Although I’m supposed to be reflecting on action, in action and for action, I appear to have had a job reflecting anywhere near action at all this week, it has just flown by.

When I finally pause for breathe and try to drag the barest memories of this week’s lessons from the depths of my mind, it’s hard to remember what I have actually taught.

Thinking about it in more detail this seems to be because I don’t really feel I’ve taught much this week.

Most classes had at least one test, that’s an hour of watching them sweat and huff over grammar exercises and writing tasks while I tackle the marking from the previous class.

Then we have the “give-back-the-test” lesson. I try to vary the way we correct it, we take it in turns reading out the answers, I read all the answers, try and correct your own before working with your neighbour – this one always ends up as “wait ’til the teacher’s back is turned and grab the test of the best pupil in arm’s length and copy their answers”. However we do it, it doesn’t feel much like teaching, or learning more to the point.

Then we have the “teacher speaking L1 to explain the upcoming Cambridge Young Learner & Trinity GESE exams” lesson.

We also had a “pull the title from a hat” for the upcoming presentation for the 4èmes.

The 3èmes got a slightly different version of this lesson, involving a five minute presentation on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (vastly superior to Jeff Buckley’s imho, I do quite like Bon Jovi’s version though, I digress). The point of this was to model what I wanted for their next oral presentation next week.

I haven’t even mentioned the homework checking & “has everyone got their books” waste of time.

All of this is necessary I suppose, but  it doesn’t really feel like I’m doing my job, it’s frustrating and without that buzz from giving a successful lesson I feel bleargh.

in fact I feel more like a chef in a restaurant who ends up doing the washing up,  very bleargh.