Nothing gives me more professional joy then directing the school production. After moving schools recently I took a break from productions to establish my classroom practice, get to know my new students and become accustomed culture of the school. However I missed the creative outlet massively and was glad to finally get back to directing.

I chose to extend my final week of joys into our half week which finished yesterday.  I find the last week of the teaching year the hardest. I always feel emotional (and exhausted) as I watch staff and students move to new adventures, as I reflect on the year, find out results and am touched by the Christmas story. Part of what makes being a drama teacher my calling is my sensitivity to emotion and the emotion of others, but this can be a difficult characteristic in times like this.

Schools are special places. They are about relationships. We are invested in our students, not just academically but personally....no matter how much we sometimes try and distant ourselves from this. This last week always brings the intensity of those relationships to the forefront. Like a proud mother I celebrate as my students names get called to receive first place in whatever subject they excelled at. Likewise my heart breaks as I see students not quite get the result they were aiming for in a final exam because ultimately an examination mark can never truly reflect how much they tried or how much they overcame that year. I feel overwhelmed by joy as that disconnected kid writes me a christmas card saying that I am their favourite teacher; overwhelmed with beauty as the Christmas play unfolds, angels rising up in a pyramid of joy; overwhelmed with love when a colleague gives me a reassuring hug sensing my feeling of inadequacy. 

Over the last ten (and a half weeks) I have collected over 400 pieces of teaching joy. My last piece of joy for this term is surviving another year of teaching. Yes some days it feels like surviving. I really believe this is one of the hardest jobs in the world and if we don't take the time to find the joys then we are essentially just surviving. However, looking back at my 400 joys I am reminded that every challenge is worth it, every tear shows I care and the hours of work really do make a difference. I am also reminded of the relationships that are at the centre of the majority of these joys. This is not only one of the hardest jobs in the world, it is one of the best. Seriously, in what other profession would you have a crowd carol sing off, sit in prayer and reflection with your colleagues on the last day of work or extend your family to include hundreds of extra children?

As we move into 2016 I challenge each of you to sit and write a list of teaching joys from this year. What has brought you happiness? What are you grateful for? Share the list with your colleagues and friends.

​Then take the time to rejuvenate, relax and nourish yourself as you take a much deserved break!

Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week Ten and a Half
1. Meaningful discussion about thinking routines with colleagues.
 
2. The most thoughtful gift from one beautiful student. Each time I wear it I will think of her and her kindness.
 
3. The promotional design for my play was finished and I am SUPER in love with it.
 
4. Staff room Christmas antics.

It is a long story!

5. Laughter. So much laughter in my classroom this week.
 
6. The completion of The Genius Project. One of the best units I have ever run.
 
7. Watching sugar glass being smashed over a student’s head. (Note: She was wearing a hard hat). #itsadramateacherthing
 
8. The number of students that helped me clean up the sugar glass!
 
9. Students who trust their drama class enough to share their personal stories through performance.
 
10. The kid that gave it a go despite her anxiety and moved me to tears.
 
11. The kid that made a stunning video to accompany her poetry slam.
 
12. Another great physical theatre workshop with Swoop Physical Theatre Company.
 
13. Learning to juggle….or at least attempting too.
 
14. Dancing to Christmas carols with year 12.
 
15. The colleague who brought a coffee for me on a crazy busy day.
 
16. A beautiful Christmas liturgy.
 
17. Kids that step up when you need them.
 
18. My pyramid of angels not collapsing mid performance.
 
19. Christmas morning teas.
 
20. Winning the house trivia competition. (It is very serious!)
 
21. A house carol sing off!
 
22. The donation of over 100 books for the Smith Family Christmas Toy and Book Appeal.
 
23. Hearing my drama students called to receive their awards at presentation evening.
 
24. The awkwardness of the band playing the theme from Game of Thrones as the academic procession marched out of presentation evening.
 
25. The many Christmas cards and gifts I received from staff and students this week.
 
26. Finishing my registers!
 
27. Planning for next year’s creative arts festival.
 
28. Working with some beautiful boys on a late Friday rehearsal.
 
29. Learning more about Cultures of Thinking from a very talented colleague.
 
30. The opportunity to refresh our CPR skills each year. Wish every human being had this type of training.
 
31. Time assisting and getting to know the science coordinator better. (Touched she sees me as more than 'just a drama teacher'). 
 
