h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We were discussing shyness several weeks ago. There was a study purporting a genetic link to shyness.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/928738.asp?0sl=-13

Ah yes - you're right Witty - I had completely forgotten - in one ear and out the other - or in one eye and out the other considering I read about it? *deep in thought*

Oh, and don't worry about changing the subject stinkywigfiddle - we tend to do that a lot here!

No need to apoligise for changing the subject here, we do it all the time. I understand what you mean about the shyness. It took me a while (about a year to be honest) to move from Peer Review, where it's easy to think of things to say, to random convresations... shyness is an odd thing. I'm not really shy in real life though I used to be a lot.

Re: the aformentioned wedding...
I did have a thing for the bride in Saturday's wedding. However it was a bit fleeting, though it did stand for inspiration for me to start writing again. It had been about three years since I had done any real writting when i wrote that piece.

Yes there was some mild pain of loss at that wedding, but there also was joy at seeing two people so completely in love. I was honoured to be there.


Just got back from a very Murphy boating trip. The slumlord and I went boating with a number of friends and loose aquaintences. It was good to get out of the valley, but the boating part of the trip was a comedy (or perhaps tragedy) of errors. The boat is now unusable and I am quite reddened from teh sun. I nearly crashed a number of times as I was drifting into a zombie state on teh drive home. That was the result of being awakened at 0400 and not being able to get back to sleep.

The only thing that is keeping me up at the moment is a sheer desire to stay awake for when MR drops by this evening on her way home from Montana.

That's all for now, I will try to describe the boating trip in greater detail when I am actually able to read write spell construct sentences etc...

[Amy]

Hello stinkywigfiddle, a fine name

I know I really should go to the gym this morning, but I'm even less keen than usual. Perhaps I could go for a walk instead, later.

I've been to see the . My liver has mended itself .

I'm off to the gym later on this morning .

That is good news, Amy

Now I feel guilty and as I have my gym gear on, I might as well make the effort.

That really *is* good news, Amy. Livers are important things...

B

Well that is good news, Amy. And a big hi to the new people

I've just done something stupid. I'm trying to find out about PGCE courses, cos I want to come back to Britain, and if I do I'd like to teach in real schools. And one of the things I'm trying to find out is if I can teach English rather than History (which is what my degree is in). To this end, I've just sent off some emails, but of course, I send off one to the place I'm most interested in first, and what do I notice as soon as I press the send button? Not one but two typos in the sentence I added hastily at the end. Not perhaps the best first impression when I'm trying to convince people I can teach English, eh? And it would have to be my favourite place, wouldn't it? And one of the typos would have to be more of a spelling mistake, wouldn't it? *bangs head on nearest hard surface*

Oddly enough, I am working as an Administrator for Post-Grad teaching courses, Sol.

They are wary of letting you loose on secondary school children in a subject other than your degree subject, and you would have to demonstrate considerable subject knowledge. Are you teaching English at the moment? That sort of information would help.

If you are considering teaching in Primary schools, then they aren't too worried about the actuall subject of your first degreee.

There are a variety of routes into teaching, and one is to do a Graduate Teacher Programme, which is basically structured on the job training in a school. It involves a lot of self-study on top of a full days' teaching though, and is not an easy option, though the funding is better. You don't have to repay the money you get for a GTP, but PGCEs are funded using a mix of grants and student loans, and you have to repay the loan element. It is also more complex to organise, because you are sponsored and paid by a specific school, and it is massively easier all round if you can get the school organised first. The GTP is a tough option though, and has a higher drop-out rate.

I will post the relevant websites here, when I have got into work.

If you want to email me, send an email to [email protected], and I will email you back from work, probably tomorrow though.

B

Ooooh, I shall be peppering you with questions, I'm sure, Ben. I'll send you an email. And I'm always open to more links, though, my goodness, I'm finding research through the Internet a pain. I am a person who naturally prefers to sit on the floor with lots of books and bits of paper and notepads spread out around me. The 'favourites' and lots of windows open just doesn't quite cut it.

Include your RL addy, and I'll get some literature posted out to you.

B

I went to the gym, now I want so it is just as well there isn't any!

Sol, can you re-send those emails to the work address that I replied to? My mailbox at work was full, and it bounced the mails when I forwarded them.

B

Okeydokey. Actually, I just got a reply from the one where I messed up and she seemed to think I would be eligible, particularly as I do have A level English. Which is actually a bad thing, as now I have to choose. Of course, I'm not sure how I feel about 'most probably will be considered.' I guess it depends how early I get my foot in the door, and how good everyone else is. And if I manage to impress them with more spelling mistakes...

I *think* with the GTP you need to have accredited qualifications in the subject you are teaching. I'm about to take on a potential GTP for September and there's been some difficulty with the fact that the subject needs to be taught over 2 Key Stages and my subject is KS5 only so they're going to have to teach a sceond subject.

You need to have GCSE Maths and English grade C or equivelant. For Primary teaching I think you'll need to prove that you have GCSE Science or equivelant as well.

The TTA is the agency you need to get all information from. http://www.canteach.gov.uk/

I'm glad you're better, Amy.

I'm off to Springfield this morning to look at portable classrooms. The warehouse we were going to use for our temporary building will cost too mush to get it in shape for public access. So, we'll store most of our stuff there, put a portable building next to it to let the public in to make requests and go back and forth to retrieve things. I'll be able to have a few items in the portable building - new books and a small children's collection, genealogy, and 6 public access computers.

There goes my day off. That happens a lot. On the up side, I can take time when I really need it - like health problems without anyone getting bent out of shape. I just write a request slip, initial it, give it back to myself, and I'm done.

Congratulations to Amy's liver for fixing it's self, that's a good thing.

Sol, good luck with the teaching, - I won't pretend to know anything about it - mind if I ask why you're moving back to blighty?

Hypatia, I'm sorry about the move it sounds like a awful lot of work.

Teaching websites? I got 'em!

Teacher Training Agency
http://www.canteach.gov.uk

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
http://www.qca.org.uk

National Curriculum
http://www.nc.uk.net

DfES
http://www.dfes.gov.uk

The Standards Site
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk

National Grid for Learning
http://www.ngfl.gov.uk

TeacherNet
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk

Enjoy!

B