Oh well, I applied for it...

[out in the cold]

Hi folks,

I am now having a wee self inflicted crisis of confidence.

For a few years now, I have wanted to be a guidance teacher. In a Scottish Secondary, this is the person who is responsible for the pupil's welfare, over and above that of their classroom teachers. It it a position with a lot of responsibility, basically to make sure that the kid is safe, happy in what they are doing and will get the support they need, and has no life barriers to achieving their potential. In Aberdeenshire Council, it also means that you give up teaching your own subject to look after this and teach Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE).

My current school have been very supportive so far, helping to broaden my experience of these matters and trusting me to look after around 220 kids in this way for the first term of this year. I really enjoyed this experience.

So much so, that when the school in the town where we lived advertised a Guidance job, I applied.

I now have an interview next Monday, and have to visit the school on Friday for a tour.

The amount of study which I am going to have to do between now and then is huge, to read up on the new school, policies and procedures, the documentation that supports curricular development and delivery, so on and so on. I am gonna have a busy week ahead of me.

I am also doubting myself, but the job across the street (literally about 300yds away with a brand new building to be put straight across the street from our house!) is a promotion and is an excellent school (like the one where I currently teach).

Do any of the other teachers on here have any advice they can give me?

[julesapple]

Sto Lat Academy, huh?

If you know your cabbages, you'll be fine.

Believe in yourself. It's just nerves - you will be FINE.

[WendyC]

I personally wouldn't want to teach that close to where I live. I like to keep the two sides of my life separate! However if it is a promotion and something you want to do then I'd go for it. Perhaps you'd need to establish early on that you don't discuss school matters out of school. I live about 5 miles from the town where my school is and we have adopted the "smile and wave" approach when we meet parents or children in town.
Good luck. Your heart will tell you what to do when you tour on Friday.

[out in the cold]

Thanks.

I really want the job, as it is the role I want to do.

I know kids who go to that school and have refereed their rugby teams a few times, as I am friendly with a teacher who works there (he will have applied, I think, as he did for the job I filled for a term at our school), and their kids are very like the ones who go to our school.

I have also been working with the PT Maths there, developing resources for the authority to support the new "National" courses which replace Standard Grades next year, and I get on well with her too.

My main reservations are the proximity, and the likelihood of meeting parents out of school and so on. I guess the flip side of that is saving around 350-400 quid per month in diesel

I kinda feel that my own department PT, and the Deputy Head that are helping me to get to the stage of the interview would feel let down if I don't get it, so am maybe feeling the pressure a wee bit...

[horticultural_hobbit]

You are a superhero. So stick your cape on, clean pants over your trousers, and take a deep breath. You'll be fine.

And good luck with the PSHE. It gets a bad press, is often avoided and then blamed for everything. In the right hands, it is dynamite as it were.

[WendyC]

I guess the flip side of that is saving around 350-400 quid per month in diesel

Then you will be able to save up for holidays away and won't bump into them! When I was pregnant with No2 a child of the doctor who did the clinic was in my class at the time. I just opted to see the midwife each time!

[marchogaeth]

The advice above is good. I think parents understand that, no matter how friendly you are, you have to keep a distance and infact they are often concerned that you are going to start talking about their child in a "social/socaiable" situation. Always have a ready supply of comments about the weather/football/rugby etc handy for when you meet and prepare a stock sentence for those who might want to discuss their child in the wrong setting that is polite but definitely tells them they need to do it in a more formal setting. I often ring up if a child has had to go to hospital or has been off doing something special (I'm ANCo) and, even though it might be in the evening, you soon learn to keep it friendly but professional.

As for the rest do your reading. Ask your senior colleagues what questions they think you'll be asked. Check out the current political thinking (can't help you on Scotland but we have our own curriculum and gov't agenda, too) . Worth ferritting around on TES and even posting for advice, although I avoid the forums there usually.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on. They wouldn't be interviewing you if you didn't look good "millions" of people apply for every teaching job these days. (I'm sure someone told me the current rate was about 70 per post round here.)

[out in the cold]

You think?

Won't my best suit, shirt and tie make a better impression?

You are a superhero. So stick your cape on, clean pants over your trousers, and take a deep breath. You'll be fine.

And good luck with the PSHE. It gets a bad press, is often avoided and then blamed for everything. In the right hands, it is dynamite as it were.