Not so long ago I submitted a post describing the feelings that are aroused during my tattoo sessions. However due to other commitments and other activities, I completely forgot to update it. So a month has passed since my last tattoo was coloured in and I believe I am ready to describe that experience to you.
My most recent visit to the tattoo parlour was interesting to say the least. I had the outline done back in February/March time so this venture was simply to complete the design. Yes I can hear you guys saying 'get to the good stuff instead of rambling' but hey I need to set the scene. I don't remember much of the actual sitting to begin with, as I was running straight off my adrenaline. But then all of a sudden new feelings had been awoken within me. I had finally remembered why I liked getting tattooed.
I could feel the ink gun sketch across my shoulder, in the most sensual way ever. It was like having someone using their fingers to stroke your back. If you are like me, then any way someone touches my back is arousing, so having someone mark me with their ink takes it to a whole new level. At some points in the sitting I could feel a painful burn, but that was subdued when the combination of hands and ink took over my body.
Now just because it feels erotic for me to get a tattoo, it doesn't mean that I will be covering my body any time soon. I would happily let someone take a pen and draw over my body and that would be enough. It is simply more about letting someone have the power to decide what goes onto my body and how they display their art is more sensual to me than the tattoo itself.
Don't get me wrong, I love my tattoos and each of them mean something to me, but if someone asked if they could draw on me I would be even happier.
Otherwordly
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Nossa, nossa. Assim você me mata (PG rated version)
Ai, se eu te pego
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Sitting in the bar, writing these words, I feel like I am almost home. Loud words pounding in my ears, the bass vibrating through my body. Peace. After the day I have endured, the noise and familiarity was welcomed. Today made me look at the cracks in my life and fill them with something new (and not poly-filler as my dad would say to me). New friends, a new career, a new home in the UAE. Well maybe after I get used to the fact that my parents are not here to hold my hand and guide me through life.
At this moment in time a band is playing, well playing mainstream music that I dislike (actually when I have had a few drinks I find myself singing along to anything). However my music opinion aside, the sound that they produce is rather great. In fact they may have introduced me to a song I had never heard of before; the title of this post actually.
With a Bacardi Breezer in one hand and my pen in the other, I am set for the night. To do this sort of writing, the freeing of my emotions and the letting go of what is inside of me, I have left two of my friends outside to drink their vodka. Is it socially acceptable to be all emo and write in a bar when I could do this at home where it is comfortable and warm. To be honest with you all, I am actually quite introvert. The best moments of my life have been when I succumb to the isolation of my own company. I would apologise for the rambling but currently the guitar riffs I hear are trying to help my body lose control, and I need to be careful before I start writing some x-rated story. Yeah that has happened before, but for now lets focus on the band.
Right now it appears to be someone's birthday and the band is getting the whole crowd involved. Scenes like this warm the heart. The song choices are amazing (yes I know I said they were mainstream) and they have also chosen songs that make you stop and think "oh wow. I haven't heard that song in a while". Then all of a sudden your body develops a mind of its own; first the tapping of the foot, then the rhythmic leg bounce and before you know it, your body is upon the dance-floor moving with a spirit so free that it is contagious to everyone around begins to dance -or if you are like me then your are looking like you are having some sort of fit. Ok, back to the band. See, I digress rather easily.
The band is named Diesel, and they are actually a group that can play. I have seen my acts before in local bars and pubs and the song choices are more cheesy kareoke than entertainment. Yet Diesel manages to avoid this and create an atmosphere that is so electric, the rhythm of the music can be felt throughout your body, racing through your veins and hitting your soul in all the right places.
You just have to let go and let the music run through you.
Natasha, or Tash as some people call her, is one of the vocalists. She has a beautiful voice and definitely knows how to start a party in style. Let say girls, she has the best sense of style I have seen in a long time. Though lets not take that away from the amazing voice she has. For someone to vary their style of singing the way she does, is incredible. The moves on that girl in heels whilst she is singing are simple but they capture the attention of both men and women in the room.
Next there is Patrick, another vocalist who looks almost like Bruce Willis. He reminds me of a man with a young boy's soul-so full of life and the ability to range his songs from those before my birth to things like Macklemore's Thrift-Shop. That has got to be a skill.
