The Ultimate Incentive part 10. The only thing holding you back is you.

Birdie85

Glad you're feeling a bit better now Tete. You'll get there soon and will be having way more good lessons than bad! The problem with teaching is that sometimes your pupils will just let you down and it's just a case of biting your tongue and going over it again without throwing things out of the window!

The work Smart thing is actually not that relevant. I just picked it up from you mentioning it and remembered it being shoved down my throat in previous training sessions and figured you were talking about what I'd heard but thinking about it, it's about setting objectives: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound. I guess you could try to think about that to a degree when sitting down to do your work though? Make up your own business buzz word acronym to inspire you!

Sorry you're been feeling stressed and lonely too Kitty. Good that your tutor says you're on track though.

tinkerbel

Hey Tete,
How sad that you're feeling down you know where we are and we're always here for you to moan/rant/ask for help from!

Is there anything we can do? You know you only have to ask if there is

Not long now until the christmas break which might give you a bit of time to chill and catch up on the last term and also reflect on how far you've come.. I think one thing I've noticed is that when I went to school I was so respectful of the teachers and wouldn't dare not do my homework/be rude to anyone but children now seem to care a lot less and are more likely to back chat etc (don't know if its just me who thinks this though!) so its likely to be a bit different. I know people who did TeachFirst who said it was nothing like what they expected for that kind of reason.

Good feedback is great - well done! you should be super happy, especially if your tutor says its normal and you're performing as expected! (and I bet your lessons are incredible, there will be someone in your class who is taking it all in and will probably be inspired in languages because of you, its just that this kind of person is usually quiet!)

Cinny the new place sounds fab! can't believe you want to move though, the place you are now is so nice and you put so much work into it!

Less than one month till christmas! has anyone started/finished their christmas shopping yet? I've bought one thing eek! need to start writing some lists I think...!

Lara - I cannot believe you are so close to the finish line! you must be feeling so relieved! I bet you can't wait to see your thesis all bound and what not! It makes it all seem worthwhile when you realise you've written a huge fancy book! What happens next after hand in (and holiday?) is that it until they've marked it or is there a viva etc? Any ideas what you want to do next or is it a 'future lara can think about this after her holiday' type thing?

Has NIM started his new job yet or when does it start (lost track sorry!) hope this means things money wise will start to loo up Dinah! shame about the cars though, they really are money pits aren't they but they are just so necessary! The worst is when you get the triple whammy of tax insurance and MOT all in one month although you seem a lot more organised than me so have probably managed to avoid this!

oops think I've written an essay!!

tinkerbel

Forgot to say - Birdie I can't believe how fast time is going! Your little one will be here in no time! Hows the work replacement going? Got any more bearable? I hate SMART! I know it's necessary but everything is do is just "by the deadline" and it seems a bit pointless to add that just to fulfil the 'T'. I thought you meant working smart rather than working hard, i.e. knowing when to put more effort in and when it's not needed (not slacking, but not spending 4 hours making a poster which could be done in 2 hours) and planning your workload so that everything gets done in time and you're not cramming before a deadline.. that's what I try to do to make sure I'm not sweating too much of the small stuff but it's difficult!

Birdie85

I never got the Time thing either Tink, seems a bit of a desperate attempt at a T-word IMO! Like I said, I just picked up on something that I'd heard and thought it was what Tete was referring to (before thinking about it too much) but it's not. We have so many stupid anagrams floating about I know they all mean something but never remember what, which is quite the opposite of what they're designed for I'm sure! We've even got our own company specific 'Values' as an anagram and it's just terrible. Basically a bunch of random words to fit in a lame buzz-word, none of it means anything to us though which makes review time, when we have to describe how we meet all of the values, really difficult!

Made a little progress on Christmas shopping last night, got some earrings for my Mum in an Amazon Black Friday deal, down from £60 to £33 and they're a designer she really likes. So hurrah! One win for me! :T Now I just have everyone else to think about... le sigh.

Lara44

Aww thanks Tink, today is supposed to be my last day but I can take a few hours of tomorrow as well. It is so hard to stay motivated today, I just want to skive off!!!

