At home with big tonsils...

I'm bored but my brain seems to be operational again now even if I can't manage to talk for more than 15 minutes without it hurting...

I've been home from school all week, no teaching for me. My throat swelled so that I could hardly swallow anything but now that I'm on my 8th antibiotic the swelling has gone down a bit and I thought that I would take the opportunity to mark the examinations that I couldn't face when I couldn't swallow. lol

One of the questions on the past paper that I'm marking (Year 11 - with about 4 weeks of school left before exams) was:

Write a letter to a teachers' magazine in which you inform teachers what life is really like for people of your age.

It's really interesting to read. These kids have had such a strange experience of school. Remember that up until July last year these kids had a 4 year experience of a school where they could do what they wanted and learning wasn't important. This year they're being asked to wear their uniform properly, sit in seating plans and work. Now, I am sure that there were teachers at the school who were desperately trying to uphold these basics even back in the "dark times" There are some top teachers there but it's interesting when you read Year 11s view of life as a student.....

"It is really bad and we have a lot of stress to cope with handling coursework as well as homework and most teachers also expect us to revise!"
Now apart from the alarmingly crap sentence structure and grammar, isn't it interesting that this student thinks that coursework, homework and revision are things that they're forced to do and that they don't want to do... It's his GCSE for god sake!

Another says

"Also when you're in Yr 8, yr9 its {school} just somewhere to go and chill and mess about with your friends because children of the age of 13 -14-15 arnt that bothered about work or getting in trouble because when your that age you get bored easier and just want to have fun not do no work, but all that attitude doesnt do use any good when it comes to year 10 + 11 because we start to think to ourselves we have our exams soon and if we dont do well we are going to be stuck in a dead end job and not living the "big style life" that every teenager dreams of..." -- It goes on with no punctuation for another 8 lines (pulling my hair out)

How interesting.... I imagine that was exactly what school was like in yr8 and 9 for her. Its not now... It's a brilliant place to learn some of the best teachers I've seen anywhere work at my school now but how sad that that's what she thinks her little sister (who is also in my class) thinks about school. I might show her sister this actually.... lol
It does suggest that a change has happened though as she's realising that she needs to work to get a "big style life"

This is my favourite phrase from the same piece...

"...this means we have to have our coursework handed in on time and always revising which is very hard when your interested in better things to do like go out and have fun."

They just don't get it..... It's so frustrating!! lol..

This girl makes me laugh,....

"We do no like the seating plans, we think once you are in years 10 and 11 you shouldn't have to have a seating plan because we should be treated like young adults and when our parents go to work their not expected to have a seating plan so why should we?"

This is the same girl who, when allowed to sit next to a friend spends at least 58 mins of a 60 minutes lesson shouting, giggling, screaming and generally Not working! lmao..

One last view on this....

(different student)
"If pupils are not sitting with friends they can be more easily distracted by talking across the room and throwing notes etc. If a pupil is sitting with a friend they talk quietly and still do some work."

I wrote in the margin.... "LOL! Why? You're there to learn not socialise. That's hilarious!"

I don't think she'll like my comment.... She did get a C though!! woo hoo! Progress... I will make these kids get it if it kills me!!! (It already gave me tonsil problems!) ;)