We also have present a guitarist called Thomas and the bass player named Dean. The way those guys capture your attention through the riffs is astounding. The way they move their fingers...in fact I cannot say what I want to say cause it would be highly indecent and inappropriate for such a review. Though the coordinated outfits would make any woman's hormones go crazy.
Finally we have the drummer - Marcus. You can see the talent in the sounds he produces and the emotions showing on his face. The sound made creates a new version of the song taking it from cheesy pop to almost rock-like and alternative. The way he hits those drums a girl could only imagine. Ok lets try to get this back on to topic before the tone will turn into something completely and unintentionally dirty.
The band look like they actually belong together; like pieces of a jigsaw they fall into the correct place. They also remind me of a snowflake. So unique and beautiful, yet they create a masterpiece when placed next to each other. When you look at a masterpiece, it sometimes brings you close to tears. That is your soul letting you know that you should grasp this moment with both hands and treasure it. That is what the audience should feel when they are in the presence of Diesel. A moment never to forget. Each moment so unique.
I could continue to write this piece for as long as I wanted too, but I could never give the band enough attention and justice they deserve. So I shall end this note rocking out to Linkin Park and ironically it didn't really matter that I was some girl sitting in the corner of a bar writing this. In the end this me. This is the music. This is Diesel.
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Sitting in the bar, writing these words, I feel like I am almost home. Loud words pounding in my ears, the bass vibrating through my body. Peace. After the day I have endured, the noise and familiarity was welcomed. Today made me look at the cracks in my life and fill them with something new (and not poly-filler as my dad would say to me). New friends, a new career, a new home in the UAE. Well maybe after I get used to the fact that my parents are not here to hold my hand and guide me through life.
At this moment in time a band is playing, well playing mainstream music that I dislike (actually when I have had a few drinks I find myself singing along to anything). However my music opinion aside, the sound that they produce is rather great. In fact they may have introduced me to a song I had never heard of before; the title of this post actually.
With a Bacardi Breezer in one hand and my pen in the other, I am set for the night. To do this sort of writing, the freeing of my emotions and the letting go of what is inside of me, I have left two of my friends outside to drink their vodka. Is it socially acceptable to be all emo and write in a bar when I could do this at home where it is comfortable and warm. To be honest with you all, I am actually quite introvert. The best moments of my life have been when I succumb to the isolation of my own company. I would apologise for the rambling but currently the guitar riffs I hear are trying to help my body lose control, and I need to be careful before I start writing some x-rated story. Yeah that has happened before, but for now lets focus on the band.
Right now it appears to be someone's birthday and the band is getting the whole crowd involved. Scenes like this warm the heart. The song choices are amazing (yes I know I said they were mainstream) and they have also chosen songs that make you stop and think "oh wow. I haven't heard that song in a while". Then all of a sudden your body develops a mind of its own; first the tapping of the foot, then the rhythmic leg bounce and before you know it, your body is upon the dance-floor moving with a spirit so free that it is contagious to everyone around begins to dance -or if you are like me then your are looking like you are having some sort of fit. Ok, back to the band. See, I digress rather easily.
The band is named Diesel, and they are actually a group that can play. I have seen my acts before in local bars and pubs and the song choices are more cheesy kareoke than entertainment. Yet Diesel manages to avoid this and create an atmosphere that is so electric, the rhythm of the music can be felt throughout your body, racing through your veins and hitting your soul in all the right places.
You just have to let go and let the music run through you.
Natasha, or Tash as some people call her, is one of the vocalists. She has a beautiful voice and definitely knows how to start a party in style. Let say girls, she has the best sense of style I have seen in a long time. Though lets not take that away from the amazing voice she has. For someone to vary their style of singing the way she does, is incredible. The moves on that girl in heels whilst she is singing are simple but they capture the attention of both men and women in the room.
Next there is Patrick, another vocalist who looks almost like Bruce Willis. He reminds me of a man with a young boy's soul-so full of life and the ability to range his songs from those before my birth to things like Macklemore's Thrift-Shop. That has got to be a skill.
