My Mentor and another teacher were giving me advice about interviews:

Mentor: “Make sure you don’t leave it too late to apply because it will make you look like you’re not really bothered.”

Okay, got it apply as soon as possible.

Teacher: “But don’t apply too soon because it’s usually crap schools that are advertising at the moment.”
Er, so apply soon, but not before Easter, but maybe before that?

Teacher: “Try to not intimidate the pupils if you’re asked to teach a lesson. Take off your jacket, oh! And roll up your sleeves.”

Okay, roll up those sleeves, I can do that.

Mentor: “ooo, but if you do that it might seem too informal, you don’t want to give that impression when you’re being watched otherwise they’ll wonder what you’ll be like when you’re not.”

Right, roll up my jacket sleeves perhaps?

That's definitely the last time I ask for any advice.

I was showered with gifts from the department on my final day, including an egg timer to improve my time management during lessons. Great though that is, unfortunately it won't help me in situations when I have the pupils all ready to go five minutes early because 'I thought the lesson finished at ten to.'

(Not that that happened a good five or six times)

My first placement is now over, I doubt I'll ever forget all the memories. Like when...

... a pupil turned up drunk

... a pupil called me a wxxxer

... I didn't have a room to teach my Year 7s in

... two pupils had a fight during my lesson

... I said the f-word at chess club, then followed it up by saying 'crap'

And all the times when the pupils didn't have a clue what I was talking about or said I wasn't a proper teacher or just wouldn't shut the hell up or told dirty jokes.

In spite of all that I'll genuinely miss the place, I even felt quite choked during my last lesson with the dopey Year 7s, bless 'em.