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Pre-Trip-Trip

In preparation for the school trip to Filey next week, I volunteered (SUCKA) to do a pre visit.  In previous years the itinerary has looked quite scant.  I have never worked in a school that requires so much information about a trip before you have even sent the letters out to parents. 

I had initially planned to go on the Wednesday, but after an action packed weekend we needed a bit of a break, and I had sodding reports to complete (2 down, 22 to go....).  So Friday morning we checked the weather app (all sunny and bright) and tootled off up the M62, following the trusty satus navigus.  I had looked on the map and it looked about an hour or so away (you know its not going to be even slightly that close).

Our delightful satus navigus  must have at some point, by me I must admit, been programmed to take the scenic route, because that is all it ever takes.  We have just left the M62 when we hit a spot of congestion.  As GO rightly mumbled from the passenger seat, "bloody weekend traffic, holiday makers all going home".  None of which I had any control over, we also hit road works, road narrowing and a whole shed load of traffic lights.  We both noted that the road leaving Filey/Scarborough was just as congested and made mental notes to go home a different way. By now we had passed, Huddersfield, Halifax, Leeds, York and Scarborough,  but we had made it, the sun was shining and we found a parking space, all be it on the top of the hill behind the grand hotels, at the cost of £5 for 4 hours.

We grabbed our gear and made out way to the seafront for our picnic, as we walked through the park past the playground, boating lake, mini race track and three putting greens, we noticed everybody else was wrapped up in jackets and scarves.  I then started to feel chilly, I had dressed for a day trip to the Northern Riviera in June, I should have dressed for a spring day by the North sea.  It was freezing, we decided against the sea front and took shelter in a pavilion on the putting green.  We/GO wrapped ourselves/himself in the picnic blanket and had our lunch.  As GO was still in recovery he passed on the coffee and just ate his roll, slowly.  I didn't want the whole day to be a bust so I told him to stay put an keep warm and I would go and take some photo for the trip.

As I strolled along the prom (prom, prom, tiddly, om, pom, pom) taking photos, planning activities for the children to do.  I realised that we would be here for about five hours, with 24 5/6 y.o's and all they had brought with them in previous years were some bats and balls.  I am planning on doing some sketching (of the beach huts), take some rubbings of the pavement (lots of shells and rocks), setting up a scavenger hunt, before running along the beach and paddling.

As I turned around making my way back to GO, I got a text message "I'm cold, going back to the car."  Bless him, he had to carry the backpack, cool box and my handbag back to the car all by himself.  just as he got himself comfy cosy I arrived and off we went, after a two and a half hour journey we had spent fifty minutes in Filey.  WE have used all of the fuel that we had put in the car (I will find out about getting that back, or maybe I should just claim expenses for it).  Mindful of the traffic leaving Filey on the way in we decided to go a different way towards Hull via, Bridlington and Beverly.  The satus navigus wasn't happy and kept trying to turn us

around.  Finally after being caught in the rush hour traffic we got home, 7 hours after we left.  This trip better be good, because I am not sure it will be worth all of the agro.  On the plus side it was a day out and I can now say I have been on the world tour of Yorkshire.

I didn't get a job I didn't want, ah well

I was pressured into applying for a job recently, it was a managerial position and I didn't get it.  It went to a candidate who is currently working in the role in her school.  I didn't really want the job, I had managerial roles in the past and ended up in an operating theatre having a procedure I didn't really need.  The email I received asked candidates to prepare an assembly from a different country, take part in an inbox/date activity, do a 10 minute presentation and then take part in a formal interview.  I was expecting to be done and dusted by lunchtime and to teach for the afternoon.  I by chance mentioned something to the office staff who told me my day would start at 10am and I would be finished by half past two.  I would also have a two hour gap between the first two activities and the presentation/interview.  I prepared myself, sort of.  I had a discussion with one of the ladies in my class, telling her I wasn't sure I wanted the job but that I would give it a go, just for the interview practise. 

I was led to believe that it would be a walk in the park and that I would be pretty much guaranteed the role, this made me very unsettled.  By the morning of the interview I had a flash of realisation I did not want the job.  G.O and I moved here to start a family, we had made enquiries to various local agencies and had a meeting booked for the end of May.  I couldn't take on an all encompassing role as a key stage leader and try to start a family, it was ludicrous. 

I left a message on the supply teacher network, explain this and how to calm my nerves.  The response was overwhelming and it really changed my mindset.  This was not an interview where they would choose me, it was an interview where they would have to convince me to give up being a supply teacher (a role I have come to love) and join them.  I carried out my task safe in the knowledge that I didn't want the job and used the interview as a way to get a few things off my chest.  There are areas that are lacking in the school, that they need to address particularly in light of the changes to the curriculum and the way the Little Green Men conduct their inspection these days.  On the surface it is a glossy school with lots of potential, but scratch the surface and the fundamentals just aren't in place.  It is a big job, one that thankfully I will not have to worry myself with. 

The following day I contacted my supply agency who have already found me positions in schools that require a long term supply.  Sometimes it really is a blessing in disguise.

Staying a little longer

So the little village school has asked me to stay until the end of the year. It's rather convuluted but the year three teacher can't return so the plan was for me to stay in EYFS and the new teacher to cover year three and learn the ropes in EYFS while I am there.  Let's see what happens.