Summer Reading List of Education Related Books

For those who might be interested I said in my previous post I'd be reading some educational books for school. Here is my reading list currently, not sure I will get through them all without a fried brain! (also I doubt I am presenting these as proper references but I'm sure the aim is that you can find them on Amazon or in Waterstones!)

• "SOLO Taxonomy: A Guide for Schools Book 1 and Book 2" Pam Hook and Julie Mills
• "Full on Learning" Zoe Elder (@fullonlearning) 
• "Inspirational Teachers Inspirational Learners" Will Ryan
• "Oops! Helping Children Learn Accidentally" Hywel Roberts (@HYWEL_ROBERTS) - I have read this once but loved it so much I want to read it again!
• "Engaging Learners" Andy Griffith and Mark Burns
• "Rocket Up Your Class" Dave Keeling
• "Literacy across the Curriculum Pocketbook" Caroline Bentley-Davies
• "The Subject Leader" Steve Garnett
• "The Lazy Teacher's Handbook" Jim Smith (@thelazyteacher)
• "Impact Techniques in the Classroom" Danie Beaulieu 

I also have plenty on my Kindle to keep me occupied....before anyone worries about me :)
Hope the list is of help to some...

#TMClevedon, the End of Term anticlimax and my plans for the holidays and beyond

I have not blogged in a while, I hope that the reason for this will become clear as this post goes on.

I'm going to start with the amazing (and I don't use this word lightly) experience I had at #TMClevedon on a warm, sunny Thursday night in June, which is ages ago now.
Firstly it was great meeting up with some great fellow science teachers that I met back in January, if you're not following them on Twitter @hrogerson @KDWScience @lizdudley is where to look! Karen's presentation about foldables was great and I even got to be a glamourous assistant! :)

It was also a pleasure to listen to a brilliant keynote by Hywel Roberts (@HYWEL_ROBERTS) which for me was inspiring and reminded me why I teach in the first place. The concepts of BRAVE learning and 'botheredness' went down an absolute storm and if you haven't read Hywel's 'Oops' book then you really should, wherever you are in your career. I really appreciated the fact that Hywel has done work in a broad range of schools, including special schools which makes it even more worthwhile trying some of his ideas in my setting and want to become a 'radiator' - read the book, it will make more sense!

Then we got into the presentations, many of which by twitter teachers who I have been following for a long time, I really enjoyed seeing them in action. As I was listening to the likes of @ICTEvangelist vs @gavinsmart and their app smackdown, @reflectivemaths spinning plates and @ICTMagic and @timrylands doing their 'thing' it really struck me how lacking my school is in many areas, particluarly tech/computers and similar. I really think it does the kids a disservice.

 As I was watching and listening I was trying to take note of some interesting sites/apps that were mentioned, there were loads but here are a few, sorry I can't remember who showed what! These are brilliant, I cannot stress enough that you should look at them all!

• http://geoguessr.com/ - where in the world are we? Great for geography (obviously) but could be a really good discussion based starter for many subjects.

• http://mixlr.com/ - for broadcasting live audio

• http://www.enercities.eu/ - build your own sustainable cities

• http://scootdoodle.com/ - collaborate and get creative

• http://tutortimevideos.wordpress.com/ - exactly what it says on the tin. Videos for tutor time to generate discussion

• http://www.chromeexperiments.com/detail/streetview-stereographic/ type in the address and get a whole different world view!

• http://www.timrylands.com/ - this blog is beyond fantastic and has apps and sites for all sorts! Brilliant!

• http://checkthis.com/ - tell stories with photos

• www.aurasma.com -"Thanks to Aurasma, every image, object and even place can have its own Aura. Auras can be as simple as a video and a link to a web page or as complex as a lifelike 3D animation. Use the Aurasma app to unlock Auras and share the experience with friends. Or get experimenting and use the simple tools within the app to create and share your own Auras." I've copied this as it's hard to explain but I can just imagine it used to make interactive displays with video clips and so on. 

• http://www.123dapp.com/design - for designing 3D stuff

• http://www.augmentedev.com/#home - app for visualising things in 3D (both Android and Apple) 

• bit.ly/appsmackdown - and here are all the apps featured in the App Smackdown

I really hope some of these are useful to people, I can take no credit beyond advertising them. I wish I had the tech to use some of them. My school has very little working IT and no budget. I would pretty much kill for 3/4 iPads for the kids to use and one for myself obviously. They are special needs after all! It may also be worth checking out @kohlmand's blog to see how these apps and more are used in a science context. It is found here: magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk


This is turning into an epic.....

