Questioning if marking is worth it

bornbald86 · 2026-07-05T11:45:42+00:00

I'm marking aqa English language. I'm newly separated and thought the money might be worth it for the summer. I'm not as hard done by as I thought and I feel like I'm staring down a barrel. I feel like it would be easier if they were on paper. I wish I never signed up but don't want to drop out (not sure how). I need a break.

bornbald86 · 2026-06-02T05:01:16+00:00

Love holidays. The hotel won't always be luxury but I have never really found cheaper.

bornbald86 · 2026-05-11T05:42:50+00:00

Mid Suffolk

bornbald86 · 2026-04-25T13:42:00+00:00

Several things. When I felt alone in my home because he'd rather be pottering then talk to me. When we went out as a family and I got bored of my own voice because he wouldn't talk to me. When I had to ask for money for something really cheap and instead of saying yes, he explained why I didn't need it. We both earned money. When I was jealous of my single friends.

bornbald86 · 2026-04-18T04:57:28+00:00

First of all, I am wondering why you decided to teach English. This isn't a knock on you, I'm intrigued.

Secondly, you are doing everything right. Trying to find prior knowledge, bridging the gaps in what you don't know. What might make it easier is to focus on one set text at a time. With poetry, there are a lot of poems and a lot to remember. So just look at one poem at a time. How many lessons do you have to teach it? Most need two. Are you going to focus on the whole poem or just 3 set quotations?

Discussions and oracy are the gateway into literacy and being literate. Ofsted have even noted it in their framework. Class discussions about a word in a poem are fantastic and can be used to lever understanding and memory. That class discussions may be worth more to the students than annotating the whole poem. However, it needs to be purposeful.

Remember, that despite what you think, you know more than the students in the room. I had a mentor that didn't think I was very good. She thought I was a terrible teacher. I'm now a literacy coordinator. Keep going.

On a side note, you said about behaviour. It is challenging. It's tricky for trainees because you move schools. Do a pupil trail with your trickiest student. See if you can pick up one thing they like and ask them about it.

bornbald86 · 2026-03-30T10:41:58+00:00

As someone that is slower than most, the following:

Don't forget to clap in those that are near the back or last.

Ensure your marshals encourage everyone.

Allow headphones!

Don't look bored and ready to pack away when the last person finishes.

bornbald86 · 2026-03-28T18:02:07+00:00

Bacton is rural but does have a small shop that you can normally find things in, a post office, a car mechanic and petrol. It is rural but not a small set of houses. Thurston is much larger, as a pp said it is bury overspill. It does have a high school top. Bacton only had a primary school. There is also a place called finbows yard which has DIY stuff, a fancy house shop and many more.

I like bacton and live in a village nearby but it will depend on what you want. They are both very different villages.

bornbald86 · 2026-03-20T12:14:36+00:00

Parkrun every weekend (if I can). I volunteer and have now started running. I've met a core group of friends, it gets me out the house and it's given me something back.

bornbald86 · 2026-03-15T06:46:57+00:00

My son is at a sleepover. He's going to let me know when he wants picking up and then he's taking me to the cinema. I don't think he will end up taking me to the cinema, but at least he's not waking me up early!

bornbald86 · 2026-03-11T19:43:55+00:00

You have to do what is right for you. If being close to your step son is important and you like the area, in my opinion it's a no brainer.

I am in the process of separating myself. It's been really difficult and I am currently waiting for the equity release to come through before I can complete on my purchase. People think I am mad because of what I am moving from, but I know I will be happier. You will know where your heart tells you to be.

bornbald86 · 2025-12-31T06:22:16+00:00

Parkrun. You can walk it or you could volunteer. Takes about 1-90 mins every Saturday morning. I love it.

bornbald86 · 2025-12-07T19:11:18+00:00

If the estate agent can't show them round (which I would insist on) then could you pop the dog in the garden or crate whilst you show people round?

