What sort of day have you had

I passed my HLTA, I got my letter this morning, 6 weeks after assessment.

Brilliant news well done !!!

fantastic news

Well done! That should make for a great holiday! x

Congratulations! Well done you x

It's the week after Easter and the white stuff is falling again here!!!!! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays (those of us who are school-based). I've spent time with family and done lots of the catch-up stuff you never find time to do, like go to the dentist and have a haircut! Have started (very unenthusiastically) spring cleaning, but happy to drop it at the first suggestion! Ideas of starting to tidy up the garden don't look like happening, it's just too cold. They say it will be 10 degrees this time next week, it will feel like the tropics!

Your hols sound like i want mine to be Gracie !
Im really missing the sort of school hols I used to have .
Trouble is im up to my armpits in essay deadlines these days so despite 3 wks off uni -today was my only day off writing .
I agree with you about the cold -weve not had snow but its still bloomin cold enough for socks in bed !!!
Better watch out for the Tshirts next week then if its going to be 10 degrees !
I had a day out today with my friend - we just wandered around the garden centre and had tea then wandered some more and had lunch =lovely
Back to the writing tomorrow - have finished my maths essay so now have to start on my dyslexia one and plan my English assessment piece .
Out tomorrow eve for my sisters birthday - we are going to the indian (15 of us ) so should be a laugh-I wont be drinking as im driving (18 miles ) my daughter Ellen is coming with me which is lovely .

mrsp - hope the writing is going well. I have been there, when doing various OU courses, although a few years ago now. It was OK when I was confident with what I was writing about and knew where I wanted the essay to go, but a nightmare if it wasn't 'my subject'! I do feel for you, and everyone else who's doing something similar.
Enjoy the curry tonight! xx

Isnt it lovely to have a 'me' day Linda? My mum and sister came to Leeds on Wednesday and we just wandered around been ladies who lunch and looking in the 'posh' shops. At one point my mum said have you lots of studying still to do and I said yes but I can't do it here so I'm enjoying a day off. When I'm at home I'm always 'just doing a bit more'!!!!

Love it Helen !
Its defo a case of da ja vu here today as Im helping Ellen with her student finance application (yuk !)
it looks as though she wont be able to get a mainanace grant as my hubbys income is just above the cut off point !
So she will be barely getting enough to survive on as she will only have the maintanace Loan rather than a grant and she will have to pay her accomodation out of that !
Pot noodle city me thinks !
Bloomin site is down at the moment grrr

oh Linda I had awful difficulties with Student finance for Sarah - ended up visiting them!!!! Sarah's dad is also just above the cut off point so she's had a hard time amazing to think it will all be over with this July!!!! just a year before James goes!!!

defo get her in halls that first year with food provided she will get two good meals per day if Scarborough is anything to go by and then she won't need much else. also she will make friends whom she can share a house with for the remainder of the time

Agree with caffeine - halls are definitely the best bet for the first year. Laura's hall wasn't catered, so they had to fend for themselves - lots of pot noodle, but they also had a lot of fun and all learnt to cook (really cheap stuff, with lots of disasters) during the year. There were 10 of them in the flat; five went on to share together for the rest of their time at uni and are still good friends now.
Finance was different a few years ago - Laura was in the last group to get a small grant. But, like both of you, we were just above the cut-off point for any other help, and as I was on my own then, it was tough. Laura worked one morning a week at the uni admin offices for two years which was a help, and she worked in Selfridges every holiday. She used to have to go in a 6 am on boxing day for the start of the sale! She spent one whole summer folding posh jumpers in the sweater department, and another polishing Gucci and Mulberry handbags!!!!!! It was very tough on her as so many of her peers set off round Europe for the summer on Interrail tickets provided by their parents. She coped very well though and, looking back, has absolutely no regrets and says it gave her a real understanding of financial stuff and the desire to succeed.
I was very naive before Laura went to uni - she was the first in our family to go, so I had no experience of it then. Working and living in an inner city with lots of deprivation on the doorstep, I was completely unaware of how 'middle class' the vast majority of uni kids are. To give a better picture, of the 10 (lovely) kids Laura roomed with, one was from public school, 3 more from other independent fee-paying schools, 4 from country grammar schools and just two (including Laura) from city comprehensives. Perhaps the balance is more even now (this was 12 years ago) but it was definitely a different world then!

