I have now not been teaching for about eight-and-a-bitĀ weeks. What have I been doing instead?
(Disclaimer: if my writing seems wordy and even quite archaic, itās because Iāve read two Jeeves books back to back in preparation for a podcast which Iāll talk about below. Please excuse the ridiculousness ā Iām a sponge for absorbing language style and I genuinely canāt turn it off.)
1. Tutoring/teaching. So far Iāve collected enough tutees to be exceedingly hampered in my evening movements, especially since I probably spend only slightly less time driving to lessons than actually teaching. Iām now making over a third of my needed income (the precise Ā£1237.45 that I mentioned in this post), but itās a precarious income, reliant in the main on term-time dates and people not being ill or having other obligations. Three of my tutees will also do their GCSEs this Summer, after whichĀ they will no longer requireĀ my assistance. Conclusion: English tutoring does not an stable incomeĀ make. Alternative revenue streamsĀ are required.
2. Tutoring admin.Ā Creating and maintainingĀ Ā my tutor profiles on different websites; responding to queries and essentially trying to self myself (here I am on the site thatās getting me most of my clientsĀ ā tell your friends!); chronicling all my tax-deductible expenses, mileage and cash income for the potential perusal of HMRC; blah blah blah. I have learnt a lot about this latter process ā did you know that you can claim for tea and coffee if you work from home? I expect HMRC will be paying me back some money after the end of the tax year because my expenses will outweigh everything.
3. Waiting in NHS waiting rooms and talking to NHS staff. After several appointments with multiple doctors and nurses (having bloodĀ syringed out of me and water syringed into me (only my ear, for those who felt alarm there)), IĀ now have a referral to Ear, Nose and Throat people to sort out ongoing stuffed-head-and-tinnitus annoyance and a diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency, for which I am taking weekly tablets. The pharmacist told me that āhalf the worldās on the stuffā when she couldnāt fill my prescription one day due to selling out. This seems believable: when I offered information of my deficiency toĀ the physiotherapist who was dealing with my long-time shin issues, he stuck out his hand to welcome me to the club. On chatting to him and various other people, I am doubtful that these tablets will make any difference to my energy levels at all, but Iām sure theyāre doing other important things within. Anyway, the physio that Iāve been seeing since October is now so perplexed by the stubbornness of my tibialis anterior muscle and tibialis anterior tendon (which connects the shin muscle to the ankle) which donātĀ allow me to even lightly jogĀ without protracted pain that Iāve been awarded an appointment with a higher up person. Iām imagining that heāll be like the Dr HouseĀ ofĀ podiatry, but hopefully with a kinder manner.
4. Writing and talking about writing. I definitely havenāt done as much as Iād like, but itās become a part of my weekly life and mental process even if I havenāt managed to create the daily habit Iād like to develop. Not yet, anyway. One thing that Iām sure will help is the writing group Iām in with two friends, which held its inaugural meeting last night and which made me feel very supported and positive; sharing insecurities and difficulties really does work wonders.
5. Reading and being involved in a podcast about reading.Ā My friend Alan has set up a podcast about books called Blank Page Book Club: if you like reading, please follow us.Ā There are currently two episodes, with a third to be recorded next week (by which time I really need to have read the book weāll be discussing). You can download it on iTunes and everything. Itās completely lovely to be involved in something like this, and I think Iāve even become used to the weirdness of hearing my own voice as others hear it. This has had the weird after-effect that sometimes when Iām talking I hear myself as others hear me, whichĀ is fairly surreal and not at all conducive to talking naturally.
Ā 6.Ā Making huge meals and related activities (not including eating). In a previousĀ post, I said that one of my frugal intentions was to make large, freezable meals, thus creating cheap, convenient, nutritious dinners. It turns out this can take quite some time and produces a lot of mess, and whole-flat ventilation is required to expel spices and other scents in advance of tutoring sessions. I also dream of having a dishwasher one day.Ā Until then, Iām trying to turn such domestic chores into opportunities for mindful moments (which I saw written about somewhere). Emphasis on ātryingā.
7.Ā Making toys and sewing and trying to get someĀ commissions. Iāve slightly revitalisedĀ my page Spectre, and as part of my plan to make more toys from childrenās drawingsĀ Iāve made a pig from 4-year-old Dorisās drawing. (Sheās a very impressive child: in addition to her pencil prowess, she can already ride a bike without stabilisers!) Iāve also made some bunting and a soft toy for my brand new niece:
I have received one commission off the back of the toy, but Iād really love some more, and this is where my lack of experience and confidence when it comes to business and promotions stuff hampers me ā again. How do I get more than 76 ālikesā on my Facebook page? Do I need to make more stuff and then have my own website? How are people capable of managing more than one Twitter account? And so on.
8. Seeing (long neglected) friends and helping friends move house. Friends are great and hanging out with them is a balm.
9. Job searches.Ā It is time. Iāll have had the luxury of three months living off tutoring and what I saved last year, and I donāt have the funds to do that beyond this month. Iāve been casually doing searches all this time, but now itās become more of a priority. Sometimes I can even find thingsĀ where the person specification isnāt ridiculously specific and I could actually apply. (My second main issue isĀ the University of Sheffield job site. What is with that? A scrolling window within a scrolling window is the best way to make people infuriated.)
10. Making a picture. Iām sort of doing some textile art. Itās a soothing thing to do.
11. Volunteering. Learn for Life Enterprise on London Road provides an important array of services to loads of people, and particularly non-English speakers who find themselves in Sheffield. Iāve done three stints of volunteering at their two-hour Friday conversation class, which is both intense and really delightful. So far, Iāve spoken to people from Afghanistan, Poland, Israel, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, China, Iran, Iraq and more, of both sexes, and all sorts of ages. Itās in my diary for tomorrow. Learn for Life loves volunteers, so if you have some spare time, get in touch with them.
12. Cleaning. An upside of tutoring in my house is that it incentivises thorough cleaning, which would not happen on a weekly basis otherwise.
13. Playing Jurassic Park Builder.Ā Iāve been trying to combat my feelings of time poverty by deleting apps off my phone and silencing my notifications, but look at it: itās glorious. Itās like my beloved Zoo Tycoon but without any of the raking up of poo.
However much time my teaching job took up though, its main impact was on the mental energy it absorbed ā it seems that the main difference I have now is actual brain space. Thereās so much room in there now! Things that used to take up a lot of time still do, but having the actual brain capacity to do those things and others seems to be my chief benefit, and itās a liberating one.
Ā What have I been doing with all thisĀ time? I have now not been teaching for about eight-and-a-bitĀ weeks. What have I been doing instead?
