A balloon debate is something I have not heard of for ages and ages. My sister once did one on primary school… but I never did.

So I set my students the homework task of preparing for a balloon debate.

A balloon debate essentially morphed into reality TV. There are 4 people in a balloon. They are famous folk from the past chosen by the students. The ‘balloon’ is about to crash and as we all know the best way to get a hot air balloon to rise again is to shed some weight… ie. One of the occupants. It is up to the student to choose a famous person and write a persuasive piece to prevent the remainder of the class voting them out of the balloon (and plummeting to their death!)

Anyway, I set this piece of homework and hear are the entries (who would you vote for?):

Hi I’m Alexander Fleming.

I am the famous Scotsman who invented penicillin. Penicillin has saved many peoples lifes and still does now. I believe I should stay in the hot Air Balloon.

Billy T James I should not be thrown out of this hot air balloon because I’m NZ best stand up comedian in NZ

History. Who will be named entertainer of the year or even the decade. I won’t be known for my movies, comic books, or even here my

Singing and funny chuckle. And plus at the age of 43 don’t you think I’m to young to die. If I do get thrown out of this balloon I’d like to leave you with this little joke what do you call a Maori in a river? A blackcurrant also what do you call a pakeha in a river? Whitebait. So make the right decision and throw someone else out.

I think Princess Diana should stay because

· Princess Diana was a peoples Princess

· She was an adoring mother

· She supported red cross

In 1987 when so many still believed that AIDS could be contracted through casual contact Princess Diana sat on the sick bed of a man with aids and held his hand.

Princess Diana used her position of fame and power to give hope and comfort to those whom society too frequently forgets

In the 1980 to the1990s she was the fashion icon.

Born 20/7/1919

Died 11/1/2008

Achievements: First to climb Everest, helping lots of people.

I should be kept in the balloon for if I died there would be no one to build schools and hospitals for the people of Nepal and none to inspire the children of New Zealand. I’m living proof that everyone can do anything if they try.

And where would you find someone as handsome as me to go on the five dollar note!

May I defend my case. Lately I have been working on a way of splitting the atom. Splitting the atom would make a tremendous explosion. It would be useful if we could harness this power and contain it. If we could do that, the next small step would be to aim it and then decide when to make it explode; in other words, making a very powerful bomb. We all know how useful this would be in a war situation. If I were to die here there may never be a chance for such power to be harnessed again. Imagine if another country, larger and stronger invaded and destroyed everything your country had. With my bomb it all could have been stopped. Think about that.

Sir Peter Blake

I think I should stay in the balloon because I was a great adventurer and sailor who was out to protect the environment.

Then some kid comes up with this guy!

… extending the show and tell.

Had a conversation with a student the other day, I don’t really recall the details but it must have been about the ridiculous things pets get up to. She told me about her amazingly talented cat and how it seems to climb up the bunkbed steps ‘magically’.

"I’d love to see that," I say. So several days later she brings in on her mobile a video of her cat, see here . And sends it to my mobile via bluetooth.

Possiblilites for classroom applications are swelling in my mind.

Interestingly, one kid said "telling on you, you’ve brought a mobile phone into class" is the same kid I’ve encouraged to bring in his own laptop from home. hmmmm, go figure.

The Following takes place between 1 pm and 7.30pm

1pm The ERO team go ‘off site’ for lunch- In fairness to the staff. I guess but knowing the area I wonder where they went- There is no café, bar or petrol station within 20 minutes drive. But they go and we take a few minutes to assess how the day is going and any changes fir this afternoon.

1.20pm “Major behavior issue” appears just as the team arrive back from lunch. The two youngest students run up… “Mr Evans, Mr Evans?” “Yes” “*%$# just threw a…” (OH NO, I think) “…a flower at us”- Wow, just think if this is major here, I hope we have remembered to include a “No throwing flowers rule” into the behavioural management plan.

1.30pm I walk in after lunch- The class is silent, all on task. I look into their eyes and I sense the fear- well maybe just nerves, but didn’t sound as dramatic. Tension is certainly running high for me.

2.20pm The afternoon is silent, the team are speaking with the principal, I’m not saying I’m any less nervous – I spent quite a bit of time looking over my shoulder and glaring through the window especially at those “I want you packed away and sitting on the mat” moments when for about 25 seconds the class class erupts in to a perceived chaotic state- isn’t it always those moments when the visitors walk in?

But not this time. The whole class is sitting in rapped attention while I read a story for the last 10 minutes of the day- phew.

3pm I say phew, but we’re not done yet- In fact the scariest bit for me is now about to happen and I haven’t had a break since 11am- I’m feeling a little strung out to say the least. I grab a coffee, It’s the best we’ve got for now.

3.10pm “The Meeting” begins and we’re discussing the current situation in light of the ‘Terms of Reference’ – Stink, now I know I’m in trouble – what are the terms of reference? Think, man, think!

3.12pm Penny drops with a helpful reference during conversation to the previous ERO report. Terms of reference from the previous ERO- Learning Intentions, formal assessment of student progress let alone student ownership of the learning- You know, nothing major, NOT.

3.50pm “So, Simon, tell us about the Teacher Appraisal process. How does it impact and enhance student achievement? I think that was the question, or wone very like it, I’m not sure because they had to ask me in several different ways and I needed all the scaffolding possible- how embarrassing!

I ummed and erred my way through it til I hit upon the idea of just reading and sharing with them my current goals and the associated success criteria.

All I had to do was read out the goal and it became so obviously student centred :

Personal Objective

- To become familiar with multi-level teaching and assessment practice, specifically in written language.

Performance Indicators

- Success criteria will demonstrate a range of levels.

- Evidence of students self assessment in books.

- Tracking sheets in children’s books and assessment folders completed.

