Patience...

...is a virtue I need to cultivate.
It's really frustrating to have to wait months to start doing the course.

Two days after I heard I was offered a place I finally came down from my 'high' and started to worry. I had got my letter telling me that I needed to do three weeks work experience - what if I couldn't get the time off work? My other half made some jokey comment about them not being a 'real' DRB because they asked for a deposit for using their online community and then I started worrying that I should have not accept and gone with my original choice of DRB.
What if they choose a school for me in Bedford? That's just too far to go on a daily basis!

I rang the admin people and checked that the work experience didn't need doing in a block (it doesn't so I can take it during times I would normally have taken off for child care reasons). Just need to approach my boss and beg nicely for the unpaid leave.

Then I start worrying about stupid things - at the moment I have every Friday off which means I can take my kids to school. I really enjoy that time and I shan't have it when I'm teaching.
What about my son's sport's day and school play? Will I forever miss them now, having time off during term time is really hard as a teacher, so I've heard. How can I bear to miss my 5 yr old's school plays? That would be really hard.

Eventually I realised I was worrying over nothing (or not much).
I got an email from the DRB (in response to my own) saying they would place me in a school in the area of my choice. Hurrah. I realised that although I would miss the Fridays, I would have the whole weekend (I work Sunday so I can have Friday off) with the kids, and school hols too. And even if I miss my boy's school play this year, then once I'm teaching properly I'm sure they can't be so mean as to deny an afternoon off for something like a school play. And even if they are that mean, I'll have to find a way round it somehow.

Back to being excited again!

And now I have to wait, wait, wait. Arghh.
I've decided to read as much as I can and use my time in a constructive manner.
The 'Achieving QTS' books look pretty good so I've ordered some from eBay.
'Beginning Teaching, Beginning Learning' also looks really good, so I've eBayed that too.
And 'Insider's Guide For New Teachers' by Sara Bubb.

I'm watching Teacher's TV (on the internet - http://www.teachers.tv/- on a regular basis as it's full of really useful stuff, and makes me feel like I'm doing classroom observations while sitting at home!

I've always known that I don't like maths and I'm not great at it so I've decided to focus on improving my mental maths. This means learning my times tables. I didn't learnt them at school, and I've discovered that you are incredibly hampered when attempting mental calculations if you don't know your tables!!
So. www.mathsisfun.com/tables.html and http://www.teachingtables.co.uk/

I wish they'd tell me which school I'm going to be in.

Apparently in April or May I'll have to do some sort of Training Entry Profile (I did one to support my application) which shows where my strengths are and which standards I already meet or partly meet so they can draw up a training plan.
That's when I get my login info for the online community type thing where I can talk to others doing the GTP and do some activities. Can't wait.