Once again my blogging has been sporadic, a few setbacks in the PGCE route has added even more worries and tick boxes to my increasingly long ToDo list.
MMU and Manchester felt, to my frustration, that my personal statement showed insufficient commitment to teaching:

Through the study of literature, I have come to believe that young minds can truly be positively influenced. The written word has proved Mankind’s most powerful instrument; It has catalysed wars, built religions, philosophise, professed emotion and document history. With archives of knowledge and thought at our disposal, we only need the right tools and attitudes to learn their lessons.
It has been said that there are no new thoughts, but what really matters is our connection to the ideas and developments of our past and our ability to take that knowledge and use it to better ourselves as individuals. I can think of no profession more rewarding than one centred on encouraging these beliefs in the youths who will shape our society’s future.
In my final High School year I did work experience at a local primary school where I helped in lessons, specifically with reading, spelling, and arithmetic. By teaching these children as individuals and being open and approachable, I was able to build a rapport and engage them with learning, making the experience of helping a child overcome a learning barrier extremely rewarding. I learnt that it was these skills I wished to build upon, and by teaching at a Secondary School level, I could engage students and guide them to appreciate a subject that could both enlighten their philosophic ideals and practically aid their literary ability.
At university I felt most passionately about the ‘Romantic’ and ‘Enlightenment’ movements. The connection between the principles of each taught me that the oppositional can be balancing, and that it is important to have a firm grasp on both of their ideals to know and appreciate the world. I believe that if unformed minds connect to and enjoy the fruits of these periods it will enable a stronger sense of self knowledge so crucial in the years of adolescence.
I feel I have shown confidence in the field of literature with contributions to my college newspaper and performing public readings for the local church community. While at college I proved to be a strong team leader by organising a college book club. At university I was crowned ‘Miss Student Manchester’ in the ‘Miss Student UK’ regional finals: a pageant that rewarded intelligence as well as charisma, and my success was due to hard work, personal organisation, extensive campaigning and the ability to connect to my peers.
Volunteer work for our ‘University People and Planet’ project improved my skills of lateral thinking, as I tried to find exciting ways to generate enthusiasm for the cause. I did this through organising competitions and events, and as a result, I taught many First year students the importance of ecological awareness.
I have always maintained a strong work ethic, and have enjoyed a variety of jobs while studying. My focus has mainly been in retail, where customer service was a priority, and the need to communicate daily with strangers built my confidence and presentational skills. I have also worked in the galleries at the Manchester Museum, where I supervised displays, answered questions from the public, and welcomed visitors - skills that transfer directly to the teaching profession.
I have always felt passionately about the acquisition of knowledge, and it is for this reason that I wish to become a teacher. My desire to learn has pushed me to become motivated and driven, and it is within the field of English Literature that I have taken the majority of my lessons. The assessment of ideas has taught me empathy and understanding. Studying thoughts on great beauty and human emotion has taught me passion and idealism. Learning of mankind’s historical flaws and vices has grounded me with reality and the desire for change. I owe the qualities that would make me an excellent teacher to the subject I wish to teach.

So, these next few months will be hectic to say the least, as alternate routes will also require an ability to drive, and as yet I only have a provisional license. So these will be the main stresses of the first half of 2011:

* Complete an amazing dissertation
* Do well in my remaining modules
* Graduate
* Look into alternative teaching routes, and arrange suitable experience and an exemplary application.
* Learn to drive, pass my theory, pass my test
* Save money to buy a car/pay for insurance,tax, etc
* Look for somewhere to live, come May

Bernard's Watch would be amazing right about now.