Earthgirl gets back on track!

earthgirl

Horrible stressful days had of late I am trying to cheer myself up, by remembering that the Japanese word for problem is the same as opportunity, so here are my problems/opportunities!

• I've collected my timetable and I have year 7,9 and 10 IT:eek:, this is terrible! I am actually taking over the classes so goodness knows what it'll be like. I've never taught it before, and can just about navigate a word doc! I also have 2 classes of a nightmare group.

Opportunity: To show how amazing I am at teaching any subject, using my organisational skills and my brother, who is an outstanding IT teacher thank goodness! The opportunity with the nightmare group is to really hone my behaviour management skills. I will try to be really positive, and use this to my advantage to get more protected frees for planning. Above all I have got to chill out about it, don't want my milk supply to be affected.

• The post office have lost £435 cash - its not appeared in my account.

Opportunity: Get it back and complain (I have a receipt)

• S@ntander made a mistake and opened the wrong ISA for me last year, and didn't inform me.

Opportunity: Get the interest they owe me back and complain (I have a letter saying they were going to open the high interest one for me.)

• BandQ had no tomato plants, had put compost over the parent parking, and wouldn't help me with compost purchasing with a baby in tow. And made me walk around the store to try and get out with the baby and trolley. Really poor.

Opportunity: Complain ! May get vouchers for complaining??!!

• Childminder had to cancel my visits in next few weeks due to her child being in hospital.

Opportunity: Err can't see one yet, but sure it'll work out!

On the upside, the baby room in boots had free nappies in, and I have 2 new tuition clients.

Off to get things done and hope I feel better tomorrow!

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Poor you - what a day. I too admire the stoicism of the Japanese. I have a Japanese friend, and when she is very fed up the worst she says is 'That is interesting...' No tears and tantrums. Good for you for looking for the opportunities.

Squirrel:j

summerday

Ah, sorry you're having a hard time of it. At least you should be able to rectify the banking problems, shows how worthwhile it is to keep all your paperwork.

Defo complain to B&Q, you'll hopefully get a nice voucher to buy lots of tomato plants and other things with!

Sympathies with the IT lessons and tough classes. Are IT lessons at high school all taught in a computer room same as at primary? If so, hopefully the kids will all be quite into using the computers as it's a practical subject that often appeals to the naughty ones? Hopefully you'll be able to blag it subject matter wise, and worst case scenario just get the class computer geek to come and demo what you're trying to teach! (every class has at least 1 computer geek!)

Hope your luck improves x

Courgette

So sorry you've had a rubbish day. I was trying to post one of those dodgy hugs but it won't load.

Perhaps with the IT you could do lots of peer led sessions, small group investigations, presentations that kind of thing, at least while you get the hang of things yourself. Does this mean you won't be teaching child development anymore? What an asset your outstanding brother will be too, make sure you use him.

As for the childminder, not ideal I know but you know that you're happy with her and tiny people are remarkably adaptable. To help you out with the whole leaving him thing though could you leave him with a friend for a few hours a couple of times so it's not so much of a shock when you need to do it for real?

As for all the money and b&q stuff, lots of complaints here, will make you feel loads better :A

cha97michelle

Sorry it felt like a bad day. Good way of looking at it though.

I taught IT for 2 years out of specialism. It might not be as bad as you think. Just get yourself a few lessons ahead of where they need to be, and they will actually have a lot of knowledge already. We were teaching skills through doing a project. The only one i found really hard was teaching databases as it was out of my comfort zone, but make sure you pester the head of IT for support as you are doing them a favour by teaching it.

The worst bit i found was that if you were at the front of the class, you can't see what is on their monitor, so if i wanted a quick stop i went to the back of the room. Also get them to turn their monitor off if you want to talk to them, and we had to get them to turn their mouse upside down at the end of the lesson to check all the mouses had balls in them still. Little monkeys sometimes pinched them otherwise.

Kids like IT, and i used to threat with making them work on paper instead of the computer. It mostly worked. Also, in our school if they mucked around, you got the IT support to block internet access.

You'll be fine, especially if your brother teaches IT as you will have technical help. I am sure he will have some great tips too. You are an experienced teacher with lots of classroom experience. I did this as an NQT, and it was not the end of the world. Not as bad as the RE i taught anyway.

earthgirl

Thanks for all the help, advice and support - I've been scribbling down notes!!

Courgette - I still have to teach Child develppment, but not until September, then I am running the course.

Going to do some complaining today and just generally sort things out. One good thing - the post office have found my money - better late than never!
That is to go straight into an ISA - Santander loyalty one at 3.5%.

Earthlet is going to my friend on Saturday as I have a new tutee starting, and OH is away, so it should be good practise.

Today, after my sort out, I am going to play with Earthlet outside, and got 2 private tuition clients this afternoon, followed by a pizza ms for tea. Yum!

Courgette

Glad you're feeling brighter today, Earthy :A

earthgirl

Thanks!

One tutee cancelled, and I got another MS instead,so we ended up with a yummy pizza and salad for tea, and got paid £10 too!

Today has been so busy! 4 clients today, earthlet went to a friend for 3 hours for practise being without me and he was fine.

I've also cooked veg and lentil hotpot for us and baby, bread rolls, cake and ice cream.

I still need to tidy up, collect OH from station as he returns tonight, and RELAX!

earthgirl

Big delay in posting as I have had some major problems, sorry, opportunities! to deal with.

The childminder did not phone me back with new dates as to when I could bring earthlet for his aclimatisation visits, so I phoned her on Tuesday. She sheepishly told me that she was taking a break from childminding:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
From what I can figure out, I think she had been taking too many children, and volunteered to be suspended.

This is a pity as I think she was probably really good at her job, but just got too greedy. Anyway I am very glad he is not going there, and at least I have a couple of weeks :eek: to find hime somewhere else. I can only find one childminder, and I am just not that happy about leaving him there, so I think I'll go with a nursery thats about 1 minutes walk from my school, I can see it from the languages corridor! He can only go there until the summer, as they are booked for September, but then I have lots of options for September.

I think this will cost me an extra £1,000 overall, but the most important thing is that earthlet is safe and happy. I am going to visit the nursery again today, and the september options on Fri and Tue.

The opportunity is to get Earthlet in somewhere better than before:T!

On the plus side, Dad is going to transfer some money to me that i think is from Gran, so that will provide a bit of a buffer.

Got loads to do, including banking, cleaning, double tutoring and childcare visits, so off I go!

SmlSave

Poo about the childminder but like you say its gives you time to find somewhere brilliant for September