For those who have been following my relentless job searching escapades.. (I've been looking for a new job on and off for years, but this summer I started seriously looking) you'll be pleased to know that this afternoon (24.10.11) at 4.41pm I was finally offered a job!!!
Of course me, being me, I didn't actually realise for over an hour cos I didn't check my emails.
I feel like I've been picked first in the school football team, after years of being picked last! I am very happy, excited and nervous about what the next month will bring. One thing is certain however, I will not be working with children any more, after ten years of working in secondary schools and colleges I'm hanging up my board marker, I'm retiring my detention slips and tick chart. I'm joining the grown up world of pen pushing, filing and stamping. (all the same things just without the children)
"No dark sarcasm in the classroom" sang Pink Floyd, too right. No longer will I be called E.T, Paul the Alien, Bowling ball Paul!, D*ckhead, W*nker, Oi!, Voldemort, Baldy!, eww that supply again!, oh no i hate you!, No longer will I have chairs thrown at me from across the classroom, all for asking a pupil to move seats. No more will I be throttled by a year 9 boy for asking him to turn his mobile phone off. No longer will an argument erupt over a pupil picking up a piece of paper or me having to supply yet another pen to yet another child who can't afford one but still manages to ring mum on his iPhone 4 in the lesson!
I will not miss those early morning calls and the anxiety of not knowing which school I'll be going to, then having to go into the most challenging educational environments in the area and sit there thinking is this a dream? Is it really reality?
I'll really miss the girls at the various agencies who have constantly provided me with work over the last decade. I'll miss my contacts at the schools who try their best to give me an interesting day (3 Spanish lessons, for an art teacher who can't speak any languages! sure Baz will do that!). I'll miss some of the great teachers I've met and worked with. I will genuinely miss my holidays and finishing the working day at 3.30pm. I will miss the friends I've made at some of the schools. I won't miss the mileage on my car or the bridge tolls.
Strange to think I've taught children who are now 26 years old and whom are out there living their lives, with hopefully a good memory of school. I'd like to think I've been a good teacher, and certainly many children over the years have said "Yay!!!! We've got 'im again!" and "Sir, you're the best teacher, can't we have you all the time!?"..to which I've said "You're only saying that because you're getting away with listening to your ipod" and then the girl who said. "Sir your voice sounds like melted chocolate" and on her leaving day, even thou I'd only taught her once, came and said she really enjoyed that one lesson and I was a cool teacher. Then there were the 4 year ten boys who would come into my lessons singing various REM songs insistent that I was Michael Stipe. I couldn't help but laugh and sing along with them. Or the year 7 girl (4 years ago) who had me as her art teacher for 6 months and sent me a thank you card at the end of term, (which I still have) and inside it says "thank you for being my teacher this year I have learned a lot". Or the Sixth Form A-Level Photography group who, upon hearing I was leaving, set up a "Save Baz!" Facebook page, in order to convince the college to give me a full time job!!
I will miss doing my paper registers, passing a sheet around the room and asking everyone to sign their names. On checking it to discover Chris Packet and Phil McCrackin where also in my science lessons. When I first started teaching Saddam was student, then Bin Laden, and now Gadaffi.. Along with Micheal Jackson and Obama regularly make an appearance. I've taught the worlds greatest dictators, leaders, icons and even fictional superheroes The best bit of course was reading the names out in class (purely to check I had everyone there - officially you understand) and the laughter when I read out "Ivor Biggun?" "is Batman here today?" and "It says here that Thomas is gay, is that right Thomas?" and the shouts of "yes he is" by several lads at the back of the class.
