Guest Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Thought I'd share with you a very happy moment - as recently my posts have been more like death!!! SIO came in today and was very impressed with my interactions with the children. After seeing a lot of teacher-directed play (and no I didn't say I told you so!), she held the video footage of me playing with the children as a "shining example" of how teachers should engage children in more child-centred, child-directed play with the teacher facilitating learning 'through the back door' so to speak. She wants to invite the whole FS team in to view the video (as there was only me, the FS co, the other Rec teacher and her NN there) and discuss the strengths as well as ways in which to extend the stuff I did as well as incorporate it more strongly in the other areas of our delivery!!! Wahoo. I wasn't false, I wasn't all singing all dancing. If anything, I was just being myself with my children. I enjoyed it - which is the issue a lot of the time because like I have said before, timetabling of teacher directed activities restricts the amount of child-led play I can get involved with. I'm not saying it's gonna make a whole load of difference - but it is such a refreshing change to be told that what you do - and what you want to do more of while being rebutted by your FS co, is actually seen as something positive by your school improvement officer!!! Thought I'd share that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 congratulations- I am very pleased for you- L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Well done, you!! sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Brilliant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Well done! Great news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posy Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Gater, Absolutely blooming marvellous. You must feel so proud. Keep being yourself - it's working Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Well done Gater-at least you now have the fact confirmed that you are doing the right thing! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Great news Gater, It makes it all worthwhile when at last your principles and practice are acknowledged, and who better than the SIO who must have some clout in supporting your fight for changes. I bet 100 cheesy smiles that the children were smiling as much as you. The fact it was caught on film must be an added bonus. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Fantastic! Really pleased for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Gator, So pleased you've had some positive feedback confirming what you already knew. It's great that you have received some praise for a change and does wonders for morale, doesn't it. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Congratulations, Gater! Sometimes even when we know in our hearts we're doing all the right things, its easy to let others' perceptions cloud our judgement and doubt ourselves. How lovely to have someone 'on high' give affirmation to your approach and your teaching methods - and to offer you up as an example of good practice to others. And the fact that you didn't say I told you so only confirms your saintly status! I can see your halo shining from here! Well done you! Maz PS Just to show my ignorance: what's an SIO?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Thanks for all your cheesy grins too!!! Was still beaming today, despite me walking into the room this morning to the FS co telling my NN that the SIO (School Improvement Officer) was a wittering old woman who doesn't really know what she is doing and she really doesn't feel she's up to the job!!!! Oh well, can't please everyone! I did have a little word in the ear to the SIO asking her whether I would be able to seek her advice on certain things as the newly appointed Head had told me he is no Early Years Specialist. Just wanted to know I had someone who I could ask about things when that support wasn't there in school. I mean, if it wasn't for me doing the ordering and implementing of new DfES stuff, we'd still be in the Dark Ages! She's told me that I know where she is and said something along the lines of: You can only go as fast as the slowest snail. Then she encouraged me to feed it small amounts of lettuce to encourage its progress. I responded that I fed it juicy helpings of lettuce but I think it had a food allergy - but will keep trying with the healthy additions of extra vitamins!!! Ah well, the easy life at school it isn't!!! But never boring it is!!!! D xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Gator, I love the snail analogy...however it does remind me of a certain alleyway I used to walk through to get home, and sometimes if it was dark there was the inevitable "scrunch, slip " of a foot trodden snail. They obviously didn't move fast enough to get out my way Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Oh wow Peggy. That just brightened my day. Had been sat contemplating whether it had been such a good idea taking the SIO to one side. I did it out of frustration really and to seek out the guidance of someone who I respected as an EY practitioner. Since becoming a teacher, this is the only school I have worked in. At times, because I am the one trying to storm forward, I often feel that I have never had a supportive and guiding person who I could look up to and ask when I was not sure on things. I accept I am fresh out of Uni (2yrs in) and as much as I feel confident, I still