A busy week of what?
Angus MacRury
Monday 28 November 2005
It seems I have been away for ages but the life of a Headteacher is a fast paced, furious one that leaves little time for weblogging.
Monday 21st November
Today we have a review meeting about a student. Things are generally positive and the meeting ends on a high note. The rest of the day is spent getting through my e-mail, snail mail and changing my office furniture around as the desk is blocking the heat from the radiator and the place is freezing. The school is looking good these days with new displays going up in all classrooms. The school is really cold. Why? Tuesday 22nd November
This morning it is freezing and I am making my way to Brunton Hall for the Enterprise Showcase. Students from Innerwick Primary School have been visiting at The Demarco Exhibition at Skateraw and over the past few weeks been producing photographs and cards of East Lothian. We have started an Enterprise company Called Innerwick Card Co and hope to sell the photographs and cards. The hall is really busy and the 4 Primary 7 students really enjoy meeting the children from other schools and displaying their talents. The girls also spend some of the morning interviewing other students and adults at the event on the school I-pod. We will try to include this on our first podcast. We get back to school at 1:30pm. In the afternoon I spend most of my time on a presentation to parents of Innerwick Stenton and West Barns on the trip to York.
Wednesday 23rd November
After seeking advice on how to make my office warm I put masking tape over the widow frame. I will not name the individual who recommended this to save his embarrassment. I then proceed to do the same for all the office accommodation. It has not made a blind bit of difference but I feel better for doing it. It is still freezing. On my CD player the Eagles, Hell Freezes Over. I set up the hall for the meeting tonight.
At 3:30 I am in John Muir House to meet Mary Howie. We are looking at Reading Writing, Maths and Science this year and Mary is helping us with our Language stuff. A good meeting takes place and I leave with the knowledge that I need to contact colleagues in East Lothian to look over the teaching and learning of language in other schools. I also need to join Q-net. I then return home to make the dinner. At 7pm I leave home to make presentation about the York Trip and answer questions from parents. I get home at 9pm. Music in the car is Idlewild, The remote Part/Scottish Fiction.
Thursday 24th November
I am in class today working with P5/6/7 we have a really busy time making posters and working on problem solving. In the afternoon Nichola takes the class.
I spend the day considering the HMI presentation at the ACE conference:
The weaknesses of 5-14
Curriculum overload –coverage, lack of depth
Reduction in multi-disciplinary studies –links, coherence, application of skills in context.
Teachers as curriculum innovators: loss of some ‘sparkle’ -implications for stimulation and motivation.
Unrealistic expectations of assessment and loss of focus about its principal purpose.
I agree with this in full .
This is what to expect during the next inspection process:
Inspection: encouragement of well-thought out flexibility and innovation. HMI will ask.
Have you considered different ways of:
organising your curriculum
using available flexibility in different ways
making related changes to learning and teaching?
For example, what changes might you make to achieve the
4 capacities in ACE more effectively?
I will try to get on to this today.
Friday 25th November
I am in class in the morning. We finish our posters and we complete our Internet Safety Quiz.
After break we have Assembly where we give out award and pupil of the month badges. The house points are also totalled and I have to organise a treat for the winning house. After Assembly we have rehearsal for our school play, “A Christmas Carol”. This is taking place at 7pm on the 15th December. Open invitation. I have a screaming headache.
In the afternoon we go to Athelstaneford for a science investigations session with Jane Ritchie and the Staff at Athelstaneford. Thanks for the invite Ronnie.