Have decided to drag myself to BETT – apparently it promises much goodness in the way of ‘innovative technology’ and apparently I need to be more innovative (I really hate that word).

English isn’t really a subject that lends itself well to technology of any kind – being about, you know, old books and stuff – it’s more about the turning of the page and the craft of the ancient text. But I do keep seeming to be at the wrong end of the deputy head’s wrath when our ‘IT Agenda’ is discussed, and am hoping that BETT can give me enough ideas to get her off my back for a few months.

But seriously – an IT ‘agenda’? FFS – can’t we just use computers and whiteboards and blackberries and be done with it? Why do we have to have a specifc laid out plan, with milestones, targets and endless, endless - so endless - reports on our success? I spend more bloody time writing reports on how IT is becoming part of my teaching, than actually teaching.

Last term I wasted at least 35 lesson hours, on a malfunctioning whiteboard (it just kept flashing one powerpoint slide at me in this desperately sad way); several millions of my own personal hours on trying to plan lessons while my computer kept turning itself off for no explicable reason; and have recieved no less than 47 homework excuses that were blamed on technology.  “Sir, my laptop ate my homework etc.”

Not that I don’t believe them, my computer constantly hides work from me that I’m sure I spent ages doing. Bastard.

Have been pondering the merits of BETT this year. I’ve been the last two years running and I always make the same mistake of thinking it’s going to be a  rather handy day away from school, doing something different, reflecting on my ‘craft’, drinking in the atmosphere, and that I will return inspired and ready for battle with new endeavours to motivate the preying hoards.

And then I still seem to spend the entire day on my feet, dodging other teachers, talking endlessly about my subject, and being run over by packs of schoolkids. Which means I end up concluding I should have stayed in school in the first place, where it was warm (ish) and I had my own ‘I know best’ mug to drink strong, delicious tea out of, rather than several cardboard cups filled with brown scalding water.

So you see; I am still pondering the merits of BETT. If someone has some wise words, do send them my way.