A good day

I don't normally look forward to being left in charge of the maths team but in short spells it can be quite enjoyable. There was a nice feeling in the team today that was jovial, yet productive. There was a combination of teaching students, assisting colleagues, developing skills in student teachers, finalizing marking prior to reporting and generally working collaboratively to promote learning.

The feeling of collegiality is something that can be lost under the pressure of deadlines. Opportunities to work together in a fun environment can be lost to immediate demands. It's nice to finally reach that time in my career where content and instruction practices become easier to achieve, freeing time such that intervention becomes more of a focus.

It's hard for practicum teachers to see the road ahead. We look at them and see the types of teachers they are growing into, a horizon they can't always see. If they can better understand how it gets simpler(if not easier), perhaps we can improve the retention rates of our young teachers. We need to make that collegiate environment that aids their transition.

Russ.