Summative Assessment Report - Charlie

Emotional, personal and social development.
Charlie is confident and secure within the nursery setting. She is independent in changing her outdoor clothing and with her personal hygiene. Charlie is able to persevere in tasks that at first present some difficulty. She has formed positive relationships with the adults and children in the nursery and is confident in expressing her feeling, needs and preferences.

Communication and Language
Charlie listens with enjoyment to stories, songs and rhymes and enjoys talking to adults and children about herself and her experiences. Charlie also enjoys spending time in the book corner looking at books with others or independently. She likes to use written marks and drawings to express ideas at the drawing and writing table.

Knowledge and understanding of the world
Charlie has an understanding of many shapes and colours. She is able to count from 1 to 12 and can identify numbers 0 to 5 during play experiences and counting games. She is aware of change and its effect, for example on her growth, weather, trees and flowers.

Expressive and aesthetic development
Charlie enjoys investigating a variety of media and techniques such as painting, drawing, printing and modelling. She is often very proud of her work and shows it adult and children in the nursery. Charlie enjoys music making by clapping, singing and playing percussion instruments both independently or with others.


Physical development and movement
Charlie is running, jumping, climbing, balancing, throwing and catching with increasing skill and confidence. She always co-operates with others in physical play and games and is safe in using tools and equipment. Charlie has developed increasing control of the fine movements of her fingers and hands.

Next steps for her

• Make and express plans and decisions
• Recognise familiar letters during play and games
• Identify numbers 6 to 10 during play and games
• Use role play to recreate situations
• Use her body to express ideas and feelings in response to imaginative ideas.

Gran - the Doer

Gran is an outgoing, straight-shooting type. Enthusiastic and excitable, Gran is a "doer" who lives in the world of action. Blunt, straight-forward risk-taker, she is willing to plunge right into things and get her hands dirty. She lives in the here-and-now, and places little importance on introspection or theory. She looks at the facts of a situation, quickly decides what should be done, executes the action, and moves on to the next thing.
Gran has the uncanny ability to perceive people's attitudes and motivations. She picks up on little cues which go completely unnoticed by most people, such as facial expressions and stance. She is typically a couple of steps ahead of the person she is interacting with. Gran uses this ability to get what she wants out of a situation. Rules and laws are seen as a guideline for behavior, rather than mandates. If Gran has decided that something needs to be done, then her "do it and get on with it" attitude takes precendence over the rules. However, Gran has her own strong belief in what's right and what's wrong, and will doggedly stick to her principles. The Rules of the Establishment sometimes hold little value to Gran, but her own integrity mandates that she will not under any circumstances do something which she feels to be wrong.
Gran has a strong flair for drama and style. A fast-moving, fast-talking person who has an appreciation for the finer things in life. She is very good at story telling and improvising. Typically making things up as she goes along, rather than following a plan. She loves to have fun, and is fun to be around. But can sometimes be hurtful to others without being aware of it, as she generally doesn't know and may not care about the effect her words have on others. It's not that she doesn't care about people, it's that her decision-making process does not involve taking people's feelings into account. She makes decisions based on facts and logic.
Grans least developed area is her intuitive side. Impatient with theory, and sees little use for it in her quest to "get things done". Gran will occasionally have strong intuitions which are often way off-base, but sometimes very lucid and positive. She does not trust her instincts, and is suspicious of other people's intuition as well.
Gran would have had trouble in school, especially higher education which moves into realms where theory is more important. Making it boring because she felt she gained no useful material which can be used to get things done. Gran can be brilliantly intelligent, but school was a difficult chore for her.
Gran needs to keep moving, and so does well in careers where she is not restricted or confined. Gran would make an extremely good salespersons. She will become stifled and unhappy dealing with routine chores. She has a natural abundance of energy and enthusiasm, which makes her a natural entrepreneur. Getting very excited about things, and having the ability to motivate others to excitement and action. She can sell anyone on any idea. She is action-oriented, and makes decisions quickly. All-in-all, she has extraordinary talents for getting things started. Not usually so good at following through, may leave those tasks to others.
Gran is a practical, observant, fun-loving, spontaneous risk-taker with an excellent ability to quickly improvise an innovative solution to a problem. She is enthusiastic and fun to be with, and is a great motivator.

