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"So what did you do today?"

You know the score. Wake up, go to work/school. Talk about games/tv shows/movies and then went home, played a game/read a book and went to bed.
That used to be me as well, until I started taking an interest in the world around me. Getting involved in protest, civil disobedience, writing to MPs, trying to do something to change what I percieve to be an unjust, corrupt, inherently stupid society.
I've had endless arguments on here with people about war/politics/life and then it hit me.

I realised that there was no point discussing how to change life with people over the internet. Especially arguing moralistic issues with people that do nothing except write messages and preen like self-satisfied peacocks.

And I was just as bad.
I've raged against stupidity/television/illiteracy amongst young users with txt speak/general monginess of most people/lack of interest in the world.
And I went home to read/play video games and that was about it.
Come to work, post crap here about why the world sucks, smoke and tell rubbish jokes.
And then it hit me.
Despite my words here, despite arguing with Bell etc about how to change this planet, despite writing to try and affect change around me, trying to bring immoral and unjust situations to people's attentions, I still come to work, drink my coffee, smoke and stare out of the window.
And then it hit me.
I wasn't actually doing anything to change my world.

So I did. I carefully considered everything around me. My values, what I percieved as an idiot morass of people not interested in anything except their own homes. People stupid enough to read The Daily Mail and actually believe the hateful scaremongering they read inside. People stupid enough to think immigration is actually an issue instead of a smokescreen designed to keep you frightened and locked inside watching Eastenders.

I reached a point in my life, a convergence of emotions that forced me to re-evaluate my life. How I see things, what I believe in, how I feel about the things around me.
And it didn't sit well with me.
Despite my passion, despite my morals, despite my beliefs, I come to a nice boring job, create marketing presentations and sell stuff.
I sell things people don't need to make more money for people to spend on themselves.
That is not the way I wish to live my life, I cannot allow myself to wallow in self-important comfortableness, surrounded with nice shiny things and pontificate about the world around me.

It didn't feel right, I couldn't balance being aware of things wrong around me, yet continue to pursue my nice comfortable life and, ultimately, do nothing to affect change.

So what did I do yesterday?
I quit my job.
Handed my notice in and made choices that will make me feel like a better person.
I quit my boring, stupid marketing job and I'm going to teacher-training college to teach English.
I can't just sit by and watch this world deteriorate into a mindless scrum of tv-obsessed me-monkeys that think Shakespeare is "crap innit", think txt speak is acceptable, have no idea who Keats is, are unaware of the power of words and language.

I want to try, even if just one kid, to get them to realise they have entire worlds of imagination and passion inside them if they want to access it.
I want to get across to people that life is more than television/mortgages/soap operas/pop idol/heat magazine/tony blair.

I may fall on my ass, I may get tired of trying to do something positive but goddamnit, at least I'm going to try to do something.
I don't want a job where I sell useless products to people, I dont want a job that doesn't challenge me in any aspect whatsoever.
I don't want to argue morals with people that are unwilling to put their thoughts into action.

I've quit my nice job after 3 and a half years and, instead, I'm going to be a teacher.
Today is one of the most frightning/exciting days I can remember.
4 weeks left of meaningless work, then 2 years+ of learning/exams before I can tell myself that, finally, I'm doing more than trying to convince other people that there is more out there.

May be the best thing I've ever done, may be the biggest mistake I've ever made.
I'll let you know when I come out the other side. But one thing I do know?
I've had enough of sitting on my ass preaching about trying to change the world instead of actually getting out there and doing it.

There it is.

Ive just spent a long time reading every post in this thread, its been really interesting reading people's views on stuff.

Just to add;

I totally agree that job satisfaction comes first and everything else second, the best job I have ever had and will probably ever have was working with disadvantaged/ badly behaved children from very poor families, (the ones often referred to as little sh*ts in school)etc... the point is I was doing full time voluntary work and getting paid nothing for it...

the satisfaction of knowing that I had changed someones life for the better (in some cases simply getting them to have some fun, and a decent meal was an achievement), was immense.

I think Goaty you will find that teaching reaps massive rewards for you especially as you're going in after much deliberation, (as opposed to being a confused post A-level teenager)

"Id say goodluck but you shouldn't need it" <- Teacher quote...

Insane Bartender wrote:
> I've been temping for 3 and a half years myself. Little in the way of
> job security, but you can't argue with the pay.

