Celia reversed the car up the drive, swearing under her breath as the front scraped against the gatepost. Engine turned off, she rested her head against the headrest thinking of the envelope she had stuffed in with the shopping and wondering why Tony hadn鈥檛 just given it to her that lunchtime rather than putting it on her desk. 鈥淒on鈥檛 want to get out of the car,鈥 wailed the cherubic little girl sitting in her car seat next to her mother. Her chubby brown legs were kicking and she was rubbing tears and snot into her thick curly blonde hair with her chubby grubby hands. It was 5.10pm of an April afternoon but the sun was fierce. She was hot, tired and bad tempered. So was her mother. Celia got out of the car and went to release Sally from her seat. Sally was dumped on the ground and she stumbled towards the front door, still crying piteously. Celia unpacked the car. Sally鈥檚 lunchbox, 3 large paintings created by Sally at nursery, a bag of shopping, her bulging school bag containing work to be marked that evening, her handbag, her coat, Sally鈥檚 coat and Sally鈥檚 doll. One of the paintings was ripped in the process as Celia too began stumbling along behind her daughter. At the door she deposited everything to search for her keys. Door open, bags and clutter finally reassembled (with the ripped painting now damaged beyond repair and destined for the bin), Sally in and sitting on the doorstep. 鈥淐ould you take your shoes off Sally lovey?鈥 asked Celia.
鈥淐an鈥檛, can鈥檛, can鈥檛,鈥 wailed Sally.
鈥淵ou can take them off, I know you can,鈥 snapped Celia. 鈥淵ou will sit there until you do.鈥
She didn鈥檛 think it was a very nice thing to say to Sally but she hadn鈥檛 the will to be helpful at that moment. Celia slung the bags and clutter all over the hallway, picked up the post and took the shopping bag with her to the kitchen. It was cool at the back of the house and she felt calmer although Sally was now lying in the hallway amidst the clutter still screaming and still with her shoes on. Celia emptied the shopping bag. Some washing powder, a bottle of white wine and a tin of Ravioli for Sally鈥檚 tea. She also found the envelope that had been waiting for her on her desk in her office at school at the end of the day. She opened the wine, still warm from the car, and poured herself a large glass. Slumped in a chair at the kitchen table, she felt the noise and chaos of the day literally slide off her. She opened the envelope and quickly scanned the following form, piercing blue eyes narrowing in desultory concentration. University of Northfield Department of Education Evaluation 1
Observation to evaluate standards achieved by mentors from the University鈥檚 partner schools working with student teachers on the Post Graduate Certificate in Education course. Name of mentor Celia Jenkins
Position Head of Music 鈥 Greenley School
Date of meeting 17/4/2006 Quality of feedback on student teacher鈥檚 lesson - Average
Effectiveness of communication with student teacher - Average
Quality of advice given on future lesson planning - Good
Quality of advice given on strategies for classroom management - Good
Professional rapport with student teacher - Good General Comment Celia is a lively and committed mentor who takes a professional approach to her role. As an outstanding practitioner herself, she has much to offer the student on his route to becoming a qualified teacher.
The meeting observed between Celia and the student was positive. The advice given to the student on future lesson planning and classroom management was focused, constructive and practical. The student remained passive, however, and could have been further encouraged to reflect on his own practice during the lesson. Celia directed the debrief, and a more open discussion may have benefited the student. Areas for Development 鈥 Focus on developing open questioning in weekly debrief
鈥 Positive reinforcement of student鈥檚 implementation of school behaviour management strategies.
鈥 Help student to develop positive methods to engage all students.
鈥 Ensure that student understands expectations. Signed 鈥︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹︹.
Mr T Shelton 鈥 Curriculum Tutor (Music) 鈥淏*s,鈥 she thought, and could have got angry when she thought back to the meeting with her student teacher which had been observed by Tony from the University. But it seemed distant. She鈥檇 met Tony for a drink at lunchtime. Not something she approved of, but a bit of mild flirting with a virtual stranger was fun and much easier these days than attempting fun with her overworked, generally exhausted but still much loved husband. She looked again at the form in her hand and began to despise herself for having had anything to do with its鈥 author. He had seemed a master of cynicism over lunch. A critic, after her own heart, of all that was meaningless and jargon-filled. But obviously he was none of those things and was even slightly cowardly at the same time.
鈥淥h so what,鈥 she thought. Tick boxes, to be or not to be 鈥減ositive鈥. So what. The form fell onto a pile of paperwork on the kitchen table. 鈥淪ally, what would you like for your tea love? Ravioli?鈥
Sally, red-faced and bedraggled, appeared in the kitchen.
鈥淣o I don鈥檛 want it. I want cheese and sweeties and sandwiches and crisps.鈥
鈥淲ell you鈥檝e got Ravioli. It鈥檚 in the pan now.鈥
鈥淣o no no.鈥 Celia looked down at her furious little daughter with a fond grimace. She turned her back, picked up her wine and walked over to stand by the French windows at the end of the kitchen. She must do better than Ravioli from a tin and do something to halt Sally鈥檚 descent into little bratness. These would be her Areas for Development for the time being. Celia smiled her glittering smile and then laughed aloud as the Ravioli burnt and stuck to the pan.
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