Things that ur happy about

[grumpyhack]

2 hours ago, trevethin said:

I'm happy that 23, my eldest who's doing a PGCE this academic year, has passed his first observed teaching assessment this week.  I am so pleased for him.

My PGCE years were two of the best in my life. What area/ages does he hope to teach in?

After mine, in adult and community ed, I got pulled in to help do observed teaching assessments of others.  My bugbear was Lesson Plans because I still reckon most theoretical models are largely bollocks.  Even though they cover all the things you have to plan for, I find the table format really hard to actually deliver from.

But completing a PGCE is a bit like passing your driving test.  You learn to pass your driving test. After you've passed your driving test you learn to really drive.

I tell people I train to teach that it's 3Ps - Preparation, Passion and Practice. You can be helped with the preparation and get lots of practice but if you haven't got that passion to help people learn and grow you'll never hack it as a teacher.

I wish him all the best and hope he's got plenty of passion.

 

[trevethin]

20 hours ago, grumpyhack said:

My PGCE years were two of the best in my life. What area/ages does he hope to teach in?

After mine, in adult and community ed, I got pulled in to help do observed teaching assessments of others.  My bugbear was Lesson Plans because I still reckon most theoretical models are largely bollocks.  Even though they cover all the things you have to plan for, I find the table format really hard to actually deliver from.

But completing a PGCE is a bit like passing your driving test.  You learn to pass your driving test. After you've passed your driving test you learn to really drive.

I tell people I train to teach that it's 3Ps - Preparation, Passion and Practice. You can be helped with the preparation and get lots of practice but if you haven't got that passion to help people learn and grow you'll never hack it as a teacher.

I wish him all the best and hope he's got plenty of passion.

 

@feral chile Yes he's 23.  @grumpyhack   He's chosen to teach secondary level physical education.  I think it is the preparation part he has to grow into, but they are helping him with that.  He certainly has a passion for all types of sport and coaching them, and has spent the past two years post degree working in schools to be sure he wants to teach, so I have my fingers crossed it all works out for him.

[grumpyhack]

It's all fairly simple really:  Aims and Objectives - or learning outcomes and assessment criteria.

In other words you can aim that someone understands how to do something. But how can you tell that they've understood?  And the answer will be the objective - always expressed as an active verb, e.g. List, Describe, Explain, Discuss, Demonstrate.

The key to it all is Bloom's Taxonomy.  A taxonomy is a posh word for a list and this particular list was drawn up by the education theorist Benjamin Bloom.

It's a list of active verbs that rise up the levels and reflect the differing levels of understanding that have to be demonstrated. TSSBAT, or The Student Should Be Able To ..... So, for example, you could study the life of Henry VIII at any level from primary school to university degree and beyond.  At primary school you might just have to name or list the wives of Henry VIII.  At GCSE Level you'd have to do more than just list the wives - perhaps explain why he had six wives.  If you do history A Level you'd probably have to analyse or discuss the political impact and consequences of his marriages.

I love Bloom and find the concept very simple but a lot of PGCE courses make a big deal of Bloom when it comes to planning learning programmes and it can be a brainache for some students. But I hope your son has already been there, cracked Bloom and got the T Shirt.

Practical subjects like cookery or physical education have additional problems of evidencing.  If the subject leads to a qualification an external verifier, who was not present, has to be satisfied that the student was actually able to......

If it is assessed by writing an essay then it's easy to send off the completed essays to the external verifier.  But you can't keep a cake that someone has made in a box for months awaiting IV.  The same with PE activities.  A fun challenge.

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by grumpyhack

[feral chile]

59 minutes ago, trevethin said:

@feral chile Yes he's 23.  @grumpyhack   He's chosen to teach secondary level physical education.  I think it is the preparation part he has to grow into, but they are helping him with that.  He certainly has a passion for all types of sport and coaching them, and has spent the past two years post degree working in schools to be sure he wants to teach, so I have my fingers crossed it all works out for him.

He's done 2 years so he seems like he has that side sussed. Good teachers are worth their weight in gold

[grumpyhack]

Sorry - probably teaching people to suck eggs.  I fell foul of another golden rule - Don't Assume.  I wrongly assumed that he was early on in his PGCE and that the two years working in schools were voluntary or outside of his PGCE.

The hardest bit will probably getting a job at the end of it all with all the cutbacks and school playing fields being sold off for development.

[feral chile]

2 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

Sorry - probably teaching people to suck eggs.  I fell foul of another golden rule - Don't Assume.  I wrongly assumed that he was early on in his PGCE and that the two years working in schools were voluntary or outside of his PGCE.

The hardest bit will probably getting a job at the end of it all with all the cutbacks and school playing fields being sold off for development.

I thought that too.

I assumed he'd had 2 years working in schools so knew the environment suited him.

[kaosmark2]

I had a really nice afternoon yesterday catching up with a mate. Huge difference a chilled pub session in good company can make to my outlook.

[feral chile]

4 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I had a really nice afternoon yesterday catching up with a mate. Huge difference a chilled pub session in good company can make to my outlook.

yes, I've decided to do more of that.

it's been a busy year for me, workwise, and I feel like I need to reconnect with like minds.

