This week I had a couple of crazy days! Tuesday I had the grade 1/2 class that I've had before that can some times be wonderful and other times be real hard to teach. Unfortunately they seemed to be very worked up and to add to things there was a 4th year uni student in the room. Which meant I was supposed to be there to supervise the uni student doing all the teaching (sounds so easy lol) but I felt for the poor girl as I could see the classes behaviour getting worse and worse; and before I knew it the teacher in me was coming out and I stepped in to settle them down a few times. They really are a nice class, they are just young and very chatty and a bit cheeky. And they were nothing compared to the class I had on Wednesday!
On Wednesday I was at a different school teaching a grade three class that I have also previously taught. Of course when they called to book me they didn't want to say which grade three class it was until I got there. I knew that was a bad sign! It was one of those days where whatever the worse is you could imagine happening in a classroom - happened to me that one day! The bell rang in the morning they came and sat down for the roll but half the boys decided to hit and swear at each other and backchat me (all within the first few mins of the day!) We then went to parade where on the way one boy (who thankfully spent the majority of the day at SEU!) decided to hit everyone near him and swear at me repeatedly. After that we came back to do some maths, again half the boys decided to act like rude idiots; fighting and swearing at me, so I sent them to the office and gave them detention (which they thought was funny). The principal came down and 'chatted' with them, they in turn back-chatted to him. Before lunch I thought I would be nice and play a game with them but every time they went to sit on the floor the boys were physically fighting each other. So I sent the whole class back to their desks and tried another three times and each time they kept fighting so I made them return to doing their work. After first break they came in more worked up then ever and half the class wouldn't work so I called the office and had some of the boys sent up their and had an aide come into the room to help me (they were rude to her too) and we got a little bit of work done. Half way through lunch I had to call them over the announcements to get them so I could take them swimming. They had been looking forward to this all day so you think they would behave for this but no. They wouldn't sit down, be quiet or keep their hands to themselves. Also the SEU boy that swore at me was back with the class with an SEU teacher to watch him. She was getting angry at the class and they wouldn't even listen to her. The swimming pool is at the high school next to the primary school and takes less than 5mins to get their. But from the time I made the announcement to the time we finally got their (walking with them was hell!) it took over half an hour! But at least I could hand them over to the PE teacher and relax a bit. Watching their lesson was ridiculous though, they were so rude and disobedient to their regular PE teacher that he kicked half them out of the pool. After their lesson it took them 20mins for them to get changed which meant we had to race back to school before the bell went which of course meant a lot of hitting and swearing at each other on the way. These are 8 year olds by the way. Ohh and how could I forget one incident where a boy refusing to do his work decided to cut up his work book and ended up cutting his finger and complaining to me he was bleeding, yeah I was real concerned. Not.
I talked with the teachers I worked with that day, the aid and the principal who all said it wasn't me (after seeing the PE teacher being treated the way he was I know it is true) but they are just a rude challenging class in general and their normal teacher struggles with them. I am just thankful I could walk away and not have to teach them again (and I won't be!). I don't know how anyone could put up with that time of behaviour on a daily basis and still be sane. If that was any other school in the area and children behaved that way there would be serious consequences for them. I don't see how the school can accept that behaviour. And to tell me they struggle to find relief teachers; you wonder why!!!
Miss Snix.
