A blog to my Year 6s

Here is a blog post I have written to my Y6s on our Kidblog.org account. I wrote it straight after our Y6 production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. For me this achievement was far more impressive than their excellent SATS results.

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Hi everyone.

I'm writing the morning after a night that I will never forget.

To say people were proud of you is a massive understatement. Your parents love you, and whatever positive things you do at school and in your life, they will always be proud of you. But last night you put on a performance that, given your age, would have made Andrew Lloyd Webber himself proud.

And as for your teachers and staff - you may feel at times that we nag you or get on your back but remember this - each and every one of us cares for you as individuals and we want you to achieve the very best that you can. Last night you did that - you put on a complex and technical West End production that in parts wouldn't have looked out of place on the professional stage. And you made it your own. And you're 10 and 11 years old!

For me, your production brought back many memories of when I used to act as a child. In fact, your performance was truly on another level compared to anything I've been in myself. But as a director, I have enjoyed every minute of this. I have been singing along to every song; I have been going through all of the emotions in the play; I have laughed and I was very close to crying. Very close! So thank you for the gift you have given me. You pushed beyond your comfort zone. You learned to sing. You learned to dance. You learned to act. You were patient. You were never satisfied when you knew you could do better. You were amazing. It is a gift that I, along with everyone in that hall will hold in their hearts for a very long time.

It would be impossible of me to pick out individuals because it was a show that involved everyone for the duration. You were never out of the gaze of the audience. But I did watch the audience through the show. Needless to say, there was a sea of proud parents and grandparents wiping their eyes, genuinely moved to tears by your performance. There was much laughter. There was a parent who punched the air with her fist every time her daughter said a line. There was a certain Pharaoh's parents who turned around to me in stunned disbelief!

And of course there was a standing ovation - and that's never happened.

So now as we move on, and Joseph becomes Hollie, and the King becomes Max once more, always remember - you rocked it last night. You have all grown so much in confidence as well as talent and you put on a performance that none of us would have dreamed you could do three months ago.

In a few short weeks, you'll be leaving your cosy surroundings at Barlby CP and taking your next steps in the world as you go to high school. As you take that step, you can hold your heads high and know that you can achieve anything. You have showed us that in the most extraordinary way.

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#21 The General Election? It's anyone's guess.

On the evening of May 7th, I plan to sit up all night with a selection of craft ales (from various rural constituencies) watching the results coming in. I am genuinely excited by the prospect of change, and am looking forward to the entertainment value of it all - it beats Britain's Got Talent any time (and I enjoy BGT).

But as for to who vote for, that's something of an open field, and none of the TV debates made that any clearer,

Obviously, I'm a teacher, so I simply cannot vote for the current ruling party, as they have ruined the heart and soul of my profession. What's more, their whole election message has been based on slagging off Ed Miliband at every given opportunity. "On May 7th, you have a choice," they tell us. "The stability of a David Cameron, or the chaos of Ed Miliband." How do they know?  Yawn. Tories, I truly expected better from you. I don't even know what you stand for. And you didn't turn up for the debates, which to me speaks volumes.

So what of Labour? Traditionally, this is the party that is supposed to represent me as a teacher. They got my vote last time around. This time, I'm unsure. I like many others was disappointed that Ed Miliband became leader. Yes, he won in a democratic process but I thought his brother was more statesmanlike. Did he shaft his brother? That's not for me to say, but I'd like to think that family loyalty counts for a lot. After winning the vote, Miliband was quick to take away some of the powers of the unions that had guaranteed him his role. So it could be said he's shafted his brother AND the unions. Would he do the same to the country? I don't know but I do get the feeling that he's power hungry and is in it for personal gain. If his colleagues were more dynamic, then I might think twice. But there is no-one in the Labour shadow cabinet who excites me.

And then there are the other kids on the block. I can't vote SNP or Plaid Cymru for obvious reasons. I can't vote for UKIP for even more obvious reasons. The Greens have lots of wild ideas that will never add up. And then we're left with the Lib Dems, the party that is seen as the Judas of the political scene.