OK so the end of term. Well it was an awful term. Redundancies, stress, new kids who are more than BESD without the proper support, pretty much you name it and it happened. The end came and it couldn't have been more of an anticlimax, I just wanted to go home and get away from the school and a lot of the people. Horrible I know but for my own sanity I know it was best.

The reason I stopped blogging for a bit is because I risked ranting and being exposed. That I don't need. What I can say is this, I am being treated dreadfully and unfairly, I am being bullied (yes I know, I used 'that' word, but it is true) and told I am not good enough day after day despite everything I have done and achieved. I cry at home, a lot, it is not fair on my family. I can't trust anyone I work with. My union are itching to get involved and I am trying to keep them at bay at the moment. I don't know what to do for the best.  I could fight it with union support and probably win but I would be hated even more than I am, or I can go.

This is why I started applying for some jobs, not just anything but things that I thought would be a step in the right direction for me. I am not getting interviews. I'm sure as intelligent people you can probably have a stab at why.

 So my plan for the summer work wise is this:
1. Update CV and keep an eye out for potential jobs
2. Rest
3. Read educational books I have bought in the sunshine
4. Read other books in the sunshine
5. Possibly look at KS3 schemes of work and make sure they are up to date but not until after my holiday.
6. Wish for a lottery win so I can at least buy an iPad :)

That is it. My line is why should I?! My efforts are obviously not appreciated so I am having a break. The kids need me at my most energetic and creative, so I am going to recharge.


If anyone wants me I'll be found in one of the following:
1. Bed
2. Pub garden
3. Park with a book

To all my twitter teacher friends and colleagues WELL DONE! We did it! We got to the end! I hope that everyone has planned a well earned break. Love to you all and I hope to do some serious networking with you all next year. :)

Why this half term break has been about one thing....me

It is unlike me not to work in the holidays. I read the tweets, you all have reports to do. Some of you are producing fab schemes of work incorporating SOLO and other ingenious things. I take my hat off to you.
I should be doing some more VLE resources and planning for after half term then thinking about next year. I know this. 

This week started with good intentions. I was going to do some reading, professional reading. I have a PILE of books (2 SOLO ones, the 'Oops' book, Lazy Teacher's guide and plenty more) that I have bought and just don't get the time to read....as I'm a little Game of Thrones obsessed, currently trying not to read too far ahead and failing!

Thing is my head is not in the right place. I can't bring myself to think about school, at all.

The fact is I am trying to regroup after failing to get a new job, a job I really wanted at that. I wanted this for 2 reasons. I love my job but can't bear what is happening to the school, it is being taken apart piece by piece and we can do nothing. I am avoiding specifics here but suffice to say there may not even be a school to work in soon. I also felt it was time....time for a new challenge.

What's even more gutting is that the interview went very well. I thought I'd nailed it and even though it would be a massive challenge I was up for it. When the head phoned I just knew it wasn't good news. She told me she just couldn't be sure I was ready but that I had interviewed very well. She said she still couldn't decide whether she'd made the right decision to say no.

Needless to say I was upset and really down. I was able to be reflective about it later in the week and felt better in the knowledge I knew where I was going to be and what I was doing in September, that doesn't mean I'm pleased about it but it is helping me to focus.

So half term then, what's the problem you may ask?

I have no motivation at all. I am so tired of the way I am being treated I just can't bring myself to do anything work related.  I don't want to see anyone or particularly talk about it.

So I have actively taken the decision to do nothing until Sunday. Brave move maybe but necessary for my own sanity.

It's not like I've even done a lot really, the time has actually flown I can't believe tomorrow is Friday but I do think it has helped my brain to switch off for a bit. To ignore the nagging coming from my laptop case is hard but I don't think I'd be that effective even if I started!

So I've been to the gym every day and tried different classes to try and find something new I like. Making some progress with this and with some perseverance I may lose some weight before the summer. I've ordered a coffee table, made some phone calls and started trying to organise my counselling. I've spoken to the union about my difficult work situation, cooked nice things and eaten them. I've had my nails done and watched a lot of tennis. I've booked a weekend away out of half term as a treat for my other half and tried (failed!) to find him a birthday present.