We also have present a guitarist called Thomas and the bass player named Dean. The way those guys capture your attention through the riffs is astounding. The way they move their fingers...in fact I cannot say what I want to say cause it would be highly indecent and inappropriate for such a review. Though the coordinated outfits would make any woman's hormones go crazy.
Finally we have the drummer - Marcus. You can see the talent in the sounds he produces and the emotions showing on his face. The sound made creates a new version of the song taking it from cheesy pop to almost rock-like and alternative. The way he hits those drums a girl could only imagine. Ok lets try to get this back on to topic before the tone will turn into something completely and unintentionally dirty.
The band look like they actually belong together; like pieces of a jigsaw they fall into the correct place. They also remind me of a snowflake. So unique and beautiful, yet they create a masterpiece when placed next to each other. When you look at a masterpiece, it sometimes brings you close to tears. That is your soul letting you know that you should grasp this moment with both hands and treasure it. That is what the audience should feel when they are in the presence of Diesel. A moment never to forget. Each moment so unique.
I could continue to write this piece for as long as I wanted too, but I could never give the band enough attention and justice they deserve. So I shall end this note rocking out to Linkin Park and ironically it didn't really matter that I was some girl sitting in the corner of a bar writing this. In the end this me. This is the music. This is Diesel.
Ai, se eu te pego,
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, se eu te pego,
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, se eu te pego,
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, se eu te pego,
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, se eu te pego,Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, se eu te pego,
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, se eu te pego,
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
Ai, ai, se eu te pego
Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/ai-se-eu-te-pego-ah-when-i-get-my-hands-you.html#F770Ovgbk6jU2Upy.99
15.10.13
It has been roughly one month and a half since I arrived in Al Ain, and my life has done a complete 360 multiple of times. So lets begin where I left off in my last post which happened to be the first night in my new home. Well what happened after that was simply more than your average emotional roller-coaster.
I decided to a bit of shopping whilst I waited for a fellow UK-er to arrive. This was to be my first grocery trip and what an experience it was. I had no idea what to buy except from water, milk and bread. Do I buy frozen food? But if I do how will I cook it with no actual oven in my room? Do I try and keep away from chocolates and buy fruit instead? Questions were running through my head million miles a second. Though one question was the most important of all...how the heck do I get to the shopping centre? Luckily the accommodation managers had left a get-started kit which included maps to all of the local shops. I decided to take the most uncommon mode of transport someone in the UAE would use to get there - by foot. It was rare for anyone to walk anywhere never mind a female on her own; and I wasn't surprised as to why. The traffic was horrendous and everyone stared at you like you had grown an extra set of arms and legs and had five eyes. Everyone who walked had an immediate neon sign pointing to them saying "look at me I'm walking. Please beep your horn at me and shout random words at me".
I finally managed to make it to Jimi Mall, Al Ain, and I felt at piece. I must have spent roughly about 3 hours in the supermarket itself.
I don't want to be talking about what I did ever second of everyday as have just I realised how much space talking about the supermarket trip had actually taken up. So I will move quickly on to the beginning of the first day at School.
Well the first week was simply a CPD week where I felt like I was actually back at school. You found out who were the nicest people, the ones who liked the sound of their voices and the ones you had to avoid. I had it figured out after about the first day. The second week came and the school had decided to push back the starting date for the children, which for me was a good thing. I wasn't totally ready to teach. Yet after the second week of no children I was getting more anxious as the seconds ticked by. I had a full two weeks of lessons prepared.
Finally the day arrived and I was not expecting the day to go the way it day - or the following weeks for that matter either. Now I do not want to put the exact details about what happened during the days at the school in case this gets into the wrong hands, but lets just say structure, communication, organisation and safety are not the strongest points. One can certainly say there is a lot of spirit there though.
Through all the tears and the tantrums (and that's just from me), I can safely say that some of the children are starting to understand that I am not going anywhere and I will not give up on them - which is what looks like happened to the majority of them last year.
I will end this post on a high note. Though my personal life has hit an all time low, some of my children know how to put a smile on my face. With all the stickers, little messages on scrap pieces of paper and the on bouquet of flowers I received, these children have a lot of happiness in them and I will do whatever it takes to let them shine and grow in wonderful people.
