Back to work ... or not....

I've registered with a teaching agency and half heartedly let them know when I'm available but not really followed it up with phone calls each morning.
Now, is this because I'm quite happy for the moment living off my savings (bad idea perhaps) or is it because I'm scared of going back into the classroom?

I'd be happy to be in a job. In fact I have an assessment day coming up to work in the civil service and I'm quite excited about that. In the meantime I need to be earning some money and supply teaching would fit the bill nicely.

The problem is that the last time I was in a classroom I was very distressed and I haven't been back since. I keep saying that I'm waiting for another authority to get my documents together because I'd rather work for them - but is that just an excuse? What will I do when they say they are ready to find me work?

I sometimes think I never want to be in a room with a lot of children again. What other job is there where most of the work you do has to be done in your own spare time? It's ridiculous. And once you have spent all that time at home preparing your work you then have to teach it to the letter (God forbid you should make a small mistake or miss out a question you planned to ask) to a class of children, most of whom couldn't give a shit. You can't go to the toilet; you can't have a drink until the children go out of school, providing you're not occupied by dealing with injured, sick or naughty children; you have to work through your lunch to get equipment prepared for the afternoon because you are no longer allowed to ask children to help as they would lose a few minutes learning; you can't let your attention wander for one second from what is happening around you whilst teaching children with ever widening abilities; you get a bad back from bending over; and if your walls aren't covered with fully interactive, colourful and imaginative displays then it's considered that you are depriving the children of the opportunities they are all entitled to. Sounds crap.

It didn't use to be, so what's happened? It used to be fun teaching children new things, being creative with them, watching them grow intelectually, helping them to achieve. Teachers always took into account children's differing abilities and learning styles. They always prepared resources to help some children learn in alternative ways to others because they are professional and caring people. For the last few years though teachers have been made to feel as if they have been slacking until the experts showed that more paperwork was the way to improve.

Perhaps I've answered my own questions now. I think I'm too angry to go into a school at the moment.

Hectic household

Ages since I updated this blog. I've been fully occupied with my new kittens. Yay!

A friend on Facebook posted some photos of his Maine Coon cats and I fell in love with them. I Googled them and had a look through lots of websites and the comment that made my mind up that I wanted one was 'It was the next best thing to having a pet tiger that I could get'. Of course it wouldn't be fair to have one kitten on its own, especially if I'm out at work, so I had to get two.


This is Coonaria Martha's Vineyard and Coonaria Rochester, better know as Mab and Chester.

They are both really cute and adorable. Chester is such a gentle and affectionate kitten and never gets his claws out when playing. Mab on the other hand loves attacking ankles and fingers but when she's tired she changes completely and curls up in a tight ball on your lap. She goes all floppy and fluffy and snuggly.

I really should be phoning the teaching agency and asking for work each morning but I keep thinking - just one more day to help the kittens settle in.

I'm also at the beginning of Advanced Creative Writing with the OU so am spending some time getting into the course. I'll have to work soon though before the money runs out!