I went to a talk last night, it was by Gervase Phinn.

I'm currently finishing my degree part time and fully intend, come hell or high water, to become a teacher.

I understand that there is a load of bureaucratic crap that goes on in the profession, but for 19 years, since I decided I wanted to go down the road of teaching, he is the first person to NOT tell me not to do it.

He freely admits that it's hossible for teachers now, and I see it day in and day out with my partner who teaches year 1/2. He's only just finishing his first year and it's taking it's toll on him already.

But no matter how much rubbish he has to deal with day in and day out and how stressed he gets, he's ademant that he still wants to teach (albeit in a different country!!).

I understand that you feel that you want to leave teaching but there are always more pleasurable ways of teaching.

Supply teaching is always a good option, at over £100 a day, you get to pick and choose which days you work. There's also the OPen University who are always looking for tutors, and you have the added advantage of teaching people who want to study.

How about a basic skills tutor.....my mum loves it.

I will be a teacher one day, I have the luck of going in with open eyes rather than rose tinted spectacles fortunately.

But one thing, I'd like to say how much of a wonderful man Gervase Phinn is, to encourage someone to teach even in this day and age of bureaucracy and paperwork and targets and statements and everything else.......what a brave man!!!