Two froghoppers go into a bar...

The bugs are
Froghoppers.. My day of extremes was turned into surreal comedy whilst sat in the garden. I turned to my beloved and said "What's that white stuff on the plants?"
"Cuckoo spit" says he
To which I pull my best "yeah right, you're having a laugh" face at him.
He smiles, and says "No, really, that's what it is".
"But we have no cuckoos round here" says I.
"Froghoppers make it".

CUCKOO SPIT?
FROGHOPPERS??

My beloved clearly realised that I didn't believe him, so he went and retrieved some of the goopy goo, peeled it away and revealed two little froghopper bugs who then wandered happily around his hand for ten minutes whilst I faffed about trying to get photos of them.

I've learned something new.

Today;

Positive: Compliment, in a round about way, from a student who said "I want to be an ICT teacher, just like you". I said "Great - here you go, I'll go and get a brew and put my feet up". Funny thing is, the student in question is probably far more capable at ICT than me, and could do it! Yet still, he is respectful, polite and values my opinion. That's nice. I have to remember that most of my students are like that. Must remember.

Positive 2: I have some wonderful, high flying, self motivated students who effectively make me redundant for short periods of time, whilst they work, research, demonstrate team work and don't require me to stand next to them with a large spoon to get them to do their work. Some lessons are a joy to teach.

Negative: No lunch because the subway numpties apparently don't understand that lettuce and greenpepper doesn't mean all the salad items in the world including evil tomatoes and sweetcorn. Not enough time to go and get another one (it was part of a group order from work - apparently, according to one very generous colleague, it's very difficult making a bulk order of sandwiches. In my world, it's very annoying to look forward to your lunch and have it buggered up by some numpty who can't follow instructions).

Negative 2: Following instructions. Wish some students would do that. Without "Why?" and numerous (ridiculous) justifications for their inability to sit still, close mouth, listen, behave in a safe way, show respect to adults who go out of their way to support them. At what point did it become the norm to have to justify your decisions to students in a school - to explain why they are being told off and why it is right for the adults to do so. It frustrates me. Almost as much as students referring to teachers a "stupid teachers" and them telling us that "I don't have to listen to you".

Negative 3: Knowing that I am now going to be engaged in a battle of wills with one particular student over the next couple of weeks, who will feel that he has 'got away' with a situation today because what I told him would happen, didn't, but not because of me. I'm sure there is a good reason for it not happening. I'm damned if I can figure it out at the moment. So, no dout, by the end of next week, I will of course be "picking on" him, when in reality, I will be doing my job, expecting him to behave and sanctioning him if he doesnt. So joy, I will spend the next 38 school weeks counting down until he leaves, as I know he is going to cause me un-necessary stress. I can't ignore his behaviour. Challenging it is going to cause one conflict after another.