BEDN prompt for today:
Yes Moments are those tiny moments when life has complete clarity, meaning or certainty. Yes Moments can be life-changing or life-affirming. Yes Moments are about celebrating the little daily victories. Yes Moments are about recognising just how far you've come. Tell us what Yes Moments mean to you.
Well, that's a bit of a deep question after no-break-Wednesday!
One particular 'Yes' moment in my life was the day I decided to become a teacher. This was a huge moment because 2-3 years prior, I had adamantly stated that I would not become a teacher. I had come back from my study in Indonesia realising I now faced that age old perennial question that students the world over must face when that final essay is handed in for their degree and the results go up on the wall: "WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE?". Up until that point, the world and the path is mapped out. I had managed to postpone the horrid moment due to my extra scholarship year in Bali. But now, it was crunch time. I was advised to 'Do a PGCE to get it under your belt' on several fronts but I was horrified. My words were something along the lines of: "I definitely don't want to be a teacher. You should only do a PGCE and be a teacher if you really want to do it. Otherwise, I would make an awful teacher and I don't want to do that!". I was always quite firm on the subject. I was offered some teaching opportunities but still I declined though I did do some deputising for my old University lecturer/teacher of Gamelan.
About that time in my life, another big yes (and no) moment arose. I broke up with my then, long-term boyfriend (the no) and became a Christian (the yes). It was a HUGE deal for me becoming a Christian and it changed my life. The world suddenly seemed to have hope, new possibilities, clarity, hope, an aim and a great love!
I spent those first few post-Bali months temping and applying for music-admin jobs. It was around February of 2004 that I got my job at the Royal Academy of Music. Life was great! I was so happy to be working at such a world-renowned institution. For all my life, it had been held in high-esteem as the very best place to study music and to think that I had a job there!!
It was in the summer, having moved into a new job at the Academy (I was covering Maternity leave originally) that I first started gaining exposure to working with children. In my job, I helped organise educational projects, learning music animateur skills and taking part in some projects. At the same time, I was invited at church, to help take a kids club for 7-10 year olds. Somehow, I had changed and I wasn't so afraid to have anything to do with children. Before, it had been quite the opposite. Sometime then, I started to think about primary teaching. It came upon me so gradually, that I hardly know when it began.
Suddenly, that vehment "No!" was becoming a "Yes!" all by itself and it was strange but curiously liberating and exciting. It was also extremely daunting but I somehow knew it was right! All those bricks were coming together. Simultaneously, two friends, blog friend Rach and my friend Kathy were also training at the time I started to think about it and they were enormously helpful in my decisions and deliberating and preparing. Even getting school experience was one of those amazing bricks that came at the right time. My Mum happened to see a teacher at my current school, who she knew and mentioned I was thinking about teaching and wanted some experience. She offered to speak to her head-teacher and was as good as her word. The head phoned and said that of course I was welcome to come for a week and so it began.
I spent a wonderful week at my school and was inspired and particularly was impressed by two teachers (one of whom is our Maths Coordinator and the one who helped me move so many of my belongings recently). The head kindly said to stay in touch and indeed, I went back to play for their Christmas production in the adult band. I spent another week there just before applying for the PGCE. Somehow, I was accepted at the Institute of Education, a really great place to study and gave up my admin job to become a teacher. And as luck would have it, I managed to get a job at that school I had grown so fond of in the space of a week despite receiving 2 other job offers and having 2 other heads phone me up after accepting. The way all those bricks fell into place was truly astounding and if, in 2003, you had told me I would be a teacher, I would have laughed in your face. I have spent 6 happy years at my school and though there are hard moments, I couldn't feel more lucky and priveleged to be where I am, in the situation I am in. It just took saying yes, bit by bit, to each of those thoughts, steps and questions.
I'd love to know about any monumentous 'Yes' decision you'd made?