October Optimism...

Image by Muffet

It's been a while and I do apologise for that to anyone who still finds their way here amongst all the September flurry and excitement. It's been a difficult few months for me professionally as we fought to maintain our teaching programme amidst funding changes, funding cuts and the latest bright idea. To turn our centre into the local job centre sausage factory where all levels showed up at once for short programmes that would have inveitably turned into little more than workshops and taken the quality of what we do and the life completely away. I had serious thoughts of quitting all together.

However, October's here - we've found some funding, we've also found a compromise whereby 75% of our provision remains the same, 25% is used for job centre clients. The programme will be short and intense but hopefully now should also provide some quality and the possibility for progression.

Whilst the funding situation still looks dire for next year, the threat of a third OFSTED inspection in as many years looms over us and the usual drain of paperwork on paperwork threatens to overwhelm I feel much more positive.

After all the delays classes have started, most of my students are delightful and the ones that are harder work provide an interesting challenge and for me, most importantly, I've found some creative inspiration once more which is, at the moment, a big part of what keeps me going! So here's to this year may it be brighter, more fruitful and more inspiring than the one before, for both me and my students! :-)

Comments

[Account Deleted]

Good to see you back, Anna! I pop by your blog regularly, and not having seen anything here for a couple of months I actually tweeted to ask if anybody knew what was going on with your situation. Glad to hear that, despite those funding and auditing issues, you're back in the teacher's chair!

Look forward to seeing what you come up with during a new term of teaching and learning. :-D

- Mr. Raven

[Anna Rose]

Hey thanks and thanks for the instant response and encouragement - it's nice to know my absence was noticed. Blogging got a bit overwhelming on top of everything else ( we are also currently renovating a house which takes every spare second, evening and weekend )

I've been catching up with your blog and very excited about some of your latest ideas, posts and videos.

Very much looking forward to this year and hope to see you around. Thank you :-)

[Languagegarden.wordpress.com]

I worked in a similar situation about ten years ago, in London, 6 week intensive course, 5 hours a day, 4 days a week. I enjoyed it, more so than two hours a week all year. I hope you find it enjoyable too!

[Anna Rose]

Thanks David - it's very encouraging to hear about your experience.

It's not so much the intensity of the courses that concerns me. It's putting a range of learners from those who cannot read or write the alphabet to those who can discuss politics or the environment in the same class.

I realise differentiation is important but with such a diversity of needs I felt the classes would quickly descend into little more than workshops. The loss of class cohesion was what worried me.

However, we now have reached a compromise whereby the first batch will be Early Entry 2s, Early Entry 3s and E1s (pre-starter, starter and beginner for the EFLers) which will certainly require differentiation but is much more manageable!

Definitely looking forward to trying it out though as, like you say, there's definitely a different dynamic to an intense course. Thanks for stopping by. Really nice to "see you" again after such a long break! :-)

[DavidWarr]

I see. Good to hear your classes are more manageable. Having a wide variety of levels in one class is perhaps the situation I find most difficult to work with.

[Naomishema]

I'm afraid I'm not at all familiar with the framework you are describing but I'm SO GLAD you are back and blogging again! Missed you and your fascinating posts!
Best of luck this year!

[Anna Rose]

Thanks Naomi - missed you too - I think the key for me is to try to post less often but more regularly so I don't end up feeling like blogging is taking over my life! Really glad to be back too and looking forward to another year reading about your experiences and getting your insight into mine :-)