I will be doing my best not to get too stressed on Sunday knowing I have a lot to do. I will have to be reminding myself of my choice and why I made it.

Hopefully the Sun will come out for the last half term!

#blogsync May CSciTeach by the ASE as a method to raise the status of science teaching in the UK

This post forms part of #blogsync May, other blogs can be found here http://blogsync.edutronic.net/, I definitely encourage reading them! I also appreciate it is quite a short post, sorry about that!

For my part I feel I am way at the bottom of the teaching 'food chain.' Despite being a subject coordinator with 9 years teaching experience in both mainstream and special education I do not feel my views are listened to on a bigger scale because I work in a special school. This 'labels' me - a lot of mainstream teachers have asked me 'how can any teaching be 'good' or 'outstanding' if the behaviour is "that" bad?' That's an entirely different issue! Probably an entirely separate blog....

When I first started doing a few presentations to mainstream heads of department about managing disengaged children or how to handle coursework/controlled assessments with SEND students they started to listen, I was getting great feedback about how helpful I was being and how valuable my contributions were.

At that stage I wanted to raise the stakes, which leads nicely onto something which I feel does raise the status of the teaching profession, in science anyway but I'm sure there are equivalents in other subjects.

I went to the Association of Science Education's (ASE) Conference in Reading back in January, right at the end of the holidays. I was excited but nervous, I didn't know anyone in person but was due to meet the #ASEChat crowd (8-9 on Mondays on Twitter if you're a scientist!)
It was a great experience meeting so many other dedicated science teachers, lecturers and other professionals. We all had lunch together and got to know each other over the 2 days I was there.

A few of us had decided we were going to go to one of the sessions about becoming a Chartered Science Teacher. I wasn't sure, I didn't know whether I met the criteria or even if I took the time to fill out the form whether I'd be eligible.

I chatted to Richard Needham (@ViciaScience) for a while who assured me that the work I did was more than eligible and that I should apply.

That was where it was left, until the deadline started to approach (typical leaving it til the last minute!)
Then I finally got writing. I had to write all about the work I had done building a science curriculum for boys with BESD from nothing, what I did, the journey, where we are now and where we are going next (Gove dependent of course!) I wrote all about the responsibilities I have for choosing appropriate courses and why we 'do what we do.' It made me realise I do far more than I thought and was actually very important in helping me think about the next steps.  It was also useful when I completed a couple of application forms in an unsuccessful bid to move jobs....

So why is this important? How could it improve the status of the teaching profession. Well.

The ASE is the largest subject organisation in the UK. They are involved at all levels of education in terms of curriculum, forming a national network of teachers, technicians, lecturers and advisors.
The website says about their role:

"The Association plays a significant role in promoting excellence in teaching and learning of science in schools and colleges. Working closely with the science professional bodies, industry and business, the ASE provides a UK-wide network bringing together individuals and organisations to share ideas and tackle challenges in science teaching. The ASE is an independent and open forum for debating science education, with unique benefits for members. It provides a unique range of services to promote high quality science education by developing resources and fostering high quality Continuing Professional Development." http://www.ase.org.uk/about-ase/ [accessed May 31st 2013]


I feel by being recognised by subject organisations and subsequently working with them, teachers have a way to raise the status of their particular subject and the profession. I feel the award of CSciTeach reaffirms to me my professionalism, it gives me confidence and reminds me what I am capable of. It also tells me that the ASE value all science teachers regardless of their school setting.

The fact I can say to my headteacher, or any other headteacher that I have this award and explain what it means changes their viewpoint. I am no longer 'a teacher in a special school' I am a 'special teacher in a special school'

If anyone is interested in CSciTeach or the ASE's other awards of RSci or RSciTech or the Primary Science Charter Mark please look here:
http://www.ase.org.uk/professional-development/ 

Gove...a view from here

I've been wanting to write this for a while. I am not a political person in general. I try and roll my eyes at the latest 'initiative' suggested by Mr Gove and hope they might just 'go away' / he might just 'go away' but the latest one this week really got my blood boiling.

So I am wading into the 'longer days and shorter holidays' debate.

We all know the facts and have probably all seen them on Twitter. There is no evidence to suggest that more hours is going to benefit. We already in the UK do far more school hours than many of our European counterparts and yet they are doing 'better' whatever 'better' means in context. Surely this is about quality not quantity?

