Miss E Billingham

@jk_rowling Say it louder for the people in the back.

As another man who once worked with me declares himself saddened by my beliefs on gender and sex, I thought it might be useful to compile a list for handy reference. Which of the following do you imagine makes actors and directors who aren’t involved with the HBO reboot of Harry Potter so miserable? Is it my belief that women and girls should have their own public changing rooms and bathrooms? That women should retain female-only rape crisis centres? That men don’t belong in women’s sport? That female prisoners shouldn’t be incarcerated with violent men and male sex offenders? That women should remain a protected class in law, because they have sex-specific needs and issues? That language should reflect reality rather than ideological jargon, especially in a medical context? That women shouldn’t be harassed, persecuted or fired for refusing to pretend humans can change sex? That women should not be threatened with violence and rape when they assert their rights? That freedom of speech and belief are essential to a pluralistic democratic society? That troubled minors, especially those who are gay, autistic and trauma-experienced, should be given mental health support instead of irreversible surgeries and drug treatments on non-existent evidence of benefit? That gay people shouldn’t be pressured to include the opposite sex in their dating pools, nor should they be smeared as ‘genital fetishists’ when they don’t? That cross-dressing heterosexual male fetishists aren’t actually oppressed, but having the time of their lives piggybacking off gender identity ideology? That said ideology, and the privileged, blinkered fools pushing it because they suffer zero consequences themselves, have done more damage to the political left’s credibility than Trump and Farage could have achieved in a century? Let me have your thoughts.

This time next week I will be deep in the trenches of INSET day, but for now; coffee, Gilmore Girls and baby chaos.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Very glad to see that AQA LO2 is finally getting an update! The current format is too constraining - students are taught to pass an exam rather than find some enjoyment or true skill within their work. aqa.org.uk/news//gcse-eng…

First day of maternity leave. Very strange feeling. Odd sense of guilt for leaving my students at a random point of the year, but also felt very loved by the cards, flowers and gifts, that I was sent home with on Friday.

Went a bit off piste yesterday with year 9. Took a break from annotating and analysing Blood Brothers, and created board games linked to the plot of the play. The students were amazingly creative with the games and it was brilliant to see how they converted their understanding.

I love creating new schemes of work. Though I do sometimes want to have the time to test out the lessons with my classes before setting it free with the rest of the department. I am my own worst critic.

Lorelei Gilmore is a selfish woman. Discuss.

I think my class got a bit carried away when I encouraged them to practise their persuasive writing…

Created a Black History Month one off lesson for KS3 and KS4 to share with the department for this month. Using poems by Maya Angelou and Benjamin Zephaniah to help explore the theme of Reclaiming Narratives. #BlackHistoryMonth2024

What is with the pimple stickers that students seem to just always be wearing? Are they really blemishes under there? Do the colours or shapes mean something? Why are people leaving the house wearing them?

My thoughts on today.

I have lost my Stanley cup.

Why, oh why, have people started having their phone calls on loud speaker when in a public place? What happened to the sanctity of silence on trains?

End of the first week and I have already claimed my unofficial parking space.

Teachers who use Goodreads: do you put on books you read for lessons? Is this cheating on my reading challenge?

What a morning to forget to set an alarm for. Fortunately my body seems to be at panic stations and I woke up abruptly only 20 minutes late.

This will be me during INSET tomorrow as I pretend to know what is happening

Two more sleeps 🤓