Back to University

So there may not be too much going on my blog, but behind the scenes is another story.

I recently made the monumental decision to return to university to study a masters of teaching!

My goal is to become a high school teacher of humanities and literature, and or work in curriculum design and education innovation and to continue to write for youth and children.

This week I will hand my first year essay in on the topic of ‘behaviour management. ‘We have been learning about the movement from traditional discipline to management to engagement, and the power of evidence based research to inform teacher practice, amongst other things, over the last few weeks.

I love popping into the class discussions online, and attending our collaborates as well. Some brilliant people are changing their professions, and will be taking some amazing life experiences and a diversity of cultural backgrounds into classrooms. Wish us all well will you!

University writing of the academic kind is a different kind of writing from my poetry and creative blogs. Involving, introduction – body- conclusion type structures and TEELS (topic sentences, examples, explanations and links) and the joys of APA referencing, and peer reviewed citation. Every assertion needs professional substantiation.

Reading peer review articles on topics of ‘antibullying’, ‘teaching pedagogies of social justice’ and the power and disempowerment from discourses at first was feeling difficult, but then it became more and more interesting.

I am loving it!

My novel is about to move into its third draft, and I will be back onto that soon. I went to a brilliant masterclass with Karen Foxlee, and rest assured inspired by authors like Karen, I will ever give up on my writing dreams. I will carve out ‘a fortress of time’ to work on my books as well.

Many authors have more than one job, and writing isn’t always the paying one.

Whilst I may miss having a day I fully control what I do in terms of reading and writing, the new horizons of educational research are just brilliant!

This week one goal is to write some poetry inspired by the power of the research in education and the amazing people who are revolutionizing this field, and creating brilliant teachers through their work.

And to make it back into the world of my novel and have a daily meeting time with that novel!

I’ve managed to book myself into a writing conference in July, and also have a poem inspired by guinea pigs and nursery rhymes that has made its way into an anthology.

And whilst all this is going on I have also managed to catch up with some friends, and see some amazing Indian dance at a friends dance school concert, and say prayers in the park for strength and humanity. Nature is such a solace and our neighbourhood is full of magpie bird song. So pretty!

I am aware that many people in the world are suffering, and think of how the power of stories and education can make a difference.

I have a special project under wraps at moment, which I hope will be part of this process.

Time to go, have another essay to work on! The life of a student!

Be well, keep writing, keep dreaming, and caring.

Yours Truly,

June