A Spanner in the Works....

Hello All!

Hope you are well. I've got tons to write about actually, but I'm too busy to write a 2,000 word message this time. This is the second chunk of this message that I'm writing, so hope it doesn't take me too many sittings!

Anyway the last few weeks have been quite interesting. There's been some big news (I'll give it to you in slightly the wrong order).

I had my bday last Wed... it was really quiet. Too much work and not enough play and all that jazz... So, since I'm 24 I'm old enough to be enrolled as a GTP (Graduate on-the job trainee teacher) now. I spoke to my training manager last Thurs, and when I mentioned this, she said that the rules had changed, that the school was no longer a registered training body, and it would have to reapply to be a certified registered training body (or some other such nonsense) before it could enrol me in the course. Arghh!

So... I've been doing all this training work (well, OK not tons, but more than none!) with a view that it would be assessed, and then it turns out I can't be enrolled and assessed now, I have to enrol directly through an institution (a university).

Arghh. So this means that completing a GTP programme could perhaps take a bigger chunk of the year. I also found out a month or two ago that once you have graduated, you still can't stay in teaching and be qualified unless you do a NQT (Newly qualified teacher) year. ... all delays to the game plan.

So. On the spot, I told my training manager that I would be leaving after the summer term.

Now it was real! I'd been talking to tons of people for a whole year that I was going to leave, and I had finally told someone "above" me. It meant that I had to think about writing resignation letters! I'd never done that before, but I wrote them last weekend and handed them in last Monday.

So where does this leave me? Well I have seven school days left in this term, then two weeks off (have to call my rellies Elizabeth and Jim and see if I can visit over the Easter break!). After that I have a six week half term, a week off, then a final six weeks teaching then I'M DONE! Twill be quite sad, actually!

The reason why I have to leave now is all to do with holidays - it means that I will be looking for jobs over Summer, and being paid for 6 weeks! All very nice. So the game plan is to send off resumes to agencies during Easter, then start applying for individual jobs during the Summer half term - this will mean that I'm applying when I have 6 weeks of work remaining, but 12 weeks of pay still coming in (plus perhaps a month extra from back pay??). So fingers crossed!

The other recent news is that the Auslan Tuition System that I was developing at UWA is becoming commercial! Exxxxcellent. I get a percentage of any profit the system makes, which is nice. It's hardware dependent at the moment, which is quite annoying, as only a small percentage of people will be able to use it. I'm thinking about asking for a recent copy of the source code so I can make it work on more computers... this should also help me sharpen my IT skills too! Have to first talk to the technicians at work, cos I may be able to score a free computer. At least it's some more "commercial" development experience, I suppose.

So it hasn't *all* been work and no play. Last weekend I was sick of marking so I went to Borough market. It has tons of stalls selling really nice food. Brunch was a venison burger... yummm. Then I went into Tate Modern (on the last weekend of the sunset exhibit) and looked around the entire first floor for a while.

I ended up on Oxford st. I wanted to buy a sifter... brits don't really know about these! I'd been searching high and low. Fiona recommended John Lewis, and I found one in there for quite cheap. I also bought a really nice lamp (which was *not* cheap, so much for saving) - it is one of the ones that can tilt and extend and stays where you drag it, but it glows upwards as well as downwards :-) Might be a bit strange putting a piccy of a lamp online, but I really like it! *sigh* retail therapy!

This week - I've been relaxing a little more. After doing tons of Yr7 marking over the weekend, and on Monday, I went out Tues for Beth's bday (ate lots of tappas! Yummm) and then last night I went to a pub in Blackheath to watch Arsenal vs Chelsea. I'm actually sleep much earlier than normal after a drink or two, so I've been more refreshed than I expected at work.

Tonight I have a parents' evening, tomorrow I'm playing football then doing a music quiz, Sat I'm probably out with my colleague George in the city, Tues I have the final one of Katie's pub quizzes... hrmm so there's a bit on my plate.

And tonight after parents evening I'm baking Anzac biscuits to bring to department meeting Fri!

*grinz* Take care folks!

And a big Happy 22nd to my bro Benny today!

Posted by Sam at March 25, 2004 03:11 PM