Tomorrow I am off on school camp. I have been feeling very reluctant about it. I have been going on school camps for 5 years now and I think I may have had enough of it. I felt more enthused about it today because I genuinely want the kids to have a great time. Whilst trying to pacify their fears and get them enthused and excited I worked the magic on my own mind, which was good.

It is a lot of hard work though. I have to organise my classes that I will miss in my absence, plan my home to be away for 3 days and then be ‘mommy’ to 28 kids for 3 days and if I am lucky their parents will pick them up on time allowing me to get home before I drop. When I get home, because I have been away for 3 days I have to deal with catch up there. Then on Monday I will get to see whether the teachers who were taking my classes, actually stuck to the plan and the work got done. I hate feeling this cynical but I have been on camp and rarely experienced a variation to this routine.

It will be ok though because it is warm and I will get to do lots of great activities and be in nature and hopefully see independence and team building and all those inspiring wonderful things that I remember when I am asked if I am available to go on camp. It reminds me of childbirth really. You forget until it’s time to go! Lucky for that or my beautiful son wouldn’t be around. No, it wasn’t actually as bad as school camp – childbirth that is.

I will post a favourite photo when I get back, I promise and I haven’t forgotten the mask yet. I’m saving it for one day when I feel particularly lost for words.

This Womans Work

February 19, 2006

johblogs

reflection 1 Comment

I listen to this song over and over again when I am missing my nana.
‘Give me these moments back
Give them back to me
Give me that little kiss
Give me your hand’

It just expresses how I feel. It is nearly 7 years since my nana died but she was my best person if you know what I mean and from time to time I miss her and I want to feel sad about it. This morning I am feeling like that.

Weeks whizzing by

February 17, 2006

johblogs

reflection No Comments

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged for a week. Life hasn’t been that busy or stressful, in fact it has been a regular kind of week. A couple of meetings after school. Even shares of good and bad news received about friends and family. An appointment or two. Some questions to grapple with, some repairs to be done. The daily exercising and juicing and cleaning and shopping and cooking and teaching and preparing and correcting and learning and loving and discussing to name some events specifically. The range of emotions have been felt, delight at the news my friend, Sam started secondary school triumphantly, fear about my pa having cancer at 85, that is treatable but will no doubt cause pain and disruption to his life, satisfaction about stimulating classes taught and surprise and pleasure when my beloved wished me a happy valentines day. I have been tempted by offers of further study and had to reflect on whether a MA in Educational Leadership is for me, I decided not. I have been troubled by my son’s outbursts that have all smoothed now and turn out to be a storm in a teacup and not the catastrophe I often fear when my kids seem unhappy. Helped my daughter with her role as school captain and felt concerned that whilst the role is within her scope of ability that it will affect her study negatively. Not a featureless week or a week without surprises but there is a feeling of dullness in me that I can’t shake. A lack of inspiration. I don’t know why.

School Camp with yr 7

This Womans Work

Weeks whizzing by

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