Quality not quantity....well this would mean that Mr Gove would have to support the notion of all schools having QUALIFIED teachers and nothing else. Now I work in a SEN school with a 50/50 split of qualified and unqualified teachers and it is very interesting. Now I take all the 'bread and butter' stuff of being a teacher for granted. I know how to level pupils, how to mark effectively and how to plan lessons amongst many other things that escape me right now. Unqualified teachers cannot do this, not in many cases because they don't want to - they have the best interests of the kids at heart of course - but because they have not been TRAINED to because they are unqualified.
Surely it is obvious that people who are more confident in their abilities are going to do better at their job? You wouldn't want an unqualified surgeon or dentist now would you? Is it not the same thing to place the education of thousands of children in unqualified hands. For me, without correct formal training PRIOR to taking a teaching post the job will not be done properly or effectively.

Longer days. Again having worked in a mainstream academy which delivered lessons from 8:30 - 3:20 for Key Stage 3 but 8:30 - 4:30 for Key Stage 4 and 5 I know how long days can feel, even longer when you factor in after school clubs. I was often in school til past 7pm and the train journey home meant I didn't get home until gone 8pm - having left home at 7am.  That is 13 HOURS Mr Gove please take note.
Currently in my special school I leave home at 7:15 and the day is 8:50 - 3:30 but by the time we have dealt with any issues/debriefing and detentions it is often 4:15 before I can even think about what needs to be done before I can go home. I aim to be 'out' by 6pm depending on the day but this is still on average 11 HOURS.

This does not include the work I do at home on evenings/weekends - on average about 6-8 hours a week.

So, Mr Gove if you a proposing longer days I would ask you these questions:
1. Where and when do you think all the planning/marking/extra stuff/clubs will happen? I already work a lot of hours a week (55 in school plus anything at home) and there are only so many hours in a day!
2. Have you considered how much more you will have to pay teachers to do this? They are not going to do it for free!
3. The kids I teach are shattered by 2pm, it is a struggle to get anything decent work wise after this time. You intend to keep them in school longer to do what? Because academic 'work' is out of the question. Frankly they will literally vote with their feet if you try and do this.
4. Students they should be encouraged to have paper rounds/part time jobs/hobbies/sports/music out of school - if they are in school for longer this will not be possible and will affect the 'well rounded' experience that is LIFE.....get a grip on reality, surely these experience are more valuable than a bunch of facts.
5. Have you considered the fact that many parents actually want to see their kids and do nice things with them?
6. What about teachers who have children themselves? They will be passing ships in the night as the teacher-parent is so tied up with work and the kids are at school longer. I do not have my own children (yet) but I would want to see them and spend time with them. What you are proposing is simply ludicrous.

Finally on shorter holidays. Have you seen a teacher at the end of a half term? They are often broken, tired individuals who NEED the holiday to rest. Simply that. I am a big advocate of teachers being healthy both in body and mind having been neither at some stages in my career...we need to look after ourselves. 

To conclude I say this.

It is about time that we as educators, governors and parents stand up and simply say to Mr Gove

No. Enough is Enough. You have gone too far this time. 

#blogsync April: 'Progress in my classroom? How is it made and how I know it'

Here is my likely short two pennies worth for #blogsync April. That said my SEN ally @cherrylkd has contributed a brilliant post so I would like to discuss the state of play r.e. progress for BESD students. Please read her post and all the others here at http://blogsync.edutronic.net

As you are probably well aware by now I teach BESD boys. Boys that are by no means stupid....in fact many are very clever at 'not participating in their education' and I spend hours of my time wishing they would put more of their brain power into their education! A pipe dream sometimes!

Anyway, progress.
Well personally I take a very individual approach to this, having got to know these boys very well I have a pretty good idea of the sort of progress I should be seeing from each of them each lesson or over a topic. It is by no means the same and much of it verbal. This is where differentiation is king, not only in terms of work, activities etc but also in terms of behaviour management. How I deal with or speak to one child may be totally different to how I deal with another.  Expectations are high, but grounded in the relationships we have with the boys as individuals.

The boys, they understand this and many want to achieve but lack the confidence in themselves.  One of the best things we can do is build confidence in their ability to learn. It takes time.

So a typical lesson looks something like this. For the record that is 45 minutes.

Through the door activities for those that are on time - key language, anagrams, word games. All of definite benefit to the boys in terms of their understanding of key scientific terms but allows for late comers which is very common, science is not a favourite subject for many!

