Sunday 7 July 2013

STS - Pick Your Precious - Miss Sparks

Welcome to another Story Telling Sunday hosted by Sian at High In The Sky.  I've not been able to join in as much as I would have liked for this year's story idea of Pick Your Precious, but something on Sian's blog earlier in the week reminded me of this little lady and I felt compelled to post.


Allow me to introduce Miss Sparks (geddit?) who represents teachers in a little dragon world invented by an old colleague of mine.  Kay was a SENCO (Special Needs Coordinator) in the primary school that I worked at as a Teaching Assistant but she also wrote books about dragons for children and made models of her characters and created other crafts to sell alongside them.  I lost touch with her many years ago so I have no idea if she is still teaching or writing but I happen to know that she is still creating these lovely dragons.

I came by Miss Sparks when I left the school to return to full time parenting.  I had gone back to work after having Louis but I hadn't really settled.  After a few months my child minder decided to have her own family and we had the potential hassle of finding someone else to cover me for a job I no longer felt comfortable in.  It was never a financial decision; the way TAs are paid mean't that I was actually paying more for childcare than I was earning, so it was a bit of a no brainer really and I decided to leave.  Kay had been really supportive since I went back and was disappointed to lose me from the team as I had been excited about training to become a Higher Level TA and one day get my PGCE and become a teacher.  When she gave me Miss Sparks, she said it was to remind me of my promise to her to return to teaching in some form in the future.

Nearly 6 years on and with my second child, my baby girl, about to start school in September, I have thought a lot about my future and what I want to do.  Everyone expects people to go back to work once their children are in school full time.  Education has changed so much since I last worked though and there are rumblings of phasing out TAs.  The economic situation means the market for primary teachers has been flooded even more than before and competition for training places is intense.  I still want to be around for my children if they are ill or on holidays or inset days and I want to be involved in their school lives.  I've recently become a Parent Governor and I like to attend any events at the school such as sports days and concerts etc.  I'm hoping to help out come October too.  As for what I do at home, well there is still my writing which I hope to devote more time to and perhaps start to put feelers out to get published and of course there is my crafting which keeps me busy but obviously doesn't make me much money!

I am of course teaching my own children every day and Louis is now on the Gifted and Talented register for Science and Literacy and received straight 3s in his Key Stage 1 SATS, so I'm rather proud of that!  So we shall see how things go, but in the meantime I can look at Miss Sparks and I am reminded of my desire to encourage learning in children, perhaps to teach, and hope that Kay understands.  It is a reminder of a really challenging and changing time in my life and I love her even though one of the children broke her tail years ago...

Have you got something precious that has a story attached?  Share it with others across the world in Story Telling Sunday.

Bye for now
xx

17 comments:

  1. so nice Lisa-jane, to be given a gift that links so utterly from your past to your present and still reminds you of your personal ambition, whatever form it takes. it may be common, but it's not compulsory to return to work, if you don't have to, it's a marvellous opportunity to develop yourself whilst nurturing your family, and I'd say you've seized the oportunity!

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  2. A lovely story. I would say that you definitely are teaching, unfortunately you are just not being paid for it. I love my teaching job but I would stay at home if I could afford to. And I feel it is more important for me to be around for the kids now they are both at school than when they were babies and could be fed and changed by any competent childminder

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  3. What I love about this so much is that the photo has drawn out your thoughts and helped you to tell a seriously good story with a lot to it. We faced the same thing..my job didn't pay enough so that made it easier for me to decide to stay at home and though it turned out to be every bit as challenging as doing both, I wouldn't have missed it. A great story!

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  4. I feel very sad that 'mothering' is not highly valued in our society. I know only too well the look that passes over someone's face when you tell them you are a SAHM and they ask, "How old did you say your children were again?" There have been many times when I wished I had a grown up job, but I know I am doing my very best for my own special children and so are you xx

    PS I love Miss Sparks!

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  5. What a great story - and I love how you have lnked your past and future together in this tale of Miss Sparks. I worked in Education for the latter part of my working life - - teachers are born, not made in my opinion - and you and you are definitely a teacher - just not getting paid for it in monetary terms. The most important teaching job in the world is teaching your own children - and it seems to me you are doing a great job of it so far! Good luck with all your goals and dreams! J x

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  6. Miss Sparks is seriously cute. I understand the dilemma of staying home or going out to work - it was why I ended up working at home so I could be here. I think it is a challenging and important job - I'm sure your decision would be understood :)

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  7. I taught for 37 years, and loved it. Looking back on it now, if I had to choose a time to stay home with my kids it would be when they were older. Enjoy every minute of your time at home!

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  8. Being a mother is the most important job EVER. Everything else has to follow on from it so if a child doesn't get good parenting - from a stay at home or working mother - then the teaching that follows has to be very intense or fail the child. What teacher has the time to be that intense with any pupil? so teaching teenagers to be good parents should be on the curriculum otherwise the cycle of deprivation will continue ....
    sorry I'll step down off the soap box now. I just really believe that people can be taught to be good parents and if more people were taught then......... sorry, sorry.

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  9. Many thanks for sharing x
    I have faced a similar dilemma ,whether to stay at work & care for my kids, I know I made the right choice for me even though people always seem to give me their opinion on the subject!

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  10. Great story! Thanks for sharing. It's difficult to decide between children and a career. You're doing the most amazing job and you're teaching your children. Lucky them! xoxo from France

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  11. Miss Sparks is so cute! It is a difficult choice to make, sometimes I think you feel guilty no matter which path you take :)

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  12. Love Miss Sparks.

    If I had the choice I would definitely stay at home and I agree with the above that I feel that more keenly as they get older. I get a lot out of working but not as much as when I do something with a child and they have learned a life lesson. So my advice would be to stay home and look after them all. x

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  13. I had 7 years in all at home and although work does get in the way of everything i think i'd like to do I am glad that i went back...only three days a week though. A nice balance for me. you will find a way, your way...oh how cute is miss sparks x

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  14. I returned to work after my kids were all in school. Strange that your story should be on this subject as it has been on my mind for the past few weeks. If I could roll back the clock I wouldn't have done it. I stopped work after the three years I had committed to were up and stayed at home again. But circumstances changed and I became the bread winner a year later. In some ways I wish I had got my teaching degree like I had originally intended instead of working, as I would now be able to work something closer to school hours. It is such a difficult decision to make as our children are so very precious. I love your little teacher dragon :)

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  15. Thanks for letting me know the picture was missing on my blog post. It's there now!

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  16. Miss Sparks is lovely and I can see that she has made you have a real think about what to do now x

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  17. I've been a working mother all throughout and let me assure you there is bias the other direction too - some people seem to think I put my personal goals ahead of my kids without knowing anything about our circumstances. I became a "Work From Home" mom when my younger two were ten and that was definitely a good compromise. And I agree with Karen - they need you home way more when they are teens!

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