CEIAG & Careers Leaders
#Nurture13/14 - Birth of Outstanding Careers
Tuesday 14th January 2014
Death of a Work Related Learning Manager
Musings prompted by the #Nurture13/14 thread of blogs
2013 was a difficult year for me. It was the year that I had to accept that due to my hearing impairment worsening, I'm no longer able to teach in a school. I could no longer keep track of what was going on in a classroom and couldn't question pupils as I couldn't hear their responses. This, for me, was a horrid, dark journey leading from the job I love so much into the deeply scary world of wondering what a cough cough 50 something ex teacher could do with the next few years before she can retire. One that it has been useful to reflect upon for the purposes of the #Nurture13/14 thread of blogs across the teaching blogosphere.
The challenge for me was that I loved being with and having an impact on the children. I couldn't see me working in an office or a shop, I had to find a place in the world that fitted me. Sadly, I went through a very deep depression knowing that the vocation that got me up at stupid o'clock each morning and had me marking till 1 am at times was now behind me. I found myself inconsolable. the Ms Colledge who proudly stated I'm a teacher when asked what she worked as was no more. What did I say now?
Slowly, over the past year, I've come to find a niche for myself, a new persona. I'd loved my role of helping young people decide on their career paths. After all, I'd spent the last 15 odd years as the teacher in charge of work experience and careers. I'd built up several schools' provision from nothing in each case to a fully functioning lean, keen, career enabling machines.
The Birth of Careers Defender
So most of 2013 was a watershed for me. I discovered mindfulness meditation and took a step back and concentrated on me. Thankfully my children are grown and have families of their own, so I had their support and that of a number of good friends and colleagues, who listening to me worry, fret and ponder ad nauseam throughout the year. The culmination being the decision to leave my job and reinvent my life totally.
So on 31st December 2013 I went to bed as Ms Colledge, Work Related Learning Manager, but awoke on 1st January as Janet Colledge Careers Education Consultant. I decided that it was time to take the plunge and set up my own consultancy. It's a gamble yes, but how else can I use the knowledge that I've gained over the years? How else could I continue making a difference to young people.
Those of you that have followed my blog and twitter feed over the past 9 months will know that I've been occupying myself supporting people delivering careers learning in 11-19 establishments by my Careers Ed for All Weekly and my Pinterest boards. I felt that given the fact that so many schools have poor careers provision post Connexions, there would be enough work to keep me ticking over helping schools put together pragmatic, effective and evidence based careers learning tailored to their cohort.
Yes a lot of headteachers don't feel that it's important enough to warrant a lot of expense, but hopefully I can find those that do or at least convince enough that it is vital for their schools' performance.
Wish me luck, I've taken a single step on my new journey... The journey to Outstanding Careers in 2014