Quick Starter to introduce the lesson and the objectives in an 'All, Most and Some' format.

Main Activities - practical or demo based when it can be, lots of focus on language/reading and writing too. In a context where I can to aid understanding. Myself and my LSA moving between the students making sure they are working well at the level we expect them to be and supporting them as is needed. The main problem we face day to day is all the work avoidence tactics the boys employ. All the swearing, aggression, walking out etc etc we face is down to their poor relationship with school which is what as a school we are trying to change. The atmosphere is very positive and always looking at the good things they have done in the lesson both subject related and 'social skill' related. One of the things I am working hard on at the moment is encouraging team work....it's a long hard road!

Plenary - to check understanding of all, usually I use questioning both open and closed as the group sizes are small as this is easier. I have tried peer assessment but many are not 'ready' for the responsibility yet. I also talk about what comes next as many of our ASD students like to know what to expect in the future. Then we go through their points for the lesson and reflect both on learning and behaviour.

It's quite a squeeze!

In terms of progress overall the evidence is there, in their work, in their attitude to the subject and in their use of scientific language. It's just the timescales are much bigger. Mainstream colleagues may look at progress in a lesson or a topic, I look at progress over a term, or a year, or in the case of some over 2-3 years. I'm not a fan of data being used to 'beat teachers over the head with' but over years it speaks for itself.

 I'm not sure how much anyone can take from this post, but I guess it is a snapshot of what I do.

#blogsync March..."Wasted Investment? Why do so many teachers leave the profession in the first 5 years?"

So my first contribution to #blogsync - a concept I stumbled across purely by accident on Twitter (see here: http://share.edutronic.net/) having read a blog by @Learningspy and then seeing more and more pop up on the same topic. I had to get involved, I can't resist! So, with the support of Mr Edutronic himself @Edutronic_Net, @Gwenelope and others here I go.

Firstly, a couple of disclaimers;
1. I just write, in whatever order it comes out of my brain, mostly about my own experiences. I'll try to highlight some key phrases for you skim readers!
2. If you are looking for data, stats and graphs you are reading the wrong blog!
3. I know there are jobs which could be deemed 'harder' than ours...I am not blind to this fact.


OK


I guess I am what you would call a 'career teacher.' Went to school, went to Uni to train to be a secondary teacher (on a 4 year BEd no less - I am a rare breed) then went 'back to school.' I was just 22 when I was an NQT and have known nothing but schools (3 of them) since.

I am in my 9th year of teaching now but this does not tell the whole story as I have definitely considered leaving the profession at least twice with the third 'bout' of this happening right now. For me there are many reasons why I have considered leaving and reasons why I stayed which I guess leads me nicely into discussing the topic via a career 'lookback'. Trust me, this is easier to keep things in order in my little brain. :)

I think I was lucky in my degree course, it prepared me very well for my NQT year and gave me a lot of tools and resources to use. I fully knew how hard my NQT year was going to be and what was expected of me and it yeah, it was tough.
I was given 4 bottom sets, a real mix of kids who either 'couldn't do it' 'couldn't be bothered' or just never showed up. In a way it was safe, I could cut my teeth with some slightly more challenging kids to try and get some semblence of results out of them without the school really suffering results wise.

Everyone wins.

I was well supported and mentored by a deputy head and a non teaching member of staff who became my surrogate mum for a year. Things I could not tell my mentor I could tell her. She helped me schedule my time and workload to make sure I wasn't going to run myself into the ground.

The point....without that support as an NQT I don't think I would have coped. That's not to say that I was as good a teacher as I wanted to be at that point but the school supported me through a difficult year and at no point did I feel 'I can't do it.' It gave me the confidence to continue into the second year with the 'stabilisers' off.

I've watched the treatment of NQTs in subsequent schools and have seen how unsupported they can be. The staff meant to be supporting them do not have time given to them to do it effectively and constructively and very few have training in mentoring or coaching techniques. I have seen essentially bullying behaviour from heads of department and NQT's 'moved on' and 'failed.' Given the chance to mentor an NQT I would do it differently for sure.  

I continued at my first school for 3 years and for many personal reasons at that point decided to relocate. I was moving from a rural school to an inner city school twice the size. New city, new school, new life.
The school I joined was very successful and thriving in the part of the city. The results were excellent and I was really looking forward to it. What I didn't expect was to feel like an NQT again.

