Polymer Parmenter Writes Again!!

Well, I guess I have some explaining to do, don't I?
As I signed in blogger informed me that my last post was 6th August, which means I have lost over 7 months to a busy, stressed and generally 'no time to do anything but work and recover from it' kind of lifestyle.
So, where have I been? Well in reality, nowhere, well actually that isn't true, perhaps I beter explain.
At the beginning of September on the way to school (dropping my daughter off) I received a call from a friend of mine who had been teaching Chemistry at a college in Coventry (a town about 10 miles from us) and he said that his replacement had left and that the college were now in a spot of bother for a teacher for some of their classes. To cut a long story short I had a telephone conversation with the head of department and inside of a week I was teaching my first classes.

All in all, the job has been great, however, a steep learning curve for one not trained as a teacher. It has kept me busy, preparing, marking and generally getting my head around it. One thing I have discovered is that although I like teaching and helping people to understand Chemistry and science, I do not like all the paperwork that goes with it. Of course I understand it makes sense to track and recored things and there has to be some sort of quality management in teaching, but I do sort of object when it gets in the way of teaching.
In the defence of paperwork and observations, I was pleased to receive a Grade 2 (Good) on my most recent observed teaching session and once thing that I am sure helped was the thought I had to give to the paperwork (lesson plan) and how I was going to teach.

Anyway, we are now in the Easter holidays and I am taking a look at my life and our situation, which has drawn me back to writing the blog and to reevaluate what is important and how I need to change to meet the needs of the family in these tough times

Anyway I'll keep you posted and I promise not to leave you hanging this time

Polymer Parmenter