Pay it forward

So a year or so ago I promised to do a PIF that would turn up in 365 days - and I only got 2 responses, and one of them was a little dodgy (not you margaret...)

I am OK with not receiving my PIF - cause really - in these things do you ever "expect" to receive them?

But I want to put it out again since I am just over my year, and I am one for commitments!!! So if you are Oz or NZ please be one of 2 to comment, and I can fulfill my blogworld duty :D

Really - who cares, and who knows, and its all about karma, which I am all into.....

So post first two, and get something nice that suits you in the next month or two - I promise to lurk and stalk to get it almost right :)

Should say that if you want to receive you have to post this on your blog and post to 3 in return within 365 days.........

Swap - How cool is murder.....

OK - I have finally read through the file and I can state that my swapper was Christine. Thanks so much. It was the flash of light I needed :)

My swap theme was I guess murder? Hard to say since I got sent a case file which I hope I dont actually have to solve. VJ did an awesome job of this swap, only 100g of wool which is awesome as I love quality, not quantity, and her colours are perfect for me. Has she been stalking???

SO the box arrives - big case file, and I was already smiling ;)


Open in up, red splatters everywhere and I see the evidence bags. Wool. Sock stitch markers on a noose. Chocolate - dark. A novel. And a case file.

Admittedly I went straight for the goodies and looked (yay - wool and chocolate and reading....) , and glances over the rest, but it was clear to see a lot of work went into this swap.


From the getgo I thought it was Christine because she does insanely themed and overcommitted swaps that makes everyone say (gee I wish she was my swapper...) and I am stoked to be on the receiving end :)



So those that know me. I am a massive murder novel freak. I love them all - name a murder author, I have probably read ;) My fave over the last few years is Karin Slaughter. (keep in mind I have small kids, so if you have a new author you think I should read, please leave a comment.)

Red is my colour. Specially the deep red that Christine got.

I love sock wool - enough said. Patonyle is awwwwwwwwwesome.

100g is perfect.

Books are good.

Choc is OK, it sweetens up him, and goes nicely with red wine ;)

Sock patterns - yes I collect patterns and wool, yet rarely knit.

Recipe - I am a closet wannabe chef so all cooking goes down well here.

Tattoo shot - yes I have a tatt, and while its not the extreme that VJ pictured, I am still "drawn upon..."

I am always losing my bloody stitchmarkers, so everytime I cast on yet another project (I currently have 3 pairs of socks, 2 dishcloths, 2 shawls, 2 tops, 2 dresses, 1 soaker, 1 blanket....) my stitchmarkers (and KP's tips) have to be stolen off one project, and on to another...


Thanks VJ - lovely swap.
PS - yes I have read the book, and I already have a new swap in mind. Yes I have read the case file, and I found the VJ hidden amongst all the comments, so gut no longer matters, I have evidence!!!!!!

How ya doin....

So the baby teacher gets tired 3w in. Yes - thats right I am rooted. Granted it has something to do with the fact that Wed night I drank too much, and Thurs night I had a tech teachers meeting in Matamata that went very late (and surprisingly much earlier than I wanted it to - I wanted to chat, but my ride wanted to leave....)

So Friday is my hardest day at school - I have 4 classes in the day which is fairly normal for a secondary teacher in NZ. Man it sucked.... I thought my final class - my Y12 Chem would be good, specially since I was micing chems, and making pretty colours, but they were scallywags too. Boo hoo. So Sat night I am tied.

Now two interesting reflections this week.
No 1 - My old school - Fairfield College has been in the news. There are management "issues" and it makes me sad. You can take the girl out of FairColl, but you can't do the reverse. I love the school, it made me who I am, and many of my teachers are still there - nearly 15y later. So I have been hot on the news articles for that place, especially since I was offered a teaching position there in November 2008.......

