The School Year - A Game of 3 Terms

The present school year consists of three terms. 

The Autumn term kicks the year off! This term begins with teachers and pupils getting to know each other and settling into new routines. Whilst this is quite exciting it is also potentially the term when parents can cause problems. I think this is mainly due to the fact that they do not know or trust the new teacher yet. After all they and their child have just spent a year with a teacher they know and are used to. They then often blame any unsettled behaviour their child may display on the teacher, when actually it's often just going back to school itis (they've just had 6 weeks off!) along with re establishing friendship groups and new classroom routines. The Autumn term also has several exciting events: Harvest Festival, Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas which are all guaranteed to take over the timetable and alter all of the routines you have just about managed to establish! 

Spring term is the term when the hard work begins in earnest. Rules, responsibilities and routines are now well established and everybody settles into the work at hand generally unhindered by any unusual events. It is the term of parents evening and hopefully by now things have settled enough for the parents to understand that actually you, the teacher, are actually alright, have their child's best interests at heart and are maybe even quite good at your job! 

And so to the Summer Term - this is the term of the end of year assessments and reports home to parents. During this term everybody gets on really well, the weather is often nice enough for outdoor learning, you have Sports Day to look forward to and hopefully you will set off on an end of year class trip. This is also the term of the year 6 leavers assembly and fond farewells before it all begins again!!