Stood outside for a minute, I know I have to go in but I'm just working up the courage. Walked in through the doors, they opened automatically, wow. I'm impressed, very modern, very bright, lots of glass, not like I imagined it to be. But inside, it's still a school. It has those polished tiled floors, that every school has as standard issue, and lots of corridors with lots of doors! A big busy office with a glass window in it, for students with queries to queue up outside. And of course, a huge notice board with bits of paper every shape and size stuck to it at many an angle. I stood and read some of them, I now have a number to ring if I want a tattoo or my wellingtons customized.
It has that school smell too. You know the smell, it reminds you of chewing gum stuck to the sole of your shoe. Or the polish that your Granny used to use. Or some small dead creature in a corner that you can never find. Or the spare bedroom, when you go in having forgotten to open the window for over a week.
It's a long time since I have been at an evening class, so I was a bit nervous, but I sort of remember how the whole thing works. My class doesn't start for a few weeks, but I went in tonight for an induction, and a look around.
I'm following the 'Canteen' signs but I am lost already, how am I ever going to find my way around when classes do finally start? After a few wrong turns, dead ends and ending back where I started a couple of times, I finally find the Canteen, and my 'Mentor'.
He handed me a cup, and a folder. The cup contained coffee, the folder contained the course content. Lucky he didn't mix them up. The coffee was good, the course content was....96 pages long! Yikes!! I'm scanning the Canteen for the emergency exit, so that I can make a quick getaway!
We had a brief look together at the course subjects, and after reassuring my Mentor (and trying to convince myself) that I had no problem with it, we were off for a tour of the classrooms. Is a classroom not just a classroom? Apparently not! There are several styles. Conference room style, Theater style, 'relaxed' classroom style and just plain old ordinary classroom style, the style I am familiar with, all the desks pointing one direction, with the Teacher at the top. Mine will be the relaxed classroom style, desks placed around the room, facing each other and the Teachers desk in the middle. I like the idea of the relaxed bit, I hope I can be as relaxed as the room! But on occasion, I may have to use one of the other ones, if the lecture calls for a projector etc. This is all very confusing, and nobody mentioned projectors or infra red pointers or laptop presentations......Have I bitten off more than I can chew?
I am wondering what the students in my class will be like, coming from all over and with different levels of skills. And also, different attitudes and aptitudes! I hope my skills are good enough to keep up. I would hate there to be too many questions that I don't know the answers to! But I suppose that's what learning is all about.
It was a strange experience and all in all, a very enjoyable one. I know I have a bit of work to do between then and now, but I am beginning to look forward to when the classes actually start.
It will be weird being back in the classroom again, especially as this time, I will be the Teacher....
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