And a new year begins...

Looking back on my first entries in this blog, I'm amazed at how positively optimistic I sounded...and how much things have changed this year.

I guess you could say 2008 gave me a reality check. I still know that I love teaching, but I now know there are limits to that love. For example, I do NOT love teaching rude and unfocussed little monsters who make it their mission to make my life miserable - let's say 95% of the kids I currently "teach". I DO, however, love teaching normal/sane classes (or even the slightly crazy classes I had back in Canada)...and the occasional lovely kids that somehow crop up in one of my nightmare classes. So, am I in the right profession? I still think the answer is yes. I remain convinced that, given my own regular class and the authority and responsibility that comes along with that, I'd be quite a happy teacher. Doubtless, I still love kids and, hey, any job that involves working with them is a pretty good one in my book.

Seriously though, supply teaching is bad. Very, very bad. Not only for all of reasons mentioned throughout this blog, but also because a supply teacher can basically choose when he or she wants to work. Bad. EVIL. I know most of you are shaking your heads in disbelief, telling yourselves that I'm crazy. After all, what can be bad about the opportunity to wake up in the morning and decide that, for whatever reason (Rain? Slight headache? Exhaustion? Desire to do something that's easier to do on a weekday afternoon? Sheer laziness?), you don't want to go to work. PRECISELY THAT, especially when you're someone who hates your job and can always think of a reason in the morning why you don't want to go to work :). I blame it on London...and the monstrous kids. Always blame it on the kids!

In all seriousness though, I suppose it's a credit to London that I can always think of something I want to do here. I mean, where else in the world does a typical day involve grabbing the tube on the way home from work and, en route, deciding you'll stop off at St Paul's or Westminster Cathedral for a service, simply because the tube line you're on passes that way. And then taking the bus home along Fleet Street, past Trafalgar Square (where it's more than likely that some sort of odd art exhibition/protest/display is taking place), and through Piccadilly and Oxford Circuses while, the whole time, you're trying to decide if you want to hop off before your destination to get a cheap last minute ticket to a play or musical, or browse through the shops on Oxford Street? In which other city can popping into a world-class museum be a totally free, spur of the moment whim that comes upon you as you stroll past, rather than a planned production? As you can tell, I still love it here! :)

I had a good time at home in Toronto over the holidays, though. Didn't really do anything in particular, but got a chance to sleep in a bed (YAY!), see snow again, watch TV, relax, spend lots of time with my family, and EAT! I still can't quite believe how much I managed to eat while I was home...

Anyway, enough rambling. Just wanted to let you all know I'm still alive - there just hasn't been much going on recently, apart from preparing to move this weekend! Pix to follow soon :).