Angus MacRury
Friday 11 November 2005
Monday. I feel totally refreshed (not) getting to work this morning. I have had a busy weekend catching up with parents’ a new niece and a niece 6 weeks into university. Added to this is the demand to get Christmas shopping completed as soon as possible? M and S at the Gyle are running a Christmas fusion show and giving away Fizz and Chocolate. It is only the beginning of November! I think there should be Easter eggs in the shops by now. I take it really easy this morning, visiting classrooms, talking to the pupils having a laugh with the office and support staff and generally getting very little achieved. A good morning. In the afternoon I work with P5/6/7 and finish off work started by their teacher on Data handling (level D) I am inspired to look out some stuff that would be more stimulating for them to work on using ICT. After this I discuss with the class Poster design for a Drink and Drive Poster Competition. The phrases the children come up with are great. “Don’t Booze and Cruise”, “Think, don’t Drink”. The resulting artwork is of a high standard. Tonight Kate and Marjorie are running a WHOOSH Drama after school club with our P5/6/7. The club is full and the pupils are having a ball. I am listening to Bruce Springsteen today. My Hometown, The River. The River reminds me of my days in the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway. Grim memories of a very grim school. Good song though.
Tuesday. At Lennoxlove. Headteacher Conference. Read Dons Blog for a full account of all the opinions offered about this day.
I fully agree with David Scott on the “GET A LIFE” statement. I think it is refreshing that we have this openness and honesty. Sometimes we do lose sight of what we are all trying to do. If the pupil experience of school is positive the learning will follow. To do this we need to show we are human and that we enjoy a laugh even if it is at our own expense. Education has changed hugely in the past couple of decades. Listening to Judith speak reminded me of my schooling and the teachers I had to experience. When Judith stated that everyone in the room could name a teacher from school that inspired them, I struggled. I went to St Peter’s in Partick, Glasgow where the Headteacher was a nun, the teachers’ were all over 50 and ruled by fear, threats, violence and intimidation and that was on good day. I remember getting whacked for coughing in church. (Very holy). My parents never once complained about my treatment because that way the way it was. Don’t question the school, they know best. In primary seven rather than get humiliated by teachers I would go AWOL with my pal Grant and hit Woollies for all we could carry. In 1977 we moved to Barra. My mother is from Vatersay and my father is from Uist. Barra is a compromise. Castlebay School in 1977 is a dump and remains that way until about 1982 when a new school is built. The teachers in Castlebay at the time where no different than those in Glasgow. The school was not to be questioned. As a family (3 sisters and 2 brothers) we made ourselves heard. I refused the belt one day (I was in third year) and all hell broke loose. I won the battle that day and subsequently the war. My elder sister, brother and myself were all sitting 7 O Grades, hardworking and committed to our studies but could and would not be told to conform by a system we regarded as ineffectual. I witnessed teachers in school "teaching" whilst being in no fit state. The unfairness still sticks in my throat.
In 1981 we were boarded out to Stornoway, which in 1981 must have been one of the worst places in Scotland to live. I suffered 5th year, stated 6th year and left in the October. Some of the teachers in the Nicolson were shocking. In History Higher we copied of the board for all our 6 periods a week. Sometimes the teacher would not even speak to us! I failed History that year. We lived in the Gibson Hostel, grim, Staff who appeared to dislike children, especially ones with an opinion. Sundays in Lewis were the bleakest days of my life and I will never forgive the people who forced us to conform to their interpretation of the Sabbath Day. In Barra the Sabbath was a time for family, meals, celebrations, christenings, football. In Lewis it was the day the park swings were removed or tied up and Church. I remember the words as I left the school in October 1982. As I walked out of the office, it was stated, “If you leave school today that will be you finished in Education and finished in life.” In June 1983 I sat two higher, English and History, self taught, (my dad helped me) had a full and part time job and was thinking about going to college. By August I has passed the two Highers and decided to keep working. I have a Degree, and Two Post Graduate Qualifications. I became a teacher in 1991 and vowed one my first day to never be like the people who taught me. I can honestly say I still have that philosophy and approach the pupils enjoy their time with me in class. A parent said to me this week, “They really love it when you are in class because they can get you talking for ages” And that’s the way it should be.
It is amazing how much we as teachers can have a positive and negative effect on the children in our care and we can scar or heal for an entire life.
On the way home I listen to Love and Money, Winter. Very fitting for the day and the weather.
Wednesday.
In Primary 5/6/7 this morning working with a language group on extended metaphors as part of a poetry unit that we are covering. I love teaching poetry. I inspire the children by reading some of Euan’s poetry books to them, it is amazing how many children when they get to this age have no one ever read stimulating things to them. I speak to a couple of parents about an ongoing issue. I meet with a rep, I buy very little, much to her frustration. I look over the tracking database, which now has all the pupil information in it. Christine puts together a handbook to parents on how to support your child in Maths to go out next week. I sign a letter about the P6/7 trip to York, with Stenton and West Barns. This letter invites parents from all the schools to a to a meeting in the school. I am co-ordinating this trip for the three schools and as an early piece of transition for our P6 children the trip has huge benefits for the children to establish relationships with pupils from these schools well in advance of 1st year. I will post more on this as it develops. I am still listening to Love and Money, Strange Kind of Love. What an underrated band of the 80s. James Grant is a superb poet. The song Evangeline, about his daughter, brings a tear to my eye.
Thursday.
One of my skills is to be able to swear in Gaelic when things are shaping up to be a day of wolves at the door. Today a lot of Gaelic emanates from my room. Yes it is one of those days. Read Mr Wolf's Pancakes, Jan Fearley if you want to have a chuckle at things from the Wolves perspective.
By 8:30 I have spoken with a parent about their child and various issues that the school will need to address. I then briefly meet with Morna SFL teacher about analysing the tracking database for her cohort of students.
At 10:00am I am in John Muir House at an IT meeting this is very productive and we look into the issues raised in my Trouble with Computers2 blog as well as other issues such as budgets and strategy. Read Dons Blog for more information.
I return to the school and speak with 3 members of staff about various issues. I have a brief but honest meeting with our NQT. We focus in on the Discipline policy and how to use it effectively and consistently for all children.
At 2:00pm I attend and Try to chair the Dunbar Cluster Heads meeting. This was the best meeting ever. (Sorry Don) we achieve a great deal and commit resources, staffing, time, money and all our efforts to raise attainment in Maths across the cluster by focusing in on learning and teaching in both primary and secondary. I will add more to this once the minutes of the meeting have been circulated.
Songs in the car today are. Fleetwood Mac, Songbird. 10,000 Maniacs, What's the matter here?
Friday.
Today is for Remembrance. Assembly is based upon information from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/remembrance/history/
http://www.spl.org.uk/best-poems_2004/morgan.htm
Anne Lithgow today will lead assembly and we will observe 2 minutes silence at 11:00am.
LEST WE FORGET.