I'm too old for this ...

Oh dios mio, as my colleague would say!

I am exhausted, aching and have too many reports to write this weekend!

What a busy week it has been ... I am literally struggling to remember Tuesday (I know, it was only a four-day week!)

Where to start?

Let's start with a #KeyStage3 review and an after-school meeting with Parents to explain the changes happening in the #KS3 #curriculum at the school next year. My part; to tell them all about the changes in #ComputerScience - the #school and parents deeming it so important for future careers that it would become compulsory at UIV rather than optional as at present, and a doubling of curriculum time in LIV too.

The only trouble ... they gave me, a very enthusiastic Head of Department, just two minutes to tell about the changes and opportunities this gives us with the curriculum! I failed, but not by too much, I hope.

However the star of the evening was our resident memory man, James Paterson, actually the Head of #Psychology, who stood up and asked parents to pick a row of 36 numbers from 314 decimal places of pi and he could list them ... both forwards and backwards!

He used this to discuss how the school will be teaching students the basics of memory techniques earlier in their schooling to support them with their study and revision.

I both love and hate that I am now surrounded by such talented people.

This continued on Wednesday when during lunch the #Computing department popped into the music department to listen to another #AbbeyInterludes - brief sessions of musical relief from your normal day!

A Lower Five student walked up to the piano and explained how she had composed this piece herself, although the left hand was inspired by a certain composer, apparently.

It was amazing!

I closed my eyes and listened and I could have been at any concert venue in the country. I joked with some of her year group later at how sickeningly talented she was ... but there is only one way to be that good! Lots and lots of hard work!

This week has seen LV Computer Science students introduced to their #GCSE #Programming Project.

They are slowly realising the importance of #decomposition; breaking down the problem into smaller, more manageable, problems and solving each of them separately; and #ModularProgramming.

It is sort of nice when the topics you have taught suddenly dawn on students!

I also set a LVI student the task, which she jumped at trying, despite it being in #Python and her current language being #Java. I also had a go at creating a solution - one of the things that is really missing in Computer Science #Teacher Development is just the time to do our own projects to keep our hand in. I honestly think that CS teachers need a 10% time where they are forced to work on their own project; be it #SoftwareDevelopment, #PhysicalComputing, #cybersecurity or whatever!

The idea was that between myself and the Sixth Former we would have a couple of exemplar codes to check out if they got stuck. What I hadn't counted on was one of the amazingly talented LV students beating us both with her own code!

This week we saw the UVI and UV students disappearing off for study leave.

Because she is so good I often forget that Paty Mogio is an #ECT. This is her first year of seeing off an exams group that she has taught for two years. I have just been chatting with one of the staff here at the gym where I am writing this about teaching being one of the best jobs in the world because of times like this ... when you realise that they did appreciate all you did for them.

Paty found that out this week, as she got to sign shirts and there was cake and laughter and tears.

There was also an UV staff vs students netball match which I was volunteered for ... I went in with my usual attitude; fully commit or don't bother. Which is why after the game Paty had to fetch my spare shirt from the staff room as I was so tired to walk up the stairs and I ache this morning! I'm too old to keep doing this ... let the younger staff and the PE team do it!

Well done though to Julie Penhaligon , Ollie Brewer , and all the others I am not yet connected to, for supporting me stumble through a short netball match.

And stumble I did ... I did find it strange that everyone was worried about me falling over. Then I realised I was the old man on the pitch!

Fortunately I had enough energy left at the end of the day for the weekly CS Department singalong. Which is always a lovely way to round off the week.

But now I must leave ... I have 45 LV #Reports to write this weekend. Wish me luck!