Monday morning blues

Where did the weekend go?  Why is it we look forward so much to Fridays and just as we get there, it's Monday again!  I'm really not enjoying the early morning starts now that it's getting darker - it's so depressing and very hard to motivate myself to get up at 6.00am, which is my usual time - to get into work for 7.30 (I know, I'm mad!) I like to have plenty of 'calm' time to set up for the day and have time to deal with any unexpected scenarios (e.g. colleague off sick, so cover work needed/ photocopier broken etc)  

 

Actually, today wasn't too bad, as I had 2 free lessons - one I normally have, but the 2nd was gained due to Year 11 students (15-16yr olds) being on 2 weeks of work experience now.  I was very lucky not to be taken to cover any other lessons today, but that is partly due to the Cover Supervisors, who are permanent members of staff now.  We have 3 of them and they cover for any absent teachers - so the amount of cover lessons we receive ourselves has been greatly reduced.

 

Mind you, no amount of calm can make up for my period 5 lesson (the last one of the day, after lunch) which is with a Year 9 class.  There are 32 students in a classroom with only 32 seats (I shouldn't complain, last year I had 34 in this class - luckily 2 have since left the school!) so there is no spare room at all and no scope for a 'naughty' desk at the front.  They are a very 'lively' group who find it virtually impossible to refrain from talking and chewing gum, which is incredibly annoying when you are trying to train them to listen to a tape in French!!  Fortunately I have them just before lunch tomorrow, so I can keep anyone who has misbehaved back into lunch.  2 have already gained a place with me tomorrow lunchtime - but I tell them I enjoy the company and the more the merrier :-)

 

On a positive note, I was able to make a phone call home to the parents of one of the girls from the above class - to say how well she's doing this year.  Last year she was a nightmare to teach, but it is like teaching a different student - I'm sure the alien's have kidnapped her and replaced her!

 

Another good thing about today that isn't normally the case - I have no after school meeting - usually Monday is meetings night.  I normally go to an evening class at 6.00pm but tonight I have chosen not to, as I have too much school work to plough through - I could have done it at the weekend, but strangely I preferred to enjoy my weekend and not think about work!

 

Well - as said pile of work is taunting me from the corner, I will go and tackle it before I find something else to procrastinate with.