Rules

A student in my form's father is dying. Well, probably. It's advanced stage cancer, detected very late, and it's not a sort with a good prognosis. Hairy Boy is 13 and he has a younger sister, and their uncle, who has no kids, decided to buy them a family holiday to make the most of the months they have left with their dad. Fair enough. Lovely plan. Only, it's in term time.

We can't say 'Wait til Christmas' because it's already payed for (and they're not wealthy), and, well, Dad might not have that long, at least not in good enough health to go on holiday - but we can't say yes.

New rules came in at the start of this month that say that no holidays can be authorised apart from in exceptional circumstances, for students who have never taken a holiday in term time before, and whose attendance for the last 12 months is over 90%. And Hairy Boy's attendance is 85% - he was really sick last term for a week. So we can't authorise, and there's no appeal system or higher-up power to appeal to, just the rule. You can't. Teacher's can't be trusted to use their professional judgement, so we end up with absolute regulations like this and have nowhere to turn when we find a situation in which they are clearly devastatingly misguided.

Oh, my form

Grumpy 14 year old boy, storming out of my classroom unhappily: *mutters* 'I don't know why everyone says you're such a great teacher, you're not exactly a good form tutor...'

First week back

It was a long week! Let's do this by numbers.

1: snapping at children ('Don't whine, Ali!' to a year 7 bottom set child)
1: putting my head in my hands and telling my TA 'That was the worst lesson in the history of ever' (this 
     happens quite often)
2: times I made a new year 7 cry
2: balls of string used in lessons and now hopelessly tangled
3: hopelessly miss-set children (2 have now been moved...)
3: 'Miss Roots' Magical Homework Pass's given out, to much admiration and joy

4: detentions given to 13 year-olds for calling out in class
4: times a student who had me last year told a student who is new to me this year 'Yeah, she really will do
    that'
5: detentions given (a year 8 girl forgot her homework. Yes, I'm mean.)

And finally...
12: times being called 'Mrs'. Nope, not married!