Bad Teacher

I tend to get a bit blue at the beginning of each new school term. After having the kids around (even when I'm largely neglecting them and vice versa), it's a bit sad when they head off on Monday morning and I'm left to my solitary writing work.

But now that I'm teaching four days a week (although only for a couple of hours each day), it's quite different. I don't have time for Maudlin Monday, as by 9am I'm fully ensconced with my Kinders.

I've always said I like teaching the older kids, just pre-high school, but the babies (5-6) are growing on me. A lot of my teaching is with tiny groups of talented/gifted kids, so that's particularly fun, but I also work with kids who need extra support at the other end of the spectrum. I even have one hour which I spend one-on-one with a funny little boy I'll call J - we do a 'special interest' project, which last term involved searching for, photographing and researching spiders!

So, yes, this week it's back to school for everyone, which also means back to term-time activities such as piano lessons and baseball training and trying to get dinner on the table by a reasonable hour ...