Stuff and nonsense.

Things that happened on Thursday:

More classroom observation at the school. It’s hard not to be cheered when walking into an environment where the first thing you hear is a group of teenagers gleefully singing “Barbara Streisand! OooOoOoOoooOoOOOOoooo!” - had to smile to myself. One of the things I love about working in a school: if you’re feeling miserable it’s not long before someone says something stupid and makes you laugh.

In a similar vein, there’s always a kid that tugs on your heart strings. The Year 7s were doing presentations today on ‘Someone you admire’. Things had been jolly and light-hearted; mentions of footballers and the like. Until one young girl began: “The person I admire most is my mum. Even though she is dead…”. At this point the whole class started paying attention, while this quietly confident 11 year old began to tell us about her mum who’d had breast cancer, and passed away aged just 37. She told us her mum’s name was Susan, and how she loved wearing jeans, and how she was short with blondey brown hair and “not very skinny”. She told us that before she died her mum had taken the family on special days out, and bought them presents they now treasure. She talked of how she worried that their dad may not be able to look after them properly because “you know what men are like”. She told us that it took her a great deal of time to come to terms with her mum’s death, and for a while she hated leaving the house because all she could see around her was other people having fun with their mums, and she’d have to play a loud noise in her head and concentrate on that to drown everything else out. She finished by saying her dad was doing a pretty good job of taking care of everything, and everyone.

By the end the little lady had tears in her eyes, and she wasn’t the only one. Steph (the teacher) and I just looked at each other open mouthed and glassy eyed. What a brave young girl, able to share something so personal, and talk so honestly about such an emotional topic, without cracking up or losing her focus. Above all, she admired someone worthy of such respect, awe and inspiration. She seemed to be a wise kid, and a credit to her parents.

She got top marks for her presentation.


Later that day…

I got chatting to a lady who was also taking part in classroom observation, but she’s actually on her PGCE. Turns out training as a teacher is a huge career and life change for her; she was born and bred in London, had never been to Wales before, and up until this year was a journalist. For the Daily Mirror. Piers Morgan was her editor for a while. PIERS MORGAN EVERYBODY! Round of applause for that!

So being my usual gossipy self I was all “Ooo tell me more…”. She was a news/features/travel journalist, so no juicy celebrity spillage sadly (total let down) but she DID tell me she was glad to see the back of journalism; she said that, from her experience, it’s a very blood-thirsty business, dog-eat-dog, and a chauvinistic environment to work in. She said even in this day and age women are not treated as equals in the business, especially when it comes to pay.

*clings onto PGCE application for dear life*.

She also said she LOVES Wales - “it’s a different world up here!”. She wants to move her whole family here and is disappointed she hadn’t spent more time here before this, because she definitely would’ve moved here sooner. WIN FOR WALES! *bakes Welsh Cakes, picks daffodils, herds sheep*


Even later than day…

I went for a hair cut, at long flipping last. My resemblance to Morticia Aadams was becoming uncanny. They’re funny creatures, hairdressers; I don’t get this need to just talk and talk and talk. See, I like having my hair done, or my nails, or a massage, or just being faffed with in general (oo-er). It’s relaxing; a time for peace and quiet. Not this:

- Going away anywhere nice?
- Yeah, I’m going to New York in January.
- Ooo! Are you going for Christmas?
- No. In, erm… January.
- Lovely! Have you been before?
- No, first time. Have you?
- Not New York no… I’ve been to Newquay…

But they’re not the same, are they? They just have ‘New’ in the title. I think it’s pretty safe to say similarities stop and end there.

At this she just let me get on with my daydreaming while chopping away. Although, it does make staring at yourself in the mirror almost unavoidable, and this lead me to the shocking realisation that I either have a wonky eye or a wonky eyebrow. Neither are ideal but I’m hoping it is the latter as I imagine it’d be easier to fix.


Things that happened on Friday:

School time. There was a lovely lad in first lesson but he’d just moved over from Spain and could barely speak a word of English. I had great fun playing with flashcards with him though, and he taught me the odd Spanish word/phrase. Made me laugh that when I shown him the flashcard with a picture of a telephone on it he said “iPhone”. Fair enough like.

Bottom set year 9, period 3, are always a pleasure. No really, I’m not being sarcastic. There’s Little Miss Attitude who will only read aloud to me, which makes my heart soar with a certain smugness, not gonna lie. There was another lad who I told to “mind the swearing”. He replied “But it’s my CULTURE, Miss!” He has a point.

I’m trying to cap my swearing in every day life so as to avoid any unfortunate incident of it slipping out when around pupils, so expect a lot of “fluffing hell!” and “what a pile of sugar!”. This is the Minister for Education, you are live in the classroom, please do not say fuck or bugger.


In other news…

Since trying my first ever cherry yogurt on Monday I’ve developed somewhat of a fixation. I’ve eaten at least one a day since then (yes, I said ‘at least’) and today I went to Tesco and bought nothing other than 4 Muller low fat cherry yogurts and squirreled them away like an addict. They won’t see the weekend out. Ooo look at me, I’m somewhat of a maverick. Anyone’d think I was going out scouting for meth. No, just fermented milk products. I may not be cool but I do have strong bones.


Things I think about when I can’t sleep at night…

1) I have so much to do. I should really be reading. Maybe I should get up and read.

2) If I don’t get my finger out I’m going to be stuck with a load of work all over Christmas. Again.

3) I hope I make a good teacher. I need to be a bit more stern though I think. Big loud voices and what not. Hope they don’t walk all over me.

4) I hope it snows when we’re in New York.

5) I do love Russell Brand, I do.

6) I wonder if John and Josie will stay together.

7) I’d quite like a rabbit.

8) Or a hedgehog.

9) I really enjoy the word ‘rhombus’.


Over and out x