A lot has happened in the last wek or so. TAing is still going well - I'm feeling less tired at the end of this week, so I think I'm getting used to it! Some of the children have been very difficult this week, but I'm still enjoying it.

My other 'big thing' is that I have applied for a place on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP). It's an alternative route to the PGCE, where you're based in a school all year round, and basically learn 'on the job'. I've been attracted to that route since I first (re)considered teacher training, but thought that it was so hard to get a place on that I'd be better off concentrating my efforts on my PGCE application. However, my recent TAing has really boosted my confidence a huge amount.

Also, I received my pre-PGCE placement info from Southampton. I don't want to sound in any way like I think I know everything already, but most of the initial questions and tasks we have to carry out are really basic. I know I don't by any means know everything, but I do know some stuff, and I want to build on that rather than going straight back to the start. I know they have to aim it at people who might not have that much experience, to bring everyone up to the same level, but it made me think more about the content of the course, pricipally the 'masters level' side of it - essays and dissertations! I know I could cope with them, but in all honesty, I want to be a teacher, not a researcher/theorest! I'm a practical person, and I just want to get stuck in, learn as I go along as opposed to being pumped full of theory for an entire term before even entering a classroom (yes, I received my PGCE timetable too).

So, I looked online, and found a primary school about 5 miles away who were advertising for a KS1/2 GTP position... connected to the University of Southampton! I emailed the headteacher, who seemed very nice, and arranged to visit the school after the school day last Wednesday. Apart from a comedic/embarassing start where I couldn't open the main door and had to phone the office (turns out it opened inwards... so why have a handle on it?!) I enjoyed the visit very much. The school buildings and facilities were very impressive, as was the standard of work up on the walls. I'd sent in my application that morning (Wednesday was the closing date... yes, I was cuttint it fine!) and was told by the head that if I was called for interview, I'd hear by phone on Thursday. Thursday came and went, and I heard nothing, so I set about convincing myself that the PGCE route was oh so wonderful and amazing, and perfect for me. Then at breaktime on Friday I checked my mobile... and I had a voicemail from the school inviting me for interview... on Monday!

I was so happy to have heard from them, although I felt slightly strange at the same time, having spent the last 12 hours convincing myself that the PGCE was the way for me. But the more I think about it, the more I realise I would like to train in a school all the time. I'm looking forward to visiting on Monday - it's a whole day thing, so if nothing else it'll be interesting to spend a day in a different school. I'll spend the morning in classes, and the afternoon having a formal interview. GTP interviews are well-known for being infinitely more rigorous than PGCE ones, sdo I've started re-swotting up on everything I researched for my PGCE interview. Lukcily most of it is still there in my head, so I've been supplementing it with lots of GTP-specific info. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's surfing the net to find any useful info out there on any topic, so it's been going well. in fact, that's one thing that makes me think GTP is for me - you have to be an independent learner, and that I very definitely am.

So, by the end of next week, I'll know for sure which direction the next year of my life will be taking. It's kinda exciting!