I have been on a course today. Those of you that know me know that I have had students from Canterbury Christ Church University College with me before today. So why in that case, I hear you ask, was I doing the training today? It seems that a fair few of us on the course had already been mentors to students. Now I am no expert on teacher training, but if they are asking us as mentors to take on such a HUGELY significant role (I had no idea how much they put on mentors these days) in the training of new teachers, surely the college should insist that they do not place students in schools where a trained mentor is not available. I had no idea that I was supposed to be doing most of the things we were taught about today. It seems, neither did any of the other delegates either. So I, in my 7 years of teaching have seen four students through teaching practices (teacher training -not work experience etc)...that is four students who, although I have done my best...I have not done for them what I should have done...so that is four students who have not had the start, support or training they should have had. There were 24 of us there today, if you assume that it is the same for them - then collectively we have sent 96 ill prepared, unsupported NQT's out into the profession. That can not be good for the student, or for the teaching profession. The training they provided was very good today and I am considerably happier about taking it on for my school...but I think CCCUC should really get their act together and not allow this to happen.

Sorry, minor rant over for now. It just made me cross!

Hello to Jonny Billericay (who coincidentally is on the blogroll of Unlucky Man who I met many moons ago as he is a friend of Ryan's) He too has had similar problems with the Dulux Once paint it seems and is as miffed as I. I was most surprised to find if you google search for 'problems with dulux once' that I appeared there - some way down the list but there nonetheless :)

(I take no responsibility for the content of those blogs should you or your children choose to follow the links by the way)

All this is just a report writing avoidance tactic. Who would be a teacher at this time of year? One with an inspection coming up too :(