One of the deputy heads came in to observe my lesson with year nine this afternoon. Seeing as (1) she has formed the impression that I have no classroom management skills (this is of course untrue, I have few classroom management skills, which is quite different from having none at all as this means I am more adept than a chair) (2) the head of maths has recently had what we shall politely call a bit of a falling out with senior management and (3) she isn't famed for her mathematical ability I was a little apprehensive. Add in to the mix the last lesson on a Monday factor and you have a recipe for disaster.

As it happens my lesson was rated as being 'satisfactory' which is... satisfactory, I suppose. This was inspite of the malevolent little toad who complained that I hadn't marked his book (I had) and the pupil who appeared to have left his brain in a jar on the kitchen shelf in the morning. I could have hugged one pupil though, who said as the deputy head walked past that he hadn't understood the work before but did at the end, which is ultimately the whole point of lessons.