❤ The HouseCat is a Happy School-Marm ❤
Here's my mid-month status report for the 'This Is CorpGoth' blog. As my longer term readers may know, I work at a primary school. I won't state which one because I like to keep my personal, private, Goth life separate from my work life. I really enjoy my job, it's probably the most rewarding jobs I've done. I also cannot be too specific due to the school's social media policy.
I'm not a teacher, and my actual roles are quite varied, and I do extra things in a volunteer capacity. I'm hoping to go back to studying, and gain the required qualifications to become a teacher, but that's not possible right now for various reasons, mostly financial ones. I've had a rather different career before, having worked in retail and then getting into retail management, and this was a complete change. After I got made redundant within a month from my previous retail job because the store closed, and having seen so many shops go out of business while I was unemployed, I stopped applying only for more retail jobs, it just didn't seem secure, even applying for big high-street institutions, as several of those have gone under recently. I knew already that I didn't really want a long-term career in retail, and that I only got into that sector via the evening job I had at college, but I was torn between trying to make a living via running a gallery, or via illustration work and going into academia or teaching art, and didn't know which way to turn, but now I have worked with children for nearly a year, I've found that I love it.
The most important thing is knowing that my job contributes something positive to the world. I didn't feel that in retail, but it is really rewarding to know that what I do helps, even in a small way. Education is a very complicated thing, and needs a holistic approach - it's not just about teaching the subjects, but making sure the school environment is conducive to learning, and that the children are in a productive frame of mind, and I know that doing even minor things like wishing pupils "Have a good day at school!" first thing in the morning contributes to that. What I say is not scripted, it's not the forced politeness of working in a customer facing role, where people check to see if you're smiley enough. I don't need anyone to tell me to be smiley at work because I genuinely have a reason to smile.
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| Low sun on an evening commute in springtime. |
I like that I get to spend time outside as part of my job, I also like living just close enough for it to be possible to walk to work in the summer, when it is light enough out for me to be walking that early in the morning. I've seen red kites, herds of deer, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, buzzards, and all sorts of other wildlife while walking first thing in the morning - including deer running across the patch of grass behind my local supermarket, which was quite an unexpected spot to see them! I rescued a baby crow on my way back from work last spring! I will probably start walking home from work now that the days are significantly longer, but I start too early to walk in. I get an absolutely amazing view in the morning, and watching the morning light over the mountains is enough to stop me in my tracks temporarily just to watch, sunsets over the other mountains in the evenings are also pretty special, and as I live a long way up a high hill, my reward to myself for walking all that way is to have a cup of tea next to my nice big living-room window and look back over that view.
I think it is marvelous how much good things you have in your work. :) The part about contributing something positive into the world is really important, especially in the field of education, so it's great you feel like that. I have had my share of those teachers who do not give a toss about that sort of things and it is quite sad.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! I love it when a job really lets you contribute positively to the world. That's so important. And I love the description of all the lovely outdoor views you have too. Thanks for sharing your status report.
ReplyDeleteIt really does sound like the perfect job, and the walk to and from work with the scenery and wildlife is like the icing on the cake!! :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm a very outdoorsy person, and I relish all the time I get to spend outside.
DeleteYour job sounds interesting and I think that educating the youth is very important. In a world where more and more robots can take over physical jobs, the mind is the only thing that will endure.
ReplyDeleteI also love your way to work, I wish mine was that interesting!
I also hope that practical crafts endure, that people still learn to make and do things with their hands (or feet, or mouth, for those who use alternative limbs for their crafts) and that such skills are not lost as they cease to be necessitous.
DeleteI worked with young people of all ages, from kindergarten through high school, for nearly 20 years; so I can relate to your feelings on the matter. Even now, I occasionally bump into former students who thank me for treating them like human beings. There are some, now in their 20s, with whom I am Facebook friends. A couple of times per year I get together with another former high school student for coffee and just to catch up.
ReplyDeleteAll of this tells me that like you, I was sometimes able to have a positive impact upon their lives. Working with kids can be difficult at times, but it's also a very rewarding endeavor--as is your walk home through the country side.