Camp 2

Camp 1

New Year's Resolutions

I've kind of put off blogging until the New Year, and now that the New Year is here I'm determined to sort out my priorities. So, I've set myself some targets. Firstly, to Blog more. Seems pretty straightforward, but for a month now I've been distracted, now with a new term starting on Monday (with an INSET day no less! My first INSET day as a member of staff! I don't know why it feels exciting or significant, maybe it's because it used to be a day off and now I get to see "what the teachers DO"!) I'm re-energised. I digress.

Secondly, in line with "more blogging", I want to blog a comic strip per week on ScribblePit, and slightly more infrequently perhaps, a Camp related one here. I've been reading a lot of comics recently and it's all making me want to draw more. There's no excuse, and I've wondered why I haven't got around to drawing out the comic I planned while I was in the states, I suppose at the time it was a mechanism for making me feel connected with the UK. It got left by the wayside when I got back though, I may have been a little bit distracted by unemployment. My friends have committed themselves in a very full-on way to their music, which is good for them but good for me too because it sets a kind of bench mark of effort. I'm tired of doing nothing now, I've had a bit of a production break and now I'm itching to make and do.

I'm slightly worried about my commitment to fulfilling all this, but I'm determined. 2009 feels like a good year, I'm quietly confident about it. I have a good job, I'm going back to the States in the summer and I have a cunning plan for keeping my job for the following academic year. Watch this space. As they say.

New Job P1

Yet again one of those things I can only talk about vaguelly. All I can say is that I'm working in an infants school, so no names and no specifics, which is a bit shit. I've been working there for a month now which is largely speaking why I haven't posted during that time. Naughty, naughty. Interestingly it was the Camp America experience that got me the job. So, what can I talk about without incriminating myself? Well, it's an Infants School and I'm working in the year two class as an 'learning support officer', which sounds far more trumped up than it is. I'm a classroom assistant, which basically means I'm a jack-of-all-trades. The school caters for main stream and a lot of SEN kids too. The class is quite diverse and the ability range is fairly broad.

A typical day consists of getting in at around quarter to nine and making a cup of coffee. The kids arrive at nine and mull around until the teacher does the register. Usually during this time I'm mulling around doing little tasks like getting things ready, preparing activities etc. At the moment we're up to our eyes in Christmas play rehearsals, so that chews up the morning until break time. Break time duty consists of standing on the yard and stamping out fires, not literally of course. Those pesky kids enjoy their metaphorical fires. After break we carry on with different activities/lessons. The teacher always has lessons planned yonks in advance so it's just a case of getting on with it. The different ability groups do variations on the same task. Lunch is at midday and consists of two sittings. In the afternoon we try and do group reading, finishing work or Busy Time, which includes practising writing/drawing etc. Then they all go home at half three.

More to follow.

The Bug

Got in touch with a few friends the other day, totally unrelated people, both of whom told me they were going to America next Summer to work at camps. One of them has been to the U.S. before and travelled extensively throughout, the other hasn't been. The added excitement factor of people I know being there while I am is awesome. The one who hasn't been to America before is dead keen on travelling to Alaska and along the West Coast, coincidentally the bit I'd like to visit the most. Plans are beginning to form in my mind. I'd love to see San Francisco. Alaska would be awesome too - this may need some careful planning...

Oh, and one of the English guys from camp is definitely going back next summer. An awesome summer 2009 is simmering away nicely in potential. In other news, the prospects of a job are looking better and better. Fingers crossed.

Contract Signed

I've committed myself to next summer. The contract is signed and sent. Now all I need to do is get a job. You know, to pay for the ticket to get there, etc. Sigh.

Ambition 2

Finally (for now), you mention that you saw your degree as a step closer to being published. How true is this? Have you always wanted to be published as your primary goal? Is that what you personally got out of education? Is this something you discussed at camp at all, either with the counsellors or the kids? In the case of your comics, for instance, to what extent did anyone mention their potential to be published?

Getting published has aways been the dream if not always the literal goal. It has always simmered at the back of my head, particularly now as the more I write the more it seems possible. When I was younger I wanted to be a comic artist and to a certain extent I still do. At camp, whenever I drew or did anything I got the response I always get which is "You should try and get those published," or similar.