Sighs of relief and sighs of despair

It is slightly ironic that I started this blog as a record of my progress / struggle through my PGDE year, yet I have been too busy to write in it!

However, I have breathed a huge sigh of relief after passing my final crit (I felt physically sick, that's how nervous I was), and now have only my school report, research project, assignment, presentation, final interview....to worry about, not forgetting all the lessons I still have to teach. It has truly been the quickest year of my life and I can't quite believe that I am nearly there.

I have also waved goodbye to my two tutees, who sit their respective exams on Friday. It feels like quite a responsibility; I was mostly in it for the money but I would hate them to fail!

I may as well get a rant out of the way while I'm here. Was it a shambles, a fiasco or a debacle? Or just evidence that we are a nation of simpletons? I'm referring of course to the staggering 140,000 spoiled ballot papers from last week's election. Not only did we all get a helpful leaflet posted to us well in advance, there were clear instructions on the wall of each booth and a lady asking every single voter if they wanted any assistance. What's not to understand?! It's like a Standard Grade candidate who doesn't read the question properly and complains that they have been unfairly penalised. Unbelievable.