Someone just emailed this to me and I thought it was so funny (and strange!) that I had to share it with my rebellious blog viewers.
http://www.freeteachertips.com/happyteacher.swf
Number 3 in the '101 thing to do while teaching' is coming on Sunday. Until then...
Friday 12 January 2007
Thursday 11 January 2007
While the excitement builds....
While the excitement once again builds for the imminent release of number 3 of the '101 things to do while teaching' list I wanted to share with you the exciting news that our little blog is now part of the Sites For Teachers community.
So does this mean that the controversial mutterings of this fiery publication will now cease, that our blog will become part of the establishment and will no longer hit out at unsuspecting victims, like an animated and hyperactive Bruce Lee having drunk 12 cans of Redbull?
Not a chance! They can add my link to their community, but they can never silence this maverick voice in the educational jungle..........
So does this mean that the controversial mutterings of this fiery publication will now cease, that our blog will become part of the establishment and will no longer hit out at unsuspecting victims, like an animated and hyperactive Bruce Lee having drunk 12 cans of Redbull?
Not a chance! They can add my link to their community, but they can never silence this maverick voice in the educational jungle..........
Like Butter On Warm Toast....
Now that my little ol' blog is spreading around the world like warm butter on toast I am getting increasing numbers of emails asking if I could be so kind as to mention their website or blog.
One such site that stood out for me was http://www.parasitesparadise.com/. I actually came across this site on the TES website before it was emailed to me, and I have to say that it is great. Have a look yourself and see what you think. And if you are wondering about the strange name I suggest you have a look at the Parasites Paradise thread on the Primary forum of the TES website. Yes, I know, I found it a bit confusing too!
One such site that stood out for me was http://www.parasitesparadise.com/. I actually came across this site on the TES website before it was emailed to me, and I have to say that it is great. Have a look yourself and see what you think. And if you are wondering about the strange name I suggest you have a look at the Parasites Paradise thread on the Primary forum of the TES website. Yes, I know, I found it a bit confusing too!
Dancing, Man Flu, and Chris Woodhead
Well first of all I should apologise for the huge gap in between posts. Like some sort of big shot marketing genius I simply decided to hold back until the howls of expectation reached a crescendo, the deafening voices of the teaching profession chanting as one “bring back the blog!”
Well that would be nice if it were true, but sadly I have been suffering from a chest infection (not man flu thank you very much!) and have been too weak to share my thoughts with the world. However, my strength is back, my head clear, so all rise for the second instalment of the critically acclaimed (by my mum at least) instalment of “101 things to do while teaching”.
The moment the teaching profession have been waiting for is here at long last. No more huddled speculation in the staffroom, heads conferences no longer alive to the frenzied curiosity about what will come next. No more Government briefings about the dangers of this explosive blog.
The number 2 thing to while teaching is….. Go dancing
Now before all you burly 6ft2 men who can barely stand up without falling over, let alone prance around a dance floor, switch off in disgust, let me explain a little further. I am a burly 6ft2 man who can barely stand up without falling over. In fact, not only can I not dance, but I can’t even dance as well as the oldies do in those tragic scenes in “neighbours”. In fact to see me dance is as repellent as Chris Woodhead is to a NUT union official.
So why is some crazy 6ft2” man, who dances like a hyperactive Giraffe, suggesting we all kick on our dancing shoes and run down to the ballroom? Well teaching is stressful, tiring, and the rest. Everywhere I turn I see teachers on the verge of burn out, exhausted by the ever increasing demands of our peculiar little job. Good teachers leave this profession each and every year simply because they wear their body out with too much work and not enough play. What could be better for relieving the unquestionable pressures of the job than taking your partner out and dancing the night away in a carefree fashion. Folks if I can do it (if I posted a video it would end up on the ‘and finally' section of the News at Ten…”and finally a local teacher today caused much merriment on his local dance floor, here is our reporter with more” then anyone can.
Next time you are feeling tired and harassed kick back, forget the troubles of the world and go dancing. But please make sure that there are no year 11 students there with mobile phone cameras or you may end up as the YouTube number one attraction….
Until next time ….man flu permitting of course!
