Planning Starters and Plenaries...

Following my last few posts, I keep saying that I will be sharing some of my ideas and discoveries online. I haven't actually done this yet; how rubbish am I?!

As promised, I am now sharing some files that I have prepared (they're not particularly fancy, but then you can jazz things up as you see fit!).

KWL Grids

I haven't had the chance to use this yet, but after reading my new book (see my last post), I came across this idea for the umpteenth time and decided to create my own KWL Grids. They look a bit like this: 

KWL Grid

This tool would be useful at the start of a topic or unit of work, and can be revisited throughout the block of lessons. When you begin a topic, ask the children to fill out the first two columns (What they already know about a topic -'K' and what they would like to know - 'W'). This helps to inform your planning, allowing you to address any existing misconceptions and gaps in knowledge and to initially assess the class' understanding. 

Depending on the length of the topic being taught, you may want to revisit this table and ask children to add in any knowledge they have acquired (in the 'L' column) and to add any further questions they may have (in the 'W' column). I would do this in a different colour, so as to show progression! At the end of the topic, ask children to update the table. This activity will allow you to assess children's progression throughout a topic and will allow children to feel that they are in control of tracking their own progression too (fantastic for the older children, although this would work with lower KS2 children too!)

Learning Boards

These are brilliant! That is, I spent a considerable amount of time creating them and I'm really rather proud of them! Like the KWL grids, they can be used in a variety of ways. 

Learning Board

One way is over a series of lessons on a particular concept, or alongside a topic. The main idea is that as children acquire more knowledge, they can document it on their learning board. These can then be used as a reference later on, or used as part of a display to showcase what children have learned about a topic. To be honest, these can be used in all sorts of ways - just be creative!

I'm due to visit my new school again very soon in order to start going through my induction and getting to grips with the way things are done. I honestly can't wait, I'm so excited!

Will try to update a little more regularly (promise!)
Nx :)

Turn of events...

So just before the half term I was informed of some roles in years 5-6 in Ealing (the next borough along from me) and I responded showing great enthusiasm (see last post!).

These past 2 weeks after half term have been madness, but I've managed to secure myself a position at a new school. Full time! I am so excited to get started back in a classroom of my own, as I have seen (and borrowed!) some brilliant ideas from a range of classrooms now. I am feeling very ready to get stuck in and implement them in my own way.

Now, one thing I haven't mentioned about my new school is that it is an Outstanding school. Cue me feeling slightly overwhelmed, nervous and flattered all in one go! I won't have my own class for another term, meaning I will have the opportunity to remain as a PPA cover teacher while I get to grips with how the school is run. I love this! I'll be able to get a sneak peek into several classrooms and teach from existing 'outstanding' plans to get my head around standards and expectations.

This. Book. Is. Amazing!

In order to further prepare myself, I bought myself a copy of David Dunn's 'How To Be An Outstanding Primary School Teacher'. I bought my copy from Amazon for about £13. It's packed with a range of ideas to implement into my everyday teaching and planning that will hopefully enable my new class to become confident and progressive learners (and make me a better teacher!!) I have already taken some of these ideas and created some resources, which I shall be posting up very soon!




Watch this space!
Nx :)

Knowing What I Want...

So I've been supplying five days a week at a local school and I'm booked up until Christmas. To date I've been in Year 1, Year 2, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 (just like I wanted!) and what have I learned?

That I was wrong.
Very wrong.

When I start supplying a couple of months ago, I thought I would be realising my true calling in teaching... working with the little ones in Reception/Year 1. Turns out I definitely prefer working in upper KS2 classes. I think I just fit better into a class of older children. I'm much more in my comfort zone. I've enjoyed working in the lower year groups (and have picked up on lots of great hints and tips from many teachers across all year groups for when I get back into my own classroom full time) but I know know for sure that my place is with the older year groups.

I'm actually pretty impressed that it's taken me less than a half term to work this out. But what this DOES mean is that after Christmas I can focus on positions in the year groups that I REALLY want.

I shall be sharing some tips and ideas that I have come across in my first half term of supplying during my half term week next week. Until then...
Nx :)

My Supply Teaching Tin

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last few weeks. I've been a bit under the weather this week and not been up for late night blogging!

