Nurture 13/14 - update

1: Richard will be 50 in 2014, I want to mark the occasion appropriately, but I don't know what that is yet.

It seems that we'll be going to York that weekend, I hope that our science teacher friends can help Richard enjoy his birthday. The present will either be a Raspberry Pi or a Gaggia coffee machine.

2: I have some tickets for the commonwealth games in Glasgow, I am really looking forward to them as I love watching live sport. I hope we can see some world cup track cycling too, and we aim to see the Grand Depart of le Tour. 

We can't see the start of Le Tour as Richard's friend's son is getting married and the band Richard is a member of are playing. I need to sort the Commonwealth Games situation as there are no hotel rooms left in Glasgow! ARGH. I think we'll be staying in Edinburgh and commuting each day. (Only two, don't panic).

3: We moved into our house in 2011, and we still haven't decorated our bedroom yet (any of the upstairs in fact). I want to at least strip the awful wallpaper in 2014! 

Today we bought a wall paper scraper and some tester pots of paint. I call this progress. 

4: I want to make more of an effort to visit Westonbirt Arboretum more often. I drive past it each day and I have never been during autumn. I must rectify this in 2014.

This has not been achieved. I WILL do better in the summer term. 

5: In 2013 I managed to lose 6lbs during the summer, I have put 2 back on, but I want to lose another 10-12lbs during 2014 to get back to the shape I was once proud of. Will power is necessary! 

I also need to do better at this.

6: I need to save money in 2014 to be able to buy myself a new laptop. I would love to save enough to be able to afford a trip to Hong Kong, but I think this may be beyond me. 

New laptop has been bought, but a trip to Hong Kong won't be happening as we have a lot of other things to spend money on this year.

7: The new national curriculum provides an opportunity I want to make the most of, I just don't known he details yet!

We had a meeting in February half term about this, I was working on it last week and we'll have another get together in May we think. Progress is being made, just slowly!

8: I really hope my A2 physics students get the results they need to get to university. 

Still working on this.

9: The more involved I get in the ASE the more I realise its power and importance. I want to continue to contribute to it, and I will.

I will be writing the clubber's guide in school science review.
I have already worked with Emma on developing an ASE pinterest board. A google+ community and working out how to share teacher made resources is next on my list. 

10: I keep finding white hairs in my brown ones. 2014 is the year that I am going to have to face doing something about them.

I have bought dye this week. It is sitting in a box looking at me. 

11: I am organising to take the whole school to the Big Bang Science Fair and I hope that the trip is a success that puts science week onto the school calendar as a permanent event. I want to start the engineering education scheme up in school in 2014/15 with year 12. I want to put STEM on a stronger footing within the school and attract more post-16 students who want to student STEM subjects at university. To me the value of studying science is clear and this is something I want to ensure comes across in my teaching and the teaching of the rest of the department.

The trip to the Big Bang Fair happened. It was quite a challenge getting all the reply slips in, but they all came and had a good time.

I haven't yet started to work on the strategic plan of how to encourage more girls to follow the STEM subjects, but this is something that I will do in the summer term with the help of colleagues. 

12: I have no more excuses not to apply for my CSciTeach accreditation in 2014. I should be working on the application instead of writing this. 

I am avoiding completing this as I write this updated blog post. I will have it done in time for the next round of applications, I am about 600 words away from completion. 

13: I want to be more organised, my time, my resources, everything! I want to be organised enough to make the most of all the opportunities I am given. 

I am still really struggling with this. My idea was always to leave it until the summer term to have a look at the resources that I have and the routines that I need to have in order that everything has its own space. 

14: In terms of improving my teaching practice and making resolutions for my department I will wait until after the ASE conference. The event always inspires me and connects me to the right people to point me, my teaching and my department in the best direction. I am especially looking forward to seeing Mary and talking York Science! 

I still haven't really set this goals and I want to do it ready for the summer term so that I can work on things ready for September. It ties in with 13, 11 and 7.