Moots, mum and mutts.

This was the question asked of us today in our Learning Through the Workplace lecture and workshop. I have known since going to tribunal over a year ago that being in front of a judge, fighting for justice and winning, was definitely what I wanted to do. So in my mind, advocacy and pleading seem like the likely path I want to take. Mooting only confirmed this, as even as the party in the wrong, I still managed to convince our tutor, my Lord, Hannah, to give me my best grade of the year… a shiny 70. And yet, as we were tasked to look at what the future might hold for us, I found myself being discouraged by the usual demons: time, money, ability, and competition. Although I am in a rush to be able to stand on my own in front of a judge, realistically this might not happen for another five years, and that is if the path is clear. My mum used to ask me when I was younger, when I was upset at a setback, if it would matter in five years. If the answer was yes, then I would deal with it,...

  Research and the New School Year… The summer has definitely slipped away, and as the new school term begins, I find myself torn. Do I want more free time? More space to study? Or should I take the leap into another research project for the year ahead? Last year, my amazing organisation, Adult Learning Wales, gave me the chance to explore how writing frames could support learners. That project was a real success, and with the echoes of it still ringing in my ears, I’ve just been asked if I would consider taking on another. Over the summer, with my husband recovering from vital surgery, I did wonder if I could face stretching myself again. At first, I firmly told myself “no”, reminding myself that my sanity must come first. But with the colder weather creeping in and routine returning, I can feel that familiar pull to say “yes” once more. When the registration of interest opened, the email from the team felt like a little ray of sunshine through all the rain. I picked up the ...