32. The kid who cleaned my storeroom.
 
33. A dance party on the basketball courts.
 
34. Squirting students with water pistols on a 38 degree day.
 
35. The t-shirt man who is printing my cast t-shirts and his ongoing patience.
 
36. The bursar who processed an order for me after the books were closed for the year.
 
37. Much needed hugs and kind words from colleagues.
 
38. Staff Christmas carols bringing laughter and joy.
 
39. Christmas high tea to celebrate the year at the Gunner’s Barracks.
 
 40. Surviving another year of teaching. #thisisthehardestjobintheworld 

A gift from a colleague. #joy

This week has been full of Christmas cheer and end-of-year shenanigans. Not long to go before holiday now!

Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 9
1. Running into a number of ex-students at the Christmas tree farm. We realised on the way home that one kindly forgot how to measure properly, so that we paid for a 5 foot tree not a 6 and a half foot tree. #ateachersjoy
 
2. Decorating the Christmas tree. This is on my teaching joy list as a number of my decorations were gifts for students. As I hang each one on the tree I remember that child and I say a silent prayer for them wherever they are.
 
3. Starting rehearsals for the nativity play. This year’s play is based on a beautiful book called On Angels Wings by Michael Morpurgo and I love it!
 
4. Grateful that I was able to divert from the mainstream on a daylong PD and work at my own level and pace.
 
5. The CSO paying for my Google Certification examination.
 
6. Becoming a Level 1 Certified Google Educator !!!
 
7. The crazy antics and house rivalry for the Christmas decorating competition. So insane.
 
8. Watching students that often fall under the radar step up and completely own a piece of work.
 
9. That moment in a performance when kids completely catch you off guard with their brilliance and you wonder ‘Why the hell have I never thought of that?’.
 
10. Kids that try so very hard.
 
11. I know this has been a recurring thought over the last couple of weeks (and I am sure it will be next week too) but I am completely taken aback by my year 9 students slam poetry. Every time they read me a piece I get completely choked up with emotion and pride. How I wish I could share some of it with you.
 
12. The one piece of slam poetry a kid wrote about being dyslexic. As a parent of a dyslexic child it gave me a great insight into what my daughter experiences and will continue to experience. It also gave me much hope.
 
13. My tutor group. I am so blessed to start each day with these beautiful, bright and joyful young ladies.
 
14. Tutor group Christmas parties.
 
15. The laughter resulting from the tutor group KK draw where I ended up receiving temporary body jewels and tattoos. I told my kids I would rock them at the beach all summer. :)
 
16. Our theatrical make-up workshop with Lisa Mangion. I would love to show you the pics but they are too gruesome for this page.

17. Learning new skills that I can apply to my work.
 
18. Watching the kids completely drama nerd out…. then walk through the school with fake bullet wounds, burns and bruises as though Drama is the coolest subject in the world. They loved it. (I, however, was a little stressed at the graphic nature of my class looking like they had been severely attacked!)
 
19. Online manuals that help me mend broken lighting consoles.
 
20. An email from a kid explaining why she wouldn’t have her work in class today. It started with ‘Miss, I don’t want to disappoint you…’. She didn’t.
 
21. Extending my dance routine with year 9.
 
22. Winning a dance off at lunchtime. Oh yes I did!
 
23. Christmas carols filling the hallway.
 
24. One of my students is drawing promotional material for our play. I am very grateful for the care and time she is taking.
 
25. Angel’s wings.
 
26, A relaxed coordinator who makes my job less stressful.
 
27. The beginnings of the set for my production. It is going to be amazing!
 
28. The amount of potential costume items I found in my storeroom.
 
29. Delivery of new stationary items. What teacher doesn’t like stationary?
 
30. Finding that one of my favourite Asian street foods is now available a stone throw away from school (I have never seen this is Australia before!). #lunchtimeperks
 
31. The opportunity for expanding knowledge through performance essays.
 
32. The Spy Game. A drama game that spans across the entire area of the school. SO much fun! #Iamresponsibleforthekidscommandorollingpastthescienceclasses
 
33. Reading notes from The Up Jar.
 
34. Seeing students get behind amazing projects such as the Vinnie’s Hamper Collection and The Smith Family Book and Christmas Drive.
 
