I sat funny and trapped some wind...

and it REALLY hurts and I am burping like a trooper!

I have finally decided what I am going to do.

I am going to finish my diploma. Work shadow my learning mentor friend for a few weeks one day a week to get some experience of the role.

Then I can draught up a CV detailing my qualifications and experience.

If no learning mentor jobs come up, I will look for (and eventually GET) a job as a TA to be doing in the meantime, so I can gain further 'on the job' experience of working with young children.

I will continue to do this until I find a post as a learning mentor.

I believe this will make me happier than being a teacher would, because I'd be focused more on helping the children who really need it. Those that are struggling, disadvantaged, etc. I think I'd find it really rewarding. And I don't think I'd be selling myself short doing it either, as there are opportunities within the role to progress, to work with others in the community providing for children as a team, and to even become the manager of a team of mentors if I wanted to. There's plenty of opportunity there, however I think the more 'simple' role of working with the children would make me happiest, but knowing that there's chance to progress further to a more managerial sort of role if ever I felt I needed a further challenge is good to know.

:)

Finally I'm getting somewhere!