It’s Sophie’s turn for a pic. Here she is, playing in the bag I brought a new skirt home in. The weather has turned cooler and bored with the same old same old I treated myself.

I’ve been busy, busy, busy again. Teachers had a 2.5% pay rise this month. I really feel they’ve got their money’s worth from me as I haven’t stopped working every night at home and for several hours on the weekend since term started. The usual tasks: marking and preparation. At least I’ve finished my paperwork in time for a review meeting with the headmaster next week.

Husband and I went to Bristol on Saturday for haircuts and shopping. (I have to get mine trimmed once a month and his was long overdue.) We relaxed in the evening and watched a DVD of The History Boys. Husband fell asleep but the teacher in me quite enjoyed it. Yesterday we ate out at an Indian restaurant. There’s one nearby that does a delicious buffet on Sundays and is quite reasonable. The rest of the weekend I did housework, laundry, a bit of gardening when the sun was shining and schoolwork. I’m still waiting to hear from the RNA and can’t seem to feel much enthusiasm for writing the WIP until I do hear from them. If the critique is good that'll spur me on. And if it's not, then hopefully I'll get some advice about how to improve it.

Tomorrow we have after-school training on thinking skills which is the latest buzzword in education. I quote: Since the explicit inclusion of thinking skills in the National Curriculum, interest in the teaching of thinking skills has burgeoned in the UK. Thinking skills approaches are emerging as a powerful means of engaging teachers and pupils in improving the quality of learning in classrooms. It should be an interesting session. One of my targets is to highlight these skills in my lessons this year.

Time to go now and get on with some more marking, groan, groan. Hope you’re all having a lovely week. Take care of yourselves and don’t work too hard!