35. Being able to borrow costumes at the last minute from my own classroom for my own daughter. #perksofbeingadramateacher
 
36. Finishing the final assessment task for the year!
 
37. Exploring new ideas to further my own learning.
 
38. Kids that bring great ideas to my rehearsals.
 
39. The school cleaner. He is a smiley, happy man and he does a smashing job.

40. Laughing for the entirety of my Friday afternoon rehearsal. I don’t know what it is about this play or these kids but something special is happening with this production. 

My KK Win!

My American friends are celebrating thanksgiving this week and although I have never experienced thanksgiving I have experienced the power of gratitude. 

And this week there is a lot to be grateful for.

Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 9
1. Seeing my Year 9 Class for the first time in what seemed like weeks!
 
2. Swoop Physical Theatre Company running a fun-packed afternoon with my kids.
 
3. Standing on top of a pyramid of awesome.
 
4. Watching my students attempt to flip over into human caterpillars.
 
5. Teamwork used to create a circular pyramid with the entire class.
 
6. Students who are brave enough to step outside their comfort zone.
 
7. The opportunity to present at a staff meeting.
 
8. The encouraging words of colleagues.
 
9. The chocolate on the tables at staff meeting. I needed it this week!
 
10. Finishing my reports!!!! Woo hooo!!! #ateachersjoy
 
11. Students that give you assessment drafts a week out from the due date.
 
12. Taking time to appreciate the Year 10 Art Installations. Some beautiful work!
 
13. The introduction of one-to-one devices beginning in my school.
 
14. A chance to stretch my primary school brain!
 
15. The story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
 
16. I asked my primary school kids to think of a word to describe how they felt during our drama workshop. They respond with happy, calm, great, peaceful, safe and my favourite…. JOYFUL!
 
17. Hearing year 5 and 6 students declare that their superpowers included kindness, honesty, respect, bravery, JOY, courage and love. They are our future. #spiritbuilder
 
18. Wellbeing Week at the school I send my daughter’s to (and also had the pleasure to teach at this week! )
 
19. An email of gratitude from a parent.
 
20. Companies that get back to you with quotes the same day.
 
21. Staff members willing to listen to your directorial ramblings and provide much needed advice.
 
22. Visible Thinking Routines as tools for learning.
 
23. Dancing to ‘Downtown’ with year 9. Wish I could share the video here. It is epic!
 
24. Experimenting with our new theatrical make-up. Half of year 10 left my class with gashes, bruises and cuts! #itsadramateacherthing
 
25. A student who has chosen to share her personal story through a monologue. #brave #dramacanheal
 
26. Words that move you deeply. Year 9 read me the opening sentences of their slam poetry pieces and I could barely speak afterwards.
 
27. Then my other year 9 class read me their entire pieces and there was this one piece about the sun wishing she was the moon. In the last paragraph a lunar eclipse occurred and when the moon past the sun, the moon whispered, “I wish I was the sun”.  Speechless.
 
28. My colleague who presented me with an idea for the basis of this years nativity play.  (Anyone got some shepherd crooks I can borrow???)
 
29. Students who come to rehearsals knowing their lines. (This joy is significant because it is so rare!)
 
30. Two free periods on a Friday to smash through some work.
 
31. The plan for the house Christmas decorating competition.
 
32. The 6 foot blow up Santa wearing a hoola skirt….  next to a Christmas tree in thongs and a Mexican hat….  outside my classroom.
 
33. Keen students who stay back on a Friday afternoon to work on essays.
 
34. The cleaner who makes my classroom look immaculate every Friday afternoon. #ateachersjoy
 
35. My new infinite purpose prayer flags hanging on my classroom window.
 
36. Everything about the production I am working on.
 
37. Finding a second air conditioner at the very back of my stage space (which I kind of forgot was there) on the hottest day of the week.
 
38. Finding gratitude chocolate in my pigeonhole. When is chocolate not a blessing?
 
39. There is a kid in my class that giggles at everything…. and when she starts everyone else can’t help but giggle too. It is contagious.
 
40. Seeing that disconnected kid back in my class today after a very long absence. 

I can't believe it is week 7! So much to do and so little time. Managed to work in plenty of fun, inspiring conversation and joy into my week though. 

Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 7
1. Marking essays about Shakespeare and reading ‘This play was written by an absolutely, amazing man named Shakespeare’. My job here is done. #itsadramateacherthing
 
2. The beautiful teacher’s aide who assisted me in teaching year 8 math. (It is harder then you think!)
 
3. Seeing students happy dance when you return their marks.
 
4. One student bombed out in her exam completely (for a variety of reasons) and was gutted by her result. I pulled her aside and said, ‘If I didn’t have to set a written exam I wouldn’t. This mark is not an indicator of your creativity or what you are capable of. It means nothing to me. Let’s throw it in the bin huh?” She looked at me surprised, walked to the bin, deposited the exam and left with a smile.
 
