A Long, Productive Saturday

Well, here I am after a very long Saturday wondering why I'm still up when I've got another early day tomorrow. Well, of course the answer is that once you commit to blogging then you've got to find the time to do it....so this is the time I've got...midnight on a Saturday night. I was up and out to catch a 7.30am train this morning to take me across Scotland to an all-day Support for Learning Teachers' Conference. For those of you who may not know, as a Learning Support teacher I don't have my own class; I pull kids who are struggling with Reading, Writing and Math out of their classes and work with them in small groups. To be honest, it's a generally under-appreciated job in Scottish schools, and going to a conference solely for Learning Support teachers was really enriching. There were three speakers, two of whom were very informative and one of whom was fantastically motivational. I left with a renewed sense of being able to conquer the unconquerable. She gave us very practical ways of not only coping with stress but turning negative emotions and thoughts into positive ones. I know it all sounds a bit "self-help section of Barnes & Noble" but it was EXACTLY what I needed. It is incredible just how stressful teaching can be!!!

After my long journey back to St Andrews I got to spend the evening with a group of lovely ladies celebrating the near-arrival of a baby. I was reminded once again just how valuable these women are to me and how difficult it will be to say goodbye to them when we finish here this summer. Something that was pointed out to me rather than something I noticed myself was that I was the only woman at the baby shower tonight who didn't have kids (or one on the way). It's amazing how I instantly felt isolated like I didn't belong. Of course that wasn't what was intended by telling me this....but being the type of person I am, I felt like an outcast. In fact, I've figured out that there are just three of us in the whole of the St Mary's Divinity School community who don't have kids, and I'm pretty sure one of the other two is trying. It's amazing the number of babies that pop out once people move here to study. I mean, I guess you can't really argue with the free health care and the midwives who frequently make home visits before and after the birth. All in all, I suppose Britain is a great place to have children, but it almost seems like a hobby over here. I suppose this could just be my normal, cynical self speaking....or am I secretly, subconsciously wishing I were one of them? Hmmm...