Well that would be nice if it were true, but sadly I have been suffering from a chest infection (not man flu thank you very much!) and have been too weak to share my thoughts with the world. However, my strength is back, my head clear, so all rise for the second instalment of the critically acclaimed (by my mum at least) instalment of “101 things to do while teaching”.
The moment the teaching profession have been waiting for is here at long last. No more huddled speculation in the staffroom, heads conferences no longer alive to the frenzied curiosity about what will come next. No more Government briefings about the dangers of this explosive blog.
The number 2 thing to while teaching is….. Go dancing
Now before all you burly 6ft2 men who can barely stand up without falling over, let alone prance around a dance floor, switch off in disgust, let me explain a little further. I am a burly 6ft2 man who can barely stand up without falling over. In fact, not only can I not dance, but I can’t even dance as well as the oldies do in those tragic scenes in “neighbours”. In fact to see me dance is as repellent as Chris Woodhead is to a NUT union official.
So why is some crazy 6ft2” man, who dances like a hyperactive Giraffe, suggesting we all kick on our dancing shoes and run down to the ballroom? Well teaching is stressful, tiring, and the rest. Everywhere I turn I see teachers on the verge of burn out, exhausted by the ever increasing demands of our peculiar little job. Good teachers leave this profession each and every year simply because they wear their body out with too much work and not enough play. What could be better for relieving the unquestionable pressures of the job than taking your partner out and dancing the night away in a carefree fashion. Folks if I can do it (if I posted a video it would end up on the ‘and finally' section of the News at Ten…”and finally a local teacher today caused much merriment on his local dance floor, here is our reporter with more” then anyone can.
Next time you are feeling tired and harassed kick back, forget the troubles of the world and go dancing. But please make sure that there are no year 11 students there with mobile phone cameras or you may end up as the YouTube number one attraction….
Until next time ….man flu permitting of course!
Thursday 4 January 2007
Just a Quick Thanks...
I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who has sent such supportive emails and comments over the past few days. The next gripping installment will be with you on Saturday...a gripping read is promised as always!
Monday 1 January 2007
Number 1 Thing To Do When Teaching....
Wow, when I launched this blog yesterday I didn't expect such a reaction. I can tell from the emails (all 7 of them!) that my blog is obviously going to be a big part of your lives during 07, but there really was no need to go and organise international firework displays in honour of this blog! I couldn't believe that as the New Year began, symbolising the start of this epic journey (otherwise know as my blog), fireworks rang out across the horizon. A fitting tribute to an explosive blog....
Ok (drum roll please) so what is the first of a hundred and one things that you should do while teaching?
No#1 Visit an eBay Shop!
Before I entered the teaching profession I honestly has no idea how difficult it would be. Sat behind my mind numbingly boring accountancy desk I actually thought teachers had life pretty easy (I changed my mind about day 1 of my PGCE course!). Start work at 8:45, finish at 15:00, holidays every second week, teach the same lessons year after year. From my vantage point teachers had it pretty easy (I guess Year 1 teachers still do but that is a point for another post!).
How wrong I was! Teaching as a job is more difficult than anyone working in other professions will ever realise. So why am I telling you what you already know? Well my point is this. Every now and then, when you are full of a cold and people are commenting that you look as though you have recently died and been resuscitated in quick succession, visit an eBay store or a resource website and buy something which will make your life easier. I know we shouldn't have to spend our own money, and I wouldn't recommend it every day, but one thing that teachers should do when teaching is occasionally visit an eBay store and spend £1.99 on a resource which might save you hours of preparation. Seems like good sense to me….
Now put your feet up, relax and (depending on your subject and phase) visit one of the shops below and let them worry about that lesson you forgot to plan P1 tomorrow.
http://www.instantdisplay.co.uk/
http://www.leafy-teaching-resources.co.uk/
http://www.leafyeducation.co.uk/
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Teacher-Toolbox
Until next time….
Ok (drum roll please) so what is the first of a hundred and one things that you should do while teaching?
No#1 Visit an eBay Shop!
Before I entered the teaching profession I honestly has no idea how difficult it would be. Sat behind my mind numbingly boring accountancy desk I actually thought teachers had life pretty easy (I changed my mind about day 1 of my PGCE course!). Start work at 8:45, finish at 15:00, holidays every second week, teach the same lessons year after year. From my vantage point teachers had it pretty easy (I guess Year 1 teachers still do but that is a point for another post!).