5. Spending the last of my budget…. 3 litres of fake blood and a Go Pro coming my way. #itsadramateacherthing
 
6. This description in a creative character building task, “And on the odd occasion, when she laughs, it brightens up the world and creates a ‘!!!!!!’ inside you.”
 
7, Having the opportunity to mentor a younger teacher and open my classroom to her.
 
8. Trying a new activity with one of my classes this week. I expected it to be ok, but was unsure what the final results would be. Surprised when the level of thinking surpassed my expectations.
 
9. A year 10 student crafting a dead rat for me for my play.
 
10. Dancing with year 10 to Bring It On - The Musical and singing Defying Gravity with year 9.
 
11. Watching parts of the Creative Arts Festival back with my kids and seeing their faces light up. #ateachersjoy
 
12. Having my classes back after a week of exams. I missed them!
 
13. Being invited to be a PLG (Professional Learning Group) facilitator in my school community.
 
14. Participating in my first PLG session with some thought-provoking and inspiring colleagues. Rich discussion about things that matter.
 
15. On Friday evening last week a student made a poor choice and it left my lighting board a little worse for wear. I was only made aware of this on Monday. Where is the joy in this you ask? In the students that were brave enough to come and tell me.
 
16. The two students stepping up as stage manager and assistant director on my play. These girls are awesome!

17. Securing bookings to the plays I want to take my students to next year.
 
18. Joining with the neighbouring primary school for a celebratory liturgy.
 
19. Watching two of my students shine as they danced at our liturgy.
 
20. Workshopping a piece with the most beautiful student… (she wants to be a drama teacher when she finishes school…just saying!).
 
21. Everything about my beautiful year 9’s.
 
22. A box full of costumes delivered to my desk including a horse head and a variety of beards.
 
23. Free drama posters for my classroom.
 
24. Finding opportunities in my lesson to inspire.
 
25. Learning a new teaching strategy that I can see much benefit in. (More about this strategy soon.)
 
26. Stepping into teacher-in-role for year 12 to challenge their concept of contemporary issues.
 
27. The multiple uses of post-it notes I can find for my lessons.
 
28. Air-conditioning in my classroom.
 
29. A year 12 student bringing me a red ice-block for recess because it was so hot. Beyond sweet.
 
30. Colleagues that value my skills and give me the opportunity to use them.
 
31. Coming to the realisation (although I already knew but couldn’t articulate it) that drama ultimately teaches students to feel.
 
32. The Genius Project again! So much engagement. (Seriously a blog post is coming but I want to reach the final product before I share.)
 
33. Finished marking year 9 exams.
 
34. The bursar. Seriously what would I do without her?
 
35. The five flights of stairs to my classroom, which is the only reason I can get away with not exercising at the moment.
 
 36. Finding out a project I worked on with some kids received a Highly Commended Award in the competition we entered it into.
 
37. Laughter created by participation in a game that requires balloons and a lot of running.
 
38. The decision to put a goose puppet into my play and the failed attempt at goose noises that my students made.
 
39. Finding ways to give my students work real world applications.
 
40. The absolute fun I am having with my rehearsals. Such a warm, joyful cast.
 

This week has been a strange week. Due to exams and excursions I have barely taught, so I am dividing my 40 Pieces of Teaching Joy into two sections – 20 pieces of Teaching Joy and 20 Pieces of Time-Out Joy. You see sometimes we work so freaking hard as teachers that we need to take time-out. I have been teaching for a long time now and I know when I need to take time-out to recalibrate. This week was one of those weeks. When was the last time you took some much needed time-out from teaching?

Twenty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 6

1. Love and praise from my colleagues about our Creative Arts Evening.

2. A card of thanks and a bottle of wine from Year 7.

3. Students that help me clean up the aftermath of Friday night without a single complaint.

4. Listening to my Year 12’s speak about what home means to them.

5. A beautiful email from a parent.

6. The way exam supervision forces you to stop and slowdown.

7. Marking exams and finding this sentence – “A man who understands how to manipulate these elements and bring a character to life goes by the name Stanislavski.”

