Fed up with Plugged in!

You know there's a rant coming!
I am a fast walker when I walk. I also now cycle to the station but on the way to work, I need to cycle a section on the pavement on the main road to the station because the road is really narrow and the drivers are really aggressive at rush hour.  I am aware that it is not ideal that I need to cycle on the pavement for this section.  But there aren't loads of pedestrians at that time and I am always careful and either go around or jump off my bike and run in front of them.

But the fact is....I am getting increasingly tired of pedestrians who are
a) walking with ear phones in
b) walking looking down at their phone.

They have NO awareness of ANYONE around them.  I am surprised that there are not more accidents.  They also walk slower than anyone who is unplugged and somehow seem to walk right in the middle of the pavement but irritatingly veer from side to side slightly meaning it is really hard to get past them.  Why are they so oblivious to the world around them?  I always say, "Sorry, I am just nipping past you when I go past people.  The ones who are plugged in have no idea and it just makes me sad that people are not noticing the world around them.
I then look around me in the train carriage.  The other day, out of the 23 people in my section of the carriage, 19 people had earphones in. I just find it really sad.  Yes, I do look at my phone on the train (I also read), but I do have an awareness of those around me!

Let's unplug and gain some awareness of the world around us!

10 products that make me mad because of their packaging!

Single-use is the word of the year according to one famous dictionary.  But, as you know, there is an terrible, terrible environmental impact from all the plastic particularly that is just being used once and chucked out.   I am very glad to hear that the EU has made a pledge towards single-use items made of plastic but it isn't enough- there needs to be a lot of planning by the major companies in order to help the public in their bid to recycle or at least to save the fall out from those who don't have the correct recycling facilities in their area or lack the education to make them understand the importance of recycling.

Here are some of my chief bugbears when it comes to unnecessary packing. Do feel free to share yours in the comments.


1. Cheese- Greaseproof paper was good enough for years- why does cheese have to come in plastic?!

2. Toothbrushes:
I've swapped to Bamboo and it is great!  Every toothbrush I have ever used is still somewhere in landfill. THAT is scary! It's the same for you and the same for everyone else.

3.  Toothpaste:
These CAN come in reusable tubes and definitely not need to be plastic.  They were metal for years.

4.  Fruitshoots:  The item featuring in many a lunchbox.  They are basically fruit squash in a titchy bottle.  Which we all know can be made from the concentrate in about 10 seconds flat and put into a reusable bottle.  Seriously people, stop being conned into paying loads of money for bad quality orange squash!

5.  Christmas giftpacks:  Especially ones involving MAKE-UP!  You get a cardboard box (or worse, plastic) and then all the items (usually plastic) are encased in a layer of clear plastic to keep them in place. I understand this with breakable objects like baubles but oooh, a bottle of bubble bath is not going to break!  Just reduce the packaging size to fit the size of the items then they don't have to be encased in clear plastic moulds to make them look more fancy or generous!

6.  Crisp multipacks-  Ok, I know that the foil bags are supposed to keep the crisps fresher (but seriously, INVENT something that isn't plastic!  See Walkers petition...) but WHY do the exterior multipack bags have to be plastic?  Paper is FINE!

7.  Chocolate bars:  They were always FOIL and paper.  They lasted fine.  Why swap them to metallic plastic- something which can't be recycled?!?!!

8.  Tomato tubs-  Tescos used to sell their organic cherry tomatoes in these lovely stiff cardboard tubs- why do they need to be plastic now?   BUT, they still used to have a layer of clear plastic over them.  Why can we not have brown paper bags like the greengrocers used to do and count your own tomatoes?

9.  Carton drink straws- so there is a ban on plastic straws but what about all those ones that are attached to drinks cartons AND the plastic clear layer over them?  They are still ending up in landfill! We all know they are used by parents on school trips or in packed lunch boxes, they will never be recycled.  Get rid of them!

10.  Polystyrene takeaway containers: 
If you must, and you haven't got your own container, why can they not come in thick card or thick cardboard.  I bought some chips in an eco-container which was entirely biodegradable from a chipshop in Hexham- there should be a ban on polystyrene since it is SO detrimental to the environment.  We all know most people who buy a takeaway burger are not me and won't carry it round in their bag in order to recycle- they will just bin it or worse, put it on the ground.