Work
After 2 weeks of not working I finally returned to work today. I got a phone call at 6.45am asking me to work at a school. It was the school I had the grade 4/5 contract at but today I taught a grade 3 class that I have taught many times before for relief and at one point was tricked into having a contract while teaching them. Thankfully that won't be the case this time because I spoke with the teacher in the morning and she was only taking the day off to take her son to the doctor. And I won't be able to work five days in a row because I have a family member leaving on Friday so I am taking the day off to see her go. Half way through the day the (acting) deputy principal came to see me (while I was in the middle of teaching) to see if I wanted to teach his (he is taking a class temporarily) year 6/7 class tomorrow. I said no. Felt good too, normally I would smile and pretend to laugh at his little remarks to make a good impression but he is a twat and I am in demand in a lot of other schools anyway I no longer feel the need to suck up (not that I was being rude!) But I told him I am only teaching the littlies these days and since they were so desperate for a relief teacher (personally I don't think he should be discussing so openly that his school is struggling to find teachers when there are so many relief teachers out there fighting for jobs. Says it all really) he said he would see if he could get one of the teachers he had lined up to take a junior class to swap and take his. So a little while latter he returned (again while I was in the middle of trying to teach maths; no it's okay. . . 8 year olds will stop what we were doing and sit there quietly while he talks to me. As if!) and said that he would like me to take the grade 1/2 class. I have taught them before, some days they are wonderful and other days they are little horrors so I agreed to it and off he went on his merrily way sipping his coffee to find where he left his class while I got to settle down 20 eight year olds.
My last post I was wondering if I would get a payslip for not earning any money; I didn't haha I looked up my bank account thinking they might have paid me for my last week on contract but nothing was showing up. So I looked at my last payslip and turns out they paid the last week of my contract before I even worked it so it was all in a nice neat fortnight package. Ohh well, still got the money just before I was expecting it. And just goes to show how closely I look at my payslips! haha I always check off dates for relief work in case they forget a booking but I never really look at dates when on contracts; as long as they pay a fortnightly pay I am happy. But if I get another contract will look closer! Also got a little freaked out when on the notes section of the payslip it said my casual pay (relief work) was about to cease, didn't really understand this but then today I got a form to fill out to continue being a relief teacher for next year. So I guess they were just getting in early (2 months early!) to let me know the end of the year was coming and they weren't going to pay me (duhh!) until next year when I get to (once form is complete) be a relief teacher all over again (yay me lol)
Anywho should be going, need to get ready for an early night. Unlike last night I stayed up until almost 1am watching Walk the Line. I am surprised I was so awake today! When I was at uni I could do all nighters and then still attend class with no worries but these days I need my sleep!
Miss Snix.
My last post I was wondering if I would get a payslip for not earning any money; I didn't haha I looked up my bank account thinking they might have paid me for my last week on contract but nothing was showing up. So I looked at my last payslip and turns out they paid the last week of my contract before I even worked it so it was all in a nice neat fortnight package. Ohh well, still got the money just before I was expecting it. And just goes to show how closely I look at my payslips! haha I always check off dates for relief work in case they forget a booking but I never really look at dates when on contracts; as long as they pay a fortnightly pay I am happy. But if I get another contract will look closer! Also got a little freaked out when on the notes section of the payslip it said my casual pay (relief work) was about to cease, didn't really understand this but then today I got a form to fill out to continue being a relief teacher for next year. So I guess they were just getting in early (2 months early!) to let me know the end of the year was coming and they weren't going to pay me (duhh!) until next year when I get to (once form is complete) be a relief teacher all over again (yay me lol)
Anywho should be going, need to get ready for an early night. Unlike last night I stayed up until almost 1am watching Walk the Line. I am surprised I was so awake today! When I was at uni I could do all nighters and then still attend class with no worries but these days I need my sleep!
Miss Snix.
Contemplating Things
It's been 13 days since I last worked. Originally by choice; I took last week off because I was fairly sick but have gotten somewhat better and feel ready to return to work. Unfortunately work has decided it is not ready for me haha. Monday was a pupil free day which was great! I went to the beach with my mother, sister, her three kids and my dog. I had a lot of fun swimming and playing in the water with niece. I was even good and went to bed early so I was prepared for an early morning call telling me where I was working that day, no call. So last night I went to bed early again (very unusual and hard for me!) and this morning still no call. So now I have 2 days left to get work otherwise my next payslip will be a big fat $0! I have never had that happen before so I wonder if they would even bother sending a payslip out. After this week there is only 7 more weeks left of the school year, which is about 3 or 4 paydays left before we break for 2 months so I need to start working hard and earning some money because I wouldn't be getting paid for the break. Kind of sucks how the one time of the year a relief teacher doesn't get the chance to earn any money is the same time of the year there is a lot of expenses to be paid with Christmas then New Years and then my birthday.