I've always felt a little sorry for Nick Clegg. He had a big decision to make in 2010, but what choice did he have? Since then, many of his key principles have been uprooted. Many students will never forgive him for what happened with tuition fees. But as a minority party in power, that's probably to be expected. For all Nicola Sturgeon talks about Trident being a red line issue, there is absolutely nothing she will be able to do to stop it if she is in a coalition government.

Clegg may be clinging on to the scraps of what he has achieved (and there are some good policies that he's pushed through), but can you imagine what life might be like if the Tories had secured an overall majority? I'm glad the Lib Dems have been in there to offer an opposite view, and to be honest, I'd be glad of it again this year.

And after all that's happened over the last five years, Clegg still stands out as the most honest of the main party leaders, and that says a lot! I hope he keeps his seat, because I think they will have a big part to play on May 7th.

So I havcn't really said much about policy, but the key areas for me are education; family; and lifelong care as my parents are approaching retirement.

With that in mind, I looked at an election policy guide for education. I'm close to making a decision on where my vote is going. Five years ago, this decision would have shocked me to the core.

Anyone got any good suggestions of craft ales?

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#13 A Tale of Two Parents

I often wonder what the most important professional relationship is for a teacher. Is it with the Headteacher? Is it with fellow teachers? Could it be with a Teaching Assistant? Oh, what about the children? (Probably best to include that one).

Or how about this: parents.

On Thursday this week I had two encounters with parents which couldn't have been more different.

In the morning, the father of a member of my class who has recently suffered a family tragedy thanked me for how I had supported his child through the process. His words humbled me greatly, and I was touched that even in a time of grief, he had shared this with me.

After school, I received a phone call where another parent 'raised her concerns' about our election of school councillors. I patiently explained our democratic process; that all candidates had the chance to present a speech; all children voted without talking to others; and that two members of staff had verified the vote. Pretty robust (are you listening, Scotland?). Eventually, the parent admitted that the reason for her complaint was that her child wasn't selected. That's politics.

There are other teachers in my school who would have taken a very different approach with that phone call. After all, when in school, we are the professionals and should be trusted to get on with our jobs. As a parent myself, though, I can see things from a parent's point of view. Whilst I would rather not be seen as 'interfering' with my own children's education, there have been occasions when I have picked up the phone myself to school.

With this in mind, I have developed a new approach to interactions with complaining parents. I try my very hardest to see the situation through their eyes; ensure they know the full facts (often children neglect to pass on critical information to parents!) and provide them with reassurances about how the situation will get better. There's no need for confrontation. That just creates barriers that aren't helpful to anyone. No, parents and teachers are on the 'same side'. We have the same interests at heart - the happiness and education of children. it's just that our means to achieve those interests may differ slightly.

As for those occasions when a parent gives a compliment about the impact you have made in their child's life...well, that is just about the most rewarding thing that a teacher can hear.

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#12 Teaching ISN'T the most important part of the job

This is pretty controversial, so prepare yourself: Teaching is NOT the most important role of the teacher.

After a six week break, many children are not ready for school. Some can't wait to get back. For others it's an escape from what can be an unhappy and even harmful home life.

So far, I've dealt with numerous parental break ups, family tragedies and on occasion those nasty cases where a child has disclosed something truly horrible that has to be passed on to the relevant authorities.

When I'm faced with a child's tears because of something that is happening at home, my heart breaks for them. As a teacher, that's the time when I have to put lessons, planning, marking and to do lists to one side and simply be there for them.

Each day, I spend six hours with my class. From Monday to Friday, I spend more time with them than they spend with their own parents. I know what makes them laugh. I know what makes them cry. I know everything about them, so my role is much more than simply teaching them lessons. You need a whole lot more in your locker than what you learn in teacher training. You need compassion. Sadly, there is also a great responsibility to report anything that is out of place in children's lives, which can cause great tension between parents and schools. Ultimately, though, the safety and protection of the child comes way before SATS results and school league tables.

Father. Teacher. Social Worker. It's the holy trinity of teaching.

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