falling asleep in class?

I'm not sure if I've ever had a student fall asleep in my class, but today I fell asleep at my desk after school. It was about 4.30ish and I closed my eyes and was resting my head on my arm and ... the next thing I know Helen is calling across the room to me.

Another first.

KB made an interesting point today as we were discussing the Y12 issues work we were both doing. I have been teaching the issues analysis piece a certain way (What, How, Why) while she thought this might not adequately prepare students for the 'writing task' at the end of the year. The writing task is an interesting thing; a number of articles/texts that contain various information from various viewpoints about the same issue. Student are expected to synthesise the info and write a point of view piece. She may have a point as the method I have been teaching is really best suited to a single article/text response. I may need to look at this more closely - but when?

I have been getting a little stressed about timing and what seems to be the lack of time available to get all the work in. But I think that perhaps I was slightly overreacting and that things are not as desparate as they first appeared. I mean, we still don't have a lot of time to fluff around with, but it's not as tight as I thought it was going to be.

On a lighter, more positive note, I have been marking some interesting Y12 & 11 writing folio pieces. I have been fairly impressed with the quality and ideas coming out.

On a not so positive note - I found out a piece of student work I had kept from last year (a creative writing piece) was plagerised from a 'free-essay' site. I will confront this student ASAP and tell him we are all watching him closely this year.

I has been great to see the new Dip Eds in schools on their observation rounds. I have meet two student-teachers from Monash who are studying with Brenton and Graham. All very keen and interested, excited. I can remember being in a similar situation and finding it hard to ever imagine myself as a teacher - looking at 2nd year outs and wondering how they managed to get that far!

Funny how things change (or how they don't).