I decided to a bit of shopping whilst I waited for a fellow UK-er to arrive. This was to be my first grocery trip and what an experience it was. I had no idea what to buy except from water, milk and bread. Do I buy frozen food? But if I do how will I cook it with no actual oven in my room? Do I try and keep away from chocolates and buy fruit instead? Questions were running through my head million miles a second. Though one question was the most important of all...how the heck do I get to the shopping centre? Luckily the accommodation managers had left a get-started kit which included maps to all of the local shops. I decided to take the most uncommon mode of transport someone in the UAE would use to get there - by foot. It was rare for anyone to walk anywhere never mind a female on her own; and I wasn't surprised as to why. The traffic was horrendous and everyone stared at you like you had grown an extra set of arms and legs and had five eyes. Everyone who walked had an immediate neon sign pointing to them saying "look at me I'm walking. Please beep your horn at me and shout random words at me".
I finally managed to make it to Jimi Mall, Al Ain, and I felt at piece. I must have spent roughly about 3 hours in the supermarket itself.
I don't want to be talking about what I did ever second of everyday as have just I realised how much space talking about the supermarket trip had actually taken up. So I will move quickly on to the beginning of the first day at School.
Well the first week was simply a CPD week where I felt like I was actually back at school. You found out who were the nicest people, the ones who liked the sound of their voices and the ones you had to avoid. I had it figured out after about the first day. The second week came and the school had decided to push back the starting date for the children, which for me was a good thing. I wasn't totally ready to teach. Yet after the second week of no children I was getting more anxious as the seconds ticked by. I had a full two weeks of lessons prepared.
Finally the day arrived and I was not expecting the day to go the way it day - or the following weeks for that matter either. Now I do not want to put the exact details about what happened during the days at the school in case this gets into the wrong hands, but lets just say structure, communication, organisation and safety are not the strongest points. One can certainly say there is a lot of spirit there though.
Through all the tears and the tantrums (and that's just from me), I can safely say that some of the children are starting to understand that I am not going anywhere and I will not give up on them - which is what looks like happened to the majority of them last year.
I will end this post on a high note. Though my personal life has hit an all time low, some of my children know how to put a smile on my face. With all the stickers, little messages on scrap pieces of paper and the on bouquet of flowers I received, these children have a lot of happiness in them and I will do whatever it takes to let them shine and grow in wonderful people.
Sunday, 1 September 2013
29.08.2013
This was the day that would forever change my life.
I didn’t get much sleep the night before – which is quite
normal when you are anxious for the upcoming events. I woke up on the Thursday
roughly about six am feeling fine. Getting dressed, finishing off my packing,
making sure I had everything and still my stomach was fine. Things were looking
good.
My uncle decided he was driving my mother, grandfather and I
to the airport. This was the first time we had a sort of outing together in a
family; what a time to do it. The journey to Newcastle International was
pleasant enough. The family laughing and chatting away to each other, getting
lost even when using the Sat Nav, everything was great.
Shortly afterwards, we were there. It started to rain. The
rain appeared as soon as we hit the airport and I took that as an omen for what
was going to happen; a bad omen. Since I had checked in online and printed out
my boarding pass already it seemed like everything was going my way. My
checked/cabin luggage weighed under the limit, my visa passed through ok and
soon enough I received my flight ticket. Seat 26C on board the Emirates
aircraft – a seat I had chosen myself.
I said goodbyes to my family just before the security check,
making sure I didn’t cry in front of the family. I’m quite positive that if I
cried, I would back out and head home. Getting my passport ready, I could feel
my heart starting to beat out of my chest. It would appear that my nerves had
finally arrived. Even the Security officer had noticed on my ‘flushed’
appearance. I explained that I hadn’t flown
in five years and in return I received a sympathetic look. This was where my
bad luck decided to shine.
Reaching the luggage control, I placed my items into the
given trays. I even made sure that my laptop was screened separately, my coat
pockets were empty and my jewellery was removed. Time for the scanner, and of
course it decided to beep as I walked through. All I could think of was
fabulous. All I heard after was ‘please remove your shoes and watch’. Watch. Of
course I left my watch on. Five minutes later the female officer had decided I
had been frisked enough and let me through and it was time to collect my
belongings. I quickly tried to repack my cabin bag squeezing everything in, and
then I realised ‘where was my phone at?’ I searched through my bag, my pockets and to
no avail it wasn’t there. Luckily a security officer had found it still in the
tray that someone else had put back.
