Hi ho,
Things are flying by - realised today that it's actually 3 months or so since I last spoke on this portal...
I'm lost in my own classroom!!
Mainly due to the fact that I'm struggling to bridge the gap between what I believe a classroom should be like and what a classroom is actually like. It's that age old thing any teacher has to go through I suppose. I've been through the denial phase, "No! I don't need to do anything! It's fine!!" Then the anger phase, "Grrrrrr. I said I was fine!" Finally I'm in the contrition phase, "Help!"
Things are now rocking along a bit more solidly now. Reading programme humming. Maths on the way to humming. Writing the next step for me.
It's not like any other job you can pick up in 6 months and cruise a bit with. This is going to take YEARS to get my head around.
Until next time.
Mr Boon
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Time Flies
Wow! I haven't written anything in this blog since before Christmas... This is what can happen when you get caught up in the everyday running of your life and forget about the little things.
I propose to publish more and more posts throughout the course of the year. Workload seems to be my main issue at the moment - and the impact this has on the day to day actions in your class. I just want to teach.. How can you do it when there's all sorts of other pressures on you????
Gramatically that last paragraph was terrible - but that's what can happen! As pressure builds your mind begins to wander. This can be a particular problem during the night. It's this time that is most condusive to remembering something vital you were supposed to do the previous day. This is followed by an hour or two of lying awake wishing it hadn't happened.
Ah well. It could be worse. I could still work in an office.
Rock on children!
Mr B
I propose to publish more and more posts throughout the course of the year. Workload seems to be my main issue at the moment - and the impact this has on the day to day actions in your class. I just want to teach.. How can you do it when there's all sorts of other pressures on you????
Gramatically that last paragraph was terrible - but that's what can happen! As pressure builds your mind begins to wander. This can be a particular problem during the night. It's this time that is most condusive to remembering something vital you were supposed to do the previous day. This is followed by an hour or two of lying awake wishing it hadn't happened.
Ah well. It could be worse. I could still work in an office.
Rock on children!
Mr B
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Giving or Receiving?
Hi there,
Yesterday I thought I was signing off for the year before I headed away for the Christmas break... As it happens I have one more thing to add.
This year Room 21, thanks to the inspiration of Helen in our class, decided to join the Adopt a Family scheme run by the Salvation Army. Essentially the idea is that someone more fortunate buys all the Christmas presents for a family who isn't so well off. Room 21 decided to donate cash for Christmas presents, which Helen so graciously offered to purchase, and a hamper of food (made up of tinned and dried good like pasta and rice).
The Sallies turned up yesterday to pick up the food and parcels and they will be delivered to a lucky family of six in west Auckland early next week.
Room 21 managed 2 boxes of food and 1 box of presents between 30 children and me (Mr. Boon). Another generous member of the class, Tayler, told us she was already organising something when Helen proposed the idea of adopting a family. As it happens, our star Tayler is managing to organise, all by herself, hamper donations of food for 12 different families. Read about it in a featured article in today's Central Leader.
Well done Tayler. You will bring pleasure to many families this holiday season with your selfless acts of generosity.
Until next year (I promise this time because I'm going to Scotland the day after tomorrow and school has finished now) have a super holiday season. Make sure you spare a moment for the people less fortunate than yourselves on the 25th.
Mr Boon x
Yesterday I thought I was signing off for the year before I headed away for the Christmas break... As it happens I have one more thing to add.
This year Room 21, thanks to the inspiration of Helen in our class, decided to join the Adopt a Family scheme run by the Salvation Army. Essentially the idea is that someone more fortunate buys all the Christmas presents for a family who isn't so well off. Room 21 decided to donate cash for Christmas presents, which Helen so graciously offered to purchase, and a hamper of food (made up of tinned and dried good like pasta and rice).
The Sallies turned up yesterday to pick up the food and parcels and they will be delivered to a lucky family of six in west Auckland early next week.
