Under pressure......pressing down on me pushing down you.

Ok so I might have got the Queen words right, but the fundamentals are the same. I met with my friends from Jordanhill today, and we all feel "Stressed out" man. Although I am saying that we are stressed out, I don't think we really mean it. This is because we are all enjoying what we are doing, and I believe that is a really positve sign. We certainly are under pressure, but if we come up with the results - surely we are doing something right.

Anyway, yet another Saturday, and I find myself infront of the computer for the duration of the day. Thank goodness for Starbucks, that was my bit of relaxation for the day.

I bumped into a friend from Inverness funnily enough in there too, that cheered me up.

I aslo predicted that tonight on X-factor that somebody would sing a "Take That Song, seeing as Take that has been in the media for the past week. And Shayne sang it!!!!!!! How good am I????????

A sign of weakness??????

Ok, today I went and asked my PT if I could have a couple of extra periods free. I was asking this simply because I believe that I am falling behind on preparing my port-folio (for non-jordanhillers this is a file that we have to fill out, making observations and documenting our personal experiences). I know that come next year I will have about 17 classes to teach and prepare for, however we won't have the continual portfolio work to complete. I am working 100% already, and their is simply not enough time.

My PT was very understandable and allowed me the extra hours to take off, but what I am wondering is, will he see this as a sign that I am not coping???? Or will he appreciate that I asked for help?? I wish I had never asked now, because it seemed like I thought I was being hard done by., when I don't.

By the way, I recommend anyone doing a post graduate course in something else prior to completing a teaching PGCE. This time last year, I was totally busy doing my PG Dip in IT- and I thought I would never see my friends or get my life back again. The amount of work I had to do for that, is similar to the amount of work for this. Although I feel that this is more rewarding personally - that getting a program to work!!!!! Although that can also be satisfying.

Since Harry Potter is SOLD out, my friends and I are going to see something else at the cinema to De-stress.

Can't wait for a lie in (till 9am)/ Yippeeee

Feeling under pressure :(

I have 20 periods a week(53 hour periods). Is this too much for a student teacher?

According to all my other friends who are student teachers, who only have 16 periods a week then yes. At the moment, I am not getting to do any work on my port-folio because I am in class. Ok, I don't need to prepare for every class as some of them are observational, but I believe that my time would be better utilised planning and doing my port folio.

Does anybody think that I am complaining over nothing?

As Yazz sang "The only way is up..."...

Yesterday I felt really deflated after my lesson, and thought I was a hopeless case. Today, my lesson went well, I felt a lot more in control of the children sorry pupils (still obviously to work on lots of things). Part of the reason that the lesson went better was the fact I was more prepared. I stayed up till 12.30am to make sure I had everything organised. I feel that my confidence is growing each day and I am enjoying it a lot more. I suppose in teaching, you will have your good days and bad days- but what I like about it, is that every day is different.

Today in class I was able to experience what the teacher does in case of pupils being under the influence of alcohol. There was no big scene or eruption in the class, the teacher discretely took the pupil out of class and then delt with the matter. I am starting to believe that shouting at the kids and ranting and raving does no good, it makes things worse.

Does anyone out their have any suggestions for me to silence the class or make them work silently, without raising my voice.

The only way is up,baby for you and me now.

How do I NOT be nice?????

Ok, I am not a person who likes to shout, nor do I like confrontation, which is why I am finding it difficult to control the class. I am in control when I am talking to them, and getting them to copy down slides into their jotters- but at what level of noise is acceptable? In my class today, the teacher came in towards the end of the lesson and had to shout at them. I am not trying to be nice to them, but I am just feeling it challenging to tell them off and make them listen to my directions. They say that a teacher should really not need to raise her voice, but how can I get this to work for me. Part of the reason that I feel, is that it is not really my class. I kinda feel under pressure to be totally strict with them, because the class teacher is really firm with them.

Any suggestions to getting over the fear of being a voice of authority in the classroom? My 'crit' is coming up soon, and I don't want them to walk all over me.

Although my lesson did not go to plan, I still enjoyed the 'teaching' part of it.

Thank goodness for the.......student teacher.

I had my first experience of a 'please take' this morning, or rather 'take', when the teacher in my class that I was only observing had to go an deal with an important issue. It was Standard Grade administration and all I had to do was go over a sheet of office duties. The blank faces that sat infront of me either did not have a scoobie about what I was talking about, or they were bored stiff. I reckon it was a mixture of the two. Anyway I battled my way through the sheet trying to come up with examples etc to try and make it a wee bit more interesting. It just shows you that if you are not prepared for a class, things can be dreadfully tedious - for you and the pupils.

I am learning to paddle in the shallow end now!!!!!!

Teaching is a 9am-3.30pm job.....yeah right!!!!

Saturdays should be spent out with your friends, shopping, or socialising shouldn't it???? You would think. From 9-4pm yesterday, I was working on my computer preparing worksheets for spreadsheets, and I still have more work to do on Sunday, and marking that my class teacher gave me to do. Don't get me wrong, I signed up for this...but I am just wondering how much it will get worse before it gets better??????

Will I get my Saturdays back?

I hope so.