On Being Ridiculously Positive

Dear god, I do believe I'm finally falling back into my old mindset, and thinking ridiculously positive about everything, instead of wallowing in the pity pool that was my life prior to the Christmas break. I'm not sure if it's just that 4 months of being in this country had started to weigh me down, or if the trip home has energized me (that can certainly be argued easily enough), but I feel as if I've started anew this term. Things couldn't be going any better. I really don't want to jinx things by being TOO positive, but honestly I'm feeling as if I am in a good place right now.

I still have my qualms with the British education system, but I am finally finding my feet with it. I'm not struggling nearly as much to understand what I am supposed to do, and subsequently get the students to do. While they do expect me to do a ridiculous amount of reporting and interviewing with students, I am now much more comfortable doing it, which makes it a lot easier on myself. I know the students a lot better, which certainly helps. Maybe it's a natural course of action, to increasingly find that teaching is easier and easier. I find that I can get a lot more accomplished, in terms of planning, in a lot less time. I'm now planning a week in advance, and in a few cases even up to the end of term! The last few terms it had been almost nightly planning for the lesson to come. Working like that can get a bit grating, not to mention time (and life) consuming. That said, the last two terms were also much longer; I think from here on in they are 5 -6 weeks long, whereas the first one was a whopping 8 weeks long, and the second one was 7. I shouldn't complain though, considering they don't do this 'half term' business in Canada; it's a straight-through to January business there. However, you only teach 3 classes a term in Canada, whereas I've got 6 the whole year through.

Well, until the summer term, when I lose my year 11s (and hence TWO teaching groups. I can't wait for that to happen). I'm not sure why I lose them...I haven't really been paying much attention right now, but I think it has something to do with exams and the like.

I'm also receiving a lot more positive feedback this term. I'd say there is a 100% increase, actually. In my last few blogs before the break, I recall ranting about how I wasn't being recognized for the hard work I was putting in, and I felt as if I was being dumped on a lot. Well, I'm not sure if that was in my head or not, but all negative criticism has been replaced with glowingly positive stuff. It's mind boggling to me, to accept the accolades that have been raining down on me lately.

Why, just today I was praised for my lovely Power Points, and asked to share them. Gladly!

A co-worker whom I had given two previous units to expressed her extreme satisfaction with them so far, praising me for how 'interesting' and 'inventive' I made my lessons. Why thank you, my dear, I do try.

I was also asked if I could accept a new year 8 student, and was told that I was the first choice since I was so 'confident' with my groups."You can obviously handle one more," I was told.

Of course I can! My 8s are my pride and joy, and adding one more lovely child to the mix won't hurt me a bit.

Couple all this with the sugar I was fed at parents evening, and you've got yourself a pretty nice pile of praise.

Yep. I'm feeling pretty good right now, professionally. I really am starting to think this may end alright for me, if I just keep the momentum going. I've just got to keep my wits about me, and not get lazy. Admittedly, I was starting to lose steam before Christmas, and my lessons may have suffered a bit. My attitude was also total rubbish, as just didn't want to put in the effort because I was tired of getting nothing back. I'm come to realize that if you put it in, the students will usually put it out. I'm trying really hard to keep my spirits up, and start the lessons off with a smile. Frowns are ugly, anyways. No one likes a grumpy Gus, especially not me.

My 11s also dropped their disgusting pervy talk, which was fabulous. That just means I won't have to get someone else to intervene, to cover my ass. Though, I swear I heard someone whisper "she wants me" today, after I said hello. Ugh. No, I don't. Gross. I felt like saying "I've got a super sexy fellow waiting back home, who is a zillion times the man you are, sweetheart," but that'd come off as 'banter', and we don't need that. Besides, what I write is always much ruder than what I'd actually say. I'm not nearly bold enough to say saucy things like that, unless I've had something to drink, in which case I'd say worse. But since being drunk at work is frowned upon, that won't happen.

Anyways, I feel like I've run out of steam now. I'm not entirely sure what else to write. I wish I could though, as I am aching to kill time. I've got my lessons planned for the week, and don't fancy working ahead, but Rachel is still in her room (surprise, surprise), and I doubt she'll be ready for some time yet. Ugh. I wish I'd brought those year 10 coursework assignments to school with me now, instead of leaving them on my bed for tonight. I could probably breeze through them, and then literally do nothing this evening at home. That'd be a welcome break, believe me. It's so nice to be able to go home and do absolutely nothing. It makes me feel like a normal person. You know, a person who doesn't do a million hours of unpaid overtime at home, like us crazy teachers.

We're a special breed, we are.

That's why we drink.