Other great memories include me having to call in senior member of staff for this particularly naughty class. The deputy head walked in and proceeded to shout at the class. I was stood behind her and watching the faces of these children. It suddenly dawned on me that everything this woman was saying was such a cliché! and then my mouth cracked at the corner and started to turn into a smile, I had to turn to face away from the class cos I found the whole scene so incredibly funny. Then one of the pupils shouted out. "even sir finds it funny, look he's laughin!!!!". This made the whole thing worse because then I had to try to straighten my face and pretend I wasn't, which as you'll appreciate is hard to do. Afterwards I apologised to the deputy head who said "don't worry I've done the same thing many times. "
Great times and some sad times too. Great teachers who have retired and sadly some who have died. The nature of supply teaching is I see it all. Thankfully I even managed to teach one student in sixth form who I later worked with as a teacher. The circle completed
Feels like a million years ago I first went to what was the Amy Johnson school and witnessed my first pupil lovingly shout "f*** off!" all for asking her to come into the classroom. Halcyon days.. I often think about her and wonder where she is now. Then I think about the headmaster who told me not to correct pupils if they swore, cos I'd spend an entire lesson correcting instead of teaching. I ignored this advice.
Looking back I'm not sure how I've managed all these years, friends have told me that I must be so patient and they couldn't do what I've done. I don't know how I've done it either. I don't consider myself confident, I'm not sure how I've stood up in front of 150 different people every day and took control of a classroom situation.
-- update 10 dec 2011.. still waiting for CRB to clear before I can start new job.
-- update 20 dec 2011.. finally got an official start date :)
Of course me, being me, I didn't actually realise for over an hour cos I didn't check my emails.
I feel like I've been picked first in the school football team, after years of being picked last! I am very happy, excited and nervous about what the next month will bring. One thing is certain however, I will not be working with children any more, after ten years of working in secondary schools and colleges I'm hanging up my board marker, I'm retiring my detention slips and tick chart. I'm joining the grown up world of pen pushing, filing and stamping. (all the same things just without the children)
"No dark sarcasm in the classroom" sang Pink Floyd, too right. No longer will I be called E.T, Paul the Alien, Bowling ball Paul!, D*ckhead, W*nker, Oi!, Voldemort, Baldy!, eww that supply again!, oh no i hate you!, No longer will I have chairs thrown at me from across the classroom, all for asking a pupil to move seats. No more will I be throttled by a year 9 boy for asking him to turn his mobile phone off. No longer will an argument erupt over a pupil picking up a piece of paper or me having to supply yet another pen to yet another child who can't afford one but still manages to ring mum on his iPhone 4 in the lesson!
I will not miss those early morning calls and the anxiety of not knowing which school I'll be going to, then having to go into the most challenging educational environments in the area and sit there thinking is this a dream? Is it really reality?
I'll really miss the girls at the various agencies who have constantly provided me with work over the last decade. I'll miss my contacts at the schools who try their best to give me an interesting day (3 Spanish lessons, for an art teacher who can't speak any languages! sure Baz will do that!). I'll miss some of the great teachers I've met and worked with. I will genuinely miss my holidays and finishing the working day at 3.30pm. I will miss the friends I've made at some of the schools. I won't miss the mileage on my car or the bridge tolls.
Strange to think I've taught children who are now 26 years old and whom are out there living their lives, with hopefully a good memory of school. I'd like to think I've been a good teacher, and certainly many children over the years have said "Yay!!!! We've got 'im again!" and "Sir, you're the best teacher, can't we have you all the time!?"..to which I've said "You're only saying that because you're getting away with listening to your ipod" and then the girl who said. "Sir your voice sounds like melted chocolate" and on her leaving day, even thou I'd only taught her once, came and said she really enjoyed that one lesson and I was a cool teacher. Then there were the 4 year ten boys who would come into my lessons singing various REM songs insistent that I was Michael Stipe. I couldn't help but laugh and sing along with them. Or the year 7 girl (4 years ago) who had me as her art teacher for 6 months and sent me a thank you card at the end of term, (which I still have) and inside it says "thank you for being my teacher this year I have learned a lot". Or the Sixth Form A-Level Photography group who, upon hearing I was leaving, set up a "Save Baz!" Facebook page, in order to convince the college to give me a full time job!!