So I've been supplying for a few weeks now and still loving it! I feel like I've worked a lot of stuff out regarding where I'd like to be in the next year or so. I've been working more in KS2 (that's ages 7-11 for anyone overseas who may be reading this!) although I'm also getting some experience in Year 1, which is lots of fun and very different to anything I'm used to!

In my last post I talked about putting together an emergency kit for when I'm working. I've encountered many a day when I find I really need my own stash to make the day go by a little smoother. I present my Supply Box:

Remember this? My awesome tin that my mum and dad bought back from a trip away. I've started filling it up with lots of goodies to get me through my day on supply. There are still things I want to get, but I've made a start.

• My brand new 'marked by supply teacher' stamper. I also have a customised 'marked by Miss Hazell' stamper on order for the classes that I work in more regularly.
• My portable hard drive. This is my baby. I have two years worth of planning, activities and other time fillers on here. Perfect for those times when I need to improvise! 
• My 'register pen'. Basically a red and a black Biro cellotaped together to speed up register marking (I was always fascinated by this contraption when I was young!)
• Spare pencils. From Tiger (LOVE this shop!) You never know when a child needs a spare pencil. I like these ones as they stand out compared to standard school pencils.
• A Sharpie. You never know!
• A stash of red pens. For marking. Lots of marking!
• Highlighters. The school I'm currently based in uses a highlighting system called 'Tickled Pink, Green Growth'. You highlight all strong points of a child's work in pink and highlight areas to edit or change/improve in green.
• A rubber. Goes without saying. 
• My awesome metallic stars. The kids LOVE these! A star shaped sticker always beats a round sticker. And they're shiny. Oooh!
• My hour glass. Times 3 minutes. Just the right amount of time to give a class to tidy away. Or complete partner talk. Or get lined up. Lots of things, really.

I will add more bits over time, but this is what I've collected so far! 

Nx :)

Two days in...

Okay, I have decided.

I. Love. Supply.

I managed to get myself fully booked this week and have taught across Year 4 and Year 6 (four different classes) in the last two days and I have loved every minute! There is something really exciting about meeting a fresh set of faces and being able to start over every day.

I've been really lucky so far, as most of the time I have had lesson plans provided for me (at least, verbally!) so I have been able to just get on and teach. However, this morning I encountered some technical difficulty with a PC that refused to switch on and so had to work out what to do with an extra 15-20 minutes. Rather than panic, I ransacked the teacher's desk drawers and discovered a pad of post its and created a quick activity from that (more about that another time!).

This has got me to thinking about what I'd like to include in my 'in case of emergencies' pack. Yes, a new project! I am going to create my emergency supply kit!!

Watch this space...
Nx :)

Bumpy Beginnings...

It's that time of year again. 

September. Teachers everywhere (or at least, the ones I've spoken to) are busy compiling activities to get to know their new classes, methods in which to memorise 30 new names within a couple of days and planning ahead as far as the October half term. Heck; some are already counting down the days until school breaks up again (apparently it's 37/38 days?!). 

Me? I'm crossing all of my fingers and toes and hoping that I'll have something lined up this week. 

It's an odd feeling. I feel excited and liberated that I'm going to wake up everyday and head off somewhere new and meet lots of new faces on a regular basis. I'm also anxious about getting started. This morning was quite a rollercoaster...

I woke up at about 8am to the sound of my phone beeping at me. I checked my phone and I found a text from my agency offering me a block of 5 days work starting tomorrow (eek!). I eagerly called them back to confirm that I was happy to take the job (which just happens to be at my mum's old primary school - what a small world!). By this point I was feeling pretty awesome. I'd accepted my first job as a supply teacher. I started tomorrow. I was working 3 days this week, meaning I'd get paid something next week. All was good.

A few hours later...

I get a call from my agency explaining that the school only need me on Tuesday next week. Bubble is now burst. Don't get me wrong; I'm still excited to get started next week. Besides, what's a few extra days to myself? I guess I was just really looking forward to getting started this week while all my friends are heading into school and getting settled in. Mind you, a bet a few of them are envious that I'm not back in yet. 

I guess the grass is always greener, eh?

Here's to hoping for a call and a job by Friday this week! I really want to start blogging about my job now! Until then... 

