Effective use of lesson time has been one of the greatest struggles since I first arrived at Starks Field for a few reasons.

• Behaviour issues cause a significant problem in the execution of lessons, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Since I see the classes once per week, I have to spend time each week establishing and reestablishing routines and behaviour expectations.
• Scheduling inconsistencies have also thwarted my attempt to effectively use lesson time. The duration of lessons often fluctuates depending on various timetabling issues related to PPA, interviews, assemblies, and miscellaneous schedule changes. The PPA schedule has changed 3 or 4 times this school year, and even more in previous years. This has made it challenging for me to establish routines for myself, much less for the children.
• Poor ICT infrastructure has wasted the most time in my lessons. I often use computers as a tool to deliver lessons, assess learning, and collect evidence. This is a vital part of my teaching since I don’t have a TA, and since I have such limited time with the children each week. However, insufficient wireless signal and limited bandwidth make it a struggle for 30 children to access network resources simultaneously. Furthermore, I often have to split my focus between troubleshooting and directing learning. This is frustrating for the children as they are generally excited and eager to do their learning on computers.
• The lack of a consistent parallel teacher has typically made it nearly impossible to effectively use lesson time. We have had a number of different supply teachers/TAs/AHTs filling the RE/Maths/Art/PE/miscellaneous role, which causes large strain on me and the children. Often, behaviour deteriorates when an unfamiliar teacher teaches them during their PPA time. This is particularly the case in the afternoons. Furthermore, the fluctuation of teachers places stress on my teaching, as I often have to spend my pre-lesson preparation assisting the other teacher to figure out the schedule, register, computer, white board, behaviour policy, etc. The 2014-15 school year was the best, as Hilary filled the RE role for most of the year, supplemented by Assistant Head Teachers.