Hurrah hails half-term

At last I have finished marking my English writing assessments! Lions and tigers and bear oh my, there is no misery like National Curriculum levelling of English writing, but at last it is done! Am sick of reading about 'Uri and the quest for the golden owl's claw'! Was it a 3a, or a 3b? Is she working towards 3a or is she simply a 3a? Only hope it's right, but since I have only ever levelled 3 children's work before, then I cannot expect to be an expert already! AHRGH! Oh well. At last I have finished all my marking so I have 3 days of half term left to enjoy! Haven't really done detailed planning for the other subjects but we have the weekly plans and I know what I am teaching! (And enough is enough, I think I need at least a bit of holiday! But I do feel so much better for having got the marking done!)
In other news:
1. Parents (to apostrophe or not to apostrophe? Chris?) evening went well. It went surprisingly fast and I had enough to say. I managed to get most of my displays done (only remaining one to fill is my Parthenon one. Needs something special...).
2. WISPAS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dairy Milk Bubbles was not a patch on the blue and red classic!
3. I really want to go to Scotland. For about 6 years now, I have really wanted to go to the Orkneys or the Isle of Skye, due to giving a lecture recital on a piece by Peter Maxwell-Davies which involved me finding out about the Orkneys, and my general delight in small islands in general, plus reading Katie Morag books (Wish list also includes outer Hebrides, Isles of Scilly, Aldernay, Sark, Polynesia, Micronesia, Greek islands and some of the Irish islands which I learnt about in a talk I heard in the Youghal debating society in Ireland some years ago). Anyway, the reason for this sudden zeal is that I was watching 'Coast' earlier and I saw the beautiful island of Arn or something like that (is it? The one where Nobel lived, it's off the coast near the border), and it is absolutely glorious. I do sometimes think that I should just try to find a teaching job on an island somewhere. I didn't really go anywhere new this year as I was impoverished, but I really would like to go somewhere in Scotland or the Scillies next year.
4. Oooh, am going to Paris for the day in December. Something to look forward to!
5. Have written a short song for the choir at school. It can't be that bad, as my sister heard it and likes it, and she is usually my most fervent and honest critic (in a nice way!)
6. I did some ironing today! (Yes, Hell has frozen over!)
7. In a bid to feel less of a complete and utter social failure (have indeed turned into recluse since I entered the teaching profession) I am attempting to meet 4 sets of people tomorrow in London AND going to a choir rehearsal! How will I cope????!
8. I am reading 'Jane Austen book club' for the second time. I read it three years ago and to be honest, felt rather sheepish reading about people discussing Jane Austen since I had never read Jane Austen, but rather was reading it as was given it as a birthday present. Anyway, since I have now read some, I felt more qualified to read this book again (and had bought a copy of it in the charity shop since Fiona borrowed my copy and hasnt given it back and since she a) lives in Oxfordshire b) has a baby, I feel that copy is a write-off). Am enjoying it and seeing it in a new light. The characters were discussing which 'Miss Austen' they liked the most. I tend to go with the underdog choice and choose Northanger Abbey. Now there are several reasons why I like this best:
a) I confess, I was a 'saw the TV version first' novice. I saw the ITV adaptation with the lovely Felicity Jones as Catherine and the simply gorgeus JJ Feild as Henry Tillney. I liked the adaptation even though it isnt true to the book.
b) Catherine reminds me of me. She has an overactive imagination, loves books, sees mystery and menace in the benign, and even though in the TV series she was beautiful, in the book, she isn't anything special
c) Northanger Abbey is like famous five territory! Secret cupboards, mysteries
d) Misunderstandings and Catherine being sent home for something that isn't her fault!
e) The excitement of Bath. I like Bath!
f) Since I really liked the TV adaptation, I was most excited about reading this one and was going to like it, well, whether I liked it or not!
g) Again, I am a sucker for the underdog!
h) Since I am a 'late-starter' in terms of my Jane Austen enjoyment, I feel that may be reflected in my choice.
Anyway, does anyone (if anyone is out there?) have a particular favourite Jane Austen book and why?

Cheerio for now. Just about to do some sheepish blog reading.

A pre-holiday horrid hurdle...

I had almost forgotten all about blogging! Until, in a pre-parents evening fluster, I decided I needed distracting from the ugly task of drawing together all that I want to say about my charges and thought I would look at Welshy's blog to cheer me up! It did cheer me up, although the horrid task till remains.
Well, I have almost made it through the first term and I am relieved, though it has been very hard work, and I am exhausted. Anyone who says teaching is a 9-3.30 job needs a smack from a big saucepan. I call it more a 7.00-11.00 job. Do find myself thinking longingly of sitting at a desk organising meetings, calling students to demand why they have not returned their borrowed Degani violin and arranging a string quartet for a toddler project etc! Oh, how simple in comparison that life seemed! But, my school are very supportive and kind and I am lucky that they are helping me so much. I still don't know for certain if I can take doing this long term or not. I feel very very stressed and miserable at the moment if I am honest, but I do enjoy some elements. I enjoy much of the literacy teaching and Foundation subjects and even some of the maths, but in general, afternoons are VILE! I don't know what happens to the kids at lunchtime, they seem to morph into their evil twins. Marking takes me a looong time!
Anyway, I had better get back to writing my spiel. Here's hoping that all is well! Pray for inspiration for me!
4 days and counting....