Scattered thoughts

As you all know, I'm marking for edexcel, and I'm after music to listen to while I do so. It has to be instrumental - I can't concentrate properly if I try to mark while listening to lyrics. I like showtunes - does anyone know an album of showtunes just played by instruments/an orchestra? - and classical music. I also enjoy movie soundtracks. Currently in my playlist are things like The Lord of the Rings soundtracks, The Star Wars soundtracks, Vivaldi, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Mozart.

Any recommendations would be gratefully recieved. I have hours of marking to do (usually between 40 and 60) and end up listening to the same stuff over and over again every year and I want something new.

Thanks :)

I have to admit I'm impressed. Or possibly more shocked. After I emailed edexcel two days ago (after the yelling ranty call to the tax office following major incompetence and stuff) I expected very little in the way of either cooperation, speed or competence and this morning my statement of earnings turned up. It's even been signed by a real person! I'll be taking a photocopy of that then before I send it off to be eaten up by HM Revenue and Customs. Still, as I said, I'm impressed. It seems the key to dealing with edexcel is to set your sights and expectations very low and then they may actually impress you!

In other news, I went to curry to celebrate Adam's birthday (on Tuesday evening), which was lovely. I also met up with Oziris for coffee (on Wednesday), which we must do more often and today I looked after Sue's baby, John, who is delightful and lovely and not terribly hard work (or at least wasn't today) - the best part is having a nice time and handing him back afterwards! Finally tonight foo and rah came round and we had uber lasagne of doom. Yum.

Now I'm off to bed - I have a counsellor's thing tomorrow, preceeded by a gulbenkian breakfast :D Atfer that the day is mine. Any ideas? ;)

It's not often that I post things about teaching here rather than friends locked over at chapter_read but my search for jobs is making me a little bitter at the moment and I feel my ranting is safe over here for once.

Basically there are no jobs out there for me at the moment, teaching wise. I'm actually pretty ok with it at the moment as it gives me some distance in time and space from my PGCE and more importantly I'm actually rested.

Unfortunately jealousy raises its ugly head, usually when I hear people have jobs who I know were worse than me on my PGCE.

The first idea of this came a few days ago while reading the TES staffroom boards, History subject section. I'm reading lots of pleas from teachers trained in other areas than history, who have not done it since year 9 or GCSE who have been shafted timetable wise and are teaching some history. Mostly it's KS3 (years 7-9) but some are teaching history GCSE and are begging for help because they have no clue. And I know I could do the job better if only the school would hire a history specialist for it. I COULD DO IT! Grr.

The other came a couple of days later when a course mate who is still not qualified (not passed their QTS skills tests - I have and am fully qualified now) texted me and told me they have a job. I am not only fully qualified but I know I am a better teacher. Grr!!

With these exceptions I'm fairly reconciled to my lot and things are going pretty well (with the exception of the edexcel saga (triple grr)), though my brain needs some exercize soon. I may start a research project or something.

Any ideas?