Back to school...
So much has happened since my last (and rather miserable sounding) entry almost a year ago. Today is the start of the new school year for me. It would have been Thursday, however I'm starting a new job, so I get to start a day earlier for a new staff induction.
Why the new job? Last year my contract was again renewed for another year, but was not really every my position, as I was replacing someone else on leave. Said person resigned during term 3 last year, so "my" job had to be advertised as a clear vacancy (there's government efficiency for you). Truth be told, I was growing tired of my classroom, all the planning, paperwork and responsibility of being a sole teacher in charge of the music department, and teaching in general - despite being at quite a lovely school with a very supportive principal ....so I sabotaged my application, even though I wouldn't admit it even to myself at the time. I got minimal help with writing it and managed to get an interview, gave the impression of having prepared thoroughly for both and was "sadly" not as competitive as the person who finally got offered the position. I also sent a copy of my written application to another specialist music school, got offered an interview there, but was also unlucky with the outcome.
Probably a blessing really, as my real desire was to return to instrumental teaching on a full-time scale. So.... faced with the prospect of unemployment, I rang the staffing officer and was told there was no instrumental work available AND there was a surplus of music teachers - crap!! - so, with the advice of a colleaugue, I began calling him every second day asking if the situation had changed until he finally DID offer me fulltime work teaching flute :)
So here's to a new stage in my teaching career. I no longer have to plan entire concerts, performances or music tours, I no longer have to manage a budget and do a heap of administrative tasks. I just get to drive from one school to the next and teach the flute. My largest classes will contain five students. I get to bring the focus of my job back to teaching and away from having to sort out verything else. I am not dreading the return to work as I have in previous years and I'm feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time. I hope that this all works out....
Why the new job? Last year my contract was again renewed for another year, but was not really every my position, as I was replacing someone else on leave. Said person resigned during term 3 last year, so "my" job had to be advertised as a clear vacancy (there's government efficiency for you). Truth be told, I was growing tired of my classroom, all the planning, paperwork and responsibility of being a sole teacher in charge of the music department, and teaching in general - despite being at quite a lovely school with a very supportive principal ....so I sabotaged my application, even though I wouldn't admit it even to myself at the time. I got minimal help with writing it and managed to get an interview, gave the impression of having prepared thoroughly for both and was "sadly" not as competitive as the person who finally got offered the position. I also sent a copy of my written application to another specialist music school, got offered an interview there, but was also unlucky with the outcome.
Probably a blessing really, as my real desire was to return to instrumental teaching on a full-time scale. So.... faced with the prospect of unemployment, I rang the staffing officer and was told there was no instrumental work available AND there was a surplus of music teachers - crap!! - so, with the advice of a colleaugue, I began calling him every second day asking if the situation had changed until he finally DID offer me fulltime work teaching flute :)
So here's to a new stage in my teaching career. I no longer have to plan entire concerts, performances or music tours, I no longer have to manage a budget and do a heap of administrative tasks. I just get to drive from one school to the next and teach the flute. My largest classes will contain five students. I get to bring the focus of my job back to teaching and away from having to sort out verything else. I am not dreading the return to work as I have in previous years and I'm feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time. I hope that this all works out....