Comments on: Winding Up

By: Wati Wara

Wati Wara — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:44:27 +0000

Each year we run four races, each of them a sprint. There is a short period between each race to catch your breath.

By: Graham Wegner

Graham Wegner — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:03:43 +0000

Ah, Chris, the snow always looks so nice in the movies.

Paul, the report writing frenzy workload is influenced by perspective – here I’m thinking I’m slaving my guts out while you have a much greater writing load! In fact, I’d love to get an array of report formats from around the world (preferably with a sample of typical comments for a fictitious student) for a blog post comparison. I reckon that might be a worthwhile thing!

By: Paul Wilkinson

Paul Wilkinson — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:26:09 +0000

I read your blog with envy. My team teacher and I are just finishing up our personal learning plans to go home for our 58 children and I did a word count. 1700 words for one child! Plus four other pages I didn’t bother word counting. Christmas is coming! I can feel it! Loved the rubber band image. Thanks for your posts this year. I do enjoy reading your thoughts. I am planning on three weeks away without the laptop. Bring on the holidays!!!

By: Chris Harbeck

Chris Harbeck — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:33:05 +0000

Graham I love the picture of the rubber bands. I feel like that after writing reports. Oh you can feel your summer break. I on the other hand am feeling mighty cold. Thats OK play a few rounds of golf for me and I will shovel your walk of all that snow…. you will never get. Thanks for blogging and being such a fantastic read.

Chris

By: Graham Wegner

Graham Wegner — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:59:45 +0000

Lynne, we used to go until that time until the state government generously said that we could have that week as holidays if we managed to achieve the week’s 37 and half hours equivalent in verified training and development throughout the course of the year. Now most teachers I know exceed that by a long way but it brought South Australia back in line with 40 weeks for the school year when we used to be 41. Bear in mind we are talking government schools here – many private schools run closer to 38 weeks of teaching.

Taylor, I teach more than 30 students in my role here but am responsible for writing reports for the class where I am based for 3 days of the week. I am a primary school teacher (North American equivalent is elementary) so I teach all subjects when I’m in there, quite often as integrated units of work. Our Global Project is an example where English, Maths, Society & Environment are blended with Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) to cover cross-curricular outcomes. My students are based in one classroom as their home base and head off for specialist Science lessons and PE lessons as our school has a flash gym.

For me, weird would be a Christmas that doesn’t include prawns, mangoes and cherries on the table. Weird would be a Christmas where the temperature isn’t at least in the mid-30’s (Celcius that is) and weird would facing the prospect of going back to work shortly thereafter!

By: Taylor

Taylor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:49:43 +0000

Gosh, that must be weird to have Christmas and the end of the school year going on at the same time. We’re not quite halfway through the school year here. It reminds me of my favorite episode of “Leave it to Beaver” (which I’ve already written about once, slightly alarming!) in which Beaver makes friends with Chuy from South America and asks Chuy if things are “funny in South America” and Chuy says, “Funny here.” It’s all about perspective.

But, I know how you feel about the rubber band thing. Only I find the start of school to be much, much worse for me.

One thing I wonder is this: do you teach only 30 students?

By: Lynne Crowe

Lynne Crowe — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:34:05 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. The windup is well under way here but we don’t finish until the 21st of December!
Lynne