Trying to sort out my career

Okay, now I have to start with the fact that I'm 100% happy with my life at the moment. I have the life I want. I've got a job. 35 hours a week. The pay isn't brilliant, heck it's barely £10,000 a year which for a graduate is crap, but I can pay my bills and still treat myself now and again.

However, hanging over my head is the government regulation that once you've graduated a Teacher Training course you are required by law to teach for one year in a state school and pass all assessments made of you during that year. This is referred to as your NQT Probationary Year. I haven't started this yet. It can be put off indefinately however the longer I put it off the more difficult it will be for me to obtain a teaching job as my skills (such as they are) will be more outdated as time goes on.

My original plan was to work in Menzies until the summer then have a short break before teaching in September. It has been pointed out to me that my chances of getting a teaching job will be increased if I start supply work now. This would mean giving up Menzies which I don't really want to do so soon. Besides the fact that I'm not 100% sure I want to teach. I mean, I wanted to when I started Uni but after living the job in my final school experience I don't think it's for me. It's just too tiring and I can't take it. However, I need to get this NQT year out of the way.

On top of this is my plan to move in with a friend from home when the contract is up for this house. She will still be doing her A-Levels and not earning much. Plus I'm going to be lumped with the council tax for where-ever we live. Menzies won't cover it. I could stay at Menzies and, as most of the staff there do, work another job part-time. But I need to get this NQT year out of the way.

It has been suggested that I work at Menzies and supply teach as well and that is a possibility. However, I think the combined hours would finish me off. Working until 2am in the morning only to get up at 7am to get ready for school would be very hard. Lord only knows when I'd do any planning/marking if any were needed (and marking/assessing probably will be). Besides, what do I do when I've got a job interview? I'm sure that's easily fixable but still.... I'm thinking about it as I type and I suppose I could do supply part-time, that would still give me time to rest. Especially if I do Supply Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as they are the easier nights at work.

As of this moment I think I'm going to give Supply Teaching a shot. I've got an agency lined up which my friend Rosie has recommended to me. If the work gets too much I can stop. Or I can give my weeks notice at Menzies and do full time supply. It'll pay better than Menzies (£75 a day upwards compared to Menzies £188 a week) and hopefully I'll re-discover my enthusiasm for teaching because at the moment it's...er...missing.

Right, to work.