Wish I’s just done that 5 minutes ago rather than looking like an idiot!

4.30pm They’re gone but I’ve got to stick around for a bit making sure that all the paperwork is in place and ready for them coming in tomorrow.

6pm Driving home- Have to mention just how much I’m enjoying the audio version of “The Fellowship of the Ring”, its 19hours worth of listening, but with an hours round trip each of my Sherenden days I getting a fair way through it.

6.30pm Bedtime routine for my boy… aiming for 7pm lights out but it always goes badly when I’m as late as this.

7.30pm Boy in bed… told you so!

That was one full on day! I was struck with how much it came down to me. Sure the Principal did the lion’s share but I suddenly feel like a proper time out here in the ‘sticks’.

Today, I think, has to have been the longest day of my life. Certainly since coming to New Zealand.

I have felt like I’ve been trapped in some educationally-bent episode of 24.

The following takes place between 8pm (the night

before) and 12pm the day of the ERO visit.

If I could do the tick-dum, tick-dum noise I would:

8pm (last night) My Prinicpal calls for a quick chat about the run through of the day, beginning with “You know they’re coming a bit earlier, don’t you?”

9.pm (ish) last night, I am reviewing some plans for the ERO visit. Running through the day in my head, checking the resources et al.

11pm-1pm Still running through the events of tomorrow while relieving my bodily system of dinner. I wonder if I ate something funny, I’m not laughing- that’s just great.

2.30am Son wakes me with news he needs the toilet- what a fine time for him to be trying to get out of the ‘overnight nappy’

3.30am finally manage to get to sleep (did I mention, my boy fell asleep whilst on the loo about 2.34am)

6am Woken by son saying – “I can’t go to sleep!” Probably has something to do with you having slept 11 hours I manage NOT to say. Anyway I’m up heading toward the day

7.03am I’m out the door for the $10 ride to school – It takes me 30minutes – 36 km but I measure in the cost of fuel now, not distance.

7.30am (give or take the logging truck I followed up the Taihape road) I arrive at School. Final prep for the visit – remember they are coming in early- I want to check the students desks – if they ask to see an example of the writing matrix in the students books I want to have every confidence that I can open any students desk without the fear of having my digits chewed off by any lurking rodents.

8.25am First bus arrives and I begin my mantra for the morning. “Have checked morning routine, do you have your writing kit out, sharp pencil, been to the loo, cut your toe nails, removed the boggies from your sleeves.

8.40am ERO due any minute, students appear ready and I struggle to find them extra stuff to do to keep them off the computer games (they are maths games- most can be found on my delicious account so its all educational stuff, but not a good first impression I guess)

9am Still no sign of ERO, call comes via the secretary, they’ve gone to the wrong school- That poor principal, just imagine ERO turning up on your door step, no warning just a friendly “Hello, we’re the ERO team come to inspect your school.” – ERK! Apparently they did not actually arrive at the school before they realized- but saying they did paints a much more amusing picture.

9.30am The Board begin to arrive, some earlier than others but all looking a little nervous- Funny that, I was nervous meeting the board for the first time, so where does that put me in the pecking order?

10.05am ish Inspectors arrive. They meet the board and we in the class are finishing up writing and heading toward fitness- I’m actually very disappointed they missed the writing lesson as the principal and I team teach it in a very inter-reactive way (if there is such a word).

10.10am We’re in doing Reading- Big book is on the IWB. Wish I’d printed it out to show then later but hey ho.

10.45am ERO appear in my room as I am mid flow with a reading group. Lots of positive feedback about classroom displays looking great and ‘feel of the room’ being directed toward student learning. Yippee.

11.00am Morning tea. I walk into the meeting one of the inspectors is having with the chair of the board. Oops! Then they have to leave the staffroom on account of my presence- Double Oops!

11.20am DEAR time in the classroom. Observation begins. I hate the few minutes at the start of the session while students prepare themselves for their learning. It always appears chaotic but in reality on lasts a few minutes (despite it feeling like an age when the inspector is right there).

11.42am Been working with a maths group and have set them off on an independent task. One inspector is now working with them. Not sure if it’s a good thing or not, so I head over to check. Everyone is smiling so I return to the individual kid I’m working with. With my current maths group numbers being 2,1 and 2 it is hard to argue that the learning isn’t personalized.

12.30am Lunch- I’m on duty so I sit and eat with the kids- We get into a great conversation about middle names, whose got one, who hasn’t. Then they spend the next 7 minutes trying to guess mine…. And succeed I have to add. These kids are not worriwed about our visitors. And rightly so, I’ve never met a group of kids so supportive of one another and clued in socially and educationally. These kids ROCK and I’m so happy to be called their teacher.

I’m going to leave it there for now but the afternoon was equally eventful. 10.32pm I’m signing off.

It’s Friday (Well it was when it happened- so ignore the date stamp for this one), and come Monday the inspectors arrive at the school for the ERO review. Stress enough for any regular size school, I should know I’m on my ninth, but then we are no ordinary school.

The last inspection was not good. Let’s leave that there. Since then it’s had a new Principal, a new staff (apart from the secretary), a change of Board, and a total overhaul of the way the curriculum is handled. In fact the only 4 things that remain the same are the look of the outside of the buildings, the secretary and a couple of year7/8 students.

These inspectors and not inspecting the same school, not by any stretch of the imagination. I do, genuinely feel sorry for them as they have to assess the school on the merits or otherwise of the previous inspection. How they are going to do this I don’t know.

This inspection is as close as I have come to an OFSTED inspection- in that each teacher was individually assessed, that does not happen in the same way here in NZ. But, as I was saying this is a close as it gets. I currently team teach the whole school with the principal for the core subjects, so whatever is said about the quality of Teaching and Learning here, they are talking about me.

Pressures on. Let’s get it done.