Reports, reports, reports, reports,...............

A whole week and all I've done is write reports. And more reports. and yet more reports. But I've nearly finished!!!!!!! Seeing as report writing is the only text-type I can write at present, here's mine:

"Cate has tried hard to do her best work this semester, despite some challenging moments. She often feels overwhelmed with the multitude of tasks the job entails. However, she has learned to take one day at a time. Cate has trialled a variety of management techniques this year. The class "Bill of Rights" has been a great success and the class is becoming cohesive and settled. Cate needs to learn that whilst it is OK to relax at night with a glass of wine, this probably should not become three or four. Early nights will help her to do her best work."

The cat-on-the-futon picture is for my July Hong Kong visitors - whoever gets the futon room will also get the cat. Just a warning.

Diary of a Reluctant Dog-walker

6.10am: Why doesn't someone stop that dog barking?

6.11am: Oh, it's my dog.

6.12am: Yell at dog (who is outside) from under bed covers.

6.15am: Yell at dog again through bathroom window.

6.30am: give up, get up, give dogs a biscuit, make cup of tea.

6.35am: check e-mail, blogs and Twitter

7.00am: look out of study window. Sun is up - looks rather nice out there....

7.10am: Get dressed, tell dogs they were right, it is too good a morning to stay in bed.

7.20am: Down at the river - decide this is the best part of the day, wonder how anyone can possibly sleep in on Sundays!

Friday again? Already?

This time of year sure gets busy for teachers. I have to make a real effort to balance work/life, and housework comes a poor third! Public Education Week is coming up, reports are looming, so we are doing a lot of reflecting on our teaching practice. I took a lot of informal, unposed pictures of my class over two days to use for a "A Love of Learning" poster (the theme of Ed.week). When I looked at them on the computer screen, I was struck by something I've never noticed in the hurly-burly of each school day - every child was engaged in their work, happy, on task. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees!

Sunday Brekky

Yes, it's an Aussie thing to shorten or lengthen words by adding a "y" or "ie". Weird! Enjoying the weekend but doing way too much school work, mainly because I had way too much social life during last week. Monday - yoga; Tuesday - High School Theatresports (great!); Wednesday - Greens Meeting; Thursday - Play at the Riverside Theatre about the Cronulla riots, "All the Blood and all the Water" (excellent), Friday - after work drinks and pizza. So now I have to work, serves me right. Can't get into my "studio" and mess about with paints until I've finished. By the way, THANKS for the comments about the blog-homework; other teachers at school have no idea what I am excited about!

Picture shows my new favourite breakfast, Ricotta, honey and cinnamon on toasted Turkish, Yum!

Thank God it's Friday

Week 2 of term 2 and I can't believe how fast the days are going. I had the brilliant idea of using blogs for homework - I've set a project on the Olympic Games, and they are to present it on a blog, rather than the old cardboard or scrapbook. After a shaky start, these clever 10 and 11 year olds have started blogs, added pictures and videos, begun to comment on each other's blogs, and been marked by a comment on their blog from me. The best thing - they think I'm pretty cool!!

Mothers and Daughters (and Aunts)

I was honoured to stand in for my sister, Annie, last night at a Mother/Daughter function. My clever and beautiful niece is studying at Sydney University, and Annie is based in Hong Kong, so I was lucky enough to be invited to her college, Sancta Sophia. Afternoon tea in the Quadrangle, reminiscient of Oxford, a church service, then a formal dinner in the dining hall. The girls were resplendent in their academic gowns. Coffee and port in front of a roaring fire downstairs completed the evening. I just looked up "resplendent" to check the spelling, and the meaning is: "shining brilliantly, gleaming, splendid". These young women are certainly that.

5FIVE5 THINGS5

I enjoyed reading Boho Mum's "Five Things" list, so have taken up her challenge.....

1. What was I doing 5 years ago: Teaching Year 1 in my first year at my present school
2. 5 things on my to-do list: Start my school reports, clean out the pantry, get the carpet cleaned, have my clear glass round window changed to a stained glass window, go to the movies!
3. 5 favourite smells: new born babies, coffee, BBQ sausage & onion, basil, lemon verbena
4. 5 junk food items I enjoy: hot chips (fries), hamburgers, sea salt crisps, potato wedges with sour cream & sweet chilli sauce, gourmet pizza
5. 5 favourite articles of clothing: blue straight leg jeans, blue boot leg jeans, soft blue faded jeans, black jeans, cut-off jean shorts ( sensing a theme here)
6. 5 things I would do if I was a billionaire: start Montessori pre-schools in every disadvantaged area, buy a house for each of my kids, get my family out of any debt, build a log cabin on the riverbank, support a cancer research facility
7. 5 bad habits: hibernating in winter, inability to suffer fools gladly, accepting two invitations for the same date, tidying up constantly, lecturing my kids
8. 5 jobs I've had: Bank officer, Administrator, Community Worker, Counsellor, Teacher
9. 5 all-time favourite movies: Moonstruck, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Romeo & Juliet (any version) The Lives of Others, Waking Ned Devine, oops, I have to stop now.......
10. 5 favourite musicians/bands: Beatles, Eagles, Australian Crawl, INXS, Leonard Cohen, ....

OK, your turn now!