In pursuit of Health, Wealth and Happiness

N.I.M

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

It's just typical of my luck, they've been paying untrained monkeys hand over fist to do the course for the last ten years and when I decide I want to do it suddenly it costs ten grand and you have to have this, that and the other.....

Just a thought Tete, given your current qualifications, have you looked at maybe spending a year working in an Academy? You dont need to be a teacher to teach there.

Tete_en_l'Air

Aaaand deep breaths. I have regrouped and stopped panicking (quite so much). I've spent the last couple of hours looking over the info for the unis I like the look of, and the DfE website and feel a bit less ... floopy ... now I have the full(ish) facts.

NIM - I had heard this about Academies, but it begs the question, how exactly DO you apply for jobs there then? I wouldn't feel comfortable just jumping into it. Unless you mean as a sort of work-based placement thing (formerly GTP)? The new version of this is something I'm thinking about but there's no info available for trainees til the end of Oct.

I do have until 1 Dec to get those two weeks' classroom experience in, its just a pain that I'm taking two weeks off in the middle of October for my trip. I'll go in to work as close to my travel dates as poss and with awful jet lag though if I have to, to free up some time elsewhere.

I'm also wondering whether it has to be two solid weeks or if I could do say two days a week for five weeks...? I need to sneak off and make some phone calls tomorrow.

I've been having a think about other ways I could enhance my application and as well as looking at a volunteering site (youth club in the evening anyone?:D) I'm also thinking of a short course in advanced French just to brush up a bit. Might be a bit early to be thinking along those lines but it shows willing I guess. Enrolment is tomorrow aft so I need to decide PDQ!

Doesn't look as though friend's cousin will be calling me back tonight, I don't want to hassle her so will call her tomorrow after my run.

I've looked into CRB checks and it's not something you can apply for yourself, the organisation that wants the check that applies. You don't need one if you're going to be supervised, which I would be, but if the schools are going to insist on me having the check before going in, well, it'll hold me up too much.

As far as my other two goals are concerned, I've had a NSD and kept under my cals, also been running about like a loon so hopefully that will have burned some off. Got back on the Shred wagon too after abandoning on Friday, knee seemed ok so fingers crossed it'll stay that way (she says, as the cat dives on her kneecap).

So, a to-do list for the next couple of days:

• Call universities to ask about requirement details
• Call C about potential exp.
• Email K about potential exp.
• Book onto open days
• Email volunteer site for info
• Poss enrol on French course
• Any info on 2013-14 funding available yet?
• Send off ISA form
• Make and send new home card

Really really hope I can get at least one week of classroom experience sorted by Friday

Dinah93

I think the french course might be good, give you a bit more confidence if you dust off the cobwebs.

With volunteering, have you considered a children's language club? I used to work at a French club in Darlington teaching the 3-11 year olds, might be more relevant than a youth club and I'm sure there will be one closer to you than Darlington.

Tete_en_l'Air

Argh, considering what a vast and empty building this is that I'm working in, it's bloomin hard to find a quiet corner to make a few private phone calls I used to go off and sit in my car if I was say, trying to make an appointment for a smear test, but I cant really do that now as our office overlooks the small car park and I'd look a bit weird going to sit in my car

Anyway, I got through to the college about the French class and I;m going to go and enrol on the advanced conversation class this afternoon. If nothing else it'll be a nice diversion from work and PGCE stress (and I haven't even applied yet!) and I might meet some nice people.

Couldn't get an answer from the one uni I tried so am going to write them an email now and follow it up with a call later in the week if I haven't heard back.

I've also checked my work diary and whittled down the weeks it would be suitable to take off for some work exp (there aren't many!) but at least I know what I'm asking K and C for now.

Dinah that's a lovely idea about the kids' French club - couldn't see anything when I serched on the Do It website - could you PM me the details fo the one you're talking about (if it still exists)?

Dinah93

I had a look last night for you and it doesn't seem to be about any more (but it is aoout 12 years ago and the hall it used to be held in has been demolished and rebuilt). I found a group in Darlington (can't see one in Boro or Stockton) might be worth looking at, but it does say they need paid teachers (French or Spanish degree, no need for teacher training) as well, so might be worth considering even if just for a year to get experience and do something you love instead of your current job.