Nx :)

My summer project

I'm back with an update on my summer! I've been on a mini-break to the Isle of Wight with my mum so not been about to blog for a few days. Had a lovely time and managed to catch a bit of colour before coming back to drizzly London.

My photo box

So my main project for the summer (besides tidying and organising my room!) is sorting through all of my old photographs. Considering I was one of those children who took a camera absolutely EVERYWHERE and took snaps upon snaps of various landscapes/trees/clouds/bins, you can imagine I have many packs of photos to vet!

Lots of photos inside!

While sorting through my wardrobe (which is now filled with school bits - hurrah!) I came across a familiar old box of mine. A box so full that half of the lid was actually just hanging off (cleverly hidden by my camera angle!) and was full to the brim with packs of old photographs. Many years ago I had managed to collect all of the old films (remember APS films?!) and stored them in another box but all of the CDs and viewfinders were still floating around my box of snaps. It was time to start sorting!

My kit: Scapbooks, photo mounts and coloured sharpies!

I had a plan: pick out the photos I liked, throw away the rest. Oraganise and stick into albums. Brilliant. One tiny problem: I was a rather over-eager photographer back then. I had photographs of random waxworks at Madame Tussauds, blurry pictures of animal enclosures at Whipsnade zoo, wonky photographs of my brother taken from underneath our patio furniture, photographs of very green landscapes that I can not, for the life of me, tell you where they are... So I got to work with my scrapbooks (including a gorgeous scrapbook from a friend while I was still at uni!), my pack of photo mounts and my array of coloured sharpies.

... yes, my sharpies ARE in a pen holder that I made and decorated myself. I like making something out of nothing!

Sorting through old pictures :)

I spent a long afternoon sat cross-legged on the floor in my living room sorting through my old photographs. So far I've thrown out all of the photographs that I din't need/want to keep and sorted the remaining photographs into groups (family/primary era, secondary school, uni and beyond).

I shall update further as I complete my scrapbooks!
Nx :)

Moving out

Moving out of my classroom, I had no idea how much stuff I'd accumulated over two measly years. A lot. That's how much. I started my teaching career at a junior school in my borough two years ago with nothing in my repertoire but a few ideas in my head and a few folders of lecture notes from my PGCE (of which I never laid eyes on again). Over the last two years I'd managed to hoard just about anything I had touched! And now I had to try and move it all out...

Let's rewind a few months. It was approaching the May half term. All of this academic year I had been toying with the idea of moving on and seeing the world a bit. I'm not a home owner, I have no dependants, and I'm not married or engaged (yet!). Of all the years in my adult life - this was looking most likely to be my last chance to just blow away the cobwebs and have a spontaneous year. 

So I handed in my notice. 

That was it. I was free to see the world and gain some experience. Having only taught in one year group since qualifying and having no experience in leadership or coordinating anything, I figured my CV wasn't looking all that exciting. So I formulated my plan. I was going to go supply!

Which bring us to the here and now. 

This is the remnants of my classroom, currently residing in my bedroom. Now, I have a decent sized bedroom. I've never had any complaints in the past. But you try condensing the contents of a classroom into a relatively minute space and you'd be feeling slightly disgruntled too!

I have made an extra effort to barely be at home to deal with the bags, boxes and bomb sights of my bedroom so far this summer holiday. I've actually only been at home for a few nights so far (courtesy of my best friend's wedding and a LOT of sleeping over at my partner's house!) which has left me with only a couple of days to start sorting through everything.  

Now, one thing you should know about me is that I love folders. And colour coding. And stickers. And labelling.... So as you can imagine, I've had lots of fun on my main task of filing away paperwork into folders, as shown in my picture! I've also particularly enjoyed using these little lovelies: my mini Post-It tabs! 

These are keeping me going... 

Mum and dad bought these souvenirs back from a mini break a few weeks ago and I can't wait to fill my tin with lots of useful things for September! I shall also use my new notebook to record any information I need when I start supplying!

To end my first post on my shiny new blog, I shall leave you with a couple of pictures of some of the lovely presents I received on my last day at school: A beautiful bunch of flowers from a lovely parent and a delicious cake from another! Lucky me! 

Nx :)