There was an article in my local newspaper's employment section today talking about which carers have skill shortages at the moment. And you guessed it! Education was listed as one of the top jobs where there isn't enough people. Are politicians blind or just plain stupid (please feel free to answer that!) because they are also talking about paying people to go to university to study education (nothing new they have been talking about it for a while) but I want to know how they can just blindly ignore all the fully qualified unemployed teachers there all ready is! The truth is classes are getting more and more over populated and it is not benefiting anyone. Why don't they just bring in more full time teachers so they can have smaller (or at least stay under the legal limit of children in a class many schools seem forced to ignore) classes. That way children get more attention they need and teachers actually get employed. But I guess that would be too easy. I graduated two years ago and in that time only one person that was in our Early Childhood group is now a permanent teacher. Out of the Primary graduates of my year I know only a few of them are permanent too. Some have become so disgruntled at it they have already left the profession. Just today I was talking to a friend who graduated with me and she has decided to go back to university to study for her Masters degree, not because she wants to continue her studies (she is not looking forward to returning to uni at all) but she hopes that when she finishes it will lead to other work opportunities that aren't too far away from what she originally wanted to do.
I have been looking at university courses online too (have been on and off for a while now) but the thing is I don't know what else I would want to do. And I think it would be horrible to just throw away four, long, hard years at uni studying for it. I started studying childcare when I was in year 11 and after high school went straight to uni to study teaching. I wanted to be a teacher and still do. But being a relief teacher can be hard work (don't get me wrong there is great bits too, it's good pay and if you get a bad class at least you only have them hopefully one day) and after a while it does make you question if you really want to keep doing it and if so for how long.
I love how I always think I don't really have much to write about and then it always turns into a rant haha it's very therapeutic!
Miss Snix.
There was an article in my local newspaper's employment section today talking about which carers have skill shortages at the moment. And you guessed it! Education was listed as one of the top jobs where there isn't enough people. Are politicians blind or just plain stupid (please feel free to answer that!) because they are also talking about paying people to go to university to study education (nothing new they have been talking about it for a while) but I want to know how they can just blindly ignore all the fully qualified unemployed teachers there all ready is! The truth is classes are getting more and more over populated and it is not benefiting anyone. Why don't they just bring in more full time teachers so they can have smaller (or at least stay under the legal limit of children in a class many schools seem forced to ignore) classes. That way children get more attention they need and teachers actually get employed. But I guess that would be too easy. I graduated two years ago and in that time only one person that was in our Early Childhood group is now a permanent teacher. Out of the Primary graduates of my year I know only a few of them are permanent too. Some have become so disgruntled at it they have already left the profession. Just today I was talking to a friend who graduated with me and she has decided to go back to university to study for her Masters degree, not because she wants to continue her studies (she is not looking forward to returning to uni at all) but she hopes that when she finishes it will lead to other work opportunities that aren't too far away from what she originally wanted to do.
I have been looking at university courses online too (have been on and off for a while now) but the thing is I don't know what else I would want to do. And I think it would be horrible to just throw away four, long, hard years at uni studying for it. I started studying childcare when I was in year 11 and after high school went straight to uni to study teaching. I wanted to be a teacher and still do. But being a relief teacher can be hard work (don't get me wrong there is great bits too, it's good pay and if you get a bad class at least you only have them hopefully one day) and after a while it does make you question if you really want to keep doing it and if so for how long.
I love how I always think I don't really have much to write about and then it always turns into a rant haha it's very therapeutic!
Miss Snix.
