It was back into the swing of things today - a new term with fresh enthusiasm for the kids to destroy.

Briefing was taken by the deputy head who spent half the time telling us what she couldn't announce: 'The ski trip is now back and I can't tell you something that happened there' and 'somebody's pregnant but I can't say who'. Well, thanks for clearing that up. Perhaps schools ought to take up that attitude towards the league tables if the exam results don't turn out well: 'We've now got the results of the GCSEs but we can't tell you what they are.'

In other news I swear the English NQT has got even prettier over half term. That's news from my blog, not a notice from briefing.

I had a difficult lesson with my year nines: 'Can someone tell me how to work out the gradient of the blue line?'

'It's more purple than blue sir'

I was glad that they were able to cut through to the important points in the lesson.

At the end of the day I accidentally volunteered to be part of a working party on learning styles. During briefing there was an actual notice about a group of staff getting together to discuss methods and lesson ideas. Later, the head of department was talking in the maths office about the impossibilities of applying certain styles to different topics. I chirped up but immediately wished I hadn't because it was taken as an offer to go to the first meeting of the working party. I think my exact words were, 'well...' That'll teach me to keep my trap shut. Still, it'll look good to get involved and I've never been part of a working party before. Sounds fun. I wonder what one is. Does it involve cake?