ok, treefrog - it is shit - but they know it's going to be hard that's why (i hope) you're on the reduced NQT timetable.
I have always said thae first term as an NQT is beyond the hard work of the PGCE - but it will turn a corner in the new year.
I know you feel like you're running to stand still. That feeling doesn't change much (although you will become a little more efficient) - but you will grow to care less.
I remember feeling desperately concerned that i never got everything done. Now I expect it.
You will also care a hell of a lot less when the kids are little shits. I mean i'm sure it usually doesn't get to you anyway, but the times when it does will become fewer, and you will care much much less.
that attitude will be evident to the kids, and they'll stop wanting to wind you up. You'll also develop your own style of "I take no shit" attitude to give out to them - because once you really, really have that, classroom control becomes much easier.
for now, try to think of a school year as a short unit of time, repeated many many times in your career. every time you complete your unit of work, you'll get exponetially better. keep your eye on the bigger picture.
sounds like your school isn't ideal. some schools are nicer. keep the long view. before the end of this year (summer term) do some stuff that will look good on your cv. spend some time in the second year build your cv in other areas.
marking and planning is a bastard. no question. i do my planning before school (I always get in an hour before registration - it's good, productive time) and in my frees. marking i do in the evenings before i go home. If i get behind, i mark over lunch. I refuse to take work home. Unless it's a big load of coursework or something, I refuse to work weekends. but i do end up staying at school til 7/8pm quite often.
i teach english, drama and pfa (personal finamcial awareness - to a study skills class)
I have five english sets, and if we assume ten minutes per book once a fortnight - that's 25 hours (with my gcse classes that can fluctuate up and down).
then I have five drama sets and the pfa class. - more like five mins once a fortnight - another 15 hours.
that's 40 hours extra every fortnight - another full week's work (or 4 hours per evening). I bet you're spending longer than that - NQTs often do.
On top of that at the moment I have another 40 hours of assessment papers to mark by mid october.
marking is shit. it annoys the fuck out of me as an english teacher that we have to spend twice as long as a lot of other subjects on marking and recieve no credit. but nqt's seem to spend ages on their marking so i'm not vexed by you.
but don't make it hard for yourself. you can assess their knowlege orally sometimes (ask them to give a presentation?) sometimes they can mark each other's work. make sure you set lots of homeworks that aren't about producing written work (that's good practice anyway).
you'll get there, angel. you will. we all did.
