100 word for grown ups week 14

Well, Julia has excelled herself this week with her weekly challenge :)  http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week14/

When I saw this last night I had NO idea at all what to do with it. I couldn't believe how fast some poeple have got their entries in- and the more I read the less I knew what to do.

I love the cockney rhyming slang inspired post by Dughall  http://dughall.posterous.com/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week14 chuckled at Alison's interpretation http://abgreenteacher.blogspot.com/2011/10/100-words-for-grownups-week-14.html  and was blown away by Sally's http://wordpress.sjbteaching.com/wp/?p=543 

So, what to do. 

Well, I have tried to do something different- some word play. Have fiddled about with it as much as I can for the moment. It's certainly different to anything I have tried before. Thanks again to Julia for posing a great challenge. 

Alphabet – 26 letters, endless combinations and possibilities

 Alphadet – Well, it is a recession (FTSE and GDP  have a lot to answer for)

Alphajet- the way to go  (JAL, BMI and VLM)

Alphalet- where k, q ,x and z go when they are feeling underrated

Alphanet- the place where knowledge is sourced and shared (http://www.alphanet.com)

Alphapet- anybody who’s anybody wants one

Alphaset- the “in” crowd

Alphavet- where to go when the letters just wnot cmoe in the rghit oedrr

Alphawet- for inclement weather (rain, thunder, foggy)

100 words for grown ups week 13

This week, Julia's prompt was "the unseasonal weather". I had a go and was fairly pleased with it, until I started reading this week's entries. My goodness there are some talented people out there.

 As an avid reader I am very impatient with books which don't grab my attention and pull me in- all too often I am disappointed with raved about reads (sorry, "One Day" just didn't do it for me!)

 The people who write each week on this challenge really are a talented group of people. Maybe this should be an "X factor" for writing; but without all the drama/tears !

Anyway,  I have written two entries; my first is more of a comfort write, the second is, hopefully, a little darker. (Am loving "Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver at the moment so wanted to try something different. )

Enough waffling; here they are. Look forward to feedback.

100WCGU wk 13

Thrusting her hands deep into her coat pockets, Kit quickened her pace. The trees had shed all but the last few of their leaves which clung stubbornly to wind stripped branches. The fallen leaves danced briefly in cascades of russets, golds, reds and yellows as she swept past. The unseasonal weather had tricked misinformed bulbs into life; now they bent in shame against the bitter wind. The eider ducks, barely a week ago fervently building nests, huddled together in an effort to keep warm.

 Kit strode on, determined to find answers to the questions gnawing inside.



Here is my second attempt:

Joe staggered into the desolate whiteness in search of fuel for his sorry excuse for a fire. The generators had long given up the fight and lay useless.

He pulled his coat closer and scanned the unfamiliar landscape. The unseasonal weather had initially been welcomed; but as the days dragged to weeks then months the Arctic temperatures impact on the Cornish Coast made their presence very much felt.

Some had made it across the frozen channel.

 Joe battled on,  desperation driving him forward.

A few feet behind him, moving silently on padded paws, the bear followed.

It too, was desperate. 

100 WCGU week 12

Goodness, Julia set a challenge this week. Economics is NOT my forte and I initially tried to do something comedic along the lines of soaring temperatures or the NASA satellite...bad ideas which crashed and burnt spectacularly! So I have had a go at writing a serious piece along the lines of a (very brief) article in a broadsheet.
Its not the type of thing I would usually write (or read!) so am taking a bit of a gamble here. As a teacher I  am always encouraging children to move out of their comfort zones, so well done again to Julia for reminding me what that feels like!
Here it is:

Overnight, markets across Europe have crashed. The Euro has plummeted to its lowest ever level amidst fears of defaults from countries besieged by insurmountable debts. Euro meltdown fear is spreading alarmingly as the banks battle to regain order. Financial experts are warning that the worst is yet to come. Urgent measures are needed to stabilise the situation said President Obama in his latest talks with the British prime minister.  The Greek prime minister is urging for bold steps to be taken towards fiscal integration to ensure future stability. Sceptics are already placing their bets that the Euro’s days are numbered.  

Reflections on working part time.

So, four weeks into the new year and my new part time role.

What have I learnt so far ? Well, I know that I am far too much of a control nut and need to work on that! Last week some resources of mine had gone walkabout and I felt panic levels rise as I searched like a woman possessed. For goodness sake, it was only a box of pins, not the crown jewels! The classroom  is not MY classroom anymore and I must strive to remember that and keep persepective when things aren't where I left them.

It has been fantastic to have time to myself during the week, and I have been able to catch up on things which I wouldn't normally have been able to do. Going to the gym in the morning, having extended lunches with friends, having time to decorate, do the gardening, sit and read, play the guitar, chat on the phone when I would have been at work in the past. Great! Have I managed to switch off from work when I am not there... not yet; I suppose I am still at the stage where I want to prove to myself that I am still a key member of the team. The days I am in seem to whizz at an almost alarming rate as I try to pack everything planned in.  That is something I need to work on to ensure that I leave time within the days I am in for the children to reflect on their learning and not have overly high expectations; I am not trying to do 5 days in 3 after all!