Got to agree with that

Jackus wrote:
> Although this is strickly about the headmistress and vice-headmaster,
> there are some good teachers, but in most lessons they struggle like
> a Boeng 247 in a river of treacle in the face of the sheer moronity
> of this kid.

that's true - particularly when supply teachers are concerned. it's hard to concentrate and work if you're behind because of mongheads who make your seat a warzone with missiles, bullets and rubbers flying about...

I think the only subject I could ever teach is Music. I'd stick the loser kids in the small piano rooms and lock the doors. Then I'd get the rest of the kids to write a helicopter and telephone ring opus on their Casio keyboards. I'd be a great teacher.

I don't think that it will be the kids which are the downfall of someone who goes in to teaching as a way of changing the world.

I had similar visions, being able to show the kids something new about the world, to let them open their eyes to what really lies out there and to accept people for what they are.

In one of my classes there was the daughter of a White Witch, she got so much stick for her mother's choice of religion that you wondered whether it was worth it, but still that didn't bother me.

What bothered me is that, although the teacher is there at the front of the class, the government have overall control of what and how the teacher teaches their lesson. Ofsted inspectors appear in a puff of black smoke and purposely stride into the corner of the room with their dreaded clipboard, ticking and crossing as you take your lesson. The teachers have to write out plans for every lesson which take at least 3 parts of the curriculum guidelines in to each subject (and believe me, these will prevent you from doing anything that they don't want you to do). Just to be on the safe side though, the school and inspectors will require you to keep everything so that they can check your lesson plans and see what you are doing.

In addition to all this, the government will change their emphasis on teaching every few years. It may be fine to bring imagination and art in to every subject at one point, until they realise that they need Maths and English and you should provide these at every oportunity, until they change their mind and tell you Science is the key.

I'm still qualified to teach and could go back, maybe I would have found it better working in a private school? Who knows? Perhaps I could teach IT and English to college students. For now I'm stuck in my own job because it's one of the few that pays anything near the amount I need to pay for my mortgage and bills.

UrkiE-UK wrote:
> and my dad once told me a phrase that makes so much sense it's silly.
> he said to me "only the squeaky wheels get oiled".
> for example, kids on report at school might get a reward if they are
> 'good' throughout a few days. i listened in on an art teacher's conv.
> with a pupil, and she said, if you can be good for the whole week,
> you can have a choice between art pencils and chocolate. despicable.
> People like me, you and lots of others get nothing but stick and
> nastiness from other kids, and literally ZERO attention form our
> teachers. it's stupid that those brought up with impeccable work
> standards and manners get diddly-squat for what we do. the only light
> at the end of the tunnel we can see is that of high grades when the
> time comes for the GCSE exams...

In most cases It's the only way to get them to work quietly, if at all. I can understand that they would want to try and teach this kid, but there should be a limit, I.E MY education should not be jeopordised by a thirteen year old feckwit chucklehead because some pansy teachers can't just get rid of the little wankmonger.

Although this is strickly about the headmistress and vice-headmaster, there are some good teachers, but in most lessons they struggle like a Boeng 247 in a river of treacle in the face of the sheer moronity of this kid.

and my dad once told me a phrase that makes so much sense it's silly. he said to me "only the squeaky wheels get oiled".
for example, kids on report at school might get a reward if they are 'good' throughout a few days. i listened in on an art teacher's conv. with a pupil, and she said, if you can be good for the whole week, you can have a choice between art pencils and chocolate. despicable. People like me, you and lots of others get nothing but stick and nastiness from other kids, and literally ZERO attention form our teachers. it's stupid that those brought up with impeccable work standards and manners get diddly-squat for what we do. the only light at the end of the tunnel we can see is that of high grades when the time comes for the GCSE exams...

like in my post, 'kids...'. Other people have no order or awareness of other's emotions. i think they should be burgled THEMSELVES.....

Good luck. Although if the children in our school are anything to use as a standard, you might as well cripple yourself with an electric whisk for all the good you will do. There's a kid in my class who has no respect for teachers. No-one likes him, and he does nothing the teachers say. he upsets EVERY lesson, causing the entire class to fall behind. He has been like this for about three years, and he has not been expelled. I want to cripple HIM with an electric whisk.

"It's political correctness gone mad."

Something to fight against once a teacher;

Beckhams book has been added to the curriculum.

To ecourage boys to read.