Have you ever had an idea in your head you just can’t shake? I’m not talking about that song your 5-year-old won’t stop singing or the ever growing to do list. I’m talking about that idea that’s been building for years that you keep pushing back because you have kids, or work is busy, or it sounds crazy to your mum. Well I seem to have more than one of those ideas and late last year I jumped in and started one.
At the tender age of 37 I started my primary school teaching degree, while working, raising our 4 kids with my husband and renovating our home. I’ve had people say I shouldn’t do it, people tell me I’m a bit crazy and how will I ever find the time? BUT I’ve also had people offer support, tell me I’ll be awesome at it and express their own desire to do something. Now I never expected going back to university to be easy but if I ignore the people who tell me I’m crazy and focus on the ones who tell me I’m going to be awesome then I know it’s very doable.
Some people thought I was just jumping into this because although I haven’t often expressed my desire to be a primary school teacher it’s something that I’ve wanted since I was a student in primary school. I started a degree straight out of college and got part way through before getting married and pushing uni to the side to start a family. Even though that was almost 18 years ago the desire never left.
I convinced myself I couldn’t be a teacher because I was pregnant, or we needed the money right now from my job, or pregnant (again and again) or a myriad of other reason to not go back and finish. I will admit there were times I was certainly not in the headspace to cope with study and that the family wouldn’t have coped either but when I stopped making excuses and made a decision, things came together for me, for our family.
First, I went to my old uni to see if I could just finish my degree but they were so unhelpful and told me it would take 6 plus year and there was no flexibility in doing anything online. With 4 kids and a job that’s just not doable. So, I hit the keyboard and started researching distance and online education options. I emailed some universities and never heard back from some, others were just as unhelpful and I was getting disheartened, almost decided I had been foolish to even try going back to school.
Then I got a call from Swinburne. They answered all my questions, offered solutions to problems I saw and followed up with email links and information for me to look over. I was able to call the same person back and he took me through enrolling, looked over the paperwork and got me started on my degree. The amount of support they offered before I even signed up with them was the sign I needed to reaffirm I was doing the right thing.
Since the teaching period started, they have been in touch weekly keeping me motivated. It still hasn’t been easy and smooth sailing but I know I can do this, that being a teacher is a reachable goal even while working, while raising my kids and seeing to their needs as well as anything else that comes along.
Join me on my journey full of ups and downs, messes, victories and lots of chocolate. If I can do this then know that you can also take one of those persistent ideas from the back burner of your mind and start getting the wheels turning.