I have saved the life of a swallow by carrying it's wee body from where it crash landed and placing it safely on top of a wall. Eventually it recovered and flew off. Mind you I did worry it might have flees and also had to evade it's nervous diarrhoea.
Quote: sootyj @ August 25 2013, 11:51 AM BSTI've been to Wales with work half a dozen times and never been able to find it, do you hide it from us tourists?
http://www.parsonspickles.co.uk/products-page/
Or Cardiff/Swansea markets
I had laverbread cakes last in a restaurant in St Davids
Ben has started work on his final Open Uni assessment.
Quote: Ben @ August 25 2013, 7:08 PM BSTBen has started work on his final Open Uni assessment.
What are you studying? I always admire people who can study and work at the same time.
Quote: Rob H @ August 24 2013, 10:32 AM BSTSadly the PGCE year is more like work than going to uni. It was quite a shock to me - having done a History degree - to have to spend more than two hours a day in uni. And then there's the teaching part.
But I'm sure you'll love it Scats!!
Quote: Jennie @ August 24 2013, 10:35 AM BSTMy sister did primary GTP last year and is about to start at her first school. It was a really tough year, but she came through it in the end. Good luck
See. Bricking it. 
You'll be fine. I've never spoken to anyone who didn't say it was hard work, but it's good too. (And if I made it through, you can't have to work too hard.) I reckon you'll make a great teacher.
Quote: billwill @ August 24 2013, 11:56 PM BSTSorry Robyn, I wasn't really intending my comment to cover primary school teachers; that's a different situation.
Oh Gosh and now it's a debate.
I am very scared I won't cope. It's hard to think of myself as an adult sometimes! But my family were over last week and, as scared as I am, I think that I'm more passionate about it than a lot of older teachers might be. That's obviously another generalisation, but I do have a vast amount of life experience and alongside it a closeness to the education system which older people might not. On the one hand, older people might have had a larger variety of jobs; on the other, they might not be in touch with just how traumatic experiences at school can be nowadays. I have worked in retail for 4 years now - albeit this includes a Saturday job - and also done charity work, lots of extra-curricular things, read a lot about teaching and really committed to making myself as well prepared as I possibly can be. I now have three weeks to cram in some more theory. I've dealt with a lot of melodramatic people and difficult situations which older people who might be 'better educated' haven't; yet I still went to university. Granted, I could have had more experience in schools if I had been a teaching assistant, but I'm bringing a fresh pair of eyes to things even if those things might consequently be slightly harder. Lastly *breath* I went through several major uphill struggles during school. I swapped primary schools aged 7, and was bullied throughout secondary school.
I don't think it matters if you're teaching primary or secondary school. No amount of life or school experience will ever really be enough, so I just have to bring what I can. 
Age/Experience is for largely irrelevant. Far more important is liking children in general and wanting to do your best by them.
In terms of primary school teachers, my 8 year old son has had teacher's ranging from 22 year old NQTs to women who could be Miss Marple's older sister. He's got something different from all of them but enjoyed his time with each of them.
And self doubt is par for the course. I'd be worried if I was mentoring someone who thought they knew everything already.
I might have kids purely so I can send them to Robyn's school. 
Quote: Rob H @ August 25 2013, 10:23 PM BSTFar more important is liking children in general
I read that the first time as killing.
Quote: zooo @ August 25 2013, 10:27 PM BSTI read that the first time as killing.
That's frowned upon in the profession.
Far better to simply run off to France with them.
Quote: Rob H @ August 25 2013, 10:23 PM BSTAge/Experience is for largely irrelevant. Far more important is liking children in general and wanting to do your best by them.
In terms of primary school teachers, my 8 year old son has had teacher's ranging from 22 year old NQTs to women who could be Miss Marple's older sister. He's got something different from all of them but enjoyed his time with each of them.
And self doubt is par for the course. I'd be worried if I was mentoring someone who thought they knew everything already.
I doubt myself with everything, but I do really like kids so that's a good start! 
I'm not so sure you should refer to how traumatic school life is these days.
Some of us went to school in the days sadistic teachers were allowed to hit pupils.
Which sucks if you've got dyspraxia and the reliable tests for that are 10 years into the future. And you get slippered for poor spelling and handwriting.
Mind you my uncle had it worse, he was hiding from the Nazis from age one and didn't meet his real family till he was 4.
Other than that I'm sure you'll make a great teacher.
I just wouldn't try coming over like some hardened, experienced, veteran.
True, but then you didn't have 24 hour bullying on Facebook, etc.
Every generation has its own potentially horrific elements.
Quote: Scatterbrained Floozy @ August 25 2013, 10:30 PM BSTI doubt myself with everything, but I do really like kids so that's a good start!
Yup!
It's an imperfect profession - you always feel you could have done a lesson better, no matter how good it went. Just remember that feeling you could have done more/better is very, very normal. Also remember that you are ace.
True, though I still think hiding from the Nazis trumps most.
More I'm saying, that once you say you had a more traumatic time at schools than other teachers. That's when the other teachers start gobbing in your tea.
Besides bullies seem to have managed just fine without social media for years.