Sadly nothing dramatic to report on my student. She has calmed her voice down a bit and is doing fine - although not perfect. However, having some real old witches when I was a student, I ended up re-writing my lesson observation on her as I was being too picky I thought.

Todays big beef has been about DELL computers! They have the customer service expertise of an elderly hamster!! After getting 16 new PCs from them about 6 weeks back with the wrong operating system and not the software we wanted, I had a good rant. I had a long discussion with the supervisor of the complete idiot who is the education sales advisor and *thought* all would be better with DELL. They are an official recommened supplier to Coventry schools.

Anyway, talked the head into splashin out for a file server for the school network, but I kept out of it - having had arguments on the phone with this guy.
Anyway, the server arrives, we book in someone to install in next week(good timing as the student is in my class so I can see how the network operates.) Anyway, on unpacking the "server" today, I find that its a bog standard WindowsXP PC with none of the software that was supposed to be on it. Meanwhile the total prat at DELL has gone on holiday til Dec 9th!

Incompetance in people who you rely on to do your job is VERY annoying! So, while DELL are great computers, for God's sake do NOT try buying direct from them! (Well certainly not from the Education sales team!)

And on top of all that I have a sore throat.....boo hoo! (I hope you're feeling sorry for me by now :)

I am feeling rather guilty right now - basically it's Friday night and I don't feel I've really worked this week! My student Liz is rather disgustingly good! Consequently I've done about an hours teaching this week!

Today I had a bloke round to measure up for double glazing so went into school about 11am, then dashed off at 3.30 to see a fellow teacher's new baby (very cute incidentally!) and then a swim, but that usual Friday feeling - totally knackered but thank God it's the weekend - just wasn't there!

Ah well...Ready to cheer on England in the Rugby tomorrow :)

I hadn't said this as it was too painful, but I managed to dent my beloved new Mini last Friday - those damn gales and the HUGE Mini doors blew me into someone's wing mirror!! I was so upset I couldn't concentrate on Matrix Re-whatever! Its only a small one inch dent, but I was so annoyed with myself, the weather and life in general! Booked it in for the bonnet re-spray(there were dark patches when I got it) and a repair on the door, so will soon be perfect again, and I will have to be more careful!

What was that line from The Italian Job about blowing the doors off again???!!

Well the end of my student teacher's first week - although with various things happening she didn't do too much teaching! Honestly, what's the point in having a student if you can't put your feet up!!!

I am pretty relieved as she is actually pretty good - very organised and confident. However, I think she might have been watching me a bit too much this week as she is NEARLY as sarcastic as me with the children! They always tell you at college not to do that sort of thing, but it is very hard.

She does have the slightly annoying habit of ALWAYS TALKING VERY LOUDLY AND AT ONE VOLUME AND BEING RATHER STRIDENT. It's given me a bit of a headache and I've been in the next room. I'll try to think of a subtle way to get her to vary it a bit next week.

In many ways teaching is like acting - you HAVE to keep the childrens interest and attention, and your delivery is pretty crucial. I tend to perform a bit I think (try to get a few jokes in etc) to make up for the fact that I don't know what I'm on about at times. However, poor old students have to do loads of preparation - I remember it well! All those lesson plans...yuk! Whereas with your own class you tend to wing it a bit more - at least I do. I'm not a paperwork fan.

Anyway, I'll be doing some formal observations next week - *I* get to sit at the back and make notes!! Now then...how nasty shall I be????!

I have a student teacher starting next week - although apparently they must be called trainees now! She was in for a visit on Tuesday and then for the next 4 weeks.

I *hated* being a student teacher - it took me several years to get to like being an actual teacher! But it is very hard going into someone elses class and trying to establish yourself.

It's also quite hard having a student - us teachers are basically control freaks behind closed classroom doors, and having to stand back and let someone else take over is hard. You think you'll have all this free time to get stuff done, but almost never do. Still, she can't be much worse than my last student, a guy called Stacy(yes, a bloke!) who was totally useless. He did a whole lesson on how to work out the area of a rectangle by doing width times breadth!(For the ignorant, they both mean the same thing!)

Anyway, lets see how this Liz gets on....I'll keep you posted.