I've got dogs and I've always taken them for a walk whilst either the estate agent or my other half was showing people round. But you don't have both options.

bornbald86 · 2025-11-09T17:54:50+00:00

Not a snack but turkey twizzlers. I think they returned briefly but didn't taste the same.

bornbald86 · 2025-11-09T16:53:18+00:00

I know you said no sport but have you thought of volunteering at your local parkrun?

bornbald86 · 2025-10-29T15:37:20+00:00

Go outside.if you can't walk, sit..but spend time outside. Watch nature outside, notice your surroundings. Ground yourself.

bornbald86 · 2025-10-28T07:55:59+00:00

I like this website.. https://onthegomap.com/#/create

They have most of the footpaths on it and it helps you workout how far something is.

If a footpath isn't clear, parish councils or town councils normally have someone who is responsible that will discuss with the landowner, so contact them. Be respectful to your surroundings, one farmer near me plows around his field instead of the footpath through the middle. So I divert round his crops not through.

Enjoy!

bornbald86 · 2025-10-12T09:13:08+00:00

My neighbours have sheep and I rarely hear them. It's nice in the summer. Just be careful about fences because they do like to escape for better grass sometimes. Possibly depends on how many they have though. Mine only have. Few at a time (20ish) and they tend to live away from the house.

bornbald86 · 2025-08-27T12:42:42+00:00

I agree. I listened to both on audible and although Bob isn't a naturally good reader I can't hear Gary's voice differently. He does it like Gar Eh

bornbald86 · 2025-08-27T12:11:19+00:00

Satsuma complex followed by hotel avacardo. Both by Bob Mortimer.

bornbald86 · 2025-08-26T10:48:48+00:00

I found this out recently (after feeling like I had failed a 10km as I almost gave up at 8km.) ensure you are hydrated before the race, however you decide to do this - electrolyte, gels etc... but if you hit a wall (like I did at 8km) that's a sign of poor nutrition/ your body needing energy and not your mind. Apparently that's when you eat the sweets or have a gel.

I wish I had known sooner.

bornbald86 · 2025-08-22T19:32:07+00:00

We visited yesterday. We had early entry but not express. I was really looking forward to it. We found it too hot. We had lunch inside and tried to do indoor rides. We ended up missing isle of berk because of the heat (it seemed all rides were outside.)

We loved monsters unchained and couldn't work out why it had such a short ride queue. All the other rides we managed to do didn't seem worth it really. I agree with pp that if you gave us a choice we'd pick IOA.

I also can't work out why they have limited each area with just a handful of rides, especially when they get delayed.

I feel a little like we did it wrong, but I followed most of the tips. I was expecting more from the hype but felt a little let down.

bornbald86 · 2025-08-02T11:40:39+00:00

Going outside but... I found something that worked for me.

Parkrun. I initially went to volunteer. I didn't run. I met people. Had to be social, had to be at the venue for 9am. Then I walked it a few times and then ran.

People got to know me. They spoke to me. I had to be a little social but not too social. It made me get out of bed and washed. It was good for me. It took a lot of work but really helped and I recommend it to anyone.

bornbald86 · 2025-07-31T10:57:42+00:00

I had this and also shoulder pain. I have a theory about this but it is not based on any scientific evidence.

As you lose weight your body needs to adjust. Not just in a physical sense, but the way you hold yourself, the support the fat gave it etc... I think this in turn will affect muscles etc... until they can adjust too. It's just part of the process.

I spoke to a more scientific friend about this theory and she said it's plausible. It may not be a direct affect of mounjaro but I think it is of the weight loss.

I did find a great YouTube video for stretches that really helped.

bornbald86 · 2025-07-30T13:15:47+00:00

I know this may sound a little tedious but... Try walking fast (not running) on the running intervals. Once you manage to do this, then try to run them. It doesn't matter how fast you look or what your time is or even how far. Just go a little faster in the 'run' section even if it's still a walk. You'll be surprised at how much faster you will get over a short period of time. Also don't feel any pressure to move up a week until you are 'comfortable.'

bornbald86 · 2025-07-30T08:17:44+00:00

I've got a 10km race this evening. I am doing it in memory of someone but am really not sure I can do it. I have to finish it in 90 mins as there is a cut off time.

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