100 words week 27

Well, this week Julia has set quite a different challenge: " This week, you are all going to be critics. You are to choose a piece from last week and write a critique of it." More details at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-27/

To be honest, the idea of critiquing someone's work filled me with dread- I am doing this weekly challenge in an effort to improve my writing and am delighted if anyone reads it and leaves a comment- if that comment offers some constructive criticism then I'm even happier.
BUT... that's me!
Anyway, it is an interesting challenge and I am sure the entries will be great reading.
You can find them at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=125696&type=basic

I am writing about Hurtled to 60 and beyond's piece- Autumn's Auction (http://hurtlingtowards60.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/autumns-auction-shocker-100-wcgu-week-26/)

Autumn, the proverbial black sheep of the family, makes her return in this thrilling instalment in the series. Autumn, well dressed but lacking in morals, continues to cause her family heartache and despair , disregarding her late grandparents wishes whilst leaving a path of destruction in her wake.

In a mere 105 words the writer is able to draw you into this tangled web of deceit and family feud. How will it end? Will Autumn get what she deserves? You will have to wait for the next chapter to find out. I have a feeling that Autumn has a few more tricks up her sleeve.

100 words for grown ups week 26

This week the challenge was 5 words- Aghast  Aquamarine  Aeroplane  Acted  After    to be used within a creative piece.

My first idea was to do a ten 0'clock news report but I couldn't get it quite right, so have gone for a news report instead.

All the details can be found on Julia's blog at 

http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-26/

These are such fun to do and have made me realise just how hard it can be to come up with ideas! I often talk to my class about doing these and have shared many of them with the children when we have been writing on similar themes. It has certainly made me much more understanding of the child who sits in class and says, "But I just don't know what to write!" It doesn't happen too often, but when it does I make sure that I have provided plenty of prompts and quality examples of writing. I love all the Pie Corbett resources and try to incorporate lots of the "Talk for writing" strategies into my teaching to empower the children.

Anyway, I digress.

Here is my effort at this week's prompt. 

I'm going to read the others at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=124425&type=basic

Dangerous  creature on the loose

Residents of Kensington were aghast to find their well tended gardens in disarray after an uninvited creature visited and acted inappropriately towards their prized pets. Witnesses have described a lizard-like creature, the size of a large family dog.

At the time of writing there are no photographs. Here is our artistic interpretation:

This creature should be easy to spot with its bright aquamarine skin. However, for safety, residents have been advised not to approach it , but to call the police. How it came to be here remains a mystery; perhaps concealed amongst baggage on an aeroplane or freight ship.

100 words for grown ups 2012

Well, a new year has started. 2012 promises to be a memorable one with the Olympics coming to GB, a diamond jubilee.
I don't make resolutions really, but see the start of a new year as a time to look back on the successes of the past and to look forward to what the future brings. Learn from the past, enjoy the present and look to the future is how I try to see things.
This week the prompt from Julia is a bit different; no surprises there. You can read her fab blog at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week25/
This week we have been given a picture and asked to write in the first person from the perspective of one of the people in the picture. Here goes

A very happy new year to all, full of health, hope and happiness.


My year

I’m here; not that anyone was expecting me-no one thought I’d put myself through it again , not after last year.

 This time I'm wearing the same as the others.

Oh yes, how I laughed after turning up as an elf last year when everyone else was a reindeer. And how they all laughed as I struggled.

Can’t look me in the eye now though, none of them, not even Kim.

I’ve been training, haven’t told a soul. They’ll all be expecting me to trundle along as usual...not this time.

My time.

My year.

The year of the dragon.

(note- I noted that this year is the year of the dragon so I put the arrowed girl to have been born in 1988 whic was also a year of the dragon- hence the reference)

check the others out at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=122903&type=basic

Festive 100 word for grown ups

Having spent the last few days with my lovely family eating, drinking and chilling out (and a few walks, party games into the mix!) Have had a go at a couple of these so far.
My brain is obviously pickled as I am not sure how to link to them so I have put my endings in the comment boxes on the posts.
I will have a look at the others later in the week (off to see Puss in Boots later :O)! ) and may also finish off my own ...
There are so many fabulous posts this week. Check them out at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=121648&type=basic

Here are the two endings I have done...

http://midlifesinglemum.blogspot.com/2011/12/dancingintherain-season-part-1.html

http://nellyache.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-24/#comment-68

The Season .

