The Haunting

Last time, on A Student Teacher's Inner Thoughts and Ramblings; I was a day and a half away from finishing my 2nd placement at Haberdasher Aske's, and embarking on a final month of university-based learning. Once again, my incredible skills at regular blogging have meant that both these events have now been and gone... both were rather uneventful I suppose.

We at the Maths Department at HAHC carted ourselves off to Cafe Rouge on my last day (which I actually missed, on account of my uveitis flaring up... AGAIN. I wasn't teaching anyway, praise the Lord for KS3 exams), and I received presents! An awesome Maths book (if that's possible), chocolate (always good) ... and a stack of exam papers to mark, that my top-set Year 7 Boys had taken that day >.< wrapped in pretty paper and everything. Cunningly disguised.

So that was the end of May. A few days later I left Crewdson Road, and moved myself to my grandmothers attic in Peckham Rye. An intermittent before I find a new place nearer Ashford, ready for my start date at St. James on the 30th August. And yeah I'm still there, 2 months on. Turns out finding a flat is harder than you'd think...

Peckham Rye. You know, that place that's dangerously close to New Cross? Within the catchment area for HAHC? 

This has resulted in some really awkward chance-meetings with ex-pupils. 

The first: cycling through Peckham Rye Park. I heard a folorn voice which spake thus; "Hullo Miss Mitchell", from an old Year 7 pupil. I was going too fast to stop so I just carried on. 

The second: me exiting Peckham McDonalds, McFlurry in hand, on one of those beautiful July days we've had this year. I encountered one of my Problem Children from my Year 9 class, fortunately with his mum. He didn't say anything. Just glared. Who wouldn't, when I have a McFlurry and they don't?

The third: me exiting one of those suspicious clothes shops, the ones where it looks like everything fell off the back of a lorry? (Ironically it was called 'Loot') Another folorn voice. "Hiiii Miss Mitchell" - another Year 7. Shouldn't they be hanging around somewhere other than Peckham?

Putting that unpleasant business behind us. I've been for my induction day at St. James! I've also been given my classes and timetable and everything:

Year 7, Set 2 of 4

Year 8, Set 2 of 4

Year 9, Set 1 of 4 

Year 10, Set 4 of 4

Year 11, Set 4 of 5

Year 12, A-level Core 1 and 2.

I was also lucky enough to be given my own classroom... 

So, 4 weeks exactly and counting. Time to plan some lessons I think... haha. Any ideas for a good 'first lesson of the year'? I've not had the chance to do something like this yet!