Sick Blah
Still sick. Still miserable. HAHA Thought I would share that. My nose is so blocked up I can barely breath. When I am not sneezing my head off I am coughing to the point of choking. But at least I have the sense this time to do something about it before it gets too bad (well badder than it already is). I took the day off today to see the doctor; I called at the start of the day, was put on hold for a long time and then told the earliest time I can see him is tomorrow. Agh typical! Whenever I get sick so does everyone else. So now I am taking tomorrow off too so hopefully the doctor will give me some happy pills and make the misery go away (far far away). Not overly concerned about taking some time off work, I got paid over the holidays so I can afford to take some time off and get better.
All I can say is thank god for the person who invented Vicks Inhaler; I've had that thing up my nose more times than I would like today but it seems to be providing some short term relief. I highly recommend it to anyone that gets to enjoy the pleasure of having a stuffy nose.
Later,
Miss Snix.
All I can say is thank god for the person who invented Vicks Inhaler; I've had that thing up my nose more times than I would like today but it seems to be providing some short term relief. I highly recommend it to anyone that gets to enjoy the pleasure of having a stuffy nose.
Later,
Miss Snix.
Back to work!
Well I am back at work after the holidays for term four and have already finished one week (only 9 more left for the school year!) and have also finished my contract. I am going to miss it. It is a really nice prep class with some lovely children and a great aide, actually all the staff were friendly and helpful which is so great! My time there went by so quickly it hardly felt like work, I guess it's true what they say 'time flies when you're having fun'. I had some really great experiences there, like a little girl who was afraid of everything (literally!) was freaking out (screaming and crying) everyday doing the obstacle course but on my second last day I managed to get her to try out the monkey bars with the other girls and she loved it! That is something I miss doing relief work; watching a child grow, learn and accomplish things over time. Also getting to know the children on a more personal level; like one child had a wobbly tooth before the holidays and when he came back it was still wobbly, it finally came out on my last day and he ran straight to me to show me and was so excited because we had been talking about it and building the excitement up to this moment for a while. Also on my last day one of the little girls decided to make a picture for me 'secretly' and got the aide to help her, they got all the children to sign their names (they are still learning to write!) during inside time and gave it to me before the aid was about to leave for the day. I thought it was so nice. And the girl in the bottom picture is ment to be me! haha It kind of looks like me too! Very artistic!
The aide was so lovely and thanked me and said she enjoyed working with me, which was more than mutual! The teacher from the class next to me who I worked along with also thanked me and came in to the room before I left to say goodbye and even a grandmother who looks after one of the girls I was teaching (who was away sick that day!) even came in to say a thank you and tell me how much she appreciated having me their. It was so nice because you don't normally get that kind of reaction when you relieve; you're there one day and gone the next and rarely have time to leave any impression so this was very special to me.
Something else I picked up during my last week there; a fresh cold! HAHAHA I think I have been sick more times this year than ever before! It started half way through the week with a sore throat (my aide was coughing all week and the kids were getting sick too) and then my body started aching and I was feeling miserable and now today my nose has started running :( At least if I am still feeling bad by Monday I can now take the day off and it won't affect anyone.
Not really looking forward to returning to relief work, I just hope I get good classes and the time flies by . . . I know it won't but I can dream!
Ciao,
Miss Snix.
The aide was so lovely and thanked me and said she enjoyed working with me, which was more than mutual! The teacher from the class next to me who I worked along with also thanked me and came in to the room before I left to say goodbye and even a grandmother who looks after one of the girls I was teaching (who was away sick that day!) even came in to say a thank you and tell me how much she appreciated having me their. It was so nice because you don't normally get that kind of reaction when you relieve; you're there one day and gone the next and rarely have time to leave any impression so this was very special to me.Something else I picked up during my last week there; a fresh cold! HAHAHA I think I have been sick more times this year than ever before! It started half way through the week with a sore throat (my aide was coughing all week and the kids were getting sick too) and then my body started aching and I was feeling miserable and now today my nose has started running :( At least if I am still feeling bad by Monday I can now take the day off and it won't affect anyone.
