We have been preparing for the last nearly 2 years at my school for an overseas tour to China, to Chengdu. We were planning to go in about 4 weeks, however the recent earthquake over there has thrown all the travel plans into disarray.
We are having a meeting at school tomorrow ngiht for all the parents and students to talk about what they want to do. The feeling around the school is that they don't want to be going at the moment. I am thinking the same, the way things are at the moment, from what we are seeing on the news is of a grieving country. Some of the stories I have seen on the news makes me so sad. One story in particular has stuck in my mind, a man was trapped under part of a building for three days. As they were organising to free him someone got him a phone and he was able to talk to his wife. He said to her he didn't think that he would survive, and said his goodbye. A few hours later when he was dragged free, he was unable to be revived. How do you find the right words when you know that they will be your last?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Week 7
Lately I have been so tired, there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done. There was a meeting and a vote at school about taking extras when people are sick, they want us to take them more often than we have. It remains to be seen if it impacts unfairly on the already huge workload that we have. Something that I will be chasing up is about the hours that Lindy and I spend taking band. If the teachers are complaining that taking an extra extra (hehe) is impacting on their planning time, then what about the extra 5 hours that we both put in each week? Not to mention the lunch time rehearsals, recess supervision, morning student meetings - I don't feel that I have ANY quality planning time at school. I rely on time at home in which to plan for the next days classes, if I plan them in advance at all, at the moment. I have a few units that I am running at the moment, some musical activities like rhythms and intervals, but I'm not sure that I am getting the best out of my students that I could be. I have limited time in which to research things and plan a semesters work.
Anyway, right now I am exhausted. And I can say from the meeting that I am not the only one. Many of the other teachers are feeling the same, there are soooo many things that teachers are expected to do in a day and just not enough time to do any of them properly. When you take into account all the planning for everyday classes, planning for assessment, running tests, writing reports and marking work and then add on to that the student discipline, following up on students who misbehave, haven't finished work, didn't turn up for something important, weren't where they were supposed to be, then also think about planning and running home group, organising instrumental timetables - not just for yourself but for the other two instrumental teachers - chasing up students who miss lessons, photocopying music, getting goods and services for the cabaret night, selling tickets, teaching the music...and thats only half of what I am in charge of doing every day!
Saturday night both Mark and I slept for a full 12 hours. We are both too tired, each day it is getting harder to get up. I am sure that this is in part due to the weather turning colder, but it's also as the term drags on. I must make sure that each night I am getting to bed earlier than I have been. I just want to have a little time for myself, so after Mark goes to bed I often stay up a little longer either reading or checking things online. Sometimes it is after 11pm until I can wind myself down enough to go to bed.
In terms of news on going to China, we have been sent a letter saying that we can pospone the trip until later in the year, however if we cancel we cannot expect any refunds from plane tickets, hotel bookings or tour payments. We are speaking of over $2000 that we are being told wont be refunded. It really stinks, that something out of our control still means that the airlines take our money. It's such a horrible thing going on over there at the moment, no parent is going to let their child go still. Anyway, we let the kids know this tomorrow, and have a meeting about it wednesday night. By then we should have an idea about the direction that we might take. It might be possible to change the destination to somewhere else overseas. It would be nice to know for sure.
Anyway, right now I am exhausted. And I can say from the meeting that I am not the only one. Many of the other teachers are feeling the same, there are soooo many things that teachers are expected to do in a day and just not enough time to do any of them properly. When you take into account all the planning for everyday classes, planning for assessment, running tests, writing reports and marking work and then add on to that the student discipline, following up on students who misbehave, haven't finished work, didn't turn up for something important, weren't where they were supposed to be, then also think about planning and running home group, organising instrumental timetables - not just for yourself but for the other two instrumental teachers - chasing up students who miss lessons, photocopying music, getting goods and services for the cabaret night, selling tickets, teaching the music...and thats only half of what I am in charge of doing every day!
Saturday night both Mark and I slept for a full 12 hours. We are both too tired, each day it is getting harder to get up. I am sure that this is in part due to the weather turning colder, but it's also as the term drags on. I must make sure that each night I am getting to bed earlier than I have been. I just want to have a little time for myself, so after Mark goes to bed I often stay up a little longer either reading or checking things online. Sometimes it is after 11pm until I can wind myself down enough to go to bed.
In terms of news on going to China, we have been sent a letter saying that we can pospone the trip until later in the year, however if we cancel we cannot expect any refunds from plane tickets, hotel bookings or tour payments. We are speaking of over $2000 that we are being told wont be refunded. It really stinks, that something out of our control still means that the airlines take our money. It's such a horrible thing going on over there at the moment, no parent is going to let their child go still. Anyway, we let the kids know this tomorrow, and have a meeting about it wednesday night. By then we should have an idea about the direction that we might take. It might be possible to change the destination to somewhere else overseas. It would be nice to know for sure.
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