MissAtkinson

HOY 7&9. Was KS5 Coordinator for History in South London. History and somehow PSHE teacher. BA(Hons) Swansea Uni, MA QUB, UMass Alum. History nerd. Dancer.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

And this was a special one - yr13 were my first tutor group and yr11 my first year group as HoY. So many of my tutor group/yr11 class took A level history as well, which was amazing.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

And the 2026 season (and my last exam season for a while) is done. History over and out.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

The irony of flying a Union Jack on the island of Ireland and saying stop the boats… Have a look at history lads.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

I’ve been very quiet the last few months on here. Feels odd to say that as of September I will be a class teacher not a history teacher, but I’m excited for a new situation. And oddly I’m kind of excited to teach maths, English and science as well as everything else.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

That photo of Natalie McNally wearing her QUB gown and hood hurts my heart. We all think it doesn’t happen to us, but I have an identical image and I’m lucky that I got out.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Exhausted. It’s been the most horrendously stressful month and a half of my life. I’m knackered.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Feels weird thinking I won’t have ks4 and 5 next year but think my heart and body need the break to be honest.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Not sure who is more nervous at this point, but I know the morning will be a lot. And then I’ve got year 9 period one…

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Tomorrow will be my first year group as a head of year’s turn at GCSE’s and my first tutor group will start A Levels. It’s also going to be my last exam cohort for a bit and the sick feeling is creeping in.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

I was observed the following day. My feedback was (despite having been signed off until the day before with a dislocated knee) I didn’t circulate enough. Not i didn’t circulate at all, but I wasn’t fast enough on my dislocated knee.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Weirdly wasn’t struggling this time last week. However being signed off and going back tomorrow has really got me panicking tonight.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

As a head of year, took both my nutty year groups to the O2 today. After a really horrible few months it showed me why I’ve battled on. Loved watching them be free and chaotic because they’re actually a really lovely group of kids.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

And more importantly will it be better than teaching a 6 period day including the class from hell (I think it might).

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Leading a school trip next Monday, one that I haven’t planned, a class I don’t teach and with a trainee as my support. How will this go?

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Ahhhhh tomorrow I’ll (aka my parents) will have paid in full for my wedding dress and there’s no going back (not that I want to - but adulting is scary)

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

I always felt stupid saying I needed to step away or not attend something because I had a headache, because it felt like I wasn’t able to cope. So I would attend things in agony, taking paracetamol and ibuprofen like they were sweets. Hopefully now I’ll start to get my life back.

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

March 03 - diagnosed with Migraines
March 20 - first appointment to discuss them becoming daily
5 years of daily excruciating headaches, clear MRI, escalation in number per day, and 5 years of never sleeping a full night
March 2025 - chronic cluster headache diagnosis

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

And 4th March 2026 - finally starting nerve block treatments.
For some, headaches are a little annoyance from time to time.
However they can also be debilitating.
The constant need to have painkillers with you, the anxiety if not. The stress, pain and exhaustion and lack of rest

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

2 of these students also study geography

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Quote of the day (there were all from the same lesson today)

‘Miss, why are we not united with Wales and Scotland?’
‘Right folks this is a map of Europe’ ‘miss mine only has Europe on it, where’s America’
‘Miss is Epstein’s island in the USA?’
‘Miss, is Poland in Europe?’

[MissAtkinson @MissAtkinson5]

Nothing quite like doing your physio to rehab your own ski injury for your very slow but very dramatic fall, and ending up watching someone else seriously injured whilst going at insane speed.