need that guidance and reassurance, especially since I've simply been led by the FS co since I left uni. Reading your post made me realise that I was right to bring it up and although the initial post and reference to the turtle made me worry that it was accepted that things were going to be a REALLY slow process, and I should just continue to bide my time, your post put another slant on things. I am wanting what is best for the children and I am doing it for them. I make the noises not out of self destruction mode, but out of a great desire to get things right. Not in the future, but in the now. I'm not one for putting on a show because I know someone is going to observe - I want to be able to showcase what I do best, and at the minute, I don't feel that I have much to be proud of. Thank you for the analagy. It makes me realise that I shouldn't feel guilty about feeling that I need to overtake the turtle!! I always try and lead and then feel it isn't my job or position to lead, so pull back and just accept that I can't do anything about things. But reading your post put a bit of a clearer meaning on it for me. It's not my role or job, but it is my duty to the children to keep doing these things. Am sure most of you have these issues with senior people not accepting the FS curriculum. Unfortunately for me it is the one person who I expected to understand = and that is the FS co. However, my overtaking is only going to make me as a teacher develop - and if it gets to a point where the situation isn't going to change despite promises to the contrary, then I think another school will be able to use my thirst better. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Dear Gater and All How strange!!!!!! I too have had a good weekend having just returned from my residential at University and came back with some babies for my group - yep baby African land snails (I think) one of the other poor students brought them in, as the pair she has are very successful breeders. She had to find homes for 80 of them at the last go. So am now tending 6 little eggs in the hope that they will grow up to be 6 lovely snails who hopefully can move a bit faster than Peggy!! and that they survived the rail journey home. I just received my results from my last two modules and they were really good - considering all the heartache I went through just before half term - one assignment I didn't do so well in - but I knew it was not going to get a good pass. Just as Gater says it makes it all worth while and we all need a bit of a boost at times. So well done to you Gater and to you Peggy what can I say - do you want any snails? More cheesy grins from Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Nichola, The children at preschool would love some snails. We've looked at small everyday garden ones, see attached pics, and a few stick insects. Will the African snails survive "Snail mail" ? ( sorry couldn't resist ) If they can I'll PM my address. Gater, I'm glad you feel supported, that was my intention and what we are all here on this forum for. Another analogy which is what I strife for within my staff team is the wonderful poem "GEESE" which Steve posted a while back. It shows the value of all aiming for the same goals and supporting each other on that journey. I hope someone can link you to it and more importantly I hope you can get to work in a team, where you are now, or anywhere in the future where you feel the benefit of a supportive network around you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Dear Peggy It may be a while before they are mature enough to produce their own babies - but I will keep you in mind if I become a proud parent of 80 eggs. Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie A. Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 We too have just become proud parents of two adult african land snails and two tiny babies (about 5mm). We recently visited another Nursery for a network meeting and they had several of these snails in a tank. They had recently laid a batch of eggs, some of which had hatched. They asked if we would like some. As the last of our fish have recently died, we had a fish tank going spare, so agreed that we could home them. We went one lunchtime last week, armed with an ice cream tub for transportation and collected Sidney, Sylvia and the two babies (as yet un-named). As they are hermaphrodite, it doesn't matter which is which! You do however still need two for mating. The adults are approximately as big as an adult hand. They seem quite happy in the tank - they have deep compost, pieces of bark and flowerpots to shelter in and a pool of water. They eat most fruit and veg and so have been living off our left-overs. The compost has to be kept very moist and so we spray it daily, and scoop out any food that's more than a day old. I'm not too happy about handling them yet, their suction is very strong and if they don't want to be picked up they hold fast. I realise that I am going to have to take them home for the summer holidays. The children have found it very amusing today, as both babies are riding piggy-back on the adult's shells. I did a bit of internet research and found people who are extremely in love with these creatures as pets. One lady even said that she gets her's out in the evening and lets it crawl all over her arm, neck and head while she's watching TV. She was besotted with it. I certainly won't go that far! Jackie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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