Gunpowder, Treason and Crepes

[CointreauVersial]

Here we are again.....

MrsS, my primary school is taking part in the Shakespeare for Schools festival too. I wonder if it is the same thing. We have lots of sparkly 9 years olds performing a (much diluted) version of Macbeth. Fortunately, only the arse end of Wimbledon for us. My little darlings are not in it, so no schlepping for me today.

Hatty, did you see Gareth lick the celebs into shape in the choir programme on Monday? I love Gareth, but am less keen on Children in Need. Maybe Gareth could take over the crepey singers. Herbs, the Faure Requiem on Sunday sounds just perfect. When I was in sixth form, our school head of music suddenly died and we sang it (along with the Cantique de Jean Racine) at his memorial service. Not a dry eye anywhere, especially not the choir.

Right, I have ladyjogged and am now drying my hair ready to go Christmas Crazy at the Spirit of CHristmas fair in Olympia. I am supposed to be window shopping but am taking my olde lady shopping trolley just in case....

DD1 is going to be part of the audience for the CiN Strictly special on Sat. Is v chuffed.

I am waiting to be sent copy with 'amends'. I hate this. Hate it hate it hate it. Have nagged but nothing has come forth...

MI, does that mean that she will see Bruce? I would be v disappointed to get Bruce and Tess, without lovely Claudia. Must be super exciting though. Is this a school trip? Good luck with your copy.

at MrsS descriptions - you should be a sports commentator or something MrsS.

MI, hate that too. I used to have a client who said they would be sending "dangling amends" which sounded vaguely threatening as well as stylistically infelicitous (a phrase beloved of my first, great, editor).

She's going because her yoof theatre group is apparently partly funded by CiN.

I can't do anything till they've cleared the copy. So I am a dangling amend, dammit.

Right. Can finally access internet after installing, at Apple's suggestion, the 'Yosemite' operating system. All very nice, I'm sure, but took about an hour.

Monty - I love the Cantique also - we sang it at our concert the other week, along with the requiem. Fauré-tastic.

For those of you not on Facebook, and shopping 'up west' this Sunday, my choir is singing Fauré's requiem in the Hinde Street methodist church at about 12.30. Part of the remembrance service, which starts at 10.55 Not 11.

Had a particularly harrowing teaching practice yesterday. My mind just goes blank, and I can't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. Feel very much like I've been dropped in the deep end - don't even watch any 'proper' teachers any more, just have to do it myself. While logically I 'know' that one learns by making mistakes, and constructive feedback, I still bristle at any criticism I feel is unwarranted.

The other two in my teaching group are a right funny pair. One seems entirely insane, writes everything down, so is constantly surrounded by a flurry of loose sheets of paper, gets insanely flustered, and I really can't see how she'll cope with real life. The other one is super-confident 'international' type girl, lived in Switerland, set up an orphanage in Malawi, has been teaching for ages, speaks with a mid-Atlantic drawl, and is quite very patronising to practically everyone.

Monty, I watched GM and was gutted to see him in the pub round the corner from me with Jo Brand (who is a local) - how did I not know he was there?! He is just so inspiring and would be lovely as a son/brother

And at being able to go to the Christmas Fair! I am currently struggling to get enthusiastic with my planning

They sound delightful, Herbs! It will get easier, I promise! Being watched is nerve-wracking though when it is not someone who already rates you IYKWIM, though I have become much less bothered over the years!

It's like having two job interviews a week! In the literacy class I'm being watched by my teaching tutor and the two other student teachers, as well as the poor unfortunate 'learners'.

Right. Must get on with my planning too!

Another TV reality a show - Student Teachers - starring Herbs of course (I suspect this may have been done already).

Herbs, that does sound pretty gruelling. But you get to watch the other student tutors and learn from their mistakes and successes?

I do, yes. Which is indeed most educational. I should fill my thoughts into my 'reflective log' on the journey home, but find I just collapse on the tube with Candy Crush.

Sometimes it is better to stand back a bit before you reflect anyway

Yes, yes, that's it!

I'm just back from my teaching - it is exhausting. The Twits went down superbly but I didn't realise that collective nouns were such a mystery. I find occupying the fast ones whilst the slower ones catch up really hard.

Well done Hatty! Yes, differentiation is always a challenge

Have done some productive stuff now - some planning, some reviewing policy and a meeting.

Is there a trick BTM?

Ach…snogging. Just think of the horrible bugs you won't pick up if you don't do it
Awww Gareth bless his little baby face. Some atrocious singing on that programme this week, though….
Well done to all Crepeys meeting the challenges of their teaching gigs head- on and doing so well.
OK…two teens dispatched on to the theatre coach bound for The Guildhall with enough food to feed an army and enough toiletries to stock a salon. Gels - check. Big hair swishy salon blow-dry - check. Now about to brave the filler job that is required to get my face on. Then the scaffolding job required to pour myself into the frock. Went for this in the end. DH liked it…although one wonders whether he makes most of his decisions around whether said garment enhances the boobage, rather than on true style criteria….
Wish me luck. I'm going in…..

A midweek outing, Rose! V glam. And nice frock.

I myself am regretting the fact we are out of alcohol - it's that kind of week - and rather glumly pleased I bought Veg at the weekend as this means I have to cook it (I succumbed to popular demand for fishfingers and chips last night, having made poor DD2 trot to brass band practice in the rain and the cold on her own. We did have salad with it). I shall bung broccoli and peppers rather randomly in the oven and do them with couscous and dry-fried hallumi.

MI - I have stir fried three carrots, a courgette, a red pepper and chick peas with various spices which I shall shortly serve up with cous cous and feta cheese.

Hatty - I find the differentiation bit v hard too. I don't want the slower ones to feel self-conscious, but often lack stuff for the others to do. Other challenges include:

1. Writing up aims, objectives, and rationales for the lesson plan. All seem the same to me.

1. Taking a wild stab at which part of the curriculum we're supposed to be teaching. No-one ever actually tells us, but yet we have to put it on the lesson plan.

3 to 143. Giving simple-enough instructions, allowing enough time for tasks to be completed, mastering the interactive white board, tying it all in with the tedious theory, yadda yadda yadda

Sadly no tricks Hatty.

Have fun Rose!

Am feeling a bit bad as I confusedly rushed DS out of the house 10 mins early to drop him to the train, so he will be standing around for a bit. It is because on Thursdays he needs dropping at 5.15, Weds is 4.25 but I got confused. I don't think he has noticed yet!

I was just about to write that you wouldn't get me teaching for all the money in China, then I recalled that in another life, ie when I was in my 20s, I taught shorthand and typing! It's funny because I had totally forgotten about the teaching, but I use shorthand all the time.

We have just driven down the Central Motorway in Newcastle and I was totally aghast to see what I can only describe as a huge television playing adverts mounted on the side of a bridge (it was the whole width of the bridge). Talk about distracting and I can see it being the cause of accidents.

Rose, enjoy your evening (love the frock).

I like the sound of the couscous dinners - we're having chicken teriyaki, after which DH is going to his cycling club AGM.

I feel guiltily I should be going to something fireworky but really don't feel like it.

We eat a lot of couscous. It is the lazy but greedy person's dream. The Inferiorettes have discovered it makes a good packed lunch too and can be produced almost instantly in the mornings. By them.