Kids and Wetherspoons

The school disco went by without event, the most exciting event of the night was a kid drinking coke to fast and feeling unwell. However this was a disco for 11 year olds, so future discos may herald more excitement!

Instead I've been getting a dose of stress from the professionals. British Gas have failed to show up on two occasions to reconnect the gas (putting the firing up of the boiler further back), and the Inland Revenue are insisting I have a second income working for JD Wetherspoons and want to know my earnings.

House
Strengthening back door: ON TARGET
Recommissioning the boiler: ONE WEEK BEHIND

Operation Agent Orange

Work on the house continues - the next two projects will be re-commissioning the boiler and fitting a new hardwood exterior door at the back. Anthony and Pete helped in Operation Agent Orange last weekend. This was an attempt to mask a foul odour (probably urine) in one of the rooms with Shake n Vac. I think it's time for a new carpet.

A housewarming sometime over the next few weeks perhaps? The house will look equally shoddy before and after the event then anyway (not looking in your direction Russ!)

Boiler, roof and 'pest control'

Progress on the house is looking good. Electric, phone and cold water are all charged and operational. The next challenge is the boiler (the pressure gauge appears inactive making it impossible to know the system is running at a safe pressure) and the roof (a few slates where they shouldn't be...or not even there at all!) so the weekend will be spent attempting to procure the services of competent 'professionals'.

School has had it's events to. No not planning the Year 7 disco next week but shotgun fire being heard in the surrounding woodland before school started yesterday. The entire student population was forced inside the school building as soon as they arrived and sent to classes early while armed police investigated.
It turns out it was some contractors doing pest control for a neighbouring farmer. For some reason it hadn't occured to them to inform the authorities of their planned firearm activities!!

MA-ybe not

After a busy week at school and the new home I'm probably not going to pursue the MA in Education. The school offers excellent in-house training that a formal qualification would struggle to beat and my spare time is at a premium anyway...

So more on the new home. I got the keys on Wednesday and this weekend has been the first proper weekend of work. After conscripting the services of my immediate family I am ahead of target - both electricity and cold water are up and running and the minor issues* have been resolved. Today however, the presence of my toddler niece and a young cousin left there by her parents somewhat affected productivity!

(*minor issues: non-watertight connection to upstairs sink - minor dribbling, corroded overflow to bath - water dripping through the dining room ceiling, items found in different u-tubes - included toothbrush, earring, hair bobble, and earring)

Crime and Punishment

There's been some interest in how Mr T chooses to dispense punishment in the classroom.
So for your reading pleasure here is this weeks current top 3:

1. Writing lines on the board (yes seriously)
2. A bonus after school Maths lesson
3. Copying out the index/contents from a textbook (cheers for the tip Nev)

The week that was

Today was marks the end of my first week in this teaching post. It would be great to mention a few of the things that have happened this week but most involve giving particular details that would reveal the kid's identity and make me the recipient of a P45. I can however tell you that the school had it's best year yet at GCSE (maybe not a surprise given the year on year national improvement) and some pupils that failed their GCSE's did so beacuse they were languishing in jail!

Awards

Yesterday I received the ultimate accolade from a team mate, an award commending my service to Bramhall Rangers. As the seventh recipient, I join a list of mighty footballing heroes.

I am of course talking about the Anton Lowe Achievement/Memorial Award. It is now in my care for the season and will soon take pride of place in my pad.

Teaching for Mugs

I returned back home yesterday from family hols in Cemaes Bay (highly recommended) for 5-a-side duty and the first day on The Manchester City Council payroll (a training seminar for newly qualified teachers in city). As well as the mundane stuff about how my life will cease and tales of corporal punishment, I learnt that most councils in the area pay their staff on the 15th of the month, in this authority I have to wait to the 31st. However we did all inexplicably get a mug each showing the (traditional) sights of Manchester...so that makes up for it.

Some of the comments from the training staff present?
"If people ask you what you do don't reply 'I'm just a teacher'. Instead say 'I enrich the lives of young people'. Maybe then others will reply 'I'm just a banker'."
However, I will leave you with my personal favourite:
"Remember, if your class of 14 year olds wants to kill you, they could"