for the kids....

I have had such an amazing week, some days I can barely believe I get paid to do this, by the end of the week however, I was reflecting deeply on what I truly want to do. The week began with a curriculum day at Ivanhoe Grammar and my brain was invigorated by professional conversations with a range of people, I met up with Joseph Papaleo, our minds and ideas raced faster than we could speak. I presented at Huntingtower and by the end of the workshop had eight staff blogging, groups making podcasts, mini-movies and feeling so much more comfortable with technology.

I liased with the Principal team at Bulleen Special School about establishing the Principles of Learning and Teaching into their setting so that it was non-threatening, sustainable and effective. Sat in on a full day session on Effective Writing in the Primary Classroom (Writer's Workshops) at Templestowe Heights Primary- they are adopting a whole school approach. I was asked to run a half-day Professional Development day for Manningham Park Primary in June. I will run Sessions on Assessment, and using tools for assessment incorporating some protocols. Manningham has also asked me to model 'thinking tools' once a week at their staff meetings.

Thursday I drove to Rowville to meet my mentor Daphne Clements, Assistant Principal at Rowville Secondary College. I have been fortunate to have been selected to be a participant in the Eleanor Davis program. This was just an informal meeting before the program begins but the thought of shadowing her, and getting the 'big picture' experience of how a school operates is exciting and inspiring.

On Friday attended the Assessment PD afternoon at Templestowe College and assisted a small group of LOTE staff with how to incorporate the standards, and a range of assessment tools to determine how to report on students against the progression points. That evening I attended the Year 10 formal, it was then I was overcome with a great sense of sadness and began to question what I was doing ......

Although I don't have classes now, this group had been my year 7 cohort when I was year 7 co-ordinator, the girls had invited me, many of boys sidled up beside me, cuddled me and wanted photos taken. They love towering above my almost 5 ft stature, to show how much they have grown. I watched them dressed in their finery, dancing away, I danced with some, I loved their proud faces, smiling at me, the banter and the 'connectedness' we shared and then it dawned on me, if I keep going in the type of job I am doing now, then in two years time I will have not have a relationship with any students !!!! An overwhelming feeling of melancholy came upon me......