Hullo, All.
I'm very busy right now marking GCSE English coursework and collating students' folders for entry next month. If you don't know what that means (or what it entails) consider yourself lucky. The bottom line is that modelling and painting are both taking a back seat for a while, so updates from me will continue to be limited - probably 'til Easter.
Oh, and just a quickie: I bought 'Battle Missions' and I must say it's a rather well put together book. Well done, Jervis.
Pic stolen from GW website.
Take care, all, and happy modelling!
- Drax.
Good luck with your GCSE shenanigans. I have no idea what it is, so I will take your advice and consider myself lucky!
ReplyDeleteBah, I feel sorry more for the poor souls that have to take the bloody things.
ReplyDeleteIt has been 8 years since I had to do mine. Tests are the way backwards. :-p
I haven't managed to pick up a copy yet, and probably won't (as I can't leave the house much) until next week. I've had a small gander at it when in GW, how's it looking?
-Draz
I had an easy time with my GCSE's - I didn't do much work haha. I was one of those lazy children :P
ReplyDeleteDo you have any idea what teaching A Levels is like? I have a 15 day placement in May/June at a local College, and I'm submitting my PGCE (Post Compulsory Education) application soon.
Good luck with the marking mate, bring back exam only courses hey mate ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm envious on the battle missions, I'm hearing good things about it.
Thanks, Chaps.
ReplyDelete@Draz: It's pretty good: nothing mindblowing but quite nicely done and (uncharacteristically) fairly well edited. It also has what I can only describe as a certain 'honesty' about it, which is welcome.
@Soundwave: Most secondary teachers love getting the chance to teach A-level classes, and I'm no exception, but it's a double-edged sword.
My Yr13s (second year A-level) are an awesome class, and I love teaching them - I get a real intellectual stimulation and challenge from them in a way you don't tend to with KS3 or even KS4...a number of them are doing undergrad-level phonetics in their coursework and I love them all as individuals and as a class.
On the flipside, my Yr12s are neither talented nor interested, and (as, like so many kids, sadly) they had their hands held through GCSEs their 'target' A-Level grades are far higher than their natural ability. In short, they assume they're better than they are, and they have no bloomin' interest, apart from three girls, who are hardworking and bright.
Grrr.
The benefit is usually smaller, more interested and able classes and cooler subject matter; the flipsides of post-16 include less job security and often limited career progression. Plus, your teaching range is fairly narrow.
Good dtuff, though. You going to Portsmouth College? If so, that's my old haunt!
@ Corbane: thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that there's only one more cohort to go through the established GCSE system after this year...it's been replaced by (the rather grandiose-sounding) 'Curriculum 2010'!
No more coursework. Yay!
That's so freaky because yeah my placement is at Portsmouth College! I'll be hanging out in the Social Sciences department, making myself a mischief. My first day is Mondy 3rd May, all very exciting! This placement is part of the Student Associate Scheme - incase you have anything like that where you are.
ReplyDeleteOriginally the Uni had me down for secondary Maths but the school I wanted to go have my placement with wasn't taking on students this year. So now I'm doing Psychology AS/A2, which I'm alot happier about.
The job security aspect has bothered me a little, but a quick job search seems to show that there are alot of Psychology vacancies in the South East. Also my sisters school has Psychology lessons via webcam! So, perhaps a part-time vacancy there....
I'm really looking forward to it though, and although I would like to teach secondary level I'm not sure if I could keep up with it.
Apologies for the long off-topic message :P
Yeah I've been pretty impressed with the book also. Best of luck getting all that done and can't wait til your back in action!
ReplyDelete