Rydal Penrhos Daily Notes – May 4
Day 31 – 19 pupils, 8 staff
The day went past in a blur today, 19 pupils from eight different school year groups was quite a juggling act for the staff in school.
We can really empathise with families at home trying to get the tech working for the time of each live lesson, then sitting behind the pupil (but just out of camera shot) to take notes and work out how to teach the concept later.
Afterwards going into class files, downloading and printing anything needed and sitting working with the child as required. At this point, the sunny outdoors is beckoning and you wonder if you’ll ever get to enjoy a relaxed picnic ever again!
But back to the lesson…the child needs help and you teach Secondary Physics, what on earth is a ‘digraph’ and what is a pupil in Reception supposed to do with them?!
Later the completed work needs scanning and uploading back into the correct class folder so that the class teacher realises that you are not completely incompetent and that you did understand the instructions (by now you’ve had to replay the lesson video three times just to work out how we teach ‘chunking division’ nowadays!).
Clock watching starts at 3pm, but the final 30 minutes seems to take forever and you feel like an impatient child rather than the adult in the room.
Tidying up starts quite early…does it really take 20 minutes to tidy one classroom?…and at 3.30pm on the dot, you tell the pupils that it’s time for snack and lessons are over! Phew!
The delight in teachers’ faces as they rush past me to the playground, and are allowed a few minutes respite, is palpable!
The children follow on and are excited to be outside (although not quite as excited as the teacher!) and set about their usual games and activities.
The group of 19 work so well together and it’s even possible to ask older ones to help with younger ones, thus allowing a further uninterrupted minute on the bench in the sun.
Well done to all of you ‘teacher parents’ out there, we know what it’s like…we honestly do!
Mrs L Davies
Head of Prep
