Saturday 30 July 2011

Harry Potter - the end of an era?

Today we watched the latest and last Harry Potter film. After much anticipation and expectation I certainly was not disappointed. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was an excellent book to read and the last two films did J K Rowling proud!

The scene which I had been looking forward to was not the battle scenes or the amazing CGI filled scenes but the very last one.

19 years has passed ...

Harry and Ginnie, Ron and Hermione are all grown up and are sending their own kids off to Hogwarts. The horror has past, Voldemort is dead, time has passed.

From both the story and film the past has been healed, after all they have been through they have all moved on.

This ending comes as of time of hope and peace in a wizzarding world which has been troubled for such a long time.

Hope and peace can come, there might be a personal cost but it can come.

Friday 22 July 2011

The Summer Holidays!

It's come to that time of the year again - the last day of the summer term.


For all teachers everywhere this is generally a day that is greeted with much anticipation and excitement -no marking to be done tomorrow, a lie-in on Monday morning.


Whilst shopping the other day I was reminded again of the big business of thank you cards for teachers in the card shops.

For about the tenth year in a row I didn't get a card - not one!

I am not too depressed about this, I know that it's not because I am a bad or unaproachable teacher but where I work the giving of cards doesn't happen.

Does that mean I feel unappreciated?

NO!

During today I have had many students come up to me to wish me a happy holiday, to enjoy my break etc.  This has really meant so much to me.

I love teaching, I love the students at my school and genuinely care about them.  There will be several characters who I will miss during the summer break and look forward to teaching them again next year.  For some of them I worry about the break they will have, the lack of holidays away and the time they will spend with little to do.

The next six weeks will go so quickly and the start of term will come again soon.  I have long stopped thinking of the summer holidays as a perk of the job but more of a gift and an opportunity.

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Smell what sells?

After watching tonight's episode of the Apprentice I am really appalled with the efforts of both teams.
Team Logic 728
Team Venture 751
A win for team Venture, a really poor win and a cancel of the treat.  I think that this is the first time in the series that we have seen Lord Sugar so upset.

As I type this in real time I wonder what is going to happen next?

Into the board room goes ... Tom, Melody and Helen.

The first lost task for Helen - I blame Melody and really think that Helen was the right person to take over the lead of that team.

So Melody says she is going nowhere - but will she?

But listening to Helen it seems that she still has the wrong approach to the task.

And here goes Tom with his fight back.

"Which of you three brain surgeons allowed this to happen?" (Lord Sugar)

And here goes the argue in the board room as Melody and Helen fight.

Time to step outside as Lord Sugar confers with Karen and Nick.

The clock is ticking ....

Melody - "I put myself first on the first task", "Lord Sugar, listen" and "the Queen mentioned me!"

Helen - "I have won every single task" but "No you have been on every winning team"

Tom - "on paper you are right up my alley", "I've seen solutions too late"

I still don't know who will get fired but Melody feels that Tom is being disrespectful!

On that basis "Melody - you're fired!"

(Hoorah! Hooray! Hoorah! Hooray!)

Monday 4 July 2011

Knowing what you are made of?

I have often wondered how I would cope in a real emergency, in a situation where people depend on me.

On Friday I found out what it was like.

The situation was grim, there were many hurdles to overcome and this was compounded with exhaustion and hunger!

By Saturday morning I had to step up to the plate as the Americans would say. I have to admit there were nerves (after all that is natural) but knowing that people depend on you really helps with that.

I survived and so did those in my care. In the end I actually enjoyed it (in an odd sort of way).

If you are reading this and you were one of the young people in my care I can honestly say it was a pleasure.