Autumn

It's looking like the beginning of Autumn is here, my absolute favourite season! Crisp mornings, bright sunny days and cosy night in. September is a month that makes me rather nervous, knowing reality is soon to sink it. The day for me is Monday 29th September, the day my third year of University starts again and it is soon approaching...

 I woke up this morning rather early as I'd forgotten to close my blinds before I got in to bed, so the sunrise was my alarm clock today. After my morning cup of tea and a little This Morning, I opened the patio doors in to the garden taking a few pictures on my phone, which I'll scatter around this blog.

     

 The past few days have consisted of the same old tidying and cleaning the house whilst my family attend work and my sister Sixth Form, so nothing at all interesting to blog about. Other than the usual every day activities, I've been thinking about the fact I'm soon to return to University and in to my third year, which has flown by dramatically. To think that this time next year it will be my final year is beyond a crazy thought. I've had a lot of time to myself the past few weeks, a lot of thought about things I could have done better in my second year and what I need/should change for this year.

I would name myself an organised and driven person, but also one to arrive home after a long day involving lectures/placement and want to do nothing else but sleep which is not at all the attitude needed this time round. This I feel for myself needs to change because as my University years proceed...evidently the stress piles on like a tone of bricks! 

At University I'm studying Primary Teaching, therefore I have placements that progress in duration year after year. This year I have a lengthy twelve week placements that is split in to two - 6 weeks before Christmas and 6 weeks at the end of the school year. This I'm terrified about! Every year, a week before placement starts, you are given a school, a year group and a partner to be peered with in the classroom, but this year...it's just me. For the past two years I've had support when teaching lessons, having someone to help plan lessons with and help whilst the lessons commence, so the thought of it being just myself is rather daunting. But that is what I'm paying £9000 a year for, so I best enjoy it!! 

There isn't anything better thrilling than planning a lesson, delivering that lesson, the children having learnt something from your teaching and better still enjoying it. A feeling that cannot be explained in my eyes. It's what I spent hours upon hours planning for. 3am with my eyes half open typing up my planning sheets, yet to be woken by my alarm at 6:30am to start the day. 

Placement is such hard work but I wouldn't want to spend my time and energy in any other environment. Experiencing placement gives me the definition of the expression 'hard work pays off in the end'. I'm actually spending my 21st birthday this year in school as my placement falls over that period.

 Randomly..my Mum has always wanted to grow fruit and vegetables in her garden and since we moved house just over a year ago, this garden has become her little haven to experiment with.  She's growing tomatoes, strawberries, apples, plums and cherries! 

I hope to really enjoy my third year of University and not to let the work overload and surroundings of strange faces worry me too much. I have heard a thousand times that your years at University are the best years of your life so I plan to make it that way!

To end the blog, something that happened the other day and makes me giggle every time I watch it is this...

My boyfriends boss went on holiday for a week which entailed his beautiful and hilarious dog Alfie being left behind all alone, needing some company and TLC. Dan was to look after Alfie for around 4 days and bring him home, but since these days fell on a Thursday and Friday (days Dan is at work, working like a trooper), I was happily given Alfie to mind for the day. However, my family own two cats so my sister, myself and the little fluffy walking cloud named Alfie went on a very long walk around the local Pinewoods and this is what happened...

 The little fluffy cloud/bear fast asleep in my car, such a cutie pie. 

Hopefully see you soon Alfie :) 

Love J x