I am now a self proclaimed expert in the field of UK visas. Ask me anything and I'm pretty confident I'll know as much as, if not more, than your average pommy border security guard.
So, 30 hours, 20 emails, 5 applications, 10 sets of fingerprints and $2350 later we are all proud owners of a 6 X 10cm scrap of paper in our passports that will allow us in and out of the UK at will for the next 5 years.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Leaving DEEWR
For the third (and I'm pretty sure final) time I have left DEEWR. No babies this time, just a desire to try something new. And so begins a period of change - momentous, scary, almost overwhelming change. Out with the old and in with the new: a new job, a new house, a new country!
The new job is teaching - crazy, challenging, undervalued, underpaid, rewarding teaching. And for me the fun began with registering to teach. This is a trial in itself and at the end of the marathon process involving two organisations, 40 pages of application and 16 certified documents the ACT Department sent a gracious letter stating they were "prepared" to offer me employment, not delighted or pleased, just "prepared". I suppose I should be thankful.
And so began my crazy journey into the classroom, where some of the behaviour was so jaw-droppingly appalling it took hours, even days to process, and even after that it still didn't seem to make much sense. But there, in amongst all the mayhem, the rudeness and the disrespect, are the gorgeous kids that make it all worthwhile. For every angst-ridden pimply ball of aggression there is a beautiful, enthusiastic, polite, smiling face that counters the negativity and brings some much needed balance into play.
Teaching is not for the faint hearted and entering the profession at a later stage in life has its benefits. Life experience, wisdom and confidence, often in previously unappreciated quantities, come into play constantly.
Relief teaching is great for gaining behaviour management skills, but it's not really a true teaching experience. I look forward to the day when I have my own class and an established set of rules and can actually teach.
Hopefully that time will come soon.
The new job is teaching - crazy, challenging, undervalued, underpaid, rewarding teaching. And for me the fun began with registering to teach. This is a trial in itself and at the end of the marathon process involving two organisations, 40 pages of application and 16 certified documents the ACT Department sent a gracious letter stating they were "prepared" to offer me employment, not delighted or pleased, just "prepared". I suppose I should be thankful.
And so began my crazy journey into the classroom, where some of the behaviour was so jaw-droppingly appalling it took hours, even days to process, and even after that it still didn't seem to make much sense. But there, in amongst all the mayhem, the rudeness and the disrespect, are the gorgeous kids that make it all worthwhile. For every angst-ridden pimply ball of aggression there is a beautiful, enthusiastic, polite, smiling face that counters the negativity and brings some much needed balance into play.
Teaching is not for the faint hearted and entering the profession at a later stage in life has its benefits. Life experience, wisdom and confidence, often in previously unappreciated quantities, come into play constantly.
Relief teaching is great for gaining behaviour management skills, but it's not really a true teaching experience. I look forward to the day when I have my own class and an established set of rules and can actually teach.
Hopefully that time will come soon.
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