This is the end...my only friend

Well that's it for another year, and what a year it's been.

Ever since I moved to this college, it's never been right. We have always had some sort of backlog to deal with. On top of that some of the practical tasks that were being used had a date of 1973 on them (coincidentally the year of my birth), some of it was completely irrelevant and I had so called experienced lecturers all around me telling me things I should know.

I think part of my problem was I respected some of these people too much. It turns out I really had no need to, I worried over nothing. Now I know that I can go back to being me and concentrating on the task. Only, the task never ends. Another member of the team is now going, leaving a rather large experienced hole with it. This means another year of helping, supporting and plying new and inexperienced people through. I have no problem with that, I enjoy it to be honest but if we have another year like this (I am 178 hours over my contact hours this year) it will be simply too much.

The general mood at our place is one of intense exhaustion, resignation almost. The looks on peoples faces says it all; it has been one tough year. Now at this point I suspect there are tuts abound from the non-teachers, but I promise you (as someone who is joining us in August straight off the tools after 2 months of teaching said), this is damn site harder than the graft on the tools. It's not the physical side, but the constant mental battle that gets you in the end.

Anyway, one more day to go then 7 in Greece for a beer, a dip and a read of my crap book. Can't wait.