Taking the plunge...

Father, it's been many months since my last confession (oops!) blog...

And boy do I have some news for you!!

After much careful consideration, I applied for a position as a primary school teacher, was the successful applicant and begin Monday 4th June! Goodbye Year 10, hello Grade 3! A massive change; one that has sparked many questions. The most common, 'Why the change?', closely followed by 'Why mid term?' Today I set out to answer these questions and to formally put down in writing why I am making the switch (So that in 6 weeks when I'm pulling my hair out and will break down if another Grade 3 randomly hugs my legs, I'll remember this feeling of joy and enthusiasm :) )

Firstly, why now...the simpler of the two questions. As I am formally trained only in Secondary education, I felt that to give myself every chance of successfully gaining employment as a Primary School teacher I needed to apply at a time when there would be fewer applicants and possibly fewer quality applicants. In my experience on panels, teachers who apply for positions mid term or even mid year are usually from the bottom of the colloquial barrel. I hope this statement does not offend anybody and perhaps it is only the experience of my college, who are in a semi-rural area to which applicants are less likely to travel. I felt that if I was up against crummy primary trained teachers, I might have a chance. Secondly, the advertised position was at a college that offered the IBO, inquiry based learning, holistic approach to teaching, 3 year old facilities and all the great things that go along with a new school with a new (positive/enthusiastic) staff. Another reason was that my Year 10 classes were just about to enter their exam period (beginning 4th June) so all assessment and reporting was complete. The final determining nail came when my team teaching buddy told me her and her husband were trying to get pregnant and she wasn't expecting to return in 2008. That set my nose sniffing for other opportuntiies. Once I had made up my mind to leave (and it didn't take much convincing as I had been lacking passion for my school since the beginning of the year) I was like a dog with a bone. I was ready to go...I wanted out. But I didn't just want to go out to any old school...

Now for the why? This will have to be a series of bullet points- my favourite!

• One group all day
• One room all day
• No carrying bags
• Enthusiastic students
• Enthusiastic staff
• Creative activities
• Help them with literacy and numeracy before it's too late
• Colourful, happy surroundings
• Develop relationships with students
• Develop relationships with their parents
• Less uniform infringement detentions
• No after school detentions
• Less chewing gum and (hopefully) no arguments when you ask them to get rid of it
• Closer to home
• Closer to Daniel's work
• Closer to family, including week old nephew
• Save petrol (Save the planet- fewer carbon emissions)
• And so much more... maybe I can add to this list over time!

So, I'm at a happy place at the moment. I have a lot to learn, but at the moment, I feel comfortable with what I have to do. Obviously working out the strucutures of a new school and a new age group will be challenges, but nothing I can't overcome!

Woohoo! I'm a Grade 3 teacher!!!!

M x