I will miss doing my paper registers, passing a sheet around the room and asking everyone to sign their names. On checking it to discover Chris Packet and Phil McCrackin where also in my science lessons. When I first started teaching Saddam was student, then Bin Laden, and now Gadaffi.. Along with Micheal Jackson and Obama regularly make an appearance. I've taught the worlds greatest dictators, leaders, icons and even fictional superheroes The best bit of course was reading the names out in class (purely to check I had everyone there - officially you understand) and the laughter when I read out "Ivor Biggun?" "is Batman here today?" and "It says here that Thomas is gay, is that right Thomas?" and the shouts of "yes he is" by several lads at the back of the class.
Other great memories include me having to call in senior member of staff for this particularly naughty class. The deputy head walked in and proceeded to shout at the class. I was stood behind her and watching the faces of these children. It suddenly dawned on me that everything this woman was saying was such a cliché! and then my mouth cracked at the corner and started to turn into a smile, I had to turn to face away from the class cos I found the whole scene so incredibly funny. Then one of the pupils shouted out. "even sir finds it funny, look he's laughin!!!!". This made the whole thing worse because then I had to try to straighten my face and pretend I wasn't, which as you'll appreciate is hard to do. Afterwards I apologised to the deputy head who said "don't worry I've done the same thing many times. "
Great times and some sad times too. Great teachers who have retired and sadly some who have died. The nature of supply teaching is I see it all. Thankfully I even managed to teach one student in sixth form who I later worked with as a teacher. The circle completed
Feels like a million years ago I first went to what was the Amy Johnson school and witnessed my first pupil lovingly shout "f*** off!" all for asking her to come into the classroom. Halcyon days.. I often think about her and wonder where she is now. Then I think about the headmaster who told me not to correct pupils if they swore, cos I'd spend an entire lesson correcting instead of teaching. I ignored this advice.
Looking back I'm not sure how I've managed all these years, friends have told me that I must be so patient and they couldn't do what I've done. I don't know how I've done it either. I don't consider myself confident, I'm not sure how I've stood up in front of 150 different people every day and took control of a classroom situation.
-- update 10 dec 2011.. still waiting for CRB to clear before I can start new job.
-- update 20 dec 2011.. finally got an official start date :)
Can't tell you how much I enjoyed this post, it made me smile and laugh out loud and remember all the times you've lamented to me over the name calling and nonsense.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new job Baz, hope you are surrounded by fun colleagues and enjoy the pen pushing. No doubt we can soon start expecting blogs on the joys of office politics :-)
Bx
Aww I'm glad you liked it Bux. Over these last few years you've been a rock for me, as I've come home and unravelled my stresses and daily strains about school onto you, some funny, some serious. I don't think I realised exactly how stressful the job was.
ReplyDeleteAs you know.. on Thursday last week I was at my favourite school and It was brilliant to say goodbye to all the teachers I'd been working with on and off since 2004. Some who had come in as Supply and got full time jobs, others I'd studied with on the foundation course in 1993, one who had been to the same school as me - 5 years later, and one who I taught in 6th form and then returned as a teacher. and so that was a nice send off seeing them all
Then Friday I was at a good-ish school but had a bad day and at the end of the day the head of science asked me if I'd enjoyed my day? I said no.. but it's OK cos it was officially my last teaching day. I explained I'd got another job lined up. She said "so it's affirmed you're making the correct decision?" "ooh yes" I said
I am so chuffed for you, this is such brilliant news after everything you've been through. First the exhibition, now the job - it's all coming together for you. I've got a couple of friends who also found out they got jobs they really wanted in the last few days. This makes me more happy then you could ever imagine - congratulations and Merry Christmas! :)
ReplyDeleteCheers Froggy, I actually found out in October but I was waiting for the checks to go through before I told anyone..
ReplyDeleteWoop, Woop! Congratulations! A new adventure, a new chapter, I really enjoyed this post, it bought back memories of my ex-pupils, some of whom I went on to work with... and am still in touch with decades later...
ReplyDeleteAww thanks Wendy.. yeah I can't wait to start. :) I'm very excited. Glad you enjoyed the post.
ReplyDelete