I thought I would have a go at a different style of writing this week, this is my second effort for Julia's 100 word challenge (this week called the 50-50 challenge http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/5050-word-challenge-week24/)

The Season

Celeste snapped the blinds shut with a flick of her slender wrist. She wasn't quite fast enough and her amber eyes narrowed as she stared at the blistering skin on her forearm.

The church bells pealing reminded her of times long past when Christmas had been a time of joy...






Check the others out at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=121648&type=basic 

Special 100 word challenge...,

This week , Julia has set a challenge with a twist:

• Write a 50 word piece on the theme (The Season)
• Post it as usual on your blog & here at Julia’s Place
• Wait until you have got fed up with all the festivities and there are a some entries and chose one
• Write the next 50 words of the entry you have chosen as if you were continuing the story. It’s like the old party game of consequences when you wrote something on a piece of paper, folded it over and passed it on. This will give you the opportunity of writing in the genre chosen by someone else!
• Link to the piece you are continuing. You should have lots of visitors over this time!

Julia's page is at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/5050-word-challenge-week24/

So, it is a bit like "consequences"

Here is my 50 word piece. It is going to be fun to read each others and see how they get finished off! 

The Season.

“♫ Driving home for Christmas ♫” played as Kyle flicked the cruise control. He patted his pocket for the umpteenth time...still there. He smiled to himself as he pictured the scene that was to come. He had everything in place: this Christmas would be like no other. 

That's it- 50 word max! Up to each other to finish them off next week. 

Can't wait :O)


I have done two this week- the other one is at http://mrshalford.blogspot.com/2011/12/season.html


 Check the others out at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=121648&type=basic

The first term as a job share teacher

Well, it is the holiday now (yippeee) and the first term working 3 days a week has come to it's end.
How has it gone?
Amazingly well...I have loved it. I have tried very hard to "get over" the classroom no longer being mine, but "ours" and stopped trying to squeeze a whole week's work into three days.
Of course I still felt shattered at the end of term, but considerably less so, and the whole build up to Christmas was so much more enjoyable having been there less! Early play rehearsals left me not knowing what was going on, but that didn't last long.
Have learnt that trying to split APP is a challenge; next term will do two subjects and my JSP will do the other and we will swap that each term. Found that there are quite a few things that didn't get covered this term...but that we know now exactly what we need to work on next term. In some ways I feel I know the class better at this stage of the year than previously due to the amount of conversations we have had about the children.
It has made me realise that we all, whether we are full time or part time, need to spend a lot more time talking to each other about what we do in our classrooms...staff meetings each week should focus on the teaching and learning rather than bogged down by bureaucratic discussions.
Next term we are going to do some observations of each other teaching with a view to this leading to some coaching... I am really looking forward to this and will write about how it goes.
Do I have any regrets about working part time? No! Salary taken a nose dive but quality of life is so much better. I have found some things harder, for example I run the class blog and have found it difficult to keep the momentum going with the class as my JSP is not a fan of ICT; one of my challenges is to try to change that (!) as well as try to keep my class enthusing about it when I am not there...watch this space.
Still going to the gym, caught up with friends more, been less of a stress head and had great fun taking part in various writing challenges particularly the 100Words one.
http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/5050-word-challenge-week24/

I am going to have  go at that later on today...

I know that I am lucky to be working with a colleague that I have known for years...we are both keen to make job sharing as successful as possible. Communication is key. Would love to hear from both experienced and new job sharers for how they make their partnership successful and continue to develop their roles.
Twitter has been (and continues to be) a wonderful place to share ideas, gain inspiration and support each other. Love it.

Here's to a great 2012...