How wrong I was! Teaching as a job is more difficult than anyone working in other professions will ever realise. So why am I telling you what you already know? Well my point is this. Every now and then, when you are full of a cold and people are commenting that you look as though you have recently died and been resuscitated in quick succession, visit an eBay store or a resource website and buy something which will make your life easier. I know we shouldn't have to spend our own money, and I wouldn't recommend it every day, but one thing that teachers should do when teaching is occasionally visit an eBay store and spend £1.99 on a resource which might save you hours of preparation. Seems like good sense to me….
Now put your feet up, relax and (depending on your subject and phase) visit one of the shops below and let them worry about that lesson you forgot to plan P1 tomorrow.
http://www.instantdisplay.co.uk/
http://www.leafy-teaching-resources.co.uk/
http://www.leafyeducation.co.uk/
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Teacher-Toolbox
Until next time….
Sunday 31 December 2006
Welcome to 101 things to do while teaching...
Ah teaching, the worthwhile pursuit of filling young minds with bright ideas. Every day filled by little bundles of joy inquisitively seeking new droplets of knowledge. Well that's what they tell you in teacher training college anyway!
Whatever your view of teaching as career (personally I love it almost as much as I do the sight of white bunnies skipping down a flower filled meadow in Spring) the chances are that you feel as though your life is ever so slightly unfulfilled. Sure, filling bright young minds with droplets of knowledge is its own reward (until the bright young minds become dreary drenched puddles of doom around about year 9), but the long hours and mountains of paperwork mean that it is likely that you don't do as much outside of teaching as do employees in other professions.
There is nothing like the searing intensity of a day in the classroom (unless you teach Year 1, playing in the sand is hardly searing intensity is it?!) to kill any enthusiasm for living any kind of life outside of teaching. A day in the trenches (sorry classroom) is unlikely to lead you to want to go home, put on your dancing shoes and head to the disco (unless you teach Year 1 of course).
Well this is where the '101 things to do while teaching' team (ok one man and a very active imagination) comes in. Over the course of 2007 it is our intention to fill your lives with the most fulfilling things that you can do outside of the classroom while teaching. Of course, intention and reality often get muddled, but you can be sure that during the next year you will receive expert advice and guidance to spice up your non-teaching lives! All you will need are Swimming Trunks, a JCB, and an Oxygen Tank (I made those up, but if we did need them it would be a pretty cool list of 101 things to do!)
Heres to 2007, and the living of a life outside of the classroom! Number 1 thing to do while teaching is coming tomorrow. Make sure you tune in, it will be an awesome ride!
Whatever your view of teaching as career (personally I love it almost as much as I do the sight of white bunnies skipping down a flower filled meadow in Spring) the chances are that you feel as though your life is ever so slightly unfulfilled. Sure, filling bright young minds with droplets of knowledge is its own reward (until the bright young minds become dreary drenched puddles of doom around about year 9), but the long hours and mountains of paperwork mean that it is likely that you don't do as much outside of teaching as do employees in other professions.
There is nothing like the searing intensity of a day in the classroom (unless you teach Year 1, playing in the sand is hardly searing intensity is it?!) to kill any enthusiasm for living any kind of life outside of teaching. A day in the trenches (sorry classroom) is unlikely to lead you to want to go home, put on your dancing shoes and head to the disco (unless you teach Year 1 of course).
Well this is where the '101 things to do while teaching' team (ok one man and a very active imagination) comes in. Over the course of 2007 it is our intention to fill your lives with the most fulfilling things that you can do outside of the classroom while teaching. Of course, intention and reality often get muddled, but you can be sure that during the next year you will receive expert advice and guidance to spice up your non-teaching lives! All you will need are Swimming Trunks, a JCB, and an Oxygen Tank (I made those up, but if we did need them it would be a pretty cool list of 101 things to do!)
Heres to 2007, and the living of a life outside of the classroom! Number 1 thing to do while teaching is coming tomorrow. Make sure you tune in, it will be an awesome ride!
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