Granda Martin - the Duty fulfiller

Granda is a quiet and reserved individual who is interested in security and peaceful living. He has a strongly-felt internal sense of duty, which lends him a serious air and the motivation to follow through on tasks. Organized and methodical in his approach, generally succeeding at any task which he undertakes.
Granda is very loyal, faithful, and dependable. He places great importance on honesty and integrity. He is a "good citizen" who can be depended on to do the right thing for his family and community. While he generally take things very seriously, he also has an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun - especially at family or work-related gatherings.
Granda tends to believe in laws and traditions, and expects the same from others. He is not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules. If he is able to see a good reason for stepping outside of the established mode of doing things, he will support that effort. However, Granda more often tends to believe that things should be done according to procedures and plans. Generally having a "by the book" type philosophy.
Granda is extremely dependable on following through with things which he has promised. For this reason, he'll sometimes get more and more work piled on him. Because he has such a strong sense of duty, he may have a difficult time saying "no" when he is given more work than he can reasonably handle. For this reason, he has often worked long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of.
Granda will work for long periods of time and put tremendous amounts of energy into doing any task which he sees as important to fulfilling a goal. However, he will resist putting energy into things which don't make sense to him, or for which he can't see a practical application. He prefers to work alone, but works well in teams when the situation demands it. He likes to be accountable for his actions, and enjoys being in a position of authoritah. Granda has little use for theory or abstract thinking, unless the practical application is clear.
Granda has a tremendous respect for facts. Holding a tremendous store of facts within himself, which he has gathered through his Sensing preference. He may have difficulty understanding a theory or idea which is different from his own perspective. However, if he is shown the importance or relevance of the idea by someone who he respects, the idea becomes a fact, which he will internalise and support. Once he supports a cause or idea, he will stop at no lengths to ensure that he is doing his duty of giving support where support is needed.
Granda is not naturally in tune with his own feelings and the feelings of others. He may have difficulty picking up on emotional needs immediately, as they are presented. Being a perfectionist himself, he has a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like he takes his own efforts for granted. He needs to remember to pat people on the back once in a while.
Granda is uncomfortable expressing emotion to others. However, his strong sense of duty and the ability to see what needs to be done in any situation usually allows him to overcome his natural reservations, and is a supporting and caring individual with the people that he loves. Once he realises the emotional needs of those who are close to him, he puts forth effort to meet those needs.
Granda is extremely faithful and loyal. Traditional and family-minded, he will put forth great amounts of effort at making his home and family run smoothly. He is a responsible parent, taking his parenting role seriously. Good and generous provider to his family. He cares deeply about those close to him, although he usually is not comfortable with expressing his love. He is more likely to express his affection through actions, rather than through words.
Granda has an excellent ability to take any task and define it, organize it, plan it, and implement it through to completion. He is a very hard worker, who does not allow obstacles to get in the way of performing his duties. He does not give himself enough credit for his achievements, seeing his accomplishments simply as the natural fulfillment of his obligations.
Granda has a great sense of space and function, and artistic appreciation. Tastefully furnishing his home which is constantly maintained. He is acutely aware of his senses, and wants to be in surroundings which fit his need for structure, order, and beauty.
Under stress, Granda may fall into "catastrophe mode", where he see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. He will berate himself for things which he should have done differently, or duties which he failed to perform. he will lose his ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress himself with his visions of doom.
In general, Granda has a tremendous amount of ability. Capable, logical, reasonable, and effective individual with a deeply driven desire to promote security and peaceful living, not surprising then that Granda is good at achieving his goals and desires.

Personality

For the last few day's I have been researching personality types using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I have taken over 10 different tests loads of times each in an effort to find an accurate description of myself. I am aware that there are many pitfalls using these test but only if you accept them as truths rather then indicators.