The good things are having a way better work life balance than I have had since I can remember. Of course I am still tired at the end of the week, but feeling that I can keep on top of things has been hugely empowering. Having a job share partner who is a fabulous communicator has made the start to the year a lot less stressful than previous year starts have been.

I can't think of anything that I would want to change at the moment. Being part time doesn't make me any less dedicated  enthusiastic or committed. Ultimately I hope it will make me a better teacher as I have  time to reflect upon my practice and have professional dialogue with a partner who knows the class as well as I do.

100 words for grown ups week 11

Julia has given a word prompt this week- out of the mouths of babes.
Always guaranteed to get the brain cells going, this weekly challenge has become something to look forward to. Now that I have reduced my working hours to 3 days a week it has been fantastic to have time in the week to do things for myself. Today I have been to the gym, sanded and glossed a doorway, caught up on housework and bills. Oh yes, done some planning too for school and uploaded some comments to our class blog. It would be very easy to spend all day every day on teaching related things and I am having to be really strict with myself not to; otherwise what's the point of working part time?! I feel full of beans and ready for the rest of the week to come.

Anyway, I digress. Here is this week's effort:

“Mu-um?”

“Yes sweetheart,”

“Can I have some sweets ?”

“Now, what’s the magic word?”

“Ummm...Can I have some sweets PLEASE, Mum?”

“Not just now, you’ll spoil your appetite. Not long til tea time. You can have some after, OK.”

“But Mu-um...”

“Yes poppet?”

“What about that biscuit YOU  just had, wont that spoil YOUR appetite?”

“No, because that was a special biscuit.”

“Mu-um...”

“Ye-es?”

“And what about that chocolate bar  you were eating in the kitchen?”

“Well that was my pudding from lunch time. Off you go now”

“But Mu-um...”

Out of the mouths of babes, huh.

I couldn’t really decide how to go about this one- the above is almost verbatim conversation with my son (now almost 13, then 5ish)  Watching the Beeb's Outnumbered the other night was in stitches over yet another "that is so true" moment.  This isn't a patch on that, but it was the intended effect. 

100 words for grown ups week 10

I thought this week’s prompt from  Julia was a tricky one and have been racking my brains; so far have tried and dumped a news report, an attempt at an interview and a short story about competitive neighbours (was quite pleased with that but managed to delete and save a blank doc- duh )  Have read a very interesting (as always) variety of pieces so far.

In the end I decided to carry on with the ever faithful Kit, here goes...

Kit pulled open the door to the garden. As with the house, it was a mere shadow of its former self.  Pushing the trailing creepers from the wisteria and honeysuckle to one side, her feet found a familiar path. Scents evocative of summers long past filled her head. Each step she took seemed to transport her back in time. Her pace slowed as memories flooded back.

 A buzz from her pocket snapped her back to the present. Whilst reaching for the phone  she saw it, faded now, but still recognisable. She smiled as she remembered her Grandmothers love of topiaries.

Hmmm, really felt like a learner doing this one!  Good way to unwind after a busy day at work though. Loving my new class; all bright eyed and bushy tailed, full of enthusiasm. Great. But, after the break finding it hard to get things done! If I have said "Get a wiggle on!" once, I said it a thousand times today. Have learnt from experience that it is vital to NOT try to do too much with a new class in the first couple of weeks, as it is so important to build relationships and ease children into their new class. Being new to job sharing also, am very aware that the class have two new teachers to get their heads round (and a trainee starting next week too!)

Early days yet, I have every confidence that in a couple of weeks they'll be raring to go... Oh yes they will :) 

Word clouds, blogs and twitter

Was looking at one of my quadblogging buddy classes and saw that these had been created for the whole class by  @KnikiDavies at http://avenue5d2011.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/meet-the-team/ What a brilliant idea. Here is one I have done for my blog.
Her class tag clouds are moving in the way they do on the site http://www.tagxedo.com , I haven't worked that out yet. I feel a tweet or two coming on later to help me out!
The more I get into blogging, the more I realise I do not know. However, there are plenty of people who know much more than me. I am so glad to have signed up to twitter. My colleagues look at me incredulously when I talk about new ideas gleaned from #ukedchat or my PLN. Eyes roll and conversations are rapidly changed. Does being on twitter make me a better teacher? Probably not, but what it has done is opened up a wealth of new ideas and challenged me to try things I might never have tried otherwise. I work in a great school with a very hard working and close team. We all share ideas readily, but it has been incredibly empowering widening that group of professionals outside the county and country even.
I now want to take part in a teachmeet; have heard so many positive things about them. Oh yes, and try to get  some of my colleagues to see I am not an IT geek and that twitter really is not just about celebrities.