Sunrise

Aside from it being 1 degree below freezing this morning, it was a glorious start to December - thick frost and the most wonderful coloured sunrise skies. Thats the one good thing about winter is because the sunrise is later, I actually stand half a chance of seeing it (I am such a lazy git that I really would not choose to get out of bed to look at the sunrise, even though on days like this it starts my day perfectly!)

I don't know where its come from, but the last couple of days I have been frighteningly full of energy. I think it might be because I have made a couple of personal decisions, that ultimately will make my life easier because I will stop picking up the pieces of other peoples disasters and lazy approach to life in general. I just feel focussed and energised and ready to take on anyone or anything that comes at me.

I have had one of those wonderful moments today with a group of students where they have suddenly "come onside" and joined Team Hebdon. It was a signficant one too, as the key change has been the relationship between myself and a student who has previously been so disrespectful to me that I could have happily wrung his neck (but clearly I wouldn't because I am a professional!). However, last week, he came to see me, apologised, listened whilst I explained how his behaviour made me feel, then accepted his apology and worked with him 1 to 1 for nearly an hour after school and helped him to make huge progress. We followed that with a surreal discussion about religion, as I had wished him Happy Eid, and he had then told me about sacrificing goats! Which led on to a discussion about Catholicism, the wearing of Rosary beads as fashion items, and the meaning/symbolism of the Holy Trinity, the Hail Mary prayer and other such stuff. Who'd have thought it?!?!!? Since then, he's been going around saying "she's alright is Miss" and "I'm on her side now" - never underestimate the influence of one student....because the attitude of his immediate peers was very different as a result of his attitude shift too.

Have just spent 4 hours doing someone else's work the way it should be done - a point is going to be made, and then support given to get them to where they should be...I can't let someone flounder, but they do need to know that it isn't good enough right now.