The demands made of me were off the charts. Again, I was teaching bottom sets (3) but had the addition of some sixth form classes, something I hadn't had at my previous school which took a bit of getting used to. Expectations were very high, as they should be. For me, the problem was the way in which we were being monitored.

Teachers need to feel they are trusted. We are all trained professionals and in principle know what to do for our classes and our children. This means we have to change plans and differentiate, not follow schemes of work religiously regardless of the class in front of you. I spent a lot of my time feeling 'spied on' and isolated because I had the audacity to put some of my stamp and flair into my lessons. This, tied in with constant badgering about targets and data and reports and marking strategies that seemed to change every fortnight started the cycle downwards.

I wanted to leave. I wanted to leave it all because I couldn't cope. I was leaving the house at 6:30am and not getting home until 8-9pm. 5 days a week. I never had break or lunch as there were always kids in detention under the extensive behaviour management system.
But I had no one to tell. No one knew and to be honest no one cared. I was just one teacher in a department of 15. A cog in a machine, run by a faceless android and his spies sat in their high towers staring at their computer screens unseen to us but resented by many. 
The joke is lovely readers no one noticed at all, they piled on responsibility (running a GCSE and an A-Level) without giving me any time or TLR and just let me suffer.

I knew I couldn't go on. I was done with mainstream teaching and functioning on nothing. I ate, worked and tried to sleep. I put on about 3 stone through no exercise and poor diet. My social life was non existant and my relationship failed. I smoked too much, I ate far too much junk....

Something had to be done.

It was then I started considering my options. What could a teacher do instead? I came up with nothing. Despite the fact we are supposed to have all these 'transferable' skills I couldn't come up with a single idea. So I started to look at other types of school instead.

Now I like a challenge. Something that I can say 'I did that.' I wish it could be limited to DIY but no. I went into teaching because of that old cliche - I wanted to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. You cannot make a difference when you are just a machine cog on a never ending treadmill in my opinion, at least not with the support of those around and above you.
So there was an advert for a job in a special school, subject coordinator. I went to visit, met the kids, realised quite quickly they had nothing for this subject, nada. I didn't have to think long!

Now this is the job I do now. I do love it. Small (but very challenging) classes, less marking, flexibility to cover the curriculum how I want to etc. etc.
I'm not working all the hours like I was...I still average 10-11 hours a day 4 days a week and 8ish on a Friday but it is far more civilised. I can concentrate on the kids and their needs. 

Thing is, right now I want to leave. This may change but as I write I am done with it and this is the reason.
Workplace bullying, in the form of sexism, ageism and unprofessionalism.

You tell me when is it ever appropriate to be 'told off' in front of the kids? Never? Thought not.
Grrrrrr

Anyway, if you've got this far well done to you. To conclude I am going to list the main reasons I think teachers leave within the first 5 years based on my own experiences:

• The degree course does not always fully prepare them for the reality of full time teaching. I was lucky. Many are not
• NQTs are not given the mentoring/coaching time they actually need to develop as teachers and staff designated as mentors are not trained either. Support is essential to keep people happy and positive during the early stages.
• Teachers are not being trusted to deliver the curriculum 'their way' - obviously it is important the curriculum is covered but don't bind teachers up in rigid schemes of work which should never be diverged from. That's not allowing the teachers to be themselves. Let them have some ownership
• Senior management are essentially bullies in a lot of schools, sent out (at their inconvenience) when there is a problem. Now it's likely these managers were good teachers once. It would be nice if they showed it from time to time. Enthuse your inexperienced staff with fab lessons. Set an example! 
• Time is not set aside for sharing good practice. I rely on Twitter for this as I am on my own but if I was in a department/bigger school I would want to have my 'finger on the pulse.' e.g. What are PE doing to incorporate Literacy and Numeracy? Could we use this idea too?
• There has been a lot of change recently. I am 9 years in and am on the 3rd reincarnation of my subject. It takes time to adapt to change. Teachers need support. 
• When I worked in mainstream it was very rare to be told I was doing well. It was very rare to see a smile from a colleague. If teachers are genuinely doing well, or doing something innovative and successful....TELL THEM!!! SMILE!!! 

Enough now. I have to go plan my lessons for the week and try not to sink into the dreaded 'Sunday Blues' which afflicts so many. Maybe we should start 'Hug a Teacher Mondays' .... what do you think?!  :)