This month has been so much more eventful than I could have ever imagined given the circumstances right now.
Near the beginning of the month, I celebrated my 21st birthday and I never anticipated that the day would be as incredible as it was! Social distancing meant I couldn't hug my family or friends, but it didn't impact the day too much! My mum covered the house in hundreds of photos of my twin sister Meg and I and filled the lounge with balloons. It was quite disappointing that only we got to see the effort she had gone to because no-one could actually come in the house. Family and friends visited the garden which was lovely and it meant I got to see everyone I wanted to! We had afternoon tea and a takeaway for dinner so were well and truly stuffed by the evening, which was when we had a distanced gathering with friends spread around a fire pit in the middle of the garden. Hopefully we'll be able to have our party as planned at some point before we're not 21 anymore! My birthday was probably the most exciting thing to have happened since the lockdown has begun, so I was quite happy soaking it all up and living on cake and any other leftovers for the next few days.
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| Meg & I on our birthday |
Back when I finished my degree in May, I started applying for some Teaching Assistant positions in various schools. Aside from wanting to pursue writing as a career, I've always wanted to be a Teacher, which is good because everyone needs a back-up plan! I don't feel ready quite yet to jump straight in to the deep end and so I thought it best to take a year out of education (as I intend on doing an MA next year) and earn some money. I only applied for 4 posts because the application deadlines were very spread out and I thought that if I didn't hear from any of them then it wasn't meant to be and I would look into something else.
Right before my birthday, I was invited for an interview at one of the schools and then on my birthday I was invited for a second interview at a different school, both of which happened to be on the same day. It sounds dramatic, but in a way it kind of felt like my dreams were falling into place and it was a pretty good birthday present! The following week I attended both interviews and left feeling really happy regardless of the outcome because I felt confident in what I had said and felt incredibly lucky that having not even graduated yet, I'd already bagged myself 2 interviews.
Apparently in the teaching profession, you're usually contacted with the result of your interview on the same day you attended it, which meant that I didn't have to sit and wait for weeks until I was informed of the outcome. The second school that interviewed me rang me first, probably within 2 hours of me having left the school and offered me a job! A PROPER ADULT JOB! It's not that I've not had an "adult job" before, but it's more that now I'm going to be working way more hours, be earning a salary and I'll actually get to see if my dream of becoming a teacher is truly what I want and I guess also, if I'm actually any good at it! It's quite funny really because I planned on some time out of education and I'm not really leaving it.
The job I was offered wasn't the one I applied for, but I didn't mind because it sounded much more stable! I applied to be one of those TA's who goes around the school pulling Bob, Fred, Daisy, or whoever, out of their class to do intervention with them or 1:1 work which of course, I really wanted to do. The post I have been offered however, is to be a TA in a Year 1 class of 30 children who have a mix of SEN needs, some are on the gifted and talented scheme and some just need a bit of extra help. It's not the age group I ever imagined I would end up working with in a school, but now that I am, I am SO EXCITED! It still feels very surreal and it's going to be strange, especially as I imagine all schools will still be feeling the effects of the current pandemic come September.
To top off this amazing feeling, this week I've been contacted by another school who have invited me for an interview, but as I've already accepted a position elsewhere I explained it felt wrong of me to attend. To have just finished Uni, apply for 4 jobs and be offered 3 interviews and 2 (potentially 3, I guess I'll never know) job offers is pretty good going I think, not to mention insane!
All I know is, slowly but surely, my plans, hopes and dreams are starting to fall into place AND I've not even graduated yet! I can't wait to start and I can't wait to see what life is going to be like a year from now. I may decide that I want to do my MA later and go straight down the teaching path, who knows? I'll certainly be documenting it all on my blog so we can find out together!
Dotty
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P.S. The website is coming, not as soon as I had planned, but it is coming, so keep your eyes peeled for my blog's new home!
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