Initially I was puzzled as to why every test I did gave me a different personality. There are a few reasons for this, the first is the fact that I have a well rounded personality so although I am naturally Introvert, I can be extrovert when I want to be. The other reason for the changing results is simply that in different situations and environments my personality changes because I have split personalities (no joke, I've got names for them) and of course we all tend to answer questions on the basis of what we think we should to do rather than what actually do do.

The indicator uses a four letter acronym,

the first letter is either Extrovert or Introvert,

next Sensory or iNtuition,

then Feeling or Thinking,

finally Judging or Perceiving

I came across a test which instead of giving you a single result, showed the percentage match to all personality types, here are my top 6 scores:

INFJ Counsellor – 84% INFP Healer – 84%

INTJ Mastermind – 82% INTP Architect – 79%

ENFP Champion – 70% ENTP Inventor – 68%

This shows perfectly the 6 main results I was getting, my extrovert results come from my confidence and ability as a salesmen having done door to door. Since then, in the work place I have become very extrovert (but it is an effort, and I can't be stoned) although I won't do this if someone I know is there. Anyone close to me though will know that I am definatly an introvert. At first I thought I was a thinker more than a feeler until I read this:

“In their own way, INFJs are just as much "systems builders" as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ "systems" are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually "blurrier" than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted”

The more I thought about it I realised that I have consciously developed my detached thinking side as a defence because I used to get hurt easily. To be honest, I can still be hurt but only by someone I hold in high regard and it is much harder. With the last trait again, I regularly swing both ways. I love making plans but because of my problem-solving ability, I am completely comfortable going with the flow improvising as I go. If I have the time though, I'll make a plan. I mean for fuck sake I have spent the last three days solid (8am to 2am) trying to figure out the personality type of everyone I know, charting the results and putting together descriptive essays on each person. I am definitely a J. (ooh that reminds me)

So in my opinion I am an INFJ, a Counsellor or Mystic, so here's my description.

As an INFJ, my primary mode of living is focused internally, where I take things in primarily via intuition. My secondary mode is external, where I deal with things according to how I feel about them, or how they fit with my personal value system.

I am a gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individual. Artistic and creative, I live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities. Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types.

I place great importance on having things orderly and systematic in my outer world. I put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in my life. On the other hand, I operate within myself on an intuitive basis which is entirely spontaneous. I know things intuitively, without being able to pinpoint why, and without detailed knowledge of the subject at hand. I am usually right, and I know it. Consequently, I put a tremendous amount of faith into my instincts and intuitions. This is something of a conflict between the inner and outer worlds, and may result in the me not being as organized as other Judging types tend to be. Such as a consistently messy desk.

I have an uncanny insight into people and situations. I get "feelings" about things and intuitively understand them. I have had experiences that can only be described as psychic in nature. This is the sort of thing that other types may scorn and scoff at, and the I don't really understand my intuition at a level which can be verbalised. Consequently, I am protective of my inner self, sharing only what I choose to share when I choose to share it. I'm a deep, complex individual, who is quite private and typically difficult to understand. I hold back part of myself, and can be secretive.

But I'm as genuinely warm as I am complex. I holding a special place in the heart of people who I'm are close to, who are able to see my special gifts and depth of caring. I am concerned for people's feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. I am very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict tend to 'snap' me into a state of agitation or charged anger from my normally peaceful state.

Because the I have such strong intuitive capabilities, I trust my own instincts above all else. This may result in my stubborness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. I believe that I'm right. On the other hand, I am a perfectionist who constantly doubts that I am living up to my full potential. I am rarely at complete peace with myself - there's always something else I can be doing to improve myself and the world around me. I believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in my accomplishments. I have a strong value systems, and need to live my life in accordance with what I feel is right. In deference to the Feeling aspect of my personality, I am in some ways gentle and easy going. Conversely, I have very high expectations of myself, and of my family. I don't believe in compromising my ideals.

