Hi new members !!

[Possum]

Very similar then! I think it was actually 19 years, as my son was 3 and he's 22 now, but we only realised that at Easter (LOL). So we announced we were celebrating the 18th and had T shirts printed and stuff - I was half expecting to be challenged on it, but haven't been so far!

you must have done the same as me started helping when my son started playgroups as they were then he is 25 so that says how long i have been involved.
we are now in a school which is great wonder if there is a record for staying in the same job any advances on 25 years

still waiting for reply to emailed work i have sent don't want to do anymore just in-case it is all wrong

[Possum]

I started off as a "Sunday School teacher" when I was 12! I'd just been confirmed and my older sister (then 15) was in charge of a group of 2 year olds, so she moved on to 3 year olds and I was given the 2's. Scary when I look back now - what a responsibility! I was in a room with lots of others and 'progressed' up from the 2's to the 5's and 6's and stayed there. (This was in the 70's you understand) Then when I was 16 I took my Pre-Warrant for Guide Leader, then when I was 18 I was Warranted and had my own pack - that I took off on pack holiday (EEEK - looking back! How many mums nowadays would let an 18 year old take 20 girls away!!!) My Mum was a Nursery teacher so it was a natural progression for me to work in schools, and I was a classroom assistant for 11 years before starting up the Preschool. I've also been the school secretary and Clerk to Governors and all manner of things!
Should also add that my Nan (Mum's Mum) had her own Nursery too!

no one in my family has any teaching background
my sister is a home carer my daughter is going in to teaching she says its because she wanted to follow me (she wants to teach older children)

times have changed so much but you must feel the same as me that the work is still worth-wile are you going on to do the degree:reading:

[Possum]

I've done an Advanced Diploma in Childcare and Education, Certificate in Early Years Practice and the Foundation Degree in Early Years, and now sitting back to wait and see what other changes are to be made to EYPS before doing that! Another 'pathway' has just been introduced, and I think that others must follow as there's lots of level 3 people out there running preschools - very successfully I might add - and I think there needs to be some kind of tie-in with an Ofsted inspection to look at how good some of these practitioners actually are!

you are light years ahead of me
i have DPP and years of experience but that seems to count for nothing
did you find the foundation degree hard was there lots of writing i am having to do English and Maths as well will be brain dead by the time i finish

[Possum]

It was hard, yes. I did it with the open university so the hard part was really self-motivation and finding time! Working solo isn't for everyone. There were roughly 4 assignments per module (6 modules) plus a big assignment at the end of each one. I did a module per year, but many people took two or three at once - I guess they weren't running a household and a preschool at the same time too! It's being re-written at the moment to shorten it.
My Deputy did hers with the local college and took two years and really enjoyed it - she had a fair bit of writing too - but they were very different courses

no wonder knowone wanted to do it
i am doing 4,5,6 etc at the same college i chose the college because they are attached to a University and you can continue all the way through the girls i am with are great we are all about the same age and like you have been in the job for many years not sure if i have jumped into something that i cannot finish especially as the Graduate leader has to be in place by 2010 i should if all goes well just get it done but if you don't have the GCSE's you cannot graduate glad that i have met you may need a little nudge and lots of help

[Possum]

Anything I can do to help - you know I will!

[daisypops]

hello possum and wasp! Just reading your comments on diplomas/degrees etc; then theres little me trying to get NVQ3 out the way!! How do you do it?
I've been involved with the Early years for 16 years on and off - 8 of those full time. Not enjoying my work at the moment, feeling a bit disallusioned by it... Never thought I'd feel like that as always loved going into my workplace...