but was not too worried about that.The lesson started and they were all sat on the carpet listening to me when past the windows behind them walked the man from weeks ago who had interviewed me about the school Fire and Lockdown procedures. He opened the door, clipboard in hand and found a chair and sat down at the back.What the heck was he doing there? My stress levels immediately shot sky high.I don't know whether I lost my composure but I certainly felt that on the outside I was not showing the turmoil within...but something had changed because the children suddenly became more restless and started to fidget. Two boys in particular began being very silly so much so that in the end I had to snap at one of them and send them out of the room. ( I had seen the class teacher do this before so knew that it was ok to do so.)I quickly finished the explanation of the handwriting and spelling work they were to do and sent them off to their desks telling the Year 1's they had to work independently because I was going to be working with the 'preppies'.The guy just sat there looking serious, occasionally jotting something down on his clipboard.The Year 1's  were getting on well with their work when Z came over."Can I go pee pee?""We don't ask like that." I said."Can I got to the toilet?" He asked."Please Mr Allen...." I prompted."Please Mr Allen can I go to the toilet?""That's much better" I said. "Now go away and come and ask me again."He walked away and came back. I glanced at the man and he was scribbling something down fast on his clipboard."Please can I got to the toilet Mr Allen?""Yes, you may." I said and off he went.A minute later there was a rumpus outside and Z was being silly with the boy I had sent outside earlier. I had forgotten about him so went out to speak to him and brought him back into work.When the spelling and handwriting was over I gathered them all back on the carpet to introduce the history lesson. They say slightly better this time but I tried to keep the carpet time to a minimum and get them back to work quickly. Again I told the Year 1's they had to work independently while I help the Prep children.One of the Year 1's sat with his head on the desk and two of the Prep boys were being a pain. I was back and forwards across the class trying to keep it on an even keel and still the guy sat there with his serious face.Eventually I could stand it no longer and went over to him."This is not a normal day" I said, "normally there is a Teacher Aide in here to help but today she has had to take her son to the  doctor.""They are a very busy class" he said."You can say that again," I said thinking he meant they were hard work."Did you know I was coming?""No" I said."Oh sorry" he said "I am here to observe Z.""Oh right," I felt some slight relief at last.Z was being pretty well behaved compared to other days whereas everybody else seemed to be being a pain.Finally after about an hour the man stood up. I went over to him and he said he had seen enough for today and he thanked me for allowing him in. I didn't think I had had a choice. He said that Z wanted teacher attention, the boy I had sent out wanted peer attention and he said that the preppies were 'off the chart!'I was glad that it was all over but it had been such hard work to keep on top of them all.Later in the day the class teacher told me that in her follow up discussion with him he only had good things to say about me. It still wasn't worth all that stress.Today was the first day of two whole weeks of teaching. I am at the school in town covering for a Prep teacher who has gone off on Maternity leave. I am doing the last two weeks of term before the school holidays.I hope I can survive it.