Grief can make you seem like an idiot!

The death of two family members had me thinking . . .

It's so curious: one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses. ~Colette


Sorrow you can hold, however desolating, if nobody speaks to you. If they speak, you break down. ~Bede Jarrett


While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till it be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it. ~Samuel Johnson

Sorrow makes us all children again - destroys all differences of intellect. The wisest know nothing. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A few happy piccies

Teaching - what is it: Part 1

It occurs to me that teaching is not just about academia but also about how one fits into a community, society and a global family. Academia, even though it is important to me, is not the be all and end all of education. It is merely the assistant that aids understanding and acceptance. So a teachers job then is to facilitate learning, not only in the traditional three 'r's but also in regard to belonging and place in the world. To make sense of just 'being' who each individual is. Embrace the differences, acknowledge the uniqueness and accept that in one way or another we are all alike and interlinked but what's more, we all want basically the same things in life.

Teaching Practice 1 Completed

.. and what a joy it was.

An Associate who gave me free reign and trusted me with his class and passed me on everything.

A Visiting Lecturer who was complimentary about my skills.

Colleagues, students and peers who wanted to stay in touch after I completed TP.

Marvellous. If in doubt about embarking on a teacher training program - just 'do it'.

What's happening in the NZ job market?

Learn more about the labour market and trends of work in New Zealand, including information on living and working in the regions.

Labour market situation - September 2011

Here’s our take on the New Zealand labour market, including job areas that are growing and shrinking, and what’s likely to happen in the next year.

What are skill shortages?

Find out what skill and labour shortages mean, and how these affect your career opportunities.

Jobs in skill shortage

Find out what jobs are currently on Immigration New Zealand's long-term skill shortage list.

Major industries in New Zealand

Want to know which industries employ the most people in New Zealand? Find out here, along with information about the types of jobs each industry includes.

Who earns what?

Find out which job areas are the highest and lowest earners, how qualifications relate to earnings, and what industries have the highest and lowest-earning employees.

Mature workers in New Zealand

Mature workers – those aged between 45 and 64 – are expected to play an increasingly key role in the economy as the number of young people entering the workforce falls.

The future of work

Find out where the jobs will be in the future, and what skills and knowledge you'll need to do them.

A look at the labour market - then and now

Find out how the job market has changed over the past 40 to 50 years.

Weblink http://www2.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/whats-happening-in-the-job-market/

What are the chances of getting a teaching job in NZ?

What are the chances of getting a job?

Opportunities for secondary school teachers depend on what subjects you want to teach, and where you want to work.
Competition for positions is rising because:

• the number of vacancies for secondary school teachers has been dropping since 2008
• the number of school teachers leaving their jobs is at the lowest point in 10 years
• the number of secondary school teacher trainees graduating reached record highs in 2011.

Demand for teachers strongest in certain subjects and locations

Despite the increased competition for jobs, there are still shortages of teachers in some secondary subjects. Your chances of getting a job are also good if you're willing to teach at a school in a rural or low socio-economic area. New teachers who choose to teach in these types of schools are eligible for an extra annual payment under the Government's Voluntary Bonding Scheme.

Axe falls on Christchurch teacher jobs

Nearly 170 fulltime teacher jobs are being axed in Christchurch in the wake of the city's devastating earthquakes,  Education Minister Anne Tolley says.

Government funding for the equivalent of 167 fulltime teachers - or 4.5 per cent of Christchurch's 3690 work force - will be cut from next year as pupils have moved away from and within the city since the tremors, she said.

Tolley said 3500 pupils remain enrolled in schools outside the city and 1500 had moved to different schools within Christchurch.

The Government guaranteed to keep teacher numbers and school funding at pre-February 2011 levels until the end of this year.

"Students who have moved because of the earthquakes have not left the education system, and we are now effectively redistributing resources from one area to another, be that within the city, within the region or within New Zealand," she said.
"Staffing levels directly correlate to student numbers, and the 2012 teacher entitlements will reflect the change in enrolment patterns in the wake of the earthquake."

She said schools with falling rolls would see a reduction in staffing levels, while schools whose rolls had increased would have extra teachers.

Tolley said the cuts would not equate to 167 lost jobs as attrition and completed fixed-term contracts would "largely account" for losses.

Schools could also choose to make up for losses out of their operational budgets.
She said redundancy support of up to 40 school weeks salary could be available to permanent fulltime staff.

"As the movement of students and their families continues within Christchurch, we are continuing to face challenges about what the future of education provision will look like in the city," Tolley said.

"We will soon be announcing widespread consultation with communities and the education sector as we plan for the decades ahead to make sure that Christchurch students get the best possible education."

Mentos and Coke - Everyones favourite

An experiment for all ages