ABC - Amy Back in the Classroom!

Time for an update!

I am absolutely exhausted and there is a very good reason for my tiredness. Today was my fourth day of work experience at CNS, my old high school! I'm doing a three week work placement, both observing the classes/teaching techniques, and participating in a role similar to that of a teaching assistant. I have been offered a variety of classes to sit on, ranging from year 7 (aged 11) up to year 13 (18) and I have found it to be an excellent experience to observe the differences between the younger groups and the older ones.

I do not spend all of my time in the classes, however; in my allocated free/non-teaching periods I have plenty of class resources to make! This week I helped my mentor by laminating and cutting up some Fairy-tale themed playing cards in preparation for a group of year 8s. It is important that I get the chance to do resource preparation as well as simply observing the lessons because it gives me a chance to experience the same responsibilities that the teachers have. I'm having soooooo much fun doing it all! It's basically a chance to play, all day, 5 days a week! :op

I've seen a lot of my old teachers around the school and have actually sat in on lessons with some of the teachers who taught me when I was at the school! Sitting in the staffroom with these people is pretty surreal; the staffroom used to be forbidden territory and the teachers essentially disappeared at break and lunchtimes. But now I know . . . I know that the other members of staff have first names, they have lives outside of the school and they spend a lot of their own free time planning and preparing interesting classwork for us, the students! I can easily say that in a very short length of time, I have developed a vast amount of respect for my "colleagues" and consider many of them to be good friends already! All of the members of staff have been friendly and welcoming towards me, offering kind advice relating to both teaching as a career, my studies and my future teacher training. A few members of staff in particular have kindly taken me under their wings and are giving me so much help and guidance that I cannot help but look forward to my career as a teacher :o)

Speaking of jobs, for the first time in ages I have some paid work planned. For 16 hours this weekend I will be acting as a care assistant for a boy with severe learning disabilities. It's a decent job as the boy is sweet and his parents are lovely so it will be a good 2 days work and very reasonable pay! It is only temporary, but it will give me a bit of extra money; very relevant right now as I only have £82.03 in the bank! :op

Anyways, I have school again tomorrow so I'd better go get some sleep. I was up at 6:15am this morning and will have to be up no later than 6:45am tomorrow.
Will update again soon! (Hopefully when I'm a little richer!)
xxxx