Room 21 managed 2 boxes of food and 1 box of presents between 30 children and me (Mr. Boon). Another generous member of the class, Tayler, told us she was already organising something when Helen proposed the idea of adopting a family. As it happens, our star Tayler is managing to organise, all by herself, hamper donations of food for 12 different families. Read about it in a featured article in today's Central Leader.
Well done Tayler. You will bring pleasure to many families this holiday season with your selfless acts of generosity.
Until next year (I promise this time because I'm going to Scotland the day after tomorrow and school has finished now) have a super holiday season. Make sure you spare a moment for the people less fortunate than yourselves on the 25th.
Mr Boon x
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Last Day
Hello one and all...
Today is the very last day of the school year for me. What a year. Full on as usual.
I must say at this point however that I have to say goodbye to a fantastic class today. They are such an amazing group of little people. I will miss them (considering most of them will be very close to me next year, that might not be as problematic as I make it out to be!).
Yesterday was the day we met up with our classes for next year. There's always that moment when a teary-eyed youngster walks gingerly into your class concerned that they are not with the people they want to be with. Then after you've met your new class, members of the old class return with various sour looks on their faces.
Oh dear... it's all too much sometimes, isn't it!!
Next year will be my third year teaching. The first two have been totally exhausting and rewarding at the same time. I believe in my heart that this is the best job I've ever had - for a multitude of reasons to numerous to mention here - and it will continue to bring me total joy (and hilarity because sometimes those kids can be so damn cute) for a long time yet.
Enjoy your holiday season wherever you are in the world and I wish you all the best for whatever 2009 has to offer.
Mr Boon x
Today is the very last day of the school year for me. What a year. Full on as usual.
I must say at this point however that I have to say goodbye to a fantastic class today. They are such an amazing group of little people. I will miss them (considering most of them will be very close to me next year, that might not be as problematic as I make it out to be!).
Yesterday was the day we met up with our classes for next year. There's always that moment when a teary-eyed youngster walks gingerly into your class concerned that they are not with the people they want to be with. Then after you've met your new class, members of the old class return with various sour looks on their faces.
Oh dear... it's all too much sometimes, isn't it!!
Next year will be my third year teaching. The first two have been totally exhausting and rewarding at the same time. I believe in my heart that this is the best job I've ever had - for a multitude of reasons to numerous to mention here - and it will continue to bring me total joy (and hilarity because sometimes those kids can be so damn cute) for a long time yet.
Enjoy your holiday season wherever you are in the world and I wish you all the best for whatever 2009 has to offer.
Mr Boon x
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
End of Year
Hello all,
Hope everything has been going well in the last couple of weeks... I've had a great time! It's going to be sad to see my second ever class leave the room in a week and head off into the bright yonder that Year 6 has to offer. I've got such a wonderful bunch of little people.
They rock!!
I hope all out out there had as much fun this year as I did. Bring it on for 2009.
(for all those in the Northern Hemisphere wondering what I'm talking about... Our summer holidays begin next week...)
Have a great Christmas everyone and we'll see you next year.
Mr. B x
As a bit of a P.S., I've included below some scanned images relating to the cards mentioned in a previous blog. I hope you enjoy the Year 1 pictures of me delivering my various addresses to the children during our athletics days.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Full Registration
Greetings one and all!
Last week I graduated as a fully fledged teacher. After having completed my two years on 'provisional' registration, I've gone total... I've now become a fully registered teacher.
Huzzah!!
The day I attended my graduation ceremony some of the kids at school cottoned on to the fact and came up to my room to visit me. Most were in my first ever class. There was lots of cheering and general guffawing until I finally felt one of the young scamps patting me on the shoulder gently and saying, "Well done Mr. Boon, you are now a real teacher".
Nice...
Last week I graduated as a fully fledged teacher. After having completed my two years on 'provisional' registration, I've gone total... I've now become a fully registered teacher.
Huzzah!!
