Day 9 – Focus

Back at work today, and as much as I was nervous about my ability to cope, I knew I had to, and you know what, I did.  Ok, everything took much longer today than normal, but fortunately study leave still continues for the sixth form.  I managed to teach the lessons I had left, although I did have to print off a five minute lesson plan, something I haven’t used since last September, just so I could get my head round the flow and dynamics of the lesson I was planning.  Normally I can hold all the variables in my head, but not today.  Admittedly whilst collecting my printing, I did offer some help to one of our PGCE students who had that ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ look in his eyes I know so well as he was telling me about the lesson he was planning for his final assessment.  It is to the credit of my dear colleagues in my last job (you know who you are) that I feel so at home with mechanics of teaching, aware that the processes of learning are far more complex and interesting than the ‘man on the street’ (please forgive the implicit sexism, the phrase ‘person on the street’ somehow doesn’t convey the same sense) might think.  So there I was asking about how he was demonstrating progress, suggesting peer assessment using a modified mark scheme might help, how was he differentiating his questioning, all the time watching his mind sort solutions to his problems, watching his shoulders relax.  Ok, I’ve lost most of you, but hopefully all will realise that I forgot the pain that haunts my days and nights, and immersed myself in the present, and the job I love.