[grumpyhack]

One of my reconnections with like minds is Glastonbury.  Sadly at present, as one of the ticketless, there may not be a meeting of minds next year - unless we meet at other fests, or I hit lucky in the resales.

[feral chile]

Just spent a lovely night with old friends from a former line of business and got to know some former acquaintances better. Such positive vibes.

Edited November 26, 2016 by feral chile

[kaosmark2]

After several weeks of experimenting with different programs, I've managed to recover my entire music collection instead of having to rip my 1000 or so CDs.

[eFestivals]

15 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

After several weeks of experimenting with different programs, I've managed to recover my entire music collection instead of having to rip my 1000 or so CDs.

result

(tho you could have probably re-ripped them in half the time it took to recover them )

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

result

(tho you could have probably re-ripped them in half the time it took to recover them )

True enough, although it felt less tedious than that would have been.

[grumpyhack]

Last day of work today before I can sit back for Christmas.  Training a group of seven at a big cake factory to be trainers of other staff.

[The Nal]

2 hours ago, grumpyhack said:

Last day of work today before I can sit back for Christmas.  Training a group of seven at a big cake factory to be trainers of other staff.

 

[grumpyhack]

In our next, and final session on Jan 6th the group all have to deliver a 15 minute training session.  Interesting to see if anyone uses this clip, If not I might myself.  Thanks Nal

[eFestivals]

Keeping off the smokes thru the working day. Hopefully I'll stick to that.

[eFestivals]

6music playing 'is this the life' by Cardiacs.

It's just a shame that they're playing one of the re-recorded versions, just not as good as the long-lost original.

 

[eFestivals]

23 hours ago, eFestivals said:

Keeping off the smokes thru the working day. Hopefully I'll stick to that.

so far so good.

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I now know have a plan for a way forward (hopefully) for 2017, or at least the start of it anyway. I can't recall ever having a plan before, so it's all a bit novel to me but I'm surprisingly pleased at having one.

[eFestivals]

A tax bill of £1.60.

And it's only that because HMRC can't run a piss-up in a brewery.

[eFestivals]

1 hour ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

Is that some form of tax avoidance?

lol - no.

It's the adjustment on the tax I paid via PAYE. As a company director I have to do a tax return, which flagged up that HMRC's PAYE processes had under-collected the tax I'd paid by that small amount.

It's probably the same with small underpayments for others, but only peeps who do a tax return will actually get collared to pay it.

The w*nkers want it paid - manually, they're too incompetent to collect it via new tax code -  and not only that the w*nkers will hit me with a £100 fine if I don't pay the amount THEY'VE cocked up with ... I know that cos I was recently hit with that £100 fine for the £2 I'd unpaid by last year.

I wasn't expecting a large tax bill because I pay via PAYE, but it's still a relief to know I haven't got one.

Edited January 12, 2017 by eFestivals

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I still haven't done my on line tax return for the 6 month period where I was working as a sole trader. I have until the end of this month to sort it out and submit it. I have been given the phone number of a 'reasonable' accountant who I am going to phone later this evening. Just hope he can take me on and isn't inundated with idiots like me right now. I know full well that the tax man will kick my arse financially if I don't submit on time. Really must nail it with the bloke this evening and hopefully go and see him tomorrow.

[feral chile]

3 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I still haven't done my on line tax return for the 6 month period where I was working as a sole trader. I have until the end of this month to sort it out and submit it. I have been given the phone number of a 'reasonable' accountant who I am going to phone later this evening. Just hope he can take me on and isn't inundated with idiots like me right now. I know full well that the tax man will kick my arse financially if I don't submit on time. Really must nail it with the bloke this evening and hopefully go and see him tomorrow.

have you registered online yourself?

the reason I'm asking is because I just went onto the gov website to check timescales for all this, it's something you need to consider.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-assessment-for-agents-online-service

Set up agent authorisation through the Self Assessment for Agents service

Once you’ve added the Self Assessment for Agents service to your portfolio you’ll have to get agent authorisation for any new or previously unauthorised clients. Log into the service and follow the instructions under ‘Request an authorisation’.

You’ll need:

• your client’s UTR
• your client’s postcode
• the authorisation code HMRC send to your client by post - this code begins with ‘SA’ and you’ll need it to complete the authorisation process

The authorisation code can take up to 7 days to arrive. You’ll need to enter the code before the client will appear on your client list, so you need to do this in advance of their return filing deadline. You must enter the code within 30 days from the date on the letter otherwise your client will have to repeat the process.

Once this process is complete you’ll be able to see your client on your Self Assessment for Agents client list within a few days. HMRC can now deal with you online, by phone or in writing about each of your clients’ Self Assessment matters.

HMRC will now send letters and forms direct to you, including your clients Self Assessment statements (SA300) and any fixed automatic penalty notices (SA328). You’ll also be able to view your client’s account online along with any statements of account.

Edited January 12, 2017 by feral chile

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, feral chile said:

have you registered online yourself?

if he hasn't, then he's fucked.

HMRC take 3 weeks post a letter, and while they've said in the past that they wouldn't fine people because they can't post a letter promptly, the fuckers issued fines anyway.

One day HMRC might get to know what competence is.