I have a jar. It's not got dirt in it but it does contain bits of paper that help me with what to write.

They were for journalling, to get into the habit of writing everyday to flex my creative muscles but they have turned out pretty helpful in deciding what to write about. I have my mumma pick out a note  which has worked out really well the last few days.

Todays prompt is As a child what did you want to be went you grew up?

In hindsight, I had no idea what the hell I wanted to do and in truth I still don't. I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. I followed my creativity into college and that's why I ended up in design, I ended up in graphic design because I can't draw by hand very well.

When I was at school we had to choose our path in life at a really young age. I was maybe 14 when I decided what I was going to study at GCSE level and those choices would affect what we'd study in further education. This is a terrifying thought and really a nod to how messed up our education system is.

I was lost in these choices, I chose the things I liked, I knew I like art and working with my hands so textiles was  also there. I had to then choose other things, like business studies that I failed and Religious education that I didn't fail. We have this thing where I'm from called Sixth Form, It's like year 12, it's what you do after finishing high school but were you can stay at the school you've been going to. I always knew I didn't want to stay at that school so when I was looking at colleges, I managed to choose the furthest away where I had an hour and half bus journey either way and I loved it.

I found myself at college. I got away from my formative years and found who I was.

I was loud and bossy and self conscious. I still am all those things.

I didn't know my life, I didn't know what I wanted to become, who does at 14 years of age.
I've so far lived my life on my terms, I've so far lived doing what I wanted, what I enjoyed.

What did you want to when you grew up?
Did you know what you wanted to be?
Were you one of those people who had it all in mind from the start or did you stumble your way into the life you have now?

Cheers

This is actually a semi-difficult question for me, I liked a few things at school.

Thinking about it though, this could have been a lot to do with the other students in my classes and the teacher.

GSCE English was a favourite of mine but I think that has a lot to do with Mr Doddman (the only person I would allow to call me 'tina) who would be proud of the fact that I know that a lot isn't one word. I'd say it also had a fair amount to with my best friend who was also in this class but actually during my GSCE's was the time where I actually paid attention to my English and looking back now, it's where I'm improved my writing the most.

Maths in year 10. Just year ten. Well. Okay. So Year teen was the best year of maths because of the teacher but not because he helped to actually improve, he did but that was a side effect of paying attention, anyone who went to the same high school I did will remember Ben White. Mr White who tried so very hard to convince that his name was Bart. He was a crappy liar. Mr white who had my older stepbrother whilst doing his A-levels As a damn classroom assistant so I had to get everything right and ask my own damn brother for help. This was only countered by the fact that I didn't hate maths and I got to be smug when it was right. Mr White was a pretty good looking guy and most of the teenage girl and if statistics are accurate some of the boys. I had a crush on my maths teacher. I'll admit that because That crush meant that I got what I needed to when it came to the exams to get to college and I guess I'm thankful for that.

I liked art, I always did, I'm not good at drawing and though logo's are my forte they only really require imagination, which - if I can blow my own trumpet here - I'm not short of. I was also the creative kid and even now I'd rather make a bracelet than buy one. I always enjoyed following a project from research to completion and that joy followed me through BTEC Art and Design and then into HND Graphic Design at college where it was still vital that we showed how we got to a design (much to that chagrin of a few classmates). I always hoped that I'd be doing something in which I would have an outlet for my creativity and I still hope for that in my future.

I enjoyed IT, I had a few different teachers for It over the the years but I'm pretty sure my best friend was there from the year we me onwards which always made it a bloody riot. To me, IT was easy. I grew up around technology and I know my generation all did but we always had nice things in my house, laptops from the age of like 12 or 13 I think because we'd always argue over the damn desktop PC under the stairs. So it was something I always found easy, I don't think I even remember hard projects or tasks in IT, Perhaps I'll ask a few people I remember from IT classes but nothing really jumps out.

My enjoyment of science changed year to year and was deeply dependent on the teacher I had. Three teachers that taught my classes realty stood out for a few different occasions. The first was my Yr 7 form tutor Mr Dallimore. Mr Dallimore and his shag-on wagon (his old beaten up beige van that he eventually traded out for a bike). He never actually taught me in a science lesson but once during our tutor time first thing in the morning, he pulled out a static machine that a few of us got to put both hands on, that was a lot of fun.

 The second in order was Mrs Hilliyard. The teacher who enjoyed the pop that hydrogen makes when you put a flame to it, the teacher who liked to take an old water cooler container and add some nail varnish remover because it's fun and burns with a pretty purple flame or the teacher who decided that one science lesson, on her birthday that science was boring and for that hour we went outside and played British bulldog.

The third was Mr Brown, whose actually still a teacher there 6 years later and who me and my bestride got a chance to catch up with last year. I remember two main things, one of which was the brass bangle he always wore on his left wrist and the second, much more fun thing is his damn remote control car. He had a remote control Subaru and he let us drive it around the classroom once. I, of course, was the only girl who volunteered to drive it, Spoiler alert, I was awful, and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not even sure I remember what the lesson was about!

Of course there are the teachers that we all hated. Mrs Mackenzie. God. This woman, I'm pretty sure she hated children, just in general because she had no patience - we know, we tested it regularly - and no sense of humour, the lesson where we'd walk in and she'd have replaced our regular teacher were the worst. I can imagine that we were probably a nightmare and I'll own up to the joy of testing her when she didn't think I was listening. (I'd be chatting to a friend, deep in conversation and she'd then call my name and ask me to repeat what she'd just said. I did, every time. Ha!) This was the woman who called more than one of my friends stupid or childish. A teacher!

I got one teacher fired before the age of 11 too. There was a sub teacher in primary school who used to try and joke with me by taunting me and I remember him once saying "nice hair shame about the face". I've asked and old school friend about his name because for the life of me I cannot think of it!

I remember maybe half of the things that I was actually taught in school and I always think of my teachers when I do get it right because I know it was because of them, it was because I had teachers who were passionate to pass hard earned knowledge about stuff. Even those teachers that I hate taught me some thing I still remember, even if it is when to keep your damn mouth shut, Doctor.

Irregardless, High school was a pretty fun time, it was a time to start trying to find out who you are, first crushes and kisses and dances and for me it was a time to find even that one friend who knows everything about me and who loves me anyway. I don't think I could pinpoint a favourite subject if I wanted to and I'm sure it changed at least monthly based on how I was feeling and let's be honest here, my mood swings were rollercoasters in school.

I want to turn it back to you now, what subject in school was your favourite and was it anything to do with the teacher?

Cheers

I can't remember meeting my best friend for the first time, I can't remember what circumstances led to us being friends or what we might have thought of each other. It was a decade ago so I think it's fair to not remember but I can hazard a guess at what could have transpired. I always assumed that, given we were in Year 8 at high school, we probably got put into a class together. I remember that for a long log time we had Maths with the same teacher and I used to help her in maths by first giving her the answer until he teacher told me to not just give her the answers but help her work through the problem slowly.