I know there are MANY more highly irritating single use items.  What makes you annoyed?  Do feel free to rant in the comments!

xx

Autumn's here? Don't care.

 September the 1st saunters onto the scene and suddenly, all I hear on certain blogs, instagram and the suchlike, is Autumn clothing, Autumn is here, Autumn wardrobe, Autumn jumpers, Autumn layers, Autumn leaves. Autumn blah.blah. Ahrgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I love these bloggers and instagrammers who profer such views but seriously, I find myself irked by it.  It is still sunny. Every day this week, I have worn summer clothing. Sleeveless dresses, sandals, ballet pumps. I wore a cardigan for all of 5 minutes.

Don't wish the summer away because we will all be bemoaning the gloomy, interminably drab weather for months to come so let's continue to delight in the Summer. Apparently, we shall have temperatures in the lofty heights of the 30's on Tuesday. Typically on a day when I have to go up to London for orchestra after school rather than enjoy my garden

 I shall be delighting in my summer dresses and scorning all attempts at Autumn-transitional clothing for as long as is possible. I do not frequent the coffee-house of Green and white lettering (or for that matter, the one with burgundy and white lettering- I prefer an  independent cafe or Salon du The) and I shall not be gleefully anticipating my first drink involving Pumpkin. Good for you if you enjoy it. Good for you if you love your jumpers and your coats and layers. I'm glad you like them but I will be the stick-in-the-mud in the mental corner who is refusing to acknowledge the changes.

 I am a Sylph of Summer. My friend Katie from camp used to call me Sylph and I called her Sylphette because of our propensity towards wafty Summer frocks. I doubt age will change me. It's the way I am made.

 I do apologise for the totally dappy poses- I decided to try not to stand facing forwards and grin as a change.
My dress is Per Una at M&S via Cancer Research charityshop, hat from a market, Split, Croatia, necklace by Punky Pins and shoes by Mel via TK Maxx.

A floaty summer dress is my uniform of choice and would be all year round.

Long may this Summer weather continue!

How do you feel about the current time?

xx

Linking with the lovely Patti at Visible Mondays

Core, you are totally Loo-ny! A gentle rant of sort.

Loo roll cores

Long were these the staple of junk-modelling in playgroups, after-school clubs, nurseries, schools and any sort of situation involving imaginative building.

I’ve seen them turned into goggles, telescopes, penguins, Santas,  snowmen, rockets, shakers, festooning cardboard castles as turrets, anything your brain cares to imagine.

So imagine my surprise in one educational environment (not my school, though since then, someone has said something of that ilk in the Foundation Stage) where I was told that “We are not allowed to use them any more for health and safety reasons.” 

I heard this in a few contexts and wondered who was the omnipotent authority who suddenly, one day,  saw fit to prevent usage of the humble loo-roll core for such a myriad of uses?

“I decree, that these abhorrent pieces of  cardboard are too gross! Off with their heads!"

"Be gone with them, foul beasts!"

"Urgh, it's putrid and vile, we must do away with them!"

In a very far-off on the horizon way, I saw the point- yes, they are kept near toilets-poo, blardy-blah, germs, illnesses etc. Yes, loo rolls are kept in the toilet.

But really?  Were children in the past made ill by using them in their creations. “Yes, June, I can attribute little-Horatio’s terrible cough to that infamous day where he used the centre of the toilet roll to construct the Titanic and much ill-health has befallen him since! Woe is me!”  Surely, unless you are very unfit, your loo-roll is kept in a relatively clean environment!

Do you,when you’ve finished your loo-roll smear poo-ey hands all over the core and rejoice at the possible demise of the children you will subsequently offer it to?  Are you so incompetent at bum-wiping that you have missed the toilet roll completely  and wiped your poo all over your hand and then touched the loo-roll  core?

Did you pick up the loo-roll core with poo-encrusted hands and decide that this would be the perfect roll for Terence’s Parthenon model?

How long can germs survive on a thin cylinder of cardboard? What form do they take?

