It's over for another year. As I write this, I am sitting at a table in my Mother-in-Law's house, Hexham trying to not kill CBC book our accommodation for our forthcoming trip to Switzerland. It's our 10 year anniversary this year so we are returning to our honeymoon destination. I realise that I NEVER did share our epic honeymoon tour. It was rather a daunting prospect as there was so much to write about (I kept a daily diary as did CBC).
As I write this, I am hopeful that...
I AM GETTING MY MUSIC ROOM BACK AFTER 2 YEARS OF MOVING ROOM!!!!
It is going to be weird getting back in. I will have to put up all new displays, deal with a skanky carpet that has had 2 years of filthy year 1 children dropping glue, paint, glitter, food, sick, raisins, apples and all sorts of grim things, I will have to teach the children how to put the instruments away properly, where they go and they will have to get used to sitting on carpet for the entire lesson (which they will not find easy, esp the little ones) and I have got used to having a big interactive whiteboard screen for everything but...
IT IS MINE!
My deputy head teacher did say to me that I have done so well to have continued to teach to my high standard (hmmmm...debatable...she's not seen what it is like with the crazy year 2 children) and to have put up with the levels of stress and everyone in the school has said to me that me, above absolutely everyone else, has had to put up with the most inconvenience.
I can hardly believe it will happen! But apparently it will.
I still keep expecting them to tell me that they need to turn my room into an SEND room or a computer room since I have proved I can be itinerant.
It's been a hard year in a great number of ways:
Complete disruption of strikes, bank holidays, public holidays,snow days, INSET days.
Some very difficult behaviour from some children
Cancelled performances- Christmas because of icy roads, our Summer interschool festival because of a security threat.
New methods of assessing that just haven't worked out.
Always missing subject leader meetings because of clubs
Staff shortages.
Leadership changes
Also, two of my closest colleague friends have left. One at Easter, one recently. They had both been at the school over 23 years
But...
there have been some amazing moments:
1. The relationships I have had with some children with regard to sharing reading books and enthusing over books
2. My wonderful year 5-6 choir. We've had some amazing moments and fun. I had 14 children from ONE class in choir which is the most from one class ever and they were confident and really showed their appreciation of choir. We had a great time at the Royal Albert Hall despite VOMIT-GATE (yes, my child projectile vomited in 6 directions in the middle of Gary Barlow's Sing). I had between 25-35 children the entire year.
3. The Year 5 Vltava performances- they loved it! In fact, year 5 have been a pleasure to teach all year (one class less so but still good).
4. Winning the Aurora Orchestra competition for a family ticket to their children's concert. I was able to pass this onto a family who had a lovely time. I also then purchased a family ticket for my own orchestra concert with Forest Philharmonic Orchestra in June and it was won by a lovely enthuastic Nigerian girl. She and her Mum adored the concert and said she'd love to come again! It was special for me having her there and being able to give that pleasure and experience to families was amazing.
4. Encouraging a young artist. I learnt, from another teacher, that a girl in Year 4 is a really keen artist. I asked her to come and see the seascapes I had been painting with year 5. She (and her pal) were really happy to be asked. I said I knew she was interested in art. She told me about her Instagram where she started posting her art in lockdown. I meant to message her mum to ask permission to look at it (as social media is a dodgy area) but she had already messaged me to say her daughter had asked me to send her a link to her insta. I sent some feedback (not on Insta because I don't want to share my insta with pupils obvs) via her mum and Mum was super pleased I'd shown an interest in her art. I then issued her an art challenge using recycled envelope inards (and gave her the resources) which she rose to with great aplomb and then shared her work in the newsletter from school. That one gesture of showing an interest made ALL the difference to one pupil and her mum has shown her apprecation. I hope I will have more time to show interest in individuals more again without excessive equipment removals next year.
5. Developed good relations with a couple of colleagues. One who is very cautious of people and she has shown she trusts me.
6. The day I chucked an entire litre of water at my Sports coach colleague and he just laughed.
7. Helping a colleague to tidy his room when he was going through some mental turmoil and it really helping him. (*especially funny since I am renowned as one of the messiest staff members)
8. The year 4 classes who have developed over the year. This is due to (sadly) a couple of disruptive children leaving, and a change of staff. By the end of the year, we had a really good relationship.
9. Having 3 children with SEND statements in Drumming club this past half term. Seeing them do something they are so good at and enjoy has been a JOY. All the staff who watched them perform were SO proud of them. I am very inclusive in my clubs and will take anyone as long as a) they want to be there, b) they are actually participating and not just disrupting so this has been wonderful to see it work. It didn't work for one child in year 4 who joined my choir in the Christmas term, but I knew it wouldn't as I know my children. Despite my professional opinion, I still accommodated them at first.
10. Having 2 past pupils back for Work experience (in fact there were 4)- who performed wonderful clarinet music for the whole school. It was a joy!
11. Playing my flute for nursery. They loved it! I MUST go and do this more! I forgot what awe and wonder it inspires!
12. Giving 6 demo lessons for Reception class music. Then having the children greeting me whenever I saw them around the school.
13. The day one of the year 6 girls was lying in the playground on the ground and not getting up. Her friends couldn't get her to move. I said, "Watch how the professionals do it." I went a distance back and then started galloping in the style of a horse whinnying as loud as I could. I then LEAPT over the girl and landed with a thud on the other side of her. She immediately sat up and opened her eyes. I was applauded! Similarly when the choir children were trying to make the Sports coach say "Slay!", I said something similar and tricked him into it. He was FUMING when he realised I'd made him to do it!
14. The beautiful present I received from a Year 6 pupil. Her grandad ( a keen gardener) had grown 3 tamarind plants from seed. They kept one, gave one to the family and I was given the third one. I am SO touched as she really understood me. When we said goodbye, she gave me a massive hug and told me she loved me. She is not a child given to saying affectionate things like this so I knew she meant it. Her Mum sent a lovely message too!
15. So many appreciative messages from parents.
16. Having a final goodbye photo with K, a boy in year 6. We went and fetched the vintage clear beaters from the vintage glockenspiel and held them high for the photo! It was a joke between the two of us. His leaving card message was also really special since he told me Thursdays were the highlight of his year because of Choir.
17. Being invited to the Year 5 final day's breakfast.
18. The Coronation performances with the whole school in the playground. Drumming club performed an impressive military-style Snare drum performance. Choir sang a Coronation song, Reception, Year 1 and 2 sang one song (from memory), Year 3-4 sang another song and Year 5-6 sang another song. All from memory. It was a really proud moment and made me ambitious to try something else.
19. Organising an inter-school concert with another local primary school choir to enable parents who couldn't make our Royal Albert Hall performance, to see it.
20. My year 6 pupil who, in the space of one year: a) auditioned for and was awarded one of 30 places (out of 250 auditionees) for the Royal Opera House Youth Choir, b) performed for an entire run of the Royal Opera House's pro production of Turandot, c) was nominated for and won a TruHero award.
There are probably MANY more things I could write about but I am sure it will get boring.
It has been the hardest year in so many ways but there have ALWAYS been shining moments throughout!
xx
I see a crab coming into the picture from the upper left side. His right pincher (claw) is prominent! 🦀
ReplyDeleteI can see two animals again. Top centre, there's a bear, who's looking down at the other animal, which is almost right below him, and which I think is a stone marten! xxx
ReplyDeleteA dragon - well it's head anyway.
ReplyDelete