Number 9 - running to stand still

Thursday began with maths - addition using a number line with a 4 way differentiation. I count myself lucky that today I had the help in this lesson of two adults. This left me with only supporting 4 groups instead of 6! Now I know some of the children should be able to work independently and the reality is some of them can but what I am still struggling with is that even the most able seek reassurance and attention. Something I am working on a lot at the moment is building independence but then most of them are still only 6. 

Next playground duty, followed by Literacy and the joys of common and proper nouns. A group activity which they enjoyed but was noisy to say the least! Mind you 34 six year olds and 2 adults in a class is bound to be noisy. 

At 12o'clock it was lunchtime but today I had a lunchtime meeting at 12.30. 

After lunch was my PPA. A welcome part of the week as it provides an opportunity to 'catch up' on marking, assessment, tracking, IEPs, phone calls, co-ordinator duties and hopefully planning for the following week. And all of this in two and a half hours! Needless to say I didn't get through everything but I gave it my best shot. 

After school my TA and I settled down to write replies to 34 letters. My class write a letter home to their parents every Friday  (check out my blog on Friday books). Now for some silly reason I thought it would be a good idea if they wrote a letter to my TA and I about their Christmas break! It seemed like a good idea at the time. 

But today was the realisation we had to write 34 replies. Suprisingly we got through 30 in two and a half hours after school. We made them as personal as we could and even added tips on how to improve their letters next time. 

So here we are 4 days into the new term and I am genuinely running to stand still! A state I know I share with the majority of my fellow teachers and indeed everyone involved in education. 

It's a good job for most of us it's a vocation!