Surely, we have clean hands when we come to touch the loo-roll the first time?   Ideally, when assessing the necessary amount of loo-paper length, do we not make a decision to begin the new roll if the previous roll is insufficient?

I don’t know the thought behind it and the theory and evidence but I think it’s sad that something that was once used merrily in so much imaginative play is not allowed in many places.

In our own homes of course and with our own families, we can assess and make a decision, but I’d be intrigued to know what you think???

This doesn't relate to my school in any way, this is just something I wondered about! As you do...Ponder on loo rolls I mean.

Mind you, I'm the one who was obsessed with toilets aged 3...

xxx

LABEL RANT

No, I am not having a rant about designer labels and the cost, or label snobbery, I am talking about sticky thing that are attached to new items you buy. Now, let's be clear. there are SOME labels that are fine and dandy and peel off like magic.  But others- OOOH, others, they are evil and refuse to leave the surface. There are others who leave really grubby, dirty marks on the item you have tried to rid them from.  TK Maxx are key culprits for this on items attached to their home items, e.g. chopping board or chocolates and WOE BETIDE the red-reduced labels. Those things, I SWEAR have been up chimneys to earn a bit of extra cash, you'd assume from the mess they leave.  The worst are the ones which peel off into small shreds so you have to pick, pick carefully and be tender and sensitive to them in order that they won't seperate again though you want to RIP the wretched things off. Many a lovely book has ended up with egregious dirty smudge across them because that innocuous round label or the Waterstones Buy 1, get1 half price label have been superimposed over each other and that leads to label-peelage-fallout. And imagine if that was a gift- doesn't look great.

'Scuse the drying washing in the background. Oh, and the grimacing nutter...

When we recently bought our bin couple (You've seen my marriage ceremony?), dear John Lewis had attached the most GARGANTUAN labels to the front of the bin. These whoppers were 15cm by 20cm. WHY oh WHY stick them to a BIN???? We clearly know it is a bin! Attach a label to the hinge with string or something.  CBC started to peel one off, but lacking any sort of patience, he said, "Ahrgh, I hate labels, it's torn!" which left me to deal with the label  on both bins. WHO wants a BIN with a great big smudge across it? It's not like I can get THAT in the sink to wash it off alla jam-jar.

I had to sit there painstakingly at 11pm (yes, we were that sad that we wanted to begin using our bins there and then. Or rather CBC was) on the floor with my paltry fingernails, gently digging and then delicately pulling, getting just the right balance of force to get the wretched thing moving without splitting (a bit like the clingfilm).  When I got to the middle, it was hard going grappling the corner so it didn't get restuck, whilst making progress. Eventually, I got them off. Miraculously, I must say.  I never thought I'd be able to get it off in one piece. On either bin. But I did.

Companies: sort out your sticky labels. If it has a shiny surface, please choose your stickers carefully or don't use one at all.

Over to you. Who else has suffered from sticky-label rage?

xxx

Polka face

Hurrah, tis the weekend to be jolly.  Fa la la la la la la la la!

 Two of my favourites- berets (black beret= LTEH 33) and polka dots!

 I'm smiling now. because I am freee!!!! I was not smiling this morning.  I went into see a colleague to give her a copy of the maths investigation.  She greeted me with "Is this something I can do easily and understand that wont be too diffficult?" in a highly aggresive sounding voice.  At which point I looked at her and said, "Good morning?".  Her reply was "I'm not in the mood for it!" even more aggressively and proceeded to rant at me about how my work was too hard.  I really felt upset and furious.  It's not the other stuff,  I understand the pressure, I understand that it's hard and she's stressed, I understand how hard it is too teach Maths investigation and how the children just don't get it.  I'm also sorry that I only gave it to her that morning- she doesn't e-mail me the plans for the rest of the maths so I only managed to ask her about it yesterday lunchtime and then I had clubs so I couldn't do it later. I'm very sorry if I am causing her extra stress and difficulty in any way.  But it was the response to Good morning, the most basic of greetings.  It was the aggressive tone.   There is a way to speak to your peers and colleagues and it isn't that.  What would you do in the situation?  I find it hard not to take it personally even though colleagues have said she's just like that and I still find myself thinking about it.

Yay, the blue, sparkly bracelet collection went for an outing!


