Friday 28 February 2014

Life in London- the closing of a chapter

I'm currently on a long train ride to West Croydon and thought that I better spend my time on typing my last post then sitting there contemplating on life.

So what have I been up to with my remaining time here? Well, I travelled for two weeks at the beginning of February and decided to spend my last two weeks in London saying my goodbyes and spending time with someone who meant a lot to me. I've been doing a lot of job searching primarily for roles in Melbourne, Sydney and Hong Kong.

As some of you may know, I am in the process of changing careers. I have been looking at roles related to community services, human resources and training. So far, I managed to find one position which I have just sent in the application for. I have not gone through the process of job searching, let alone writing a job application, in a very long time! As you would expect, it has been very stressful and time consuming. I am going to give myself a one month deadline to find a job. After that, I will move away from Perth, irrespective of what happens.

I remember the reason for coming to London; things didn't go the way I have planned. I was going through a lot of things at the time and as my friend Em would say, "I just couldn't handle it!". Time has passed by so quickly and it has now been over two years in the UK. Well what have I gained with my time here? I guess the main thing is gaining self confidence and being comfortable with who I am. I have managed to travel to over 30 cities, hopefully made an influence to at least one out of the hundreds of children I have taught, and meeting some really special people along the way. 

I honestly am not ready to leave London, but there is always an expiry date to everything in life. I know that I made the most out of my time here. The things I have learnt and the experiences I have gained will never be forgotten. 

2014 will be very challenging for me, but I also have a lot I can look forward to. Whoever reads this, please do one thing this year that is out of your comfort zone. Go travelling to a place you never thought you will go to, do something adventurous, or even try eating something you haven't dared try before. Trust me, you will gain so much from it, just like I have!

This blog was created for my two year stint in London. I think this post will be a good way to close my chapter in London and to get ready for my next one...

I took this photo at a burger joint before I moved to London. Luckily I made the most out of my time here and never took anything for granted.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

The end of my teaching career

I'm currently on the train ride from Amsterdam to Cologne and with nothing better to do, I thought I'll write a post. Last Friday was my last day of supply teaching in the UK after two years, but it also marked the end of my teaching career after five years. I originally thought I would feel a sense of relief, but unfortunately that was not the case. 

I still remember how I lost my passion for teaching back home,  and was dreading supply teaching in London. However, teaching in the UK was one of the most enjoyable periods during my teaching career. I loved the unknown challenges of potential classrooms I would teach in, I appreciated the diverse cultures and learning abilities of my students, and I love how I was given the opportunity to teach the full range of classes; nursery all the way up to year 6!

One thing I gained out of supply teaching, is self confidence, which I clearly lacked back home. I know I am a lot more capable than I thought I was. This was acknowledged throughout the numerous schools I worked at; they gave me positive comments and quite often requested me back. 

The students I have taught over the years have varied, some were way more challenging then others, but I guess that was what kept me on my feet. I especially loved teaching the younger children; their sense of curiosity and innocence always brings a smile to my face!

So what does the future hold after ending my teaching career? To be honest, I'm not really sure. Hopefully I can transfer my skills across to a new career path, but I am sure it will not be in the classroom. I would still like do something related to education but office based. Throw in a job linked to a charity with a reasonable salary, and you can let me know where to sign!

As they say; when one door closes, another one opens. This shall hopefully relate to my employment prospects...