The day I attended my graduation ceremony some of the kids at school cottoned on to the fact and came up to my room to visit me. Most were in my first ever class. There was lots of cheering and general guffawing until I finally felt one of the young scamps patting me on the shoulder gently and saying, "Well done Mr. Boon, you are now a real teacher".
Nice...
Friday, November 14, 2008
What a Day!
Hello all. It's been a little while...
I had one of those days yesterday. It was strange. Quite a few lows, but one fantastic high...
Let me explainorate.
My kids were totally unengaged in a lesson. Maybe it was my fault. But they are Year 5s - they should be able to sit for 10 minutes without talking to each other and ignoring my fantastic teaching as a 21st century learning facilitator...
Well no. As it turned out I got sick of the constant interruption and sent them out of the room a few minutes before the chiming of the bell for break. Said I shouldn't have to put up with this sort of nonsense. etc etc. One of those moments as a teacher that you don't really want to have. Moan moan moan moan. I'm sure I sounded like the teacher off the Charlie Brown cartoons from the 70s. The children heard me speaking but didn't hear my words.
So they all left, and I remained fuming at my laptop reflecting on the terrible lesson (reflecting on my reflecting I don't think it was nearly that bad!). Just as the last kid left a pair of tiny - and they are compared to my students - new entrants, year 0, kindergarten kids entered. It's their first year at a schooling environment that includes BIG kids. Their eyes were wide with awe.
As an aside, and to put some kind of context in, the day before I had gone around the junior classes thanking them for behaving so fantastically during the school athletics day. Every time I blew the whistle to get their attention, the junior school were the most alert. Sitting up to attention, arms folded, eyes on the speaker. I thought it was important to let them know how good they had been.
Anyway, back to the little kids who entered the class. The couple looked a bit shell-shocked. They were in a brand new place, well away from their usual haunt. We're upstairs too, which makes it even more scary. The both walked up and said in unison...
There I was, my day being drawn out of the dungeon of a poorly executed lesson by a brace of youngsters wanting to say thank you to me.
What a day.
I had one of those days yesterday. It was strange. Quite a few lows, but one fantastic high...
Let me explainorate.
My kids were totally unengaged in a lesson. Maybe it was my fault. But they are Year 5s - they should be able to sit for 10 minutes without talking to each other and ignoring my fantastic teaching as a 21st century learning facilitator...
Well no. As it turned out I got sick of the constant interruption and sent them out of the room a few minutes before the chiming of the bell for break. Said I shouldn't have to put up with this sort of nonsense. etc etc. One of those moments as a teacher that you don't really want to have. Moan moan moan moan. I'm sure I sounded like the teacher off the Charlie Brown cartoons from the 70s. The children heard me speaking but didn't hear my words.
So they all left, and I remained fuming at my laptop reflecting on the terrible lesson (reflecting on my reflecting I don't think it was nearly that bad!). Just as the last kid left a pair of tiny - and they are compared to my students - new entrants, year 0, kindergarten kids entered. It's their first year at a schooling environment that includes BIG kids. Their eyes were wide with awe.
As an aside, and to put some kind of context in, the day before I had gone around the junior classes thanking them for behaving so fantastically during the school athletics day. Every time I blew the whistle to get their attention, the junior school were the most alert. Sitting up to attention, arms folded, eyes on the speaker. I thought it was important to let them know how good they had been.
Anyway, back to the little kids who entered the class. The couple looked a bit shell-shocked. They were in a brand new place, well away from their usual haunt. We're upstairs too, which makes it even more scary. The both walked up and said in unison...
Mr Boon, we made these cards for you...I thanked them and they left. The cards were brilliant. All had a 5 year old's impression of me, and when opened featured a personalised message from each kid. Things like, "thank you for tellying us what to know on the ras day" and "you were awsome on the microphone" (all spelling was correct, which was even more wonderful).
There I was, my day being drawn out of the dungeon of a poorly executed lesson by a brace of youngsters wanting to say thank you to me.
What a day.
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