Cheer me up, tell me something that will make me smile lovely bloggerkins!

Strike - a teacher's perspective

So today is the Teachers' strike regarding pensions.  I know that there are a lot of different opinions out there and there are definitely reasons for and against striking but here I wanted to share my thoughts FOR the strike.  Stephen at Part 3 presents a really succinct and convincing argument for them which I recommend reading.

All consuming- marking and assessing
Now, first things first -  as a teacher, my life really isn't my own.  It really is all consuming.  I experience intense guilt, misery, disappointment, stress, low self-confidence and exhaustion on a regular basis.  It is not a job you can leave at the door like many jobs (and in fact, most unless you are self-employed)- it is always ongoing.  Every evening, I go home, making my dinner, filled with dread that I have got to mark x number of books (4 lessons a day, 31 children- theoretically that can mean 124 books a day.  And it really isn't a case of just ticking.  Has the child achieve the objective?  Give them a task and identify corrections, tell them what they've done well, tick sheets to fill in- Literacy marking is the worst.  Marking a piece of writing takes me at least 10 minutes per child) Admittedly, PE and Art don't necessarily need marking- but there is now assessment data for those to keep up with.  Has  Child x achieved the learning objective?  Is Child b able to throw a ball with accuracy and a variety of techniques?  Can Child y weave paper in a variety of ways?   And even ICT isn't free from burdens- assessments, evidence files, assessment pieces.  And I nowadays, have it much easier than many other teachers in terms of the 2 days I do music- so I don't necessarily have marking for those, though there is written evidence to scrutinize, recordings to upload, edit and name, work to look at, responses to listening, compositions to consider.  Tick sheets galore.  I'm now supposed to keep assessment sheets of the key skills that children have achieved in music.   

The workload and guilt
The guilt- if I choose not to do any work one evening, then guaranteed I will suffer for it the next day.   I feel guilty, depressed, and useless every time I teach a lesson that goes badly.  Everytime a child does not listen, fails to understand something you are teaching, I take it personally.  I feel I have done badly, no matter how long I have spent preparing for it.  You can and are expected to adapt work for 4 different abilities (for every subject) (and don't get me started on how long making resources takes.) and a child, for various reasons, may fail to get anything out of it.  Conversely, when a child really gets something, it is wonderful- but sadly, there are so many extraneous factors at play that you can never guarantee this all the time.

Planning
Planning any lesson takes an incredibly long length of time.  Again 4 lessons a day x 5 days =20 lessons.  People say, "Why not just download something from the internet" or "Oh you can use last year's plans."  Well, regarding the first, even searching for resources takes an inordinate amount of time.  Finding something suitable, something that is adapted.  I can wade through 6 pages of links before finding anything suitable and then I might not find anything (and this can be plans or sheets), even just formatting a lesson plan takes ages.      And if you don't have the resources to match, that is a drain on your time, finding those, checking they are working (if a set of light bulbs), copying them, trimming them to size.   Regarding the latter, if I am doing my job properly, I have to look at the specific needs of a group of pupils, they are very different and what works for one will not work for another so every plan must be adapted

And even if it weren't for that-  every single stupid, meddling government attacks education, changes the expectations, the goal posts, puts their own demands on the system.  They just can't leave it alone.  In the 5 years I have been in the teaching profession, things have changed completely, new things have been added and taken away all the time.    Literacy and maths has gone from one framework to another, a new horrendous way of assessing called APP has been introduced, first for writing,then reading, then maths and now this year, Science- all this affects your planning to ensure you are able to find evidence for these targets.  We've had Primary modern foreign languages being squeezed into the timetable- we've had guided reading added (well this has been for a while), in my school, KEY SKILLS have been introduced for every Foundation subject- it's supposed to be called the Creative curriculum- so everything has to be linked up, with attached targets, your planning must include those targets and address those, and since every other teacher in your school has had to introduce new plans, then the 2nd year you discover that X target has not been addressed so you have to replan for this.  Or a particular skill has gone.  The government constantly slags off teachers in the press- we're not doing our jobs properly.  OFSTED breathing down you spine. (And consequently, head teachers breathing down your neck in preparation for it.  Work scrutinies, marking scruitinies, action plans for your subject, monitoring other teachers who teach your subjects if you are a subject leader)

