Confessions of a gap.

I am now a working women. Gosh! I am also a terrible blogger but I hope you will forgive my laps from the internet as the result of two weeks of pure chaos, new faces, new names and working life!

I am working in a prep school for a year under the role of a "Gap". In other words I help in lessons, on the games pitch, in the office and support a lot in the boarding house. I am a link for the children between them and the teachers. I am still on the staff but am more like a big sister.

So far it has been great if a little daunting. There is so much to take in and understand. It has been a complete shift of normality. Suddenly I am looking at school from the other side and being called "Miss Beach" rather than Abi. It has been scary moving out of my comfort zone, becoming entirely independent and have children look to me for help and guidance.

On the other hand it has been a wonderful and rewarding two weeks. Seeing the children smile at me and then grow to trust me has been so rewarding. I really enjoy working in the classroom and know that this is what I really want to do. The staff are lovely as are the children and all in all I have been made to feel very welcome. The botttom line is of course that at the end of this I am getting paid which to a poor 18yr old, is amazing!

From frequent facebook status updates, I have been keeping the world informed of the amazing things children say to me everyday. I honestly think that I will have to publish this at the end of the year becuase some of the things they do are just priceless.

A Few examples:

After lights out a little girl walks out of her room "Miss Beach, my bottom itches." I had no idea what to say to that one. I mean, what did she expect me to do?

Another time I walk into the dorm to find  a girl spraying her toy sheep with hair de-tangler. It took quite a bit of pursading on my part that de tangler really wouldn't be the best thing to put on a toy animal.

The girls are also brilliant at coming out of their rooms to tell me they can't sleep! I mean, honestly, who could, standing up and talking!

My best moment has to have been though when I took reception for swimming. They were naturally very nervous and one boy decided he was going to wail rather than get in the pool. It got to the end of the session and I was in the water with them. I looked up at the boy who was watching from the side, put out my arms and asked if he wanted to come in thinking he would tentatively get in the water. Seeing my open arms he decided if he had to get in the water he best do it quickly and launched himself from the side to me. I therefore was engulfed by this four year old, clinging arms and legs to my body, his face inches from mine. He looked at me and just said "Your my best friend".

I am sure plenty more stories will come over the next few weeks. Blog posts will be here and there as I barely have a moment to make a cup of tea, let alone get on a computer, but I do have holidays so I will be blog more then. Thank you so much for your support on facebook etc.

What have you been up to these last few weeks?

Loves xxxxx