Posts Tagged ‘teaching’
Sex on a page
Just a funny story.
I teach a year eleven English class of low ability students, mostly boys. Not only low ability but low motivation too. I had given the boys a worksheet to complete for an assessment something which they furiously worked on and were somewhat proud of. I was surprised that they were actually interested in this so when a student asked for me to read his work and check if it was okay I was happy to oblige.
It was good and I told him exactly that “It’s good.” to which he replied “Good? Just good or is it sex on a page good?” without missing a beat one of the boys at the back of the room piped up with “Well really it depends who you are having sex with. I mean if it’s with your mum then that is one shit piece of work you are handing up.”
So there I was with two boys who have just said two very funny things and I’m not supposed to laugh at either of them. I tried so hard to tell them off for inappropriate language but my face gave it away. It was funny. It was incredibly witty too for boys like this.
So now I am proposing a new method of grading writing. What level would you give this?
For the record the boys work was “Sex on a page with his hot sister level.” Looks good until you go into the details then it gets sketchy.
Just goes to show that even in the most unlikely of places, you can have a laugh and be surprised.
Image by this is your brain on lithium (flickr)
I have a new job!
It is amazing how quickly my life has turned around. Two weeks ago I was miserable. I didn’t want to go into work at all. I used to bitch and whine and generally carry on about how unhappy I was. The I decided to do something about it.
Thinking it was too late to get a job as a full-time teacher (most teaching appointments are done a term in advance and at this point it was a week until school went back) I sent off my CV with a cover letter to every school in the area asking for relief work. I fixed up my teaching portfolio to demonstrate more of my skills as a teacher. I also checked the Catholic Education jobs board, the government schools jobs board and websites like seek.com. I was determined that if anything was advertised I would apply for it and I would get it.
It happened that a job was advertised.
At first I was hesitant. Was this really what I wanted? Then I thought about how miserable I had been at work lately, how happy I had been at the prospect of teaching again, and how excited I had been at re-writing my teaching portfolio. This was the right decision, every part of me was saying so.
I went to the interview and nailed it. I had a bit of a self sabotaging session on the way to the interview which thankfully Ben was able to drag me out of before I ruined this opportunity.
So here I am two weeks into teaching at a new school. I still can’t believe it has all happened so fast. My life is starting to turn around slowly and I am starting to feel happy again. The best part of it is, is that it has been me who has made this change. I had the determination and I did it!
I even get paid maternity leave at this job, if we do try again!
Image by SuperKimbo in BKK (flickr)
