Yesterday, I spent some time with my lovely friend and work colleague who unfortunately suspects she has busted a ligament in her knee (it is still too swollen for them to say definitively). We had a bacon sandwich with chilli asparagus on the side which is pretty much the perfect lunch in my book, we had two cups of tea worth of chit chat and then we planned a year 9 assessment together. It was wonderful.
Today, I taught that lesson and it went so well. My nuture set students were all able to produce extended responses comparing the poems ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s For the Game’ by Jessie Pope. I had been dreading this assessment as they were very reluctant readers and writers but feel glad to have been able to coax something out of them.
This is one of the many frustrating parts of teaching: when you have the time to really plan (in a deep and intentional way) especially if you are able to collaborate with others, it always produces better outcomes for the students and a more enjoyable teaching experience for the teacher. Sadly, we rarely have the time or opportunity for this kind of collaborative planning. All of this is to say, when it works, when things go well, it really is such a rewarding experience. It is certainly a part of my job that I will dearly miss, along with the chance to spend some time scrutinsing some of the most beautifully written poems ever. Wilfred Owen breaks my heart every time I read his work.
Notes From My Day 