I wanna be mortgage free!

shopgirl2512

Twinklie, it looks as though you have done quite a bit already. Don't worry about it too much. I think that everyone plans to sort out everything over the hols and start back at work all sorted...to be honest I don't know anyone who ever manages it! Enjoy your Sunday dinner and have a relaxing evening instead of worrying.:D

Have a good Monday!

twinklie

Well the shower is defo not gonna get done now so I'm going to have to leave home at 6.40am so that I have time to get a shower and get ready at school. I'm sooooo annoyed. Still, I'm keeping my gob shut before I get myself in trouble.

earthgirl

Try not to get stressed like you said you know what you are teaching! I always try to prioritise and the exam classes (most of my classes) get priority over non exam, and then I rotate the time I spend on these.

When I get stressed I try to think what is the worst that could happen if I don't complete this today? If the answer is I get the sack I do it! If it isnt I try to set aside a block of time - normally 3 hours one evening - to get stuff done.

I got up at 5am one morning in the hols and did the extra planning heaped on me by HoD - so one tired day and got it all done!

Other things that same me time - I guess automating everything like each class has a homework booklet with a years homework in it at the start of the year and a timetable with dates as to when they should be handed in. I also get class reps to check the homework in each week and fill out a form for the children that havent done it for a detention.

All boring stuff but saves me loads of time!

Good luck and enjoy your dinner!

shopgirl2512

earthgirl wrote: »

II also get class reps to check the homework in each week and fill out a form for the children that havent done it for a detention.

Genius! Why hadn't I thought of that?!?! :T

twinklie

Feeling far less stressed now. It's just this building work in the bathroom. Its stressing me out. Bringing back nightmares of Summer 06 and the never ending dramas that followed the builders. NIGHTMARE.

On a positive note, no defo news on the house but it looks like it's 75% leaning to a yes from my dad. Which is very exciting!!!!

Hmmm....Mum in law just rang. Tea has cooked faster than she though and she wants up round for 6!! Which is a pain...it's brought if forward an extra 30mins or so....grrr....

setmefree2

twinklie wrote: »

OOOh just had a letter from ScottishPower saying they are reducing our payments by £8.33 per month! Yey! Thats exciting. I'm pretty chuffed with that.

Well Done with that:T:T

Courgette

earthgirl wrote: »

Try not to get stressed like you said you know what you are teaching! I always try to prioritise and the exam classes (most of my classes) get priority over non exam, and then I rotate the time I spend on these.

When I get stressed I try to think what is the worst that could happen if I don't complete this today? If the answer is I get the sack I do it! If it isnt I try to set aside a block of time - normally 3 hours one evening - to get stuff done.

I got up at 5am one morning in the hols and did the extra planning heaped on me by HoD - so one tired day and got it all done!

Other things that same me time - I guess automating everything like each class has a homework booklet with a years homework in it at the start of the year and a timetable with dates as to when they should be handed in. I also get class reps to check the homework in each week and fill out a form for the children that havent done it for a detention.

All boring stuff but saves me loads of time!

Good luck and enjoy your dinner!

Useful advice there. Do the older kids mind filling out homework records or do they feel like they're dobbing their mates in?

twinklie

Right I'm back at school and working my socks off. Enjoying it though...really like the kids, they make me laugh sooo much. It's a bit rubbish though cos I have an observation by my HOD and one of the assistant heads tomorrow last period! How rude?

Just found out the Head wants to observe me with yr 9 top set in 2 weeks do. Gutted. Far too many obs going on for my liking. Ha ha ha.

The shower is STILL not sorted. And probably won't be until Thursday at the EARLIEST! I'm sooooo cheesed off!

earthgirl

I have a mark scheme for each homework (normally one word answers) and we mark as class once a week and grade it and the class reps write the grades down. (Takes about 10 mins) Anyone who doesnt get a c or above gets a green slip - which instructs them to write the entire homework out in two languages 5 times and get their parents to sign the sheet :eek: - if not they get an afterschool detention letter sent home. Needless to say 99% do their homework now anyway!

I have never encountered a child who has a problem filling the sheets out. At the start of the term I ask them to write their names on a piece of paper if they want to do the homework sheet I normally get about 10 - 15 pupils who want to do it!! I then select two pupils (obviously trustworthy ones) and they are my reps for 5 weeks or so. They do other little jobs as well and quite like it really. They are then crossed off the list and the next 2 trustworthy ones do it for 5 weeks etc.

Other things that save me time - I have a behaviour and reward board. On the bvr side I write their names if they bother me even slightly and tick under the headings - break (for break detention) cf (concern form to form tutor) and AS for after school detention. Every time they interrupt etc they get a tick and this works really well with most classes . The merit side gets filled in with kids doing good work.

Because my few brain cells left are a bit frazzled at the end of the day I have to write everything down and was fed up with bits of paper everywhere so I have a photocopied sheet per week per class with the pupils special educational needs written on (to remind myself every lesson)and headings to record every lesson:

All of the behaviour ticks, good behaviour and rewards given (makes me do it!)
pupils who have not completed hw
pupils who need extra help next lesson/ not completed something and other notes.

It takes about 3 mins I have only done it for a year and it is SO useful - if anybody asks me about a class or a particular pupil I can say Oh, Alan, he has had 5 merits for good work, or "I've spoken to Alan 6 times this term about disrupting the class". Also its so quick to decide what to write in reports. Heaven forbid you get a **** of a parent complaining about something and you can show them exactly what dates and what you have talked to their little darling about and what was done about it. It makes me appear organised and like I know whats going on and thats what counts

There are loads of other things I do to try to make things easier. I run a breakfast club, do lunch duty everyday and have another 3 part time (very part time) jobs, so streamlining is a necessity!

My advice to any teacher struggling with workload is to automate as much as you can, record as much as you can easily, and focus on the important stuff like actually teaching fun lessons with loads of games and interesting activities - wish I could do this bit as well as some others but I do try!

As I said for me streamlining is a necessity and I'm sure most teachers want to cut down the massive workload- so do any other teachers - especially NQTs who have observed others - do you have any tips on how to make life easier? How do you make report writing easier? And marking?

So sorry what an essay - obviously in the right job!

twinklie

Report writing is a joy I have still yet to encounter. I'm sooooo looking forward to it...can't you tell! Ha ha.