8. Reading Year 12’s proposals for their major projects. So much creativity.

9. Choreographing some exceptional dancers for an upcoming liturgical dance. (Ok… maybe I didn’t choreograph, maybe I just supervised, but I loved watching them!)

10. Marking all of Year 10’s papers in one day. #10minutesofmarkingisusuallymylimit

11. Year 9 character profiles.

12. Time to clean up my desk. #firsttimethisyear

13. Laughter at rehearsals. Lots and lots of joy!

14. Left over money in my budget allowing me to book Lisa Mangion to run a SFX workshop with Year 10. So excited!!

15. Colleagues that give their all to try and make staff meetings worthwhile and interesting.

16. An amazing construction of a piece on Sudoku and The Thousand Paper Cranes by one of my seniors.

17. Year 9’s popping in to see me at lunchtime because they have missed me this week. :)

18. The desperate measure this student has taken not to ensure the safety of her HSC logbook....

19. Writing a stuffed bird into my next production.
​
20. Out ‘ogring’ a student…. as in we had a battle of ogre acting and I won. #itsadramateacherthing

Oh... and taking some much needed time-out for myself.

Twenty Pieces of Time-Out Joy - Week 6

1. Slow mornings.

2. Camomile tea.

3. Café, coffee and croissants.

4. The sound of rain falling outside my window.

5. Reading a book for pleasure.

6. A chance to start the Christmas shopping.

7. Bubble baths.

8. Taking time to cook a nutritious food

9. Watching my thank you flowers change throughout the week.

10. Playing elastics with my daughters.

11. Reading Enid Blyton together before lights out.

12. Candlelight.

13. A glass (or two) of bubbles.

14. Clean sheets on the bed.

15. My cat curled up at my feet.

16. More tea.

17. Picking the girls up early from school. (Well earlier then I usually can!)

18. Long hugs on the couch.

19. Wearing my ‘Love is my Superpower’ shirt. (More on this some other time.)

​20. Saturday morning sleep ins. 

To articulate how exhausting this week has been would be impossible.
I sometimes wonder how we get by in this profession...

but then you are standing side stage at 9pm at night, blisters on your feet, watching from the curtains as 150 students stand on stage in front of a loving community made up of their peers, families and teachers;
the words of Beyonce's 'I Was Here' ring out across the crowd as each student lights a candle
​and lifts it joyously above their head...

and I no longer wonder.

This week I don't have forty pieces of joy, I have a 150.
1​50 beams of light shining as bright as they possibly can.

I had a tough start to the week, but then number 27 happened, and number 14, and number 37 and well who can focus on the negative when the good completely outweighs it? Come Friday I was having the absolute bestest day. 

Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 4

1. This email I received after sending out the cast list for my play,
“im super exited and i can't believe that we are putting on a play!!! 
this is so awesome.” (Clearly the only grammar we are teaching in schools is exclamation marks!)
 
2. Listening to the childhood memories of my seniors in a class workshop.
 
3. The arrival of the nun costumes for our Creative Arts evening.
 
4. Work that engages my students to the extent that they stay in all lunch because they don’t want to stop.
 
5. Tutor group birthday celebrations.
 
6. The cheer and the smile of the teacher who sits behind me. Her joy is catching!
 
7. Being able to help a student in need.
 
8. Watching faces light up as year 9 discuss their roles for our play.
 
9. The opportunity to push my students outside their comfort zone.
 
10. Starting The Genius Project with year 10. (More to come on this.)
 
11. Hearing from the kids what they really want to learn about at school. (More to come on this too!)
 
12. Laughing to the point of crying after finding an error in a film we are showing to an audience of hundreds next week. (Note: We don’t have time to refilm! At least we can laugh about it.)
 
13. Rehearsing an excerpt from Matilda with year 7 and 8. So cute!
 
14. The idea to use Marianne Williamson’s poetry as a script resulting in twenty students repeating over and over again, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…”
 
15. Students that remember lunch time rehearsals and happily attend.
 
16. This beautiful note from a student.

17. School wide RUOK Day celebrations.
 
18. A cow visiting my classroom with a “Free Hugs” sign around her neck. (At first I though it said “Free Eggs” and I was slightly confused.)
 