Scrutiny- 3 exams a year
Did you hate exams at school? Especially ones where you were being watched?     Now imagine you have to sit 3 exams every year in which instead of being a written paper, you are watched by an examiner, I must have 3 observations a year where another senior member of staff watches me.  Except that there are 30 totally random individuals who could throw a spanner in the works- you have to consider their individual learning styles, make use of ICT, guarantee progress has been made, deal with disruptive behaviour, manage another member of staff if you are lucky enough to have an assistant, make sure YOU and the children are assessing their own and their peers progress and show this through a variety of ways, and more. 
It's terrifying.  I am someone who actually doesn't mind exams too much- I previously mentioned that I have taken over 40 practical music exams in addition to regular recitals at university, GCSEs, A levels and copious observations during my PGCE.  But even I am terrified when I am observed and lack total confidence in my abilities when it comes to my observations.   

Training constantly.
Considering the decisions we have to make on a daily basis, the workload, in no other job are you expected to spend 1.5 hours every week (Staff INSET= acronym for In service training- every Monday), receiving training in addition to others.

Dealing with hostility and disparagement from the Government at the top, down to petty parents who, because you have so much to deal with, seem to think it their duty to undermine you and put burdens upon you, headteachers putting too much upon you.   (I should stress at this point, that there are many, many wonderful, supportive, lovely parents too and my headteacher has a good heart and wants her school to be good)




Decisions
I am not a decisive person, as anyone who has ever asked me to make a decision will attest to. And yet, every minute, I am forced to make decisions, which cannot always be predicted. I hate it.  One small example:  Child x has hit Child y apparently, according to Child y.  Yet Child x denies this and says that Child y hit them.  Who do you believe?  Do I deal with this now and totally interrupt my lesson and affect the other children?  Do I say I will sort it later and put up with whinging and more subversion over the next hour?  Do I believe Y and not x? Will x then do something even worse to pay back x? Will w get involved and cause a further problem?  Will Child x continue to be disruptive in order to make the point they are still cross?  This is not good for my stress levels.

Already agreed
As Stephen states, the pension agreement was already in place and we have paid into something and to now be told that it is changing in 5 ways to make it worse, well that does not seem fair.  Stephen says:

We're not setting up public sector pay and pension arrangements from a blank slate. A particular set of pay and conditions were agreed, including the current pension arrangements. And simply trying to change those unilaterally is wrong.

If it was YOU, Mr or Mrs non-teacher, how would you feel if you were told- "Right, even though you expected your pension to be like this and you've been providing for a certain moment, despite the fact we don't pay you loads, now, you will have to work another couple of years when you are old and tired, despite the fact your bosses will want to sack you, humiliate you as an older teacher because employing young whippersnappers is much cheaper and you can bully them more (seriously I have known it happen in many schools).  Oh and we're freezing your pay for some years and then it will not increase with the cost of things, and you're going to have to pay more money to us and then get much less in the end."  Sound good?  We're being really generous! 

And those bankers would throw an absolutely barney if their situation was changing like this- yet it's not for them! We don't get bonuses and unless you teach, you have no idea of the hours.
One of the few pulls in teaching has been the pension. We certainly don't go into it for the pay!


Teaching and old age
You really cannot do this job beyond a certain age- it is very physical, the hours, the levels of enthusiasm, the mental strain, clambering on ladders to put up displays, running around a playground, demonstrating, modelling, staying up late marking, running after school clubs, reports every term (and don't even get me started on how long these take), all that marking, assessment procedures.  I reiterate that headteachers (except enlightened ones) want to get rid of 'expensive' older staff.  I am only 30 and the thought of doing this for ANOTHER 38 years terrifies me. 
  
Discouraging potential teachers
In addition to my teaching and marking, I plan for and run 5 extra-curricular clubs, 2 assemblies. And it is not a case of just turning up and doing it.  I have to practice myself, I can't just do it, find repertoire, suitable music, format it. (I spent a year and half going to 2 hour training sessions on Thursdays evenings for my musical development in the school including 30mins travel either way) I do this because I know I have a skill that I want people to share. I came into teaching because I knew I had a lot to share with children and it was not a decision I took lightly if you care to read the archives of my blog (and read of the misery or beginning) Dumbledore says of music in Harry Potter Book 1,

"A magic beyond all we do here...".

