24 hrs without sleep. Head feeling a bit wonky.
So this is why you would discourage young mums from coming to school.. And kids staying up all night playing WoW.. grrr...
Slowly learning baby talk.. Going pink.. needs feeding.. or going pink.. too many blankets on.. or going pink.. needs nappy changed.. or going pink.. feeling grizzly..
zzzznnnkkk. (sound of head hitting desk)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Baby Mackenzie & Paternity Leave
Our wonderful baby girl Mackenzie was born on Monday.. After sleeping on the floor in the hospital for three days, I'm glad to be home. Working this week was hard, with little sleep and wanting to spend time with Mackenzie but I know being able to help when the baby goes home is more important after watching other mothers struggle without the assistance of the hospital midwives. My students were understanding and my colleagues supportive so that was good!
I suppose the downside is that I'm not as prepared to help with our baby as I would have been if I had been at the hospital all week. Dr says I need to take two weeks to help with Mum's recovery. I may need to have two weeks recovery from the fluff Mackenzie just did!
Organising leave has been a bit of an experience. The new EBA has clause 34.1 that allows partners to have five days paid leave. Payroll (after initially saying it was like carer's leave and I directed them back to the EBA to check) acknowledged that this was not a sick leave allocation and it was an additional leave allowance.
This raised a second issue that there is no code in HRMIS for relief to be allocated against when I am on Partner leave. AFAIK HRMIS has not been updated for the new EBA leave requirements. Multiple calls to district office has left this unresolved.
All this checking and outlining requirements to relief teachers chewed up my DOTT making it difficult to create enough time to adequately prepare relief lessons and get back to the baby quickly after school to give my wife some respite. I didn't anticipate needing to take off more than a few days. I'm am going to owe some chocolate to our great relief teachers.
Interim reports are due next week, so I need to do them at home between sleeps. Since my HoD is taking my level 3 classes (these classes I know will be ok - albeit they may be more judgemental of my teaching style), I can mark my tests today, collect my Modelling assignments on Thursday, look in on my 10's some time next week and all should be right when I get back.
There's nothing worse than going back after an extended leave and there being a heap of mess, unsettled students and lagging programmes to fix. Hopefully I've done enough.
The big news of the week is no more levelling for assessment. Yay for the minister!
Now to focus on the family for a little while. She's soo cute!
I suppose the downside is that I'm not as prepared to help with our baby as I would have been if I had been at the hospital all week. Dr says I need to take two weeks to help with Mum's recovery. I may need to have two weeks recovery from the fluff Mackenzie just did!
Organising leave has been a bit of an experience. The new EBA has clause 34.1 that allows partners to have five days paid leave. Payroll (after initially saying it was like carer's leave and I directed them back to the EBA to check) acknowledged that this was not a sick leave allocation and it was an additional leave allowance.
This raised a second issue that there is no code in HRMIS for relief to be allocated against when I am on Partner leave. AFAIK HRMIS has not been updated for the new EBA leave requirements. Multiple calls to district office has left this unresolved.
All this checking and outlining requirements to relief teachers chewed up my DOTT making it difficult to create enough time to adequately prepare relief lessons and get back to the baby quickly after school to give my wife some respite. I didn't anticipate needing to take off more than a few days. I'm am going to owe some chocolate to our great relief teachers.
Interim reports are due next week, so I need to do them at home between sleeps. Since my HoD is taking my level 3 classes (these classes I know will be ok - albeit they may be more judgemental of my teaching style), I can mark my tests today, collect my Modelling assignments on Thursday, look in on my 10's some time next week and all should be right when I get back.
There's nothing worse than going back after an extended leave and there being a heap of mess, unsettled students and lagging programmes to fix. Hopefully I've done enough.
The big news of the week is no more levelling for assessment. Yay for the minister!
Now to focus on the family for a little while. She's soo cute!
Monday, February 23, 2009
The big day...
The big day has arrived and we're getting ready to go to the hospital. Fingers crossed all goes well. We have no idea what we're supposed to do today except wait for contractions to be 10 mins apart... They're about 12 now. Very nervous.
but... Yay!
3D trig, bearings and angle of elevation have proven themselves a stumbling block again. Once a diagram was constructed from a worded problem, students were able to complete problems. Walking students through constructing answers seems to have raised their confidence. Next year I will suggest adding a full lesson to just constructing (not solving) 3D, bearing and angle of elevation problems.
Oblivion has me hooked again. That stupid game is a weekend wrecker.
but... Yay!
3D trig, bearings and angle of elevation have proven themselves a stumbling block again. Once a diagram was constructed from a worded problem, students were able to complete problems. Walking students through constructing answers seems to have raised their confidence. Next year I will suggest adding a full lesson to just constructing (not solving) 3D, bearing and angle of elevation problems.
Oblivion has me hooked again. That stupid game is a weekend wrecker.
Labels:
baby
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A generational approach vs the "me" generations
Baby boomers and generation y have a lot in common. Both have come in boom times and both are self centred. It is no wonder why they have such difficulty relating to their parents and their social responsibility.
I look forward to the slow shift where we look to setting up future generations and not just where we have enough loan capacity available to get our next plasma TV and leaving debt to future generations.
How can you expect to have loving relationships when your personal philosophy centres around the pleasure principle? The decline in birth rate and the fact that couples are deferring having children gives me hope as it indicates that current relationships are starting to understand the responsibility required for a happy family, and seek to raise children in an environment free of the financial and emotional strains seen in their divorced parents. I for one am one of those - paranoid about debt levels and very cautious before embarking on child raising.
For me it was a case of taking a holistic approach to our future, considering all aspects and trying to balance them - career, marriage, security, need for purpose, even spiritual requirements. Teaching was great as it was something I enjoy doing, is relatively stable, has a greater purpose and allows me time with my family +1 - to provide them with support. It did take ten years of work in other industries to be able to afford to enter teaching.. but it was time well spent as I can use this experience to help my students. Hopefully as my child grows up, our well established relationship (now in its 13th year) and my new educational knowledge will help raise a well adjusted and capable child. In time, all that I have will be theirs and hopefully they will continue and mark their mark on the world (I can hear you laughing - but I can try!).
You can't plan for everything, but to not plan is to never fully appreciate success or to learn effectively from failure. Only a few days to go before the baby arrives... Yay!
I look forward to the slow shift where we look to setting up future generations and not just where we have enough loan capacity available to get our next plasma TV and leaving debt to future generations.
How can you expect to have loving relationships when your personal philosophy centres around the pleasure principle? The decline in birth rate and the fact that couples are deferring having children gives me hope as it indicates that current relationships are starting to understand the responsibility required for a happy family, and seek to raise children in an environment free of the financial and emotional strains seen in their divorced parents. I for one am one of those - paranoid about debt levels and very cautious before embarking on child raising.
For me it was a case of taking a holistic approach to our future, considering all aspects and trying to balance them - career, marriage, security, need for purpose, even spiritual requirements. Teaching was great as it was something I enjoy doing, is relatively stable, has a greater purpose and allows me time with my family +1 - to provide them with support. It did take ten years of work in other industries to be able to afford to enter teaching.. but it was time well spent as I can use this experience to help my students. Hopefully as my child grows up, our well established relationship (now in its 13th year) and my new educational knowledge will help raise a well adjusted and capable child. In time, all that I have will be theirs and hopefully they will continue and mark their mark on the world (I can hear you laughing - but I can try!).
You can't plan for everything, but to not plan is to never fully appreciate success or to learn effectively from failure. Only a few days to go before the baby arrives... Yay!
Labels:
child raising
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