Category Archives: Work

So I’ve been teaching since 2006

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It’s a legitimate question: can I still see myself teaching in the next 5 years? The answer, is an emphatic yes. Thing is, I’m not sure exactly where.

I don’t know if I can/should still be in the same school. I’m not certain if I’ll be able to grow any more as a person, or as a teacher. Yet, as much as I would like to be challenged (sometimes I really do feel like I need greater mental stimulation), I’m also unwilling to let go of the wide-eyed, down-to-earth charm that comes with NSKs (neighbourhood school kids – as a friend and fellow teacher just informed me today). And then, there’s always that issue about Change, and how it kinda sucks. I know everything’ll be just fine as soon as I get that comfy ass out of that too-comfy zone. It’s just never easy to get myself out of the steady swing of things, y’know?

Right now, I’ve got 4 options; each of them have their own appeal. And because I really can’t decide what I should do, I’ve decided to pray that God will open just one window, so I know for sure what I should be doing. If He decides to have a laugh and make me do the awful deed of having to choose, then I’ll flip a coin. Whatever it is, I know He’ll be right there with me. :)

I’m incredibly glad the Lunar New Year break is coming up. I really need to get away from work.

Song of the Day:

Rock It, by Little Red

You may not hear from me much after today

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The first day back at work was certainly a nice, slow start, mostly because it was reserved for form teachers to tie up all the administrative ends. And me, being a non-form teacher now, I was free to finish up all the other menial stuff, like photocopying worksheets. It was nice.

But I think I miss being a form teacher. Heck, I know I miss it heaps. I miss having to take attendance. I miss decorating noticeboards with them. I miss establishing a camaraderie. I miss being able to care for them. I miss getting to know my students as people, rather than just students. That’s the beauty of being a form teacher. You get to connect exclusively with a group of students where you can forge a bond that is filled with mutual trust, respect and love.

I refuse to complain though. I do welcome the break from all the form teacher duties, because frankly, it was exhausting. It’s kinda like being a parent, but with a LOT more kids, and slightly less responsibility. I’d very much like to focus my efforts this year on becoming a better and more effective teacher. And I know the time that has been freed up for me will be very useful for me to hone my profession.

One thing I’m definitely not missing? Waking up at 5:45am again.

And here’s my Song of the Day, taking me back to when I was younger.

Rosanna, by Toto

Welcoming the new year with tentative arms

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57:365 Stress
(Photo by gramola2three)

After attending meetings for two days straight, I think it is safe to assume that 2011 will be filled with a whole lot of crazy. I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed after sitting through the barrage of information that was fed to us. And the whole time, I kept wondering if I’d even be able to watch any more TV. Yeah, guess who has her priorities right? LOL.

But seriously, it’s either I’ve been relaxing way too much this holiday that any work is appearing insurmountable, or the workload for next year really has increased tenfold. The school term hasn’t even begun and I already feel like crawling into bed and letting Damien Rice sing my weary soul to sleep. *sniffs*

I know things will be okay as soon as I get right back into the thick of the action. But I also know that part of me is not looking forward to this brand new scholastic year as much as I usually do because my beloved form class of three years – my babies – have all graduated and they won’t be there any more to cheer me up. And I know I’m being a total sook about this, but these kids really did brighten up my days at work, y’know? I always looked forward to going into their classroom, because they provided me with a haven where I could relax, be myself and simply enjoy the delights of teaching. I probably sound insane but it really is the individual students who make me passionate about my profession. Without a connection, I don’t know if I can find the drive to keep going. I guess this is what I’ll learn in the new year, now that I’ll no longer have a form class.

One thing that’ll definitely sweeten 2011 is the realisation of our long-awaited NYC trip at the end of the year. It’s something I’ve been anticipating since 2005 and I can’t begin to describe how excited I am about it. Goodness knows how much we love to do our travel research so when the suggestion was made for us to meet once a month in preparation for the trip, I think I practically yelled out that it was a BRILLIANT idea. It’ll certainly give us something to look forward to each month. Now, we’ll just have to make sure our other travel buddy is mobile enough to meet us. :p

What about you? Any trepidations/cheer about the new year?