Update on my career investigations...

I defintely want to be a learning mentor. It sounds excellent!

I don't however want to do a 3 year degree. I already have a degree, even though it's in an irrelevant subject. But because I do have that, I can do a masters degree (1 year) in Learning and Teaching :-0 ! It won't cost as much money (or TIME! which is just as precious lol).

In order to do so, I'll need a job in a school. Unfortunately, the spanner in the works is that learning mentor jobs are hard to come by. My friend is one, and she was a TA first for a while- so here's my plan of action:

Complete my diploma in childcare and education. Set up a time when I can visit my friend in her school (maybe one day a week or something) where she works as a learning mentor, and work shadow her. That way, I can put down on my CV that I've had some experience as a learning mentor assistant.

Get a job as a TA. Going to ask the headteacher at the school where I've volunteered the past 5+ years if she would consider creating a vacancy for me. If not, I'll do everything I can to find one somewhere else.

Apply for the MA- I think it's a working practice based course so you need to have a job in a school first, so I might not be able to apply until I have a job, but fingers crossed if the head is willing to give me one, I might get one soon or if not this school year, I could at least say I WILL have one by September.

Keep my eyes open for a learning mentor position. If I'm doing an MA I will stand out above other candidates so give myself more chance of getting the role. Plus, the learning I will do whilst doing the MA will add to my skills and confidence.

I might be 27, it might have taken me a LONG time, it might have been a rocky road of fear, self doubt, sickness and indecision but finally, now AT LAST I know what I want to do. So now I can start making the steps to get there and DO IT!! :D