There are few things more irritating in the world than answering the question “Sir, are we nearly there, yet?” for the hundred-millionth time on a school trip. I can’t imagine how the teachers and students stuck at airports because of the ash cloud were feeling last week.

I’m sure the Geography teachers out there had a great time explaining the real-life application of their subject. After a few days of vulcanology (as in volcanoes, not Star Trek) lectures, though, I’m sure even they would run out of things to say.

An article in the Guardian mentioned some interesting solutions including assemblies via webcam, e-mailing lessons to the students or even online tutorials. I think it’s great that teachers and schools have come up with such creative solutions. and maybe in the future these ideas could be developed into a support network for students who have to miss a large chunk of school for another reason, such as hospitalisation.

I hope everyone affected by this will be able to get back to normal as soon as possible. If you were stuck waiting in an airport (or are still there), please share your story with us by leaving a comment.

Great, great disaster of a lesson today. Took the children into the garden for a hands-on approach to understanding the natural world. Little Jamie found a half dead slug (mangled previously by a year three class I think) and threw it at little Lucy, who screamed, a lot. She in turn threw mud back, missing little Jamie – whose dodging tactics will make a great footballer of him yet - and getting not-so-little Dylan, whose mother terrifies me and who I will now have to explain about the whole sticky-mud-on-the shirt fiasco.

Next week they’ll be looking at pictures of leaves on black and white print outs. That’ll learn them. If I can ever get to the photocopier that is.