Teachers, I need some moral support. Just had a c**p observation and feeling really down

[dramaqueen]

OK I knew it wasn't going to be the best ever lesson, becasue we were mopping up bits and pieces from a series of lessons and finishing stuff off. BUT I completely forgot about lesson objectives , got a few of my facts wrong (which I never do normally) and had behaviour issues from one boy which I failed to deal with. I think I was so concerned with the content of the lesson that I never thought about HOW I was going to teach it, IYSWIM.

Oh yes, the projector didn't work, we overan and altogether I feel miserable.

Please tell me that it doesn't matter, that I'm not normally that bad, that everyone has crap lessons.

I'm going to cook the kids tea now so may be drowning my sorrows in a glass of wine.

Oh heck drama queen - afraid I'm not a teacher - just didnt want you to feel alone. Sure there will be thers along soon - what do you teach? Does the person observing now that this isnt yo usual style - will this affect you or just your department? Hopefully you will be ale to put this behind - expect you have to have the mopping up lessons to be able to fnish stuff off rather than just hopping about half completing ?! horses x

I'm a TA but just want to say - everyone has off days - tomorrow will be better. The kids survived, so did you

We all have off days, and as Reflective Practitioners, we learn from them and become better teachers as a result.

Don't be too hard on yourself.

You are learning. Don't forget that. Teachers are often not terribly good at helping adults to learn so I hope you didn't get too much of a pasting for it.

You've just got to keep bouncing back and be prepared to try again. Don't feel too bad about it - tomorrow is another day.

Thanks for that, all of you. I suppose it wasn't a complete disaster. I was told there were some good elements and got a 'satisfactory'.

I keep thinking that if my dept manager thinks it is a representative sample of what I can do, then he'll think I'm rubbish.

I teach Business Studies A Level & GCSE by the way.

If your dept manager uses one observation as a way of judging your abilities then he is rubbish himself. Try not to let this one observation affect your confidence - at least you got a satisfactory.

dramaqueen...... I'm a teacher of many years experience. I think probably the hardest thing about teaching is that no matter how long you've been doing the job, or how talented you are, there is still the potential for things to not go to plan. That's what makes the job exciting I guess, and edgy sometimes, but the downside is that you can never be absolutely sure how a lesson will go. But you know, reading you post made me realise just how many skills we use on a minute by minute basis. There's the subject knowledge and skills, the fact that you need to present it in a dynamic way to 30 kids who all have different needs/abilities/learning styles/issues. Then there's likely to be a few kids with significant difficulties in any class, so you're differentiating/adapting/thinking on your feet/. Then there's extending the brighter kids. Showing that when you ask questions you include a balance of boys/girls. Plus managing another adult if you have a Teaching Assistant in there. Plus dealing with any behaviours that might kick off during the lesson. Plus managing projector/interactive whiteboard/other gadgets. Plus timing the whole damn thing so that you sum up with your plenary and get everyone out on time to the next lesson. Oh and then of course you dash off to teach another lesson to another set of 30 personalities.When you look at it like that, it makes you realise we're bloody amazing doesn't it?!!
To reassure you, your manager will know from all sort of other evidence that you are a good teacher. Good managers have a finger on the pulse - they talk to parent and kids, they'll probably do a lot of 'unofficial' watching here and there, and tbh the formal observation is only a small part. And you know what says it all to me? - you obviously have the drive and determination to give of your best. that will come across in your teaching.
Now - enjoy that glass -or two- of wine!!

what a lovely post inthegutter.

I'm not a teacher but I agree - teachers do an amazingly difficult job. And they are SO important.

enjoy the wine, you deserve it!

Inthegutter has said absolutely everything I think, so I'll just echo her. We all have those lessons sometimes, that don't go quite right and you need to just think about how many balls you are juggling with every lesson you teach.

Your line manager sounds as if his head is screwed on right - you got a satisfactory; you know what aspects you'd want to improve for next time; there's no major issues been raised; it wasn't unsatisfactory, so really you have nothing to worry about.

Have a bar of chocolate - think about all the good things you've been doing lately - you know, those moments when, even if it's only for a short while, it all comes together and you can feel the buzz in the room? That's what you're doing it for and as you gain experience, you'll be able to manage every lesson observation like a ring master - nobody thinks you're rubbish!

Now - go and enjoy that chocolate!

I remember being told, as an NQT, by my lovely mentor, to aim for maybe 2 "WOW" lessons a week, and that the rest should be satisfactory, otherwise I would have a nervous breakdown with all the planning. As I became more experienced, the "wow" lessons would be easier to deliver, and I could shoe-horn a couple more in each week. Keep in mind that there is just no way that anyone could produce what is expected of us in an ideal world and stay sane.
Everyone has 'off' lessons, (and off days)but as long as the overall balance is OK, then you should try to lighten up on yourself a bit.

Thanks to all of you, especially inthe gutter. Your post was ovely and has made me realsie that I'm not completely hopeless after all. I suppose it's the disappointment that what I thought was going to be a really good lesson actually wnet a bit pear-shaped.

I will aim for a few less "wow" lessons too. Perhaps try to get the basics right then build on that.

Thanks alot. I may stick with it after all

My projector didn;t work and the kids wouldn't shut up when I was being filmed for teachers TV, the programme should be on any day and I can't face watching it as I know I looked crap

I got a satisfactory on my last observation and it annoyed me as I work so hard but one kid didn't do his work. Satisfactory feels anything but satisfactory. But in reality Clam is right and we should aim for the wow lessons a few times a week for our own sanity.

Twinset - that reminds me of the time I was photographed for the local paper with my Year 10 class all seated in front of laptops looking very intelligent. Unfortunately none of the damned things were actually working as the ICT technician had forgotten to charge them!

Everyone has 'bad' lessons & no one can be harsher about how they went than yourself.

DH was supporting a trainee teacher & was doing top heavy fractions (forgotten proper term) and all her examples were for 1 and 1/4 or 1 and 5/8 so when the kids came to do the work they thought the answer was always 1 over and then a fraction. She didn't realise their misconception until half way through the lesson. She said to dh why didn't you stop me but he said you needed to realise the error you made in the planning & the common misconceptions pupils make - you learn more from your mistakes than your successes, painful though it is!

When you ahve your feedback - get in there 1st..tell them what you did wrong and what you will do next time..at least they know that you do know what you are doing rea;lly

I made my manager give me the feedback straight after the lesson (end of the day). He was trying to get off home to get some marking done but I made him go through it with me. He did understand what I was trying to do , and said that his latest observation had been pretty bad as well. I managed to explain alot of the queries he had and he was very fair. He also said he would pop in sometimes and do some casual observing and give me some feedback, which would be better.

I am still an NQT since I am only working part-time. Seems like a slog sometimes.

It is lovely to have you experienced teachers tell me your nightmares. It seems that every time I enter the classroom I am faced with some unexpected situation! I just get to the point that I think there can be no more surprises when another curved ball hits me