back into the routine.

Back to work today and I am now exhausted.

We had parent teacher interviews again tonight but this time years 9 and 10. The year 10's I teach are doing a year 11 subject so they are 'serious' interviews. The parents are expecting so much from their cherubs - and who can blame them as they are talented. My job is to have sorted out what makes them good performers and what they need to improve.

Year 9 interviews are so much more relaxed. Your child is doing well - talks a bit too much but generally good. He/she might need to consider focusing on reading music so they can extend themselves further. Generally that is it done.

I had my four year 10 interviews and they were all pretty exhausting. The first - a talented musician but not committed to ensembles or his written work. The second - a very 'pitchy' singer who has improved heaps and written work doing well; last interviews I suggested not to do the final year subject next year. Third was a young man who is talented but he has attitude. Finally a young lady who is fantastic as a performer, not bad with her written work but she does not have the confidence in written work. These interviews took me out of it.

The interview, if you can call it that, which exhausted me the most was with my student teacher. She finishes at the end of this week and I have found the emotional roller coaster that she is taken me on tiring. We have gone through the highs of great teaching, super confidence etc to the lows of no confidence in her abilities. When I say 'lows' I mean low.

I told her what I was concerned about with her entering teaching - the emotional roller coaster. I couched it from the point of view "What would you say to a student who aimed so high, tried really hard to make that height and then was so upset thinking they had failed, crashed and burned emotionally?" She went through many answers and I agreed with her on many of her points. She didn't show that she knew I was asking about her. I told her that she should listen to what she had said and take it on herself. She seemed stunned. I think it was a good lesson for her.

A university supervisor is coming to see her on Friday afternoon, her final lesson for the week and round. We are talking through the issue of what to present her supervisor and what will work with my curriculum. I can see the need she has to 'impress' the university, but I will be discussing that with the university lady. I also have explained to her that the university people understand that there will also be a 'finality' to her teaching when she has been with this class for 5 weeks and this is her last time with them. They will understand that there is a need to have assessment as part of the course. We have compromised and planned something interesting.

The above 3 paragraphs took me 10 minutes to write but in action it took 2 - 3 hours during the day and a number of emails starting yesterday.

I'm watching So You Think You Can Dance (American). I think it is the final so the dancing is pretty amazing. I love it! I know who won (and I agree with the quality of dancing of the winner) but I love it!

As soon as it is over I'm off to sleep.