Labels

When I was on teaching practice last year, I had a pot of plant labels for each of my Year 8 classes. Each label had a pupil's name on it, and the 'level' they were at. When I was doing the summing up at the end of the lesson - or the 'plenary' as it is known - I could pick pupils at random out of the pot and ask a question suitable to their level.

Now I am planting seeds hoping that I can have salads over the winter. I cleaned the permanent OHP ink off the plant labels with meths a few weeks ago. The names are still very faintly visible. Amy, who talked back at the slightest excuse, is now Perpetual Spinach. I remember well her slightly accusatory stare when I asked her for the umpteenth time to be quiet. Joe is now Chinese Cabbage. Far from it, with a level of 5.2 without even trying... I do, strangely, miss them.