Happy New Year!

Hello everyone, it has been a long time! All I can say is this may be the last you'll see of me for even longer next time... as I said before I have begun my PGCE in Primary teaching and it is as everyone warns - intense. I am thoroughly enjoying it but can't wait to get on with actually being a teacher.

I loved my placement before Christmas in a Year 6 at a school in Portsmouth and can't wait to get on my next one which is not until April. I am now though experiencing the 'fun' subjects at uni. So far this year we have made sketchbooks, colour wheels, messy maps, a photo frame, a fairground ride and sung Three Blind Mice for an eternity! Despite all the fun we are having, we have essays to write and test to do so my next few months are pretty jam packed with not so fun things as well.

As many of you probably experienced, we had quite a bit of snow over the Christmas period, which surprised us all particularly in Portsmouth as it doesn't normally last more than a few hours. This snow provided everyone with a thick blanket which quickly turned into a skating rink. Here are a few pictures from our window.

Now the snow has gone I am eagerly awaiting Spring and was delighted with some beautiful sunshine today. It provided with a welcome distraction to my work.

I am keen to continue writing, I may just finish this post and keep writing more to post at a later date, now I have begun I may not be able to stop!

Hopefully you will hear from me sooner than last time.

Jewellery Classes

For the past three weeks I have been going to a Jewellery Class at Portsmouth High School. The tutor, Lucille Scott, is a Design Technology teacher at the school and is giving lessons in jewellery making each week.

In the first week, I explored different tools for working with soft metals and made a wire bracelet. It was good practice to see how to use the tools correctly and produce something entirely from bent wire - no soldering.

I started to make a copper ring in the second week of the sessions and although having done this before, I found I was re-learning many of the techniques. The whole sessions have been great to refresh my memory and skills. I also made a wire and bead bracelet which I will use the template for again to make further items of jewellery.

I have enjoyed the lessons so far and will continue to enjoy the next seven weeks as well as learning more skills to add to my repertoire.