I am a natural nurturer; patient, devoted and protective. I make a loving parent and have strong bonds with my children. I have high expectations of my children, and guide them to be the best that they can be. This can sometimes manifest itself in me being hard-nosed and stubborn. But the kids get devoted and sincere parental guidance, combined with deep caring.

I have a natural affinity for art, and also excel in the sciences, where I make use of my intuition. I am not good at dealing with minutia or very detailed tasks.

I am an individual who is gifted in ways that other types are not. Life is not necessarily easy for the INFJ, but we are capable of great depth of feeling and personal achievement.

Almost the Last Bothy Trip...

Sorry, I've no pics - didn't take my camera.

I recently went back to Ben Alder Bothy (that's the scene of my bothy debut) only this time Granda tried to kill us all (including Bilbo). We started with a 10 mile cycle with full rucksacks (containing coal) both Granda and myself were lucky not to have to call in the chopper after potentially bad falls. After the 10 miles we discovered that we had taken the wrong road but rather than go back 6 miles (which we should have done) we decided to plod on ditching the bikes by a different bothy as the land rover track disappeared. We were still pretty fresh on the flat (different muscles ye see). But when we started to climb my quads were found wanting because cycling with a full pack means you can't stand up or lean forward when pedaling up-hill so you thighs do an awful lot of work. At this stage though we thought we had maybe 5 miles on a fairly level track mostly round a loch. If we had taken the time to look at the map (something I did about an hour later) we would have turned back and cycled the extra 12 miles. About 3 miles in we arrive at the loch and to my horror, I am completly surrounded by Munro sized mountains, this is when I check the map. (Holy shit!!! look how close all those contour lines are...NOOoo) The track goes over 900m. (a munro is 914.4m) This is with heavy packs remember. Fair-enough we were over half way up at the loch. The climb wasn't too bad with plenty of rests taking in the magical views of the this ring of peaks patched with snow on an amazingly warm and beautiful day (even at 900m it was still warm enough for a vest and shorts) It was at this point though the my will was beginning to strain, we had to decend pretty much the whole 900m. The weight came down on my right leg locking it straight three times, again I was lucky not to severly damage it. Granda was really stuggling having hurt his hip falling from his bike. It was truely the hardest thing I've ever done. Especially the last hour when you can see the bothy, but it's not getting any closer. At this stage I was resolute that this would be the last bothy for me, never again.
Sam and Alec had just arrived ahead of us coming in the less insane 9 miles from the other side. All in all we did about 17 miles including a munro carring a ton.
Bilbo seemed fine until he sat down, paws blistered, muscles acheing. I truely thought he wasn't escaping Ben Alder with his life.

The next day was rest day, although I had the exciting experience of climbing a tree for the first time in years (there was a dead limb high up so I cut it down) I was shitting it though, I had to meditate for 5 minutes just to stop my legs shaking. In my defence, if I had fallen, I wouldn't have been able just to stand up and brush off the twigs.

The whole weekend I was scared of going home. However, when it came to it, it was a doddle. I arrived at the bikes without feeling even a mild burn in my legs. We decided that it was best for me to wait with Bilbo and the bags, and wait for Granda to bring the Landrover to us. Thus saving Granda's marrage by returning with a living dog. Not bad though for a dog who has just spent 6 months in hospital. Didn't get back to Edinburgh until after 11pm obviously Granda still had another hour to go it alone back to Glasgow...

Gin in teacups

Been brilliant weather for three day's now, talking about it is bound to jinx it but it's been amazing. Suncream weather in Scotland is always worth shouting about. Living in a scheme is great on nice days everyone is out on their deck-chairs having gin in teacups and a blether. Happy hardcore blaring out the windows, dancing in the street.

OK fair-doos it's just me having gin in teacups and dancing in the street but it's still cool.

Redefining blogger.

Initially with blogger my aim was to keep a blog of all the shit of the day, however somewhere along the way I decided to only report the kinda interesting stuff. The problem with that is that writing a blog everyday becomes difficult, then remembering to blog the interesting stuff slips by. All of a sudden your checking the site and you haven't been on for months.

Back to basics that my philosophy. So look forward to pointless daily posting.