Not really looking forward to returning to relief work, I just hope I get good classes and the time flies by . . . I know it won't but I can dream!
Ciao,
Miss Snix.
Holiday Fun
The end of my two week holiday is fast approaching and has me thinking about what I have done during the holidays. Not a whole lot lol I had so many plans, well not really but I imagined I would be a lot more active than I have been but I guess the holidays are all about being lazy and relaxing. Firstly I was going to train my dog everyday with obedience (it's been almost four months since she graduated puppy preschool and then teen school) because she still only does the basics. I was told since she is a small dog she is perfect for learning performing tricks (my very own little circus dog!) and I was impressed with the ones the puppy teacher showed me but I haven't been consistent with my training so these holidays we were going to work on it everyday . . . lol We have done a couple of days and only the basics she already knows. But at least I have been taking her for a walk every afternoon. Exercice! Another thing I was going to do each day LOL I have used my wii fit a couple of times but the damn thing keeps telling me I am gaining weight every time I step on it so we are having some time away from each other lol I suppose it's not its fault I have been eating a lot these holidays. I eat when I am bored, somthing Dr Phil would not be impressed with. Speaking of which I have watched so many talk shows and morning shows and daytime shows and . . . basically I've watched a lot of TV, when I am awake that is lol Normally for work I walk up around 6am, my body gets so used to it most days I wake up before the alarm goes off but not in holidays! No alarm! And suddenly I am sleeping in until all hours of the day. I like sleep. I was proactive some days though, I cleaned my office (well I threw out half the crap sitting around and hid the other half in cupboards) and I took my dog to the beach twice (would have liked to more but got really weird cold/windy weather for several days) and am trying to teach her to swim (she is 7 months) the first time it was a little wavy and she got dunked under a couple of times and the next time we sat in a pool of water next to the ocean (lol no waves) but she had more fun climbing the rocks. Also today I have just booked a bus trip for this Sunday that I am looking forward to. The only thing is I will have to wake up at 5am for it and will get home around 8pm and then I get to go back to work on Monday with 25 revved up 5 year olds that will all no doubt still be on a holiday buzz.
I am actually not minding working the first week as it is the last week of my contract and I enjoy the class and it is nice having the same (well behaved!) class constantly. It is the week after that I am not looking forward to; back to relief work! Hopefully I will be blessed with well behaved classes and parents (LOL excuse me while I laugh my head off . . .) and just keep in mind there is ten weeks in this term and then the year is over and we break for a couple of months over Christmas. Last year I loved working in the last term, I was on contract all term as a P-3 key teacher and yr7 art teacher at the time. It was brilliant! My P-3 years I read Christmas stories and did worksheets related to it and did different Christmas art with the year 7s, I loved it! It was so much fun :~)
Anyway these holidays aren't even officially over and I am already counting down to the next holidays LOL Ten weeks to go . . . :~)
Take care all,
Miss Snix.
I am actually not minding working the first week as it is the last week of my contract and I enjoy the class and it is nice having the same (well behaved!) class constantly. It is the week after that I am not looking forward to; back to relief work! Hopefully I will be blessed with well behaved classes and parents (LOL excuse me while I laugh my head off . . .) and just keep in mind there is ten weeks in this term and then the year is over and we break for a couple of months over Christmas. Last year I loved working in the last term, I was on contract all term as a P-3 key teacher and yr7 art teacher at the time. It was brilliant! My P-3 years I read Christmas stories and did worksheets related to it and did different Christmas art with the year 7s, I loved it! It was so much fun :~)
Anyway these holidays aren't even officially over and I am already counting down to the next holidays LOL Ten weeks to go . . . :~)
Take care all,
Miss Snix.
