Posted by: Lois Lindemann on: September 18th, 2010 
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… but a little procrastination won’t hurt. Isn’t that what weekends are for?
Anyhoo, it must be time for a quick catch up, so here it is:
I’m now two weeks into my new job and still very happy that I’ve moved. I’m still trying to remember a great many names, getting lost/walking in circles with monotonous regularity and asking eleventy-nine dumb questions a day, but I’m starting to feel like I belong there. It’s nice. And of course I’m now teaching maths full-time, which is wonderful.
Less wonderful is the mountain of bags and boxes that I brought home from Former School. I wasn’t really aware of just how much personal stuff (books/resources/random boxes of things) I had amassed over the years until I had to shift it all. Time for some a heck of a lot of sorting out and getting rid. Despite taking quantities of books to the our local Oxfam shop, recycling mountains of paper and getting rid of a great many things, I still seem to be the proud owner of about twice as much stuff as I can comfortably live with.
The result of this is that sorting through bags, clearing out shelves and attempting to empty cupboards seems to be my new hobby. I think it may take a while – largely because Mr TLC and I turn out to be rather less than zen-like where possessions are concerned. We attempted to make a large dent in the number of CDs we own, but everything he wanted to get rid of, I was most attached to and vice versa. After an hour or so of determined and ruthless sorting, we only managed to dispose of half a dozen CDs that we owned two copies of, one misguided purchase that unexpectedly turned out to be a ‘Pickwick Singers sing’ type of thing and a disc that we can’t play without Ginger Cat yowling plaintively and running away. Could do better.
In other news, we’re doing all the stuff that we normally do: watching too much cycling and not doing enough of it ourselves, taking too many photographs, baking too many cakes, enjoying the company of Ginger Cat (must be autumn now – he’s home) and generally feeling rather happy. Oh, and I’ve started doing an M.Ed, which looks like it’s going to be interesting, although to be honest I’m not sure that I’ve cleared enough space in my life to fit it in. Of course, if waited until I had the time, I’d never do it, so what the heck.
Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to. How about you?
Glad everything is going well.
I know what you mean about the amount of personal stuff that builds up. But be glad that you still have it. It is hell trying to start all over again without anything – the amount of times I’ve realised that I need “that thing” that I only ever use once a year, in one lesson, but it makes explaining so much easier. I’ve just watched a new teacher start at the school, having moved from New York. She brought two tea chests of “stuff” and yet has spent the last three weeks bemoaning the stuff she left behind. So, throw out Mr. TLC’s old footy programmes and keep your stuff!
Everything is going well for me. Just had a three day (five day if you include the weekend) break for the Bicentennial – which was nice. However, as I don’t get a half term, that’s it until Christmas (apologies to Blue Witch for mentioning the “C” word).
I am pleased you are already settling in to your new job. Which school is it? Wales High School? Speaking for myself I am so glad that on a Sunday evening my school bag isn’t sending out subliminal messages to spoil my weekend – This to mark! That to do! This to prepare! etc.. You work hard all week and yet weekends are blighted by that damnable bag. I burnt mine at the top of the garden a year ago.
It’s when you actually haven’t *been* a classroom teacher for over 20 years, but you still have all the stuff that you need to be worried… 😉
Welcome to my world. A world without C words, thank you Will 🙂