Ah, September—the month that holds the promise of crisp autumn air, falling leaves, and the return of awesome woodland days. As a Forest School Leader, for me, it's a time I both love and dread in equal measure. Why, you ask? Well, let me share the annual rollercoaster that is the build-up to September.
Since starting my Forest School business, at the start of every September, I am faced with the same fear and trepidation as the realisation hits that I am still waiting on schools to confirm their bookings. By mid-August I sit looking at my work calendar thinking I might just end up being a Forest School Leader with no one to lead this year!
I've tried to be organized; I really have. Each year, I begin asking for confirmations as early as Easter. But for many schools, this is too soon, apparently. Then comes May, and schools will often promise that they will know more after the May half-term. Then June rolls around, and I found schools are already caught up in the end-of-year whirlwind of school trips, leavers assemblies and sports days. Usually, at the last sessions of the year, I then get teachers telling me the children have loved the programme and got so much out of it, and yes they really want to continue next year but they will need to check with SLT. So, the end of the year has arrived, and I still have no hard yes or emails of confirmation.
Then comes the long, torturous radio silence of the summer holidays. I try and put my nagging concerns of whether anyone will book for next year out of my mind and get on with enjoying my holidays. But as the summer wears on I find myself worrying as I wait. I even start to entertain the idea of getting a backup job and find myself checking out Indeed and thinking maybe I could work at Screwfix!
But, like clockwork, about two weeks before the end of the summer holidays, it happens. An email pings into my inbox, and then another and then another. And just like that, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that I won't have to start stacking plumbing accessories anytime soon.
So, there you have it—the love-hate relationship of a Forest School Leader in September. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, a suspenseful thriller, and a comedy of errors all rolled into one. But hey, it keeps life interesting, right? And who can resist the opportunity to work and play in the woods in the autumn? Not me!
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