Finally, after a shaky start, I headed through to the
departure section of the airport. I found my flight on the screens dotted
around and saw that I had plenty of time to relax, to chill out. I headed
towards an empty seat and munched on the sandwiches I had made earlier that
day. As much as I wanted to feel relaxed, my mind simply wouldn’t let me. My
hands were all shaky and sweaty. My stomach all twisted and knotted. My heart
exploding in my chest was the final straw. I headed round to the entrance of
the departure gates and rang my mum. I had five minutes to go and even she
wasn’t enough of a comfort to me.
Flight EK036 to Dubai is now boarding at gate 26.
Making my way down the stairs, my nerves were reaching an
all-time high. Alone, scared, nervous – not a good combination. Then a tear
escaped. Not now. Please don’t cry in
front of all these people I told myself.
After what felt like a long moment in time, my seat number was called.
This was it; time to get on that plane. As soon as I hit the fresh air, more
tears made their way down my cheek. I wanted to run back inside. Did I have to fly? I hated flying to
begin with, but when flying with family it was almost easier. Here I had no-one
and I was to be sat beside two strangers. I finally made it up the wobbly steps
to the plane and to my seat; the tears had finally subsided. For how long though? I tried to focus on
the screen in front of me, and even that seemed to mock me. Since technology
had improved, the aircraft designers thought that they would install cameras
around the outside of the plane so the passengers could watch the world pass
by.
13.35 and it was time to take
off. Well soon as the plane was moved into position on the runway, I broke
down. I quietly cried into my scarf trying to disguise my emotions. It must
have been more obvious than I thought as one air hostess tried to give me a
reassuring smile from the other side of the plane, and one male cabin crew put
his hand on my shoulder and asked ‘Are
you okay honey’. I simply nodded my head. It was all I could manage without
screaming ‘get me off this plane!’
Newcastle airport started to
speed past as the plan made its way up in the air. My stomach dropped as I
realised there was no going back now. The stranger next to me patted my on the
arm and said ‘it’s okay, you will be
fine’. I explained the situation I
was in and suddenly I felt fine. Sure the nervousness of flying was there, but
every word the lady next to me had said reassured me.
Seven hours had finally gone by
and it was time to land. I didn’t cry much on the way back down to the ground,
but as the wheels hit the runaway I panicked. I remember all the previous
landings I had ever been a part of but not once was there a screech of the
wheels hitting the tarmac and the plane swaying to one side. You could actually
feel the plane tip slightly as the pilot tried to steady its balance. I would be grateful when my feet would feel
the ground again.
Skipping ahead a few minutes of
getting lost, I made my way towards passport control. Half an hour later it was
my turn for my passport to be checked. Due to the nature of my eye-sight I have
to wear glasses, but it was clear this was inappropriate for me to do at this
moment in time. To make sure the person in the passport was definitely me, I
had to remove the glasses and have my face run a smart facial recognition programme.
The officer stamped my visa and my passport and I was on my way. Just as I
entered terminal 5 at baggage claim, I saw my suitcase make its way around the
carousel. The timing couldn’t be any more perfect. And as luck would have it, the bad luck came
flying through.
I had been told previously that a
member of staff would be collecting me from the airport, but what they had
failed to mention was where he/she would be meeting me exactly. Well after two
hours of searching, crying, stressing and panicking I found my name amongst the
crowd. The person definitely was not happy to see me. ‘Two hours I wait for you’. I just apologised and said I got lost.
What more could I do. Turn back the time? The journey from Dubai International
to my accommodation was unpleasant and scary. The driver was a maniac –
swerving on the roads, nearly swiping the sides of other cars and driving with
no hands sometimes. I sure felt like my time was up and I was to die on the
roads of the UAE.
Ninety minutes later I had
arrived at Madar School Accommodation. It was 4am before I reached room 116. I
was happy just to have a bed at that moment in time. Locking the door behind
and dumping my suitcase in the middle of the floor, I collapsed on the bed.
That was enough for one night.
