Suddenly the excitement of being back at school comes to life with the friendly welcomes from the girls. Just the seniors this week but as I have three senior classes (out of four) that's a big deal for me.
It is SOOO much better starting a school at the start of a year. I've only twice not done that: Waimea College in 1990 and Woodford House in 2013. It was a struggle both times and both times I felt off balance for the rest of the year. I know - cry me a river.
The thing is - at the start of the year you get all that valuable info and everyone is starting from the same position of ignorance and learning together. Starting in term 2 last year was tough as the girls had already bonded in term 1 with their form teacher. I know - cry me a river.
This year the form class feels more natural, more mine. It helps a lot that I know many of the students from last year through teaching them or being their football coach or something else.
The other thing I love about being back at school is the sense of belonging that I get from the staffroom. It's so much fun being back in the staffroom and reacquainting with my wild and wacky colleagues.
Unlike George Costanza, below, my worlds don't collide - there's private Wozza World with Jacky in Otane and then there's Working Wozza World at Woodford House with all these other characters combining to make some of the Wozza Show cast.
It's started!
The new school year is here and, well, it's the same as the start to every one of my last 31 school years really.
Let me take you back to the end of January 1983.
I'd graduated from Auckland's Secondary Teachers' College at the end of 1982 and got a job in December at New Plymouth Boys' High School.
I'd had a great summer holiday staying with friends at Oakura beach and had moved into a flat in the Spotswood area of New Plymouth with two girls.
I turned up for my first day at NPBHS and sat through a day of admin messages, induction type activities (a tour of the boarding school was included) and PD for staff.
I got home to my new flat and took two Panadol. My brain was full to overflowing with information. I had eye strain because I'd concentrated so much on the various speakers. I had a fistful of paper including a staff manual. I went to bed early; I was exhausted!
Fast forward 31 years.
I turned up for my first 2014 day at Woodford House and sat through a day of admin messages, induction type activities (a tour of the boarding school was included) and PD for staff.
I got home to my Otane home and took two Panadol. My brain was full to overflowing with information. I had eye strain because I'd concentrated so much on the various speakers. I had a fistful of paper including a staff manual. I went to bed early, exhausted!
Is there no other way possible to start a new school year?
I don't wish to begin the new year in non 'I'm so excited' mode but... in this new age of instant technology, is there no way we can somehow bypass the administrivia?
What about some fun? Some house rivalry maybe? Some games? A pub quiz about procedures maybe? How about the staff manual as an email attachment with hyperlinks attached?
Come on - we're innovative people right - let's do something different. Please.
I'd love to return home after my first day of a new school year and not have to immediately reach for the paracetamol.
Christmas celebrations...tick; new year celebrations...tick.
The terrible news about one of my students who died suddenly just before Christmas has continued to hover over all the usual stuff that happens at this time of year.
It's all been bitter sweet - seeing family and friends in abundance has been wonderful but I can't seem to shake images of my Year 12 students in general and the girls' family in particular (their Christmases will never be the same again).
Time is a healer though and inevitably other thoughts and projects at home have helped.
Work thoughts have centred on films and texts that I want to teach this year. I've been running through film contenders for my year 13 class in particular.
It's been tricky.
The list of films that I've been considering?
Psycho
The Pianist
The Shawshank Redemption
Million Dollar Baby
Anna Karenina
Shakespeare in Love
Crash
Gran Torino
The criteria I've imposed makes it even trickier.
The film needs to be worthy (won awards and have an established reputation); it needs to be free of controversy (no sex scenes and as much obscenity free as possible); it needs to contain solid thematic (great literature deals with the big themes - death, violence, tragedy, love) and character driven material to provide material for essay writing; and as well as that it needs to appeal to a female audience as much as possible.
That means each of the above has at least one mark against it.
Psycho is out - too old and it's a murder mystery at heart so no big themes.
Anna K and Shakespeare have sex scenes and Crash is on the too controversial side of the ledger for me. Shawshack may not be worthy enough.
The Pianist and Torino remain contenders, this week.
Any suggestions will be gratefully viewed.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)