After yesterday's debacle with my year sevens I was expecting more of the same this afternoon. So when someone from learning support came up to me this morning to say they'd be coming into my lesson to observe a pupil with learning difficulties who might need extra support I was a little apprehensive. Okay, so they wouldn't be too interested in what I was doing but it wouldn't look good if there was a stream of paper aeroplanes flying round the room that would give air traffic control nightmares.
And you know what? The lesson went really well - after the initial questions asking who the woman at the back was at least. Objectives were met, the pupils listened, they did work - including one boy who pretty much doubled his output for the year - and there was a pleasant atmosphere permiating through the room. It was like I'd always hoped lessons with year seven would be - not once did anyone get called a mong/gayer/inbred.
The one thing I'd like to know is whether the pupils were different because there was another adult in the room, or whether it was me who was different.