I've got an internship for 3 months after Christmas sorted, working on another research project. It's a new area for me, I hope I won't be rubbish. The good news is that it pays! My funding ran out in July so have been sponging off OH this whole time.

My viva is at the end of March. Hopefully I will pass, but I am sure I will have lots of corrections. Then I'll be on the job market eek. I haven't done loads of the necessary things like publishing, so Future Lara has a fair few things to do until she is actually employable!

How's things with you, Tink?

I haven't started Christmas shopping yet either, aaargh!

Birdie85

Is today the day for the thesis Lara?! Really hope you're finished and happy with it! Good news about the paid internship after Christmas too! :T

My parents are moving today and Mum's sending me stressed texts about having to do everything on her own because my Dad keeps hiding so she's knackered, I feel bad but I don't know how she expects me to help her?! I've been referred to physio because I'm suffering from nasty back, bum and hip pain so I'm pretty much good for sitting on a comfy chair and not a lot else! Even being at work is a bit much right now because I just can't get comfortable so it takes a good hour or so for the pain to ease off when I get home. On the plus side, there's only 7 and a half weeks of work left so that feels more bearable.

The Christmas fall-outs are already beginning here... BIL's just let slip in conversation that his GF isn't coming to ours for Christmas despite that being the plan for months. Nice of them to let us know properly... MIL just found out from the other BIL so she's Not Happy! BIL brushed it off as 'Just another family meal. I'm not religious so don't care about all that stuff. What's the big deal?'. With that attitude he'll be lucky if I don't retract his invitation- annoy the hormonal lady at your peril! I'm also supposed to be buying for the GF in the Secret Santa... the temptation to either buy nothing or just give her a little £5 stocking filler instead of sticking to the £30 budget is overwhelming!

shrimpy_80

Happy thesis day Lara! And only a few days til your holiday...?

I need to make a plan for what we're doing at Christmas this year, I always want to go to my folks because I'm still a big baby but technically its OHs 'turn' - I would have everyone at mine but I don't know where we'd put them, we'd have to bring the plastic garden furniture in!

Hope your physio helps Birdie, sounds nasty. Is it SPD or is that something different/something I made up? The name just popped into my head for some reason!

Ahhh I'm craving a Christmas dinner now! Its my birthday tomorrow so we're going for a meal and I'm basically going to eat as much as I can

Birdie85

I think they've rebranded SPD to PGP or Pelvic Girdle Pain, which sounds very romantic doesn't it?! But yeah, basically my ligaments are getting all soft and wobbly and it's causing me some pain. Doubt the physio will help much as they'll just tell me to be careful sitting down/getting up, to sleep on my side with lots of pillows about for support and to rely on hot water bottles and paracetamol for pain relief. I had kind of expected hip pain and back pain but my bum feels like I've been overdoing it with squats all the time, which is very odd and not nice, makes me hobble about like a loon and I get some odd looks at work when I go 'Oooooh me bum!' when I'm trying to get up and my muscles aren't playing! :rotfl:

Happy birthday for tomorrow! Any plans other than eating for England?!

Lara44

Ahhhhhhhh I did it!!!! :j :j It's printed and at the binders, to be picked up and posted tomorrow morning. I can't believe after 4 years it's finally done. I feel a bit all over the place and emotional. Of course OH has to work late all week, typical. So I'll be celebrating by lying in front of the sofa with my blanket, haha.

Sorry to hear about your sore ligaments, Birdie, that sounds ouch. Moving is very stressful, your poor Mum. She probably just wants to vent. Your naughty old Dad Gah to Christmas plans changing already. My in laws just think it's the same as any old day. I think that's such a bah humbug attitude! Where's the magic

Ohh happy birthday for tomorrow Shrimpy. What kind of meal are you going to have? I hope you have a fab day full of treats

Tete_en_l'Air

WONDERFUL LARA!!! WELL DONE YOU!!

:hello: Hi everyone else! Hope you're not in too much pain Birdie! Can't believe you only have 7 weeks of work left!!!