Countdown's done...

...I'm now in full-time employment again! No, it wasn't quite as exciting as counting down to giving birth (Olga K!). It's my first teaching post. And since I've been back from the UK, I've been preparing for what seems like all hours. I heard the Captain say to his mum that I'd been on the computer lots but it'll all be finished soon. That was about 5 weeks ago! Not sure he really knows what's involved!

A friend of mine recently said, and I appreciate his honesty, that he cannot see me as a teacher and asked what I really dream of doing.

I take a lot of pictures that I always think I will do something with...put on a photography website, print for my wall, print for my friends' wall... but we don't have such a great printer, and I never get round to taking them to a shop, dubious (nervous?) of their quality and certainly the possibility of their sneaky editing. But I think it would have to be something along these lines...certainly something artistic.

Making a coffee table book was mentioned to me, I've made a few for friends and family but they've been just holiday snaps. Such a book has been done with Oman being the camera's subject, there were always photography books in the shops. Not sure I could offer anything different...although most books I have seen are descriptive of Oman as well as the pictures. I would just like the photos to tell a story.

I have a few of my photos on the walls in our house. I love looking at them as I walk past and I'm personally proud of them, a good photograph with the added benefit of memories within! But Hubby is my critic. When I see and hear his (rare) reaction that a photo has grabbed him then I know it's worth doing something with. His desktop is of one I took in Arisaig, Scotland. So the fact he has done that means it must have registered something! However, come to think of it this was where he used to go as a kid so maybe it's just a sentimental reaction!

I want one of my photos to take someone's breath away, with them envisaging it framed on their wall.

I've had a super career in meteorology (I would like to have done it a little longer but my path wasn't leading me that way, I guess). I seem to be rather complex...an Artistic Scientist or a Scientific Artist...still trying to answer that! But the release and calm I feel when being creative (whether it is sewing, painting or photography) is perfect. And needed. Hopefully this job will satiate this creative side, but there's still a 'what else' feeling...

...anyone else still trying to find their 'what else' ??

Just googled 'Scientific Artist' and the first site I found was http://www.scientificartist.com/ , first page had lots of photos of nature...it could have been taken from my photo albums! (still, iPhoto is down!).

However, I type in 'Artistic Scientist'...the first article's byline: Artistic tendencies linked to 'schizophrenia gene' (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).(http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17474-artistic-tendencies-linked-to-schizophrenia-gene.html

I think I'll go to bed now...!

UK trip update - day 6

Reading the UK papers today reaffirmed the fact that we are in a bit of a bubble in Oman. It is often said that you should give yourself a break from the news and all media etc for, say, a day a week to avoid the depression, oppression, gossip, hate, the general negativity of the majority of the news making the headlines…why not use this time to be positive and constructive…reconnect with the present (I’m a believer in this but often find myself with Al Jazeera on, or the Oman Times in front of me). We definitely have unintentionally broken that media habit since being in Oman. I think that contributes to the relaxed and calm lifestyle that we find ourselves in.

Anyway, one headline today in the UK tabloids:

‘red wine increases breast cancer risk’

…groan…I have not missed all this scaremongering whatsoEVER!!

I’m supping a glass of warm, rich Wolfblass now and intend to finish it with a flourish.

Big news…I’m starting new job in September. I haven’t been mentally ready really up intil now. I’ve been using and relishing the time for me, developing skills, doing things for me. I realised last year that I needed a creative release otherwise I get frustrated and pent up.

However, I am ready (am I????) now to work fulltime again and in my new profession. Going back to Albom’s book again; he wrote down something that his old professor told him.

“Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

I'm honestly quite nervous, a little anxious, worried my kids will lose out on my attention and patience. teaching can be hard work, draining, frustrating. But I need to take a check every now and then to remember what I am doing. Giving something back. Offering something. Contributing to the community. And where would we be without teachers.

Any stories of your favourite teachers, whether at school, college, in life in general?

If anyone is interested the book is called ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’, by Mitch Albom published by Anchor Books.


 

....Eh????

I couldn't think of a title that could sum up what's in it. It is more of a reconstruction of my reaction when I read the press release that prompted this entry.

I was going to use this entry as a bit of a rare rant about some of the protests here in Oman. One in particular, the students of Rustaq College for Applied Science want to be guaranteed jobs for them after graduation. This is the clincher, and I quote,

“Students of English and Arabic want to be employed as teachers when they graduate without being subjected to tests by the Ministry of Education.”

Not only that, they want the score needed to get a teacher’s job to be reduced from 6.5 to 5.

And they want the expat teachers to be replaced by Omani teachers.

Really? Have you sat the test? No, right, OK, no problem, yes I’m sure it’s absolutely fine to teach not having been monitored. Maybe the English system should do away with all the monitoring, skills tests and NQT/QTS registering….there’d be no shortage of teachers then. Not good, conscientious, aware, determined, genuine ones, but hey ho.

I was going to vent my disbelief and anger that this is what they are demanding – what kind of example is that to set to their future students? This particular group seem to want things to fall into their lap (as are many other groups of protesters, am I right?) and have it made easy for them by having the pass mark reduced, and in English and Arabic, no test at all.

Is there any wonder that schools here employ expat teachers….? What happened to striving for what you want, seeing how far you can push yourself and developing and demonstrating the motivation to continue studying, learning and self-developing even when you become a teacher AND as a result, the rewards that come for having the impetus to do all this as well as showing to your pupils what you can achieve when you make the bloody effort to try. I can just imagine lazy and apathetic teachers in the future here…

This could have gone on for the whole page but in light of the current natural state of the world I really haven’t got the energy and I’ve gone on too long as it is. And quite frankly getting a bit cross is putting negative words and energy back in the world and it doesn’t need any more of that…