The sun is shining!! Quick take a picture lol
So glad you all are getting a bit of 'you' time, you all deserve it. Not easy working in schools at all or studying full time. Enjoy the little rest whilst you can.
Full on as always for me at work and next week will see another batch of my functional skills students sitting their exams I am so nervous for them. I had three complete their maths level 1 and pass last week. One learner was jumping around the car park screaming bless her.
Busy time for us as we get a sudden influx of learners that will be leaving school with no quals soon and an OFSTED visit looming my boss thinks. eeek!

Good luck with the student finance forms Linda, will be me soon as I am going to complete my cert ed this coming academic year. Before then I am going to complete my internal verifier award as well! Must be mad

Have a lovely last week of the hols - Helen when can you meet for all this RE stuff hun?

I'm free all this week cept Monday and Sunday- do you work every day? Have a tutorial next sat and sun at Hull. What time do you work till? I could pick you up from work one day, oh but you won't want to carry stuff to work

Missed this and now you are back to work lol. I couldn't have met you as the only day I had free was the Monday. This Saturday I am marching against the bedroom tax and the next I am out for the day with Ella. Arrgghhh!! How about Sunday 28th meet for coffee and cake?

I will text you28th is a long way ahead dont know what I am doing then
tbh dont know what I am doing tomorrow

ha ha bless you Helen okay.
I have had a wonderful week at work lots of results came back from my learners who had taken their functional skills tests. I am averaging at 85% passes!
Yesterday I joined the march against the bedroom tax with the GMB and even made it to Look North as I was standing next to a colleague being interviewed
Today I have been sewing, so nice to relax. But now onto planning for a little while, had most of it done last week but just a few niggling bits to tie up.
Have a great week folks and fingers crossed this lovely weather continues

lms - that's a great pass rate, you should be really proud of yourself. I agree, it's good to relax - I've had a good weekend; went to see Katherine Jenkins and Il Divo on Friday night (a freebie from a friend) - definitely not my usual sort of thing, but we really enjoyed it. Watched the Marathon today - they were ALL heroes - and thought what I always think "Maybe next year ........................" Hope everyone has a good week x

ooh Gracie I love Il Divo !! lucky lady
Cindy Im not surprised at your students high pass mark with you as their tutor xx
My weekend has been hectic as usual lol - had my usual Saturday `off` and visited my parents - renewed my dads car insurance online save him the hassle (he`s 80 bless him )and took my mum into town .
Today I was up and sat at my `writing table` (dining room table)by 7.30am so I could crack on with this pesky dyslexia essay due in on Friday .Spent all day on it but still not sure its what the tutor is after ? she is a very confusing woman lol .Off out tomorrow for my friends birthday at lunchtime and then college in the eve followed by a meal out (college pals ) a real challenge to eat out twice and stay within my SW regime lol - have a good week everyone x

Love Il Divo! Jealous!
Glad you are managing to relax in between study Linda.
Another busy day and its my day off. Ella my granddaughter has been poorly so been looking after her in between shopping and having my nails done lol

I have had a fab week again. I went to Manchester Friday and met Lady MacBeth as she was my IV for the day and she has passed one of my learners and interim-ed the others. Both myself and my colleague went home very happy! She gave me lots of advice and support and showed me a fab tool that I can use to aid my learners in completing their portfolios.

How is everyone?

Hi Cindy !
You sound as though you are really enjoying your assessing !!

Im on the final push of my hons year,just hoping I pass as one of my modules is not looking hopeful ! Not sure if I should book my graduation outfit or not lol

Im not too worried because i did the graduation thing last year and if I have to re submitt I will go next year instead .
Im now applying for jobs -feels really weird after 12 years

Im now only half a pound from my target at SW so trying to get there!!.
Thats about it really - busy busy busy !!!

Get that outfit booked! Of course you will do it Linda! And the weight target will be achieved as well.
Really am enjoying the whole teaching and assessing thing. Just not enough hours in the day sadly, same old story lol

defo get your outfit booked
I broke a tooth saturday - the back of the tooth has broken off and I have a small sliver poking up which rubs on my tongue whenever I speak. As the days progress little pieces of filling break off! I cant get into the dentist b 4 next Tuesday. However this isn't bothering me too much as I've also hurt my left hand (don't ask how I don't know) and this is extrememely painful. I thought it was arthritis but now the swelling has gone down a bit I can feel the bone protuding slightly I can't have broken it can see me at walk in centre to have it checked. happy days

Aww Helen big hugs xx please get it checked out asap x