Monday, 26 August 2013
It's only the beginning
You see there's no real ending
It's only the beginning
So this is it. The wait has dwindled down from three months to just three days. Three more sunrises and it will be time. Time to start my new beginning. A new life in a new city, a new country, a new continent. But where did this all begin?
A year ago I decided to put all my career options into a hat and let the fates decide my path. The options ranged from being an editor to a teacher. The latter became the answer. After submitting a personal statement and going through all the difficulties of UCAS once again, deciding which universities to apply for and what aspect of teaching I wanted to do, I received an unconditional offer from the University of Teesside. Of course I had to attend an interview, which wasn't all that stressful, but I accepted the offer. It seemed almost too perfect. A few months later I was opening my letter saying that I had been given a place on the PGCE PC/ET course starting in September 2012. This was it. The start of a new career path.
It was here that I found that it was too good to be true. Not in the sense that it was a scam or anything negative, but my bad luck decided to rear its' ugly head. It took until December for my placement to be sorted out, others had been sorted months before hand. So after countless security checks I was finally ready to start putting what I had learned so far into practice. However January 9th saw another setback to my teacher training. A last minute decision to celebrate my new placement happened to include an emergency trip to the a&e. It turned out I had broken my foot. This caused another six week delay to reaching my 100 hour target.
Yet after all this I didn't give up. I had to keep my spirits up and achieve something. And I did. 102.4 hours later I had finally reached the target. I completed all the assignments and everything else that was asked of me. Though there was one more thing I had to do - find a job. So I applied to a local teaching agency ready to start work as a supply teacher. One day fate decided to step in and through me in a different direction. Overseas Teaching.
This was not something I considered at all. Yes, I had fantasies of living in Australia or somewhere in America; but they were only fantasies. A particular agency in the UK was advertising a range of positions across the globe, and suddenly I found my fingers clicking away on the laptop applying for the advertised roles. Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, UAE. It would be the UAE that would change my life. For better or worse, I cannot say. After all the interviews, communication breakdowns and endless researching, I finally became a English teacher to Grade 3 and Grade 4 pupils attending a private school in Al Ain, UAE.
This is my beginning. I finally enter my new life on Thursday 29th August 2013. It will be here where I will post my ups and downs, my adventures, my mishaps.
It's only the beginning
So this is it. The wait has dwindled down from three months to just three days. Three more sunrises and it will be time. Time to start my new beginning. A new life in a new city, a new country, a new continent. But where did this all begin?
A year ago I decided to put all my career options into a hat and let the fates decide my path. The options ranged from being an editor to a teacher. The latter became the answer. After submitting a personal statement and going through all the difficulties of UCAS once again, deciding which universities to apply for and what aspect of teaching I wanted to do, I received an unconditional offer from the University of Teesside. Of course I had to attend an interview, which wasn't all that stressful, but I accepted the offer. It seemed almost too perfect. A few months later I was opening my letter saying that I had been given a place on the PGCE PC/ET course starting in September 2012. This was it. The start of a new career path.
It was here that I found that it was too good to be true. Not in the sense that it was a scam or anything negative, but my bad luck decided to rear its' ugly head. It took until December for my placement to be sorted out, others had been sorted months before hand. So after countless security checks I was finally ready to start putting what I had learned so far into practice. However January 9th saw another setback to my teacher training. A last minute decision to celebrate my new placement happened to include an emergency trip to the a&e. It turned out I had broken my foot. This caused another six week delay to reaching my 100 hour target.
Yet after all this I didn't give up. I had to keep my spirits up and achieve something. And I did. 102.4 hours later I had finally reached the target. I completed all the assignments and everything else that was asked of me. Though there was one more thing I had to do - find a job. So I applied to a local teaching agency ready to start work as a supply teacher. One day fate decided to step in and through me in a different direction. Overseas Teaching.
This was not something I considered at all. Yes, I had fantasies of living in Australia or somewhere in America; but they were only fantasies. A particular agency in the UK was advertising a range of positions across the globe, and suddenly I found my fingers clicking away on the laptop applying for the advertised roles. Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, UAE. It would be the UAE that would change my life. For better or worse, I cannot say. After all the interviews, communication breakdowns and endless researching, I finally became a English teacher to Grade 3 and Grade 4 pupils attending a private school in Al Ain, UAE.