Tete_en_l'Air

Good morning, quick post from me as I know my boss is in today and she'll be sitting behind me shortly

Some good things have happened since my last post! The uni wrote stright back within half an hour answering my queries:

- no, the two weeks' experience doesn't need to be two solid weeks so I can go along to a school one day a week if I wanted as long as I do it ten times - so that's a relief as I won't struggle to fit it around work so much.
- My living 30 miles away (rather than within the 'expected' 20) won't have any impact on my application but they'd expect me to move if I got a place (I guess I'd cross that bridge if I came to it - an extra ten miles on a journey is only like 15-20 mins isn't it?)
- You can't choose your own schools for placement, you use theirs and they can't guarantee you wouldn't be placed in Northumberland. But again I'll cross that bridge if I come to it. I have friends who live within the 20 mile radius of the uni so I guess I could stay with them maybe a couple of nights a week.

This was supposed to be a quick post wasn't it?

Also spoke to friend's cousin and she can definitely get me a week shadowing her, and probably on one of my preferred two weeks in October (ie less hassle to come out of work for) and she'll confirm today or tomorrow.

ALSO spoke to a lovely lady at my running club - she mentioned going back to work and it trasnpired that she's an early years teacher and said there's a lady at their school who runs French classes and that I should go in and watch her for a day! So if my other planned WExp with K doesn't come off I can hopefully follow that avenue.

AND I have been and enrolled on the French conversation class so that starts on Monday.

Feeling a lot more positive now and like I'm making some actual progress!

So that's happiness covered. Health-wise, I stuck to my calories and went for a run, but thinking I may have overdone it as my hip is playing me up a bit now so I didn't do my Shred this morning

Wealth-wise, it was a bad day- the French class costs £80 and I also spent £1.20 on a tin of ravioli and a Fudge

OK, boss here, best go! Kitty are you still about? How's it going?

Oh and Dinah, I did come across that site yesterday myself, but I can't see anything closer than Richmond. Not sure it's something I'd want to do full time at the mo as I want to stay in the current job as long as poss for the money/pension/holidays etc but I'll send an enquiry - can't hurt!

Kittikins

Well done Tete, you've gone great guns

I've just booked myself on to the open day at my second university choice in October, it looks really good, lots of different talks etc.

I must get on with more emails to book myself in for school experience, I still don't know my last day at work, but think it's 9th November at the latest, so really ought to stop faffing around and line up my schools!!!!

Kittikins

Woohoo! OH has just paid for half a new laptop for me and DD for our Christmas present When I leave my job she and I won't have a computer and my work one doesn't have access to certain useful sites (such as FB ), so this is BRILLIANT!!

I'm going to pick it up over the weekend or on Monday and let DD set it up for us, so that she's fully aware its for both of us, not just me (but I'm the boss, lol)

I've sent some emails to ask for a meeting with DD's headmaster, and another to ask the friend from church for some info but haven't done much else today....just been chilling out with OH and ordering our present

Tete_en_l'Air

Good morning! Early one from me on a Saturday morning - off for a run in five mins but been thinking about to-do lists. I seemed to make good progress one day this week and then faltered so some things have rolled over, and there's a few things I want to get done this weekend too.

• [STRIKE]Poss enrol on French course[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Call C about potential exp.[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Email K about potential exp.[/STRIKE]
• Call universities to ask about requirement details - one down
• Book onto open days
• Email volunteer site for info
• Any info on 2013-14 funding available yet?
• Send off ISA form
• Make and send new home card

OK so maybe I didn't make THAT much progress... Also.

• RUN
• Visit Grandma
• Order more wool for blanket which is eating the stuff
• Tidy away properly those little piles of 'stuff' which are the precursor to MESS
• Make two birthday cards
• Make a NYC budget
• See if I can find a copy of a PGCE application form
• Make up two batches of soup
• Check banks
• Update petrol record
• Sort digital photos which are saved here, there and everywhere
• Transfer stuff from cranky ext hard drive to new one I bought 9 months ago
• Make a start on sorting the old family photos which have been on the dining table since April
• Some ebaying - for the love of god at least SOME!!!
• Watch a French film on Sunday night in preparation for la classe on Lundi!
• Schedule some blog posts
• Do my nails and toenails

And I may add to this. Augh. Right, off for my run, painkillers at the ready!

Kittikins

Enjoy your run Tete, when you find the following bits, would you mind being a sweetie and emailing them to me? They're on my list too......

Any info on 2013-14 funding available yet?
See if I can find a copy of a PGCE application form

Thanks cherub