19. Hearing my student’s ideas and excitement around The Genius Project.
 
20. The chance to pass on some wisdom about happiness.
 
21. The moment in a student’s performance that made every other kid go “Oh, we get what Miss is saying now.”
 
22. Cupcakes at staff morning tea.
 
23. Students that complete their homework above and beyond what is asked.
 
24. Telling my daughter that she could accompany me to a Sunday rehearsal. #teacherinthemaking
 
25. The kid that asks a hundred questions. She asks because she doesn’t want to let me down.
 
26. Students talking about what their mums mean to them.
 
27. Someone took the time to leave this thought in my pigeon hole -  “You add such colour and energy and passion to these halls and I just thought you should hear that.” Yep, I needed to hear that this week.
 
28. Ok…. someone’s locker stunk and I don’t do smells well. So, a little piece of joy included a colleague who came and helped me find the source of the smell! Beyond grateful.
 
29. An ex-prac student sending me a resource he introduced me to last year… which I happened to lose in my somewhat creative filing cabinet.
 
30. A meeting about Creative Arts evening with two easy-going staff members who make my job so freaking easy.
 
31. Early morning starts meaning I have the photocopier to myself.
 
32. An AP who drops what she is doing to help out whenever needed.
 
33. Waking up with the most amazing idea to assist younger students with dyslexia. All I can say is #watchthisspace .
 
34. One of my students has been having some medical tests. Today she told me the biopsy came back clear. Her relief was palpable.
 
35. A conversation about a kid with another teacher. She said, “I spoke with her mother and all she could say is how much she loves drama.” :)
 
36. An excursion resulting in a cancelled rehearsal. Why? It meant I got my lunch break for the first time all week!
 
37. Ok, I saw some AMAZING work from my year 9’s today as they took a leap and stepped out of their comfort zone. MIND BLOWN! I was left completely speechless. I need to find somewhere to show this work.
 
38. Watching fifty kids run around the basketball courts sword fighting, playing tip, creating dance moves and secret handshakes, wheel barrow racing from one end to the other and making friends as they go. Completely made my afternoon.
 
39. The first rehearsal for my production. So much energy, so much fun! Every time I introduced a cast member everyone cheered. Seriously the BEST afternoon in a long time.
 
40. A husband that completely gets the demands of this job and supports me 100%. Behind every great teacher is an even greater partner!

This is my third wonderful week of identifying forty pieces of teaching joy. The practice is completely embedded now. I spend a few minutes each evening documenting these little moments. It takes little time and the rewards are big.
Do it.
Do it this week coming. 
You will be surprised by the nourishing energy it returns to you.
​
Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 3

1. Great kids thinking about how they can make the world a better place.
 
2. Writing two exams in one day! (Note: Not sure I have done this in 15 years of teaching!)
 
3. Missing a meeting. I missed a meeting after reading an email incorrectly. It happens right? Anyway, after I completely freaked out that I had made this error, I recalled the amount of work I got done in the time I was meant to be in this meeting (aka writing two exams).
 
4. The Zombie Game. #itsadramateacherthing
 
5. Watching year 9 perform a recipe as though it was a war movie. “300g of butter. Add the butter and whisk it. WHISK it. (Insert war sound effects here).” Yes, there was a point to this activity. #itsadramateacherthing
 
6. Art teachers that make stuff for you that you can’t make.
 
7. Watching students who have little confidence become leaders in Drama.
 
8. The diversity of my i-Tunes library.
 
9. The power of TED talks as a teaching tool. Who will I invite to my classroom today?
 
10. Getting away from work earlier then expected and hence, having time to get that blue piece of material I needed for that one scene.
 
11. Seeing year 12’s work for the week completely fill one wall of my classroom.
 
12. Practicing Irish accents and failing dismally.
 
13. The ‘Umbrella’ performance coming together. (See Week 2.) We can nearly get every umbrella to open in sync. #whatwasIthinkingwiththisone
 
14. The collaborative nature of my subject and the social barriers this collaboration can break.
 
15. ‘Spoken Word’ performances by year 9’s that completely filled me with joy.
 
16. Telling kids they needed to come to call back auditions later in the week and seeing their faces light up.
 
17. Teachers practicing their samba step in my classroom for creative arts evening.
 
18. Working right next door to a major shopping centre enabling me to source a hit of decent caffeine when required.
 
19. Setting challenging tasks that cause your students ‘brains to hurt’.
 
20. Meeting and getting to know some different students through the school production.
 
21. Teaching students to use their bodies expressively in movement classes.
 
22. Class lists for next year. My subject continues to grow!
 
23. The AP stepping in and scanning some photos for me to make my life easier. #likeshehasnothingbettertodo
 
24. My classroom – a safe and welcoming space.
 
25. Students that come and find me in order to clarify their understanding of the assessment criteria. Why? They want to produce the best work they possibly can.
 