This is my beginning. I finally enter my new life on Thursday 29th August 2013. It will be here where I will post my ups and downs, my adventures, my mishaps.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
The end of one teaching experience....
One
day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.
"Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to
go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
(Lewis
Carroll, Alice in
Wonderland)
Education allows every individual to create their own paths in life;
whether that’s to explore themselves as a person, extend their knowledge and
wisdom, or even help develop a career that they would like.
Teacher Professionalism:
Professionalism, in any aspect of teaching, is a critical
component of education. Professionalism, to me, means a commitment to teaching my
subject knowledge to others and presenting what is best for the learners. It
also means having the right skills and attitudes modelled for the learners – to
be a positive role in their education. By having the right attitude to
teaching, I can take more risks with lessons and make changes that will improve
the learning. I have also learnt that flexibility is the key to being
professional. As I was unable to teach
my specialist subject, English Literature, I had to adapt to teach Functional
Skills Literacy instead. Here I did encounter problems and mistakes within my
teaching of this subject, but my experience helped me overcome this issue.
Teaching a different subject helped me to be resilient and adaptable when such
problems did arise.
My teaching experience also helped me to develop a
professional attitude to treating all students fairly and look for the best in
my learners. The learning environment showed me how focusing on the strengths
rather than their criminal record helped remove bias and prejudice from myself
and other learners. This also
strengthened my ability to follow through on disciplinary methods for the more
disruptive learners.
Teacher Values:
My values of teaching have changed throughout the
experience I have been given. At first, I thought teaching was about being
knowledgeable about the subject I teach; however, you must have the ability to
communicate to pass on that knowledge. Communication here relates to the
concept that teachers must be able to connect with the learners, and keep them
interested in every session that occurs. Yet it is not just the learners you
need to communicate with, it’s communicating your thoughts and feelings with
other members of staff to help develop yourself as a teacher.
I also believe that trust and confidence are important in
teacher values. My mentor has helped me with this aspect as my learning
environment required a high level of trust and confidence in the learners. I
was only allowed to share information told to me by the learners when it threatened the
safety of the learners and myself. However I must understand both the learners’
educational and emotional need regardless of their criminal background.
Another value that has been shaped by my experience is my
level of organisation and more pressure has been placed upon me due to the
nature of the learning environment. The learners’ work has to be marked
promptly as no work is to leave the learning environment for their own safety
and maintaining their ILPS at the end of the session was a difficulty. As a
trainee teacher my lesson plans had to be created well in advance and any
resources had to be sent to the deputy leader for system checks. This developed
my ability to create lessons that were simple, practical and achievable for the
learners and the focus was only on them.
As a result my mentor at my learning environment helped
in the shaping of my teacher values. By sharing my thoughts and reflecting at
the end of every session, I was developing as a more professional teacher all
the time. Here teamwork by all the members off staff, and my tutor at the
university, provided me with tips to control, manage and inspire the learners
and the sharing of resources; this increased my level of confidence in teaching
and make me realise you do not have to be alone in the learning
environment.
Motivating and Engaging Learners:
I
cannot pinpoint the exact moment were I finally managed to motivate and engage
all learners at the same time; it was simply a case of trial and error. This
was due to the churn factor of new learners and the leaving of old learners.
However, one way to overcome this problem was to embed a multiple of teaching
resources that took into consideration the needs of every individual; for
example one typical lesson would use activities on the smart-board to allow
group work, and the learners would develop their skills by using comprehension
tasks and worksheets which allowed for individual or paired help. By employing different
teaching methods in each session meant that the students were constantly
challenged, but were allowed to complete the work at their own pace to achieve
more than their potential.
One
thing I did learn from this was patience; some days the mixing of resources
worked whereas other days, simple tasks were the key. By taking into the
consideration of the learners' needs in a more active way, I asked the learners
how they preferred to learn. This meant that they played a more solid role in
their learning. However, I finally realise that it is not always possible to
produce creative lessons in such an environment due to the issue of
safeguarding the individuals; i.e. competitive tasks normally resulted in
learners being disruptive and physical. Yet it is possible to produce these
tasks in small quantities and not reuse the resources over again and the
session would still be effective.
