It's Been A While...
The title says it all...
A lot has changed since my last ramble on here. First off, I have finally rid myself of that dark and questionable realm that is Twittter (I will call it that until Elon finally gives up his X fetish). I left mainly because I planned to do it years back but never fully committed. You can find me elsewhere on the web here.
I suppose the next change that I should acknowledge is the extended step back from the internet in general. In January, I had a pretty tough time with things and made the decision that it would be best if I locked everything down for a month while I focus on myself. That did a lot of good, but I don't plan to share what actually happened; and even if I wanted to, I don't think I would be allowed to discuss it. Let's just say, I was unwell and now I am better.
I also started my new ADHD treatment in September, essentially the same treatment but with a few more people watching in. This stuff is the good stuff! It means I can focus on working for a whole day now instead of just a few hours. I'm going onto my final test plan before going back into Shared Care, where my GP does most of the admin for my medication. Finding the right balance between focusing on work and relaxing is still something I am working on, but I am getting there!
I should probably mention what is going on with work, school. etc. Yes, I am still head of Computing at a secondary school but I am starting to think about my next stage of my career. This will be my 7th year of qualified teaching and as much as I love what I do, there are still things that cancel out the good.
This structure of performance managment and performance related pay, even though it is no longer compulsory, teaching staff are still feeling the effects of it today. My team and I have had to work damn hard these past few weeks and yet still, we have a million and one things left to do! One of my big concerns is that even though we are spending all hours of the day working to try and improve grades, we still get set up to fail by the sheer amount of students who want us to "just give out the pass", or by students who outright do not care about education, school or even employment. I still remember to this day a student telling me in my first year of teaching "I don't give a fuck about this, I'm waiting till 16 to go on the dole!". The student did give a fuck in the end, and they came out to be one of our big wins that academic year...
Even with the changes to my lifestyle, social life and the fact I am older and apparently more mature, the one thing that still makes me think of quitting teaching is the expectation that even though a student hands work in late, or even doesn't do it outright, they are expected to get the highest grades possible. And if they don't? All the blame lands on the teacher, not the student for being lazy.
That's enough of my rant for now, I guess I should prepare dinner and do some more planning.
Hopefully I won't leave it another year before I post...
The Migration Process
After a year of big changes: marriage, a name change, and the end of my NPQLT. I’ve started migrating every part of my digital life. From leaving the Apple ecosystem to rebuilding my online presence under mrlyall.co.uk, this post dives into what’s changing, what’s staying, and why it’s time for the Davis identity to be gracefully relegated. Same me, just a little more Lyall-logical.
Clearing the Clutter: A Digital and Personal Reset
I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a few years now, and this finally seems like the right time to take action.
Marking the Milestone: Mastering the Computing Measure
Note to self: I really need to post here more often! It’s been a whirlwind since my last update. Between chasing rapid grade improvements for our Year 11s, general OFSTED prep, onboarding a new team member, and—yes—rewriting the Key Stage 3 curriculum (again), I’ve completely lost track of time.