26. The opportunity to teach the same lesson twice allowing me to turn it from a massive fail to a massive gain. 
 
27. Year Coordinators and the amazing, thankless work they do everyday.
 
28. One of those moments that affirm the difference we make as teachers.
 
29. Hearing from one of my most disconnected students about how connected she felt on the Duke of Edinburgh expedition this week.
 
30. The chance to sit in on a choir rehearsal… or two.
 
31. A found opportunity to pump up a kid’s confidence.
 
32. The words “Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away”.
 
33. The camomile and spearmint tea I keep in my desk draw.
 
34. The development of PLG’s (Professional Learning Groups) at my school. Can’t wait to get started.
 
35. Music and joy from the year 8 dance flooding the school.
 
36. Watching my girls rise to the challenges I set them.
 
37. Having boys in my classroom in the first time in ages.  A completely different energy.
 
38. The boys just mentioned coming to shake my hand at the end of auditions to thank me for my time.
 
39. Casting my play! Yay!
 
40. Partnerships with amazing colleagues who share the same vision as you.

Year 12's work from the week.

Oh my goodness. (NB: I refuse to write OMG.) This week has been beyond crazy. I have had auditions for a new production, rehearsals for a current one, reports, assessments and everything else. Like last week I have kept myself grounded by listing the little joys of everyday. I must admit it is hard to take notice of the small things when your mind is on hundreds of big things... but I persisted and I hope you did too. Here is this weeks list. It isn't to late to join me in this weekly challenge! 

Forty Piece of Teaching Joy - Week 2
​
1. Fun at auditions with kids giving it all.

2. A beautiful thank you gift from a beautiful colleague.
 
3. Approval to begin my Highly Accomplished Teacher Accreditation.
 
4. Students with great ideas helping me advance a performance piece to the next level.
 
5. A piece of advice from someone wiser then me.
 
6. Independent students willing to take risks with their grammar. Apparently full stops are no longer required
 
7. New opportunities.
 
8. Creating a skateboard-based lamb for a production….. yes, a lamb.
 
9. Learning new film techniques from students that have now surpassed me in this area.
 
10. Bouncing ideas back and forth with one of my senior students.
 
11. Creating production vision boards using Pinterest.
 
12. The arrival of the hotdog costume and the laughter that filled my classroom as a result.
 
13. Reading the work of a student and being moved to tears by its beauty.
 
14. A smile from a student whose smile I thought was long lost.
 
15. The kindness of the girls in my tutor group and the love they show each other.
 
16. The words, “Miss, we came to help you. What can we do?”
 
17. My colleagues allowing me to film them for a project.
 
18. A faculty that is easy going, open to ideas and supportive of each other.
 
19. Finding the right piece of music for a performance.
 
20. Videos uploading… finally!
 
21. Students extending themselves by taking on leadership roles in our school production.
 
22. Staff meeting snacks that doubled as my lunch.
 
23. Kids you know you can rely on.
 
24. A prank by my students that began with “Our subjects clashed for next year so we ended up with Food Tech instead of Drama”. Relief when this wasn’t the case. Clearly I have taught them some great acting skills.
 
25. Finishing a big project with my students on Homelessness. Check out their work at www.bustingthemyths.weebly.com . They want it to be shared across social media so I will start here.
 
26. Year 9 incursion freeing me up so I can smash through some paper work before the weekend.
 
27. Breakfast rehearsals.
 
28. Watching poetry slam with year 12... just because.
 
29. The view from my classroom – I can see angels.
 
30. The versatility of umbrellas. (Will share more at a later date about this one!)
 
31. Learning how to spell Tumblr properly. “There is NO e miss!”
 
32. Watching the hot dog dance. The joy.
 
33. Students returning permission notes on time. (Teachers will understand the joy in this. J)
 
34. Finding great talent at this weeks auditions.
 
35. The opportunity to recommend a student for a leadership position.
 
36. Being able to return a lost lunch to a hungry kid.
 
37. The stillness in my classroom after lunch.
 
38. Seeing students take pride in their work.

​39. Google drive. 
 
40. The final bell for the week. I am exhausted!

Breakfast rehearsal.