And tech teaching. I get very sick of people asking me why I am teaching tech, in addition to the pure sciences. Yes I love chem and physics (and I really like Calculus too....) but I love tech. I love everythign this subject stands for and I cannot wait to be a tech teacher in 10y, cause NZ will rock the world.

Mostly my reflections tell me that tech teaching is where the boys get into the workshop and have fun, and this week has been a week of discovery, disappointment. and realisation - as well as good smack of awakening.

I'm not there to control their learning. And I had an awesome class with 70% of my class on Friday. The ideas, and the release of them into their project all came about from the meeting on Thursday night. How wonderful to have that awakening!!! And then the stolen pencil case, and the aftermath - that might continue.......

School rocks - its hard being back into the work mind set, but still easier than doing a 60hr week engineering.........

Awkward.....

OK - so spot the chick trying to keep a low profile in the full school catholic mass.

Then spot the chick who practically crawled under the seat when the father said - all the new teacher stand up, now come forward to the front of the cathedral!!!!!!

OMG - I wished the ground would open up and swallow me!! Especially when the whole staff stood up and blessed us.

It was quite sweet though, and as a fairly religious friend said to me, to be blessed by the whole staff (about 60 people) is a very special thing, and would be very rare throughout secondary schools in NZ. So I'm all OK with it, and it will be a good story in 20y time.

School is going well still - I have to write a unit plan this weekend for Y8 Tech, I have most of it written in my head - just have to get it on paper. Socially I am starting to do the teacher thing - go to the pub on Friday night and spend 2hrs over 2 beers talking about difficult students. LOL.

On a braver note I actually plucked up the courage to check out Rate my Teacher. This (horrible) website allows misguided students to get on and bitch about their teachers. Every school in several countries is listed, as are all the teachers, and so are comments about the "coolness" of these teachers. I expected the worst when I went to visit today. Thankfully I guess the school has not yet got a teacher called Ms W! Phew!!! I guess noone hates me (or loves me....) enough yet to get on and moan.

Must keep low profile......... First year teacher......... Bluff and manage as best you can.....

Happy valentines day to all - I got him a 32" LCD for our bedroom. Might seem a little extreme in size (we have a small house, and thats the same size as the lounge TV) but I am told when I get my ankle done in a few weeks, I will love having a TV in bed. Hmm - we shall see. I did enjoy watching the TVone Biofuels episode of Country Practise this morning in bed with my cup of tea. While the kids were watching the wiggles or something equally inane in the lounge.

Next photos will have a picture - I am hoping to finish a selfish knit this weekend :)

So I guess I am a teacher....

Well I have been going for a week or so now, still lots of disruptions with the start of the year. IN a way, thats the nice thing about the school I teach at. The special character (marist/catholic school) means that the whole school stops quite often for mass or assemblies.

Tomorrow is the full school mass, so we meet on the field after form class, and then we all walk about 30mins until we get to the Hamilton catholic chapel, where there will be the opening mass for the school.

I'm a bit nervous, I have only been inside a catholic church once, for a funeral about 20y ago, and I had NO idea about what to do then, so even less likely now.

2-3hrs tomorrow of teaching time will be taken up with this, and I lose 2 classes, and half of another. Kinda hard, but I believe it does make the school very special, and a nice place to be.

My classes are good - I have a HUGE year 11 class of 34 students for science, which is diabolical considering I only have 31 seats... My Y12 Chem is really nice, so is my Y12 Physics - many of the same boys in each class.

My department is great, my HOD is mad as a hatter, which is fabulous. Nothing worse than someone who doesn't keep you on your toes. I had my first observation visit today (on my path to being a fully registered teacher) and it went well! My HOD said he enjoyed the class, which is a huge compliment. He loved that I was authoritative and had no problems smiling with the boys.

Could there be a better boost up for a baby teacher? :)

SO yeah - I guess I keep ticking along, doing what I can, accepting my limitations and asking for help whenever I need it. Oh - and laughing - I have to keep laughing!