3 Months to go

In just over 3 months I will be 40 years old and I have started writing blogs this year for the first time in earnest. I tried to do this years ago but lost interest and wasn't really able to keep it going regularly but this year so far has been different. For those reading this that don't know me, I am a Maths teacher in a secondary school in the UK and this year I will be going on a number of school trips so I started to write these travel blogs whilst away. The blog's that I have written are about my personal thoughts and feelings and the things I have encountered rather than the activities that our students have been up to! Here is the link to these if you want to have a read.

I guess up until now I have really ignored the idea of getting older. I guess I don't act or really feel that I have been on the planet for 40 years and still kind of ignore the idea that the 90's were 20 years ago! Whilst being away over Easter there have been a couple of times when I have stopped to think about what I am doing and where do I want the next 30 ish years to take me and I guess like a lot of people I am just working my way through work and life and the weeks just roll past. Sunday is the start of the stressful part of the week and Friday comes so quick that another week disappears.

So far this year I have met some amazing people and I guess they have added to my thoughts about what am I doing and what would my legacy be? How would people remember me, not that I am ready to go anytime soon but have I left a mark? So since leaving the Netherlands last week, I have decided that I need to get into shape and look after myself and my family and be someone that does rather than be an "in a minute" kind of person. It is a bit difficult at the moment as I am planning 3 school trips and Cub camp and also getting 62 kids through their Maths GCSE. Some of the inspiring people I have met are older and some are younger than me but I hope that I can be inspiring to someone.

This week has been a start. I took my kids out for a bike ride on Sunday. A run on Monday and then managed to squeeze in my first Park run this morning. I have cut down on the amount of tea that I drink and reduced my carb intake and I am pleased that I have lost 2 kilos this week already. I need to keep going, I want to get into shape and not think about getting old but thinking more about this being the start of something. I really want to get fitter. I am not totally out of shape in an athletic way but I need to shed some pounds and take better care of my body if I want to continue being as active as I can for my kids and hopefully one day my grandkids, not that I am expecting these for at least 10 years but I need to start now.

This week has also been another opportunity for me to apply for additional responsibility at work. I'm not going to lie I have been knocked back a number of times and been told really nice things like "you are really appointable" but you know that really doesn't help. So this week I have been interviewed for a couple of positions that would allow me to work with our support staff and teaching staff together. I really like working in a team and one my professional traits, in my opinion anyway, is that I always try and keep everyone sweet. I haven't always been successful and I know of at least 1 teacher that I have failed at this with but I don't believe in the teaching/ support staff divide. I used the word superior in an interview and the reply was senior came back as a better suggested but really I refute both words. In

any industry, people need to work together in a team and people have different responsibilities. Some have a more decision making role and get paid for this. Other people are really happy not to have that responsibility and therefore don't get the same pay. I totally agree, but in a school or business you need everyone working together and I am a work with people kind of person not a work for kind of person. Teachers would find teaching really difficult if the support staff didn't come into work! So I will wait and see the outcome. So far I have labelled myself as a successful failure with interviews over the past few years so I wait and see what happens this week. I have got to the point where I the ounce of hope that you hang onto after an interview is rapidly becoming smaller and smaller.

I am going back to University and do a Masters in Education. I have been teaching for 6 years and I think it is about time I reflected on my practise and belief about education. I am planning on using my interest in educational technology which I have some responsibility for this year although it is quite a challenge moving anything along as it needs to be on someone else's agenda too.