I want children to develop their soul, to have this wonderful outlet for creativity.   I want to give my expertise to them, to help them to find their voice (and Bonnie that includes you!  I would be delighted to help you find your voice!).  Our world loves music.   And when the children delight in it, it fills my heart with joy!  When they burst into spontaneous and delighted applause when they have sung a song together as a community perfectly, I could burst with how wonderful this feeling is.

Surely, we want the best people possible to teach and train our children?
Surely we want to encourage those people who have skills to nurture, encourage and help our young people achieve greatness but right now I would tell anyone considering teaching to run a mile!



The other side of the coin
I know we've all got to do our bit to help the economy and many people are suffering in many ways from cuts and difficulties which is horrible but attacking the foundation of training and building young people that can achieve great things to help us (and this does count for other public sector workers as well, I am just talking from my perspective)  help our economy does not really help.  Sure do one of these proposed changes to our pension if you must but not all of them!  


I do understand if people say, "Well I don't get a pension like that for doing my job and I work really hard" and I agree with you in that sense. I am aware that compared to some pensions it must seem much more generous (I presume) and I know, whatever job you do, it is hard, stressful, makes you feel like you cannot cope with it.  No one's burden can seem harder than someone else's because it is YOUR burden or situation and knowing that someone else's is 'easier' or 'harder' (I say this because those terms are subjective) does not make yours seem any harder or easier for YOU and I would never have the audacity to say that anyone's job is easier than mine, because I have not experienced their particular situation.  I can only comment on my situation as I see it- that someone is changing something that I expected.  I will accept my lot whatever it is and will not moan about it regardless of the circumstances, but I wanted to share my perspectives.  I could say so much more but I am aware that I have written rather a lot and I am sure you switched off ages ago!  I am also aware that I sound very negative- I don't like that especially as there are some great things about the profession, I like to be positive and see the joy in life rather than the gloom - however this is offering my justification for why I think that the cuts are wrong!  (and I need to ensure my blog doesn't become too frivolous!!! Some gritty issues every now and again to make me think!)

What do you think though?

Some like it hot!

Image from hutnyk.wordpress.com

CBC and I spent 2 hours trying to decipher the workings of Apple TV (renting movies from your TV using your i-tunes account) on his house's new TV system. I really dislike digital TV, sky and all that. All I want is to switch it on and be able to just pick from one of 5 channels by pressing one button- I do not want to go digital! Perhaps I will be the last analogue rebel in the country, refusing to change over. Anyway, that said, finally we manage to select a movie to watch over fish and chips and it was the classic, Some like it hot.

Right from the start this was a winner- set in the 1920's, humorous, great music-big band and songs like a musical, train journeys, confusion and romance. It begins in a speakeasy cunningly disguised as a funeral parlour-our intrepid heroes are a bass player and a saxophonist. Immediately, there is a raid and so their hopes of earning money are dashed. Somehow, they fall foul of local gangster, Spats and need to escape. The only way they can manage this is to dress up as female musicians to gain a gig out in Florida. Curiously, I've never watched Marilyn Monroe in anything so I was eager to see what she was like- she plays the rebellious, not very clever but utterly adorable lead singer and ukelele player.

There are great moments such as a slumber party in one of the men's bunks, where he is trampled on by all the girls as they clamour to drink the bootleg liquor that he has opened in order to woo Marilyn. I love how the female clarinettists play in the band- so funny! My boyfriend sent me a link to this film from youtube near when we started going out because I am always getting told off for trying to lead when I dance with men and there is a classic line, "You're leading again!" so it was funny to see it in context. The costumery is fabulous also. The rest of the film is great fun as the guys experience the trials of being a woman and falling in love with Marilyn! The jokes and quips are very clever and the costumes are fabulous. I love Marilyn's singing. The film has some saucy moments for a film of its era as well as the humour and some real moments of sentiment.

Watch it, it's fabulous!

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