Teaching Experience:
Throughout
my teaching at HMP Durham Prison, I have found it most challenging in terms of
its preparation for lessons. Unlike other educational institutions, everything
I prepare has to be checked for the safety of the learners and me. Yet I managed to overcome this by using many
online resources such as the SkillsWorkshop, BBC Skillswise, and even the Online English Dictionary. These
resources were simple to modify and adapt to each session, and the learners
took to the tasks straight away without a problem. Marking work was also a
problem within the environment. I had to learn to create assessment tasks that
could be marked within the sessions and would still provide an opportunity to
provide feedback for the learners.
A
typical day would consist of new learners stating they did not want to be in
this class, that it was ‘useless’ to them. I learnt to take these comments in
stride, and found a way to encourage the learners to stay in education. By
acting more than a teacher to them, and actually listening to what they had to
say the learners began to trust my teaching methods and turned up to the
following session the week after when I was teaching. Many had said that their
school ‘teacher did not care’ about the individual and their learning, and
began to appreciate that I went out of my way to include them all the time.
This also showed me how much learners rely on praise subconsciously. John
Wooden once said that:
“Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make
the biggest difference.”
Throughout
the two and three hour sessions I taught that learners seemed to enjoy the
lesson more when they were praised on their achievement. However I made sure not to
over-praise as it would appear that I was being condescending to some. The
effect of my praise towards the learners seemed to carry on beyond the
classroom doors. This showed exactly how communication “must also depend on how
interested in other people we really are”.
“When you study great teachers... you will
learn much more from their caring and hard work than from their style.”
I believe that without my mentor and my tutor showing
how they invest in what the students actually say then I would not be able to
create an environment where learners would feel like they can walk away saying
that they have actually enjoyed the lesson and that they have learnt something. I hope with everything that I have learnt over the year, I will pass on to my students. I know that obstacles will stand in my way, but that will make my career choice more exciting.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
For 'twas not into my ear you whispered but into my heart.
'Twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul
-Judy Garland
So today has included a mixture of feelings: love, lust, hate and fear. So where to begin? This post will only focus on love and lust as the other two emotions are too raw to write about now.
Love:
Well, to be honest, love is a strong word that I shouldn't be using right now. I would say its more confusing than anything else. Dreams do crazy things to ones head. They make you think of things that you would never have thought of before. I was perfectly fine before I started dreaming. Perhaps I'm only attracted to the person in my dreams and not the person in reality. Whatever it is, it will not go away. Every night consists of the same dream. Right down to the nitty gritty details. This does lead us on to the next emotion - lust. Here, I will simply re-post a poem that sums it all up
Lust:
-Judy Garland
So today has included a mixture of feelings: love, lust, hate and fear. So where to begin? This post will only focus on love and lust as the other two emotions are too raw to write about now.
Love:
Well, to be honest, love is a strong word that I shouldn't be using right now. I would say its more confusing than anything else. Dreams do crazy things to ones head. They make you think of things that you would never have thought of before. I was perfectly fine before I started dreaming. Perhaps I'm only attracted to the person in my dreams and not the person in reality. Whatever it is, it will not go away. Every night consists of the same dream. Right down to the nitty gritty details. This does lead us on to the next emotion - lust. Here, I will simply re-post a poem that sums it all up
Lust:
The gazing of ocean blue against earthly brown,
Velvet whispers, lips he does caress.
A soft embrace, his hand ascends towards her crown.
Brush of her hair, a sweetly placed kiss,
Heart against heart, soul against soul, one they become.
He soaks in his wonderful beauty.
Actions of love envelop her unclothed bosom,
A swift taste of her fresh honey.
One look up at the angel; she begs for mercy,
The promise of his love forever.
Succumbing to his advance, she gives him the key.
They key to her heart and her forever.
The feeling of both bodies, the sound of heaven –
The melody of peace, joy and love.
The perfect fit for her cherished garden,
The perfect fit of his heightened touch.
Collapsing back to earth, the lovers revel in each other’s sight
Each other’s wings of security
He sends his spoken truth to his mate, gives their love the gift of flight
To soar higher than other love for all eternity.
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