Display throwback- Seed dispersal

Here is another early photo I found of a display from my first few years of teaching.

This was from the Summer term when we studied the Life cycle of a plant.  

My ultimate favourite lesson was that on Methods of Seed dispersal.

The lettering was made out of black lettering which was stuck to folded clear thick plastic which was stapled only one side down (packaging- recycling as always!)  with rice stuck on as if the letters were seeds dispersing in the wind- as you can see the folded plastic has led the letters to stand at different heights.

I had collected together a beautiful set of various seed cases, pods of many different types, carefully preserved in cases which I distributed amongst the tables- Teasel, burrs, bean pods, acorns, pine cones, sycamore keys, chestnuts, conkers, coconuts and many more....  After being taught identification clues for methods of seed dispersal, the children carefully sketched the seeds in pastels on black paper which they then had to write with details of the method of seed dispersal next to it. On a separate sheet, they had to give reasons as a back up. It was a nice mixture of Science and Art which made a really pretty display. I do wonder if year 5 still use my seed collection or if they got binned like many things do. I even sacrificed a few duplicate seed to be stuck onto the display.

I never forget that when OFSTED came to our school for the second time, the day before they unexpectedly arrived, I had actually got this very lesson (with a later class) ready for my termly observation.  It was meticulously planned. But alas, the call from OFSTED came at lunchtime and the observation was cancelled. I carried on teaching it but I was sad that I would not be able to get it observed.  Luckily, a teacher in the other year 5 class was coming back from maternity leave for the first day of OFSTED (bad timing eh?) and her class hadn't done this lesson yet so I passed on my detailed lesson plan, resources and seeds etc to her and luck of luck, OFSTED came in as she was teaching this very lesson. They were very impressed with her planning, resources etc and asked if she was the Science Coordinator. I'll never know if that was down to my planning, her teaching or a combination of the two, but I like to think I had a hand in her getting such a compliment.

I, on the other hand,was teaching Music the day OFSTED came and got observed twice in one day with separate classes, first and last lesson.  Some of my colleagues have never been observed in the 3 OFSTEDs we have had, but I have been observed every time.  Sigh. 

Throwback Display memory

Hello there,

Thank you very much for your kindness in your comments on my tribute to WOMOTM. I really appreciate you taking the time to read a long essay on my most happy memories of him. 

The funeral was yesterday and whilst it was very sad and hard to say goodbye to him, it was a fitting tribute to him and a good number of people turned up to pay their respects- at least 70.  It was nice to see some people I haven't seen for a while and also to see some lovely pictures of WOMOTM over the years.

We returned from Northumberland today.  It took a tedious amount of time and we have returned home to a boiler that is not working.  We had issues with the same stupid Valant boiler at our old house but at least we had an electric shower there so warm showers were always possible.  Here we don't have that option.  Oh the joys of winter and boilers.  I honestly believe these companies make these devices with built in faults to make you call out an expert. Sigh.

Anyway, I thought I would share a post to a picture that I found when I was looking for photos of WOMOTM. It is a photo from my first year of teaching. We started by studying the Ancient Greeks in Year 5 and so I framed the display board with pillars and Greek inspired architecture.  My LSA made this Greek-looking lettering in gold for me and I loved it.  It made me smile to find these images and remember the utter dread of making these papier-mache masks- not my idea I hasten to add, but my parallel year group partner. I loathe Papier-mache and I remember the utter mess it made- door handles and all conceivable surfaces had a layer of wall-paper slime.  Utterly disgusting! I've pretty much avoided papier-mache ever since thankfully!

I found one or two other pictures too so I might share these memories at some point.

Anti-bullying resource

I felt like I really wanted to join in with Inspiration Monday this week as I haven't managed to recently, I've sometimes dressed up in my version of the outfit, but felt like they looked terrible and it was too dark to take photos and well, I've been blogging lots on a theme! However, today was an outfit worn by Miranda Kerr here (that blip that means I can't seem to copy and paste images at the moment!) . She wears a rather more sophisticated version of this outfit, but here's my more unironed, creased, immaturechilled take on a pale jumper, black jacket, denim skirt and boots! Head over to the Two Birds blog for more versions of this outfit.

Anyway, to continue with the theme for BEDN today, the theme is bullying. I have been remarkably lucky in my life not to have been bullied in my life, considering I am rather eccentric at times and have always been very individual in what I do. I feel for the many children who have experienced it, it must be awful. There was one horrid boy in my GCSE drama class who was mean to me and picked on me, and that was bad enough, but I was mercifully only in his group a handful of times, so he didn't get too much opportunity. He was always a complete twit, he reminds me of Jim Davidson and his terrible and downright offensive sense of humour.

When writing about my hobbies on Saturday, I forgot to include writing- I love writing small poems and texts, ones I have often used for school, modelling texts and for comprehension. Thanks Abigail-Ann for reminding me that this is something I like doing!! In recent times, I've done this FOR school but I have always loved writing. I recently offered to write a whole batch of modelled texts for my work colleague at school. This week is Anti-bullying week and I wrote this poem and comprehension questions for a homework task a while back but I feel like it could generate a whole lot of discussion with a class or for Guided reading (I've included the Assessment Foci). If you are a teacher, or someone with children, I hope that you might be able to make use of it. Any constructive criticism or comments would be gratefully received

(Oh and G. Killannera is my pen name for texts I write for the children so they don't clock it's me!)

Fall and Phoenix by G. Killannerra

They push me and shove me
They make me feel a fool.
How I wish I was a giant tower
Instead of rodent small.

Each day in the playground,
They snuffle for their prey.
They’re baying hounds a-seeking me,
Determined to get their way.

Yet I too now am determined
To stand up for my rights,
To show I don’t care, am strong within
I WILL win this mental fight!

We each are special, unique, with worth,
Each have our special skills.
Beware how you treat now, today,
For one day I might cure your ills.

That which makes me different to you
Is no excuse to tease.
Beauty is variety, God made it so,
Just like snowflakes upon the breeze.

*****

1. What is happening to the author at the beginning of the poem? (AF2 and 3)

2. Do you think the author feels confident about herself? Use the text to justify your answer. (AF3 & 6)

3. Why do you think the author wishes that she were a ‘giant tower’? (AF5)

4. What metaphor does the Author use to describe the other people in the poem? (AF2 and AF5). Why does she use this metaphor?

5. Why does the writer write WILL in capitals, bold, and underlined? (AF4)

6. What does the author mean by ‘One day I might cure your ills?”? (AF3)

7. What is the main message/moral of this poem?

8. What does the author think is not an acceptable reason to tease them?

9. (a)Have you experienced anything like this poem? Talk/write about it (b) How did it make you feel? (c) How did you deal with it? (d) what advice would you give to anyone in this situation? (AF7)

10. Write a poem as if you were a victim. Try to use some imagery.