Blah-Dom

Oh how I've neglected this poor little blog of mine. Not that anyone has likely noticed, lol. We've had Christmas, new year, valentines while I've been absent. It's just a case of not finding the time!

In January I started a new job at school as a teaching assistant in the mixed Y3/Y4 class and love it! I work 18 and a bit hours a week which keeps me busy! It's so wonderful to get paid for doing something I just love :D

Working as a TA has just made me realise that I want to be the teacher!! So since this 'wonderful' country doesn't recognise me as a qualified teacher, I need to jump through the hoops to get qualified status here. Which is so frustratingly difficult really. There's no way I'm going back to university to get qualified (isn't my 4 years enough??!!) so the best option is the GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme). Basically this is a program for anyone with a degree that is relevant to an area of the curriculum and some classroom experience to gain qualified status. It's a classroom based program which means you are assigned to a school, get paid as an unqualified teacher, and work along another teacher gradually taking on more and classes as the year progresses. It's a year long program. So this is what I want to do. Along with millions of others!! It's ridiculously difficult to get a place on the program. Hundred and hundreds apply for a handful of places. In the school district I work in, there are 6 places for next year! 6! Well I applied but didn't hear anything!! But I also applied for a neighbouring school district (don't ask about the 10 hours it took to complete the application form and self-audit which I sent but don't have a copy as my old laptop died last week!!) which has 18 places available for 2010/2011. Well I have an interview!! In two weeks time! And this interview has been on my mind since I got the letter a couple of days ago. This is my one chance this year to move forward with my career. I want this soooo bad and the thought of messing up the interview, or not being able to impress on the panel my suitability for the program and how wonderful I am(!!) scares me!! So please be thinking of me on March 16th!!! Because not only may I not have a place on this course next year, I might also not have a job at all! Our school is having to make budgetary cuts for next school year due to having to make payouts for unequal pay in past years. So the only place they can make cuts is in TA staff. And me being last in doesn't bode well.

So the last few weeks (and the upcoming weeks) will involve me reading up on all current issues in education to prepare myself for the interview. My head is full of APP, Letters and Sounds, the new national curriculum, AfL, Every Child Matters, Safeguarding Children, Rose Report, blah blah blah blah blah etc!!

I hope to update with good news in the next month or so. If I don't, please be gentle with me! It's been over 17 years since I started on my journey to becoming a teacher. Surely I'm ready!!??!!