Some important news

Some important news

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Dear members

It is with a heavy heart that I address you today to say ‘fond farewell’.  Having allowed me to rule your roost for over two years now, my time at Sift has come to an end. My last day at the helm will be Friday 2nd September.

When I first appeared as your community manager I was (nearly 3 years) younger, naïve and incredibly inexperienced.  Now, as I prepare to pack my bags and head off for adventures new I am certainly still a bit naïve from time to time but you have helped to shape my experience and bring out the very best (and sometimes the worst) in me.

We’ve laughed, we’ve disagreed, we’ve even shouted at each other on occasion, but overall, and as my colleague here remarked the other day, I have laughed more than I have despaired, and it is this that I take with me. 

In your own ways you have all touched my life and I am sad to leave you.  You have supported me when I have been at my lowest and you have reassured me through some trying times and I hope I have always been there for you as well.  I have tried to be fair and fun and to work with you to create a place that we all look forward to being a part of.

I had no idea what I was taking on when I took this role, but I have learned so much about myself and indeed about people in general.  If I have ever failed you, I hope that this will not be my legacy, and instead I hope you will continue to remember me fondly, in your own way, as I will you.

Thanks for the poems, the pictures and the chocolates (you know who are you are!).

All the best to each and every one of you, please continue to play a part in Aweb, remember to play nice (yeah right!) and I’m sure there will be another ‘me’ along in the near future to guide you on your Aweb path.

Bye for now folks

(If anyone is interested, I am taking the logical step from Aweb community manager to secondary school English teacher. After you guys, it will be a breeze!)

Replies (40)

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By bernard michael
18th Aug 2011 11:17

I hope your pupils enjoy being with you as much as we have. Pop the occasional post on AWEB to let us know how you're getting on (if your successor will, let you)

Thanks for everything

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Quack
By Constantly Confused
18th Aug 2011 11:20

OMG

Worst

News

Ever

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Giraffe
By Luke
18th Aug 2011 11:22

Very best wishes

I hope you experience happiness and satisfaction in your new career.

You were always reasonable in your actions here and I for one appreciated the at times very difficult job you have done. Very good practice for the 'playground' indeed!

Best Wishes

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By Becky Midgley
18th Aug 2011 11:22

Chin up, Duck

How very sweet both of you, thank you. I will pop back and say 'hello' from time to time.

EDIT: the THREE of you x

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By User deleted
18th Aug 2011 11:31

As you say - a very logical step

From the primary school playground (or so it seems sometimes) to the secondary school classroom.

I can only echo the words of the above posts, and wish you all the very best.

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By ShirleyM
18th Aug 2011 11:38

Awwwwwww

I am really sad for all of us at AWeb, but very, very, happy for you, Becky.

I will miss you, but I wish you all the best, and I too hope you will visit us now and again.

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By User deleted
18th Aug 2011 11:47

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Though it has been good practice for your next role - you must be a sucker for punishment!

But have you really laughed more than you've despaired?!! Strange, very strange.....

Best of luck in your new role & yes do come back and fill us in on your new life. Maybe the youth of today will turn out alright after all :)

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Sarah Douglas - HouseTree Business Ltd
By sarah douglas
18th Aug 2011 12:02

Hi Becky 

Hi Becky 

I am sad and glad to see you go.  I know you love kids and Education .  So I am delighted to hear you are going to be a teacher.  The kids will be really lucky.  You will be missed here .

A fond farewell and hope many years of happiness follow.

Best Wishes 

Sarah 

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David Winch
By David Winch
18th Aug 2011 12:02

Good luck & all the best

Becky

Good luck and all the best - and many thanks for taking on us madcap posters!

I suspect many of your students will be using their English skills on t'interweb so your experience here will be invaluable to them!!!

David

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By taxhound
18th Aug 2011 12:04

Good luck Becky!

Sorry to see you go.  Teenagers will be a breeze after this lot.

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By Democratus
18th Aug 2011 12:09

Hope we didn't drive you away

First Gina and now Becky......

I hope the future is all that you expect. Mrs D is a teacher and despite what you may hear in the press about today's "yoof" she is more often inspired and amazed than disappointed.

Could you do me one favour when you are teaching the little scoundrels and try and disuade them from putting the word "like" in their sentences at inappropriate times please. It drives me nuts.

 

Oh and do let us know how you are getting on.

Rgds

D

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Replying to David Treitel:
By Becky Midgley
18th Aug 2011 12:19

It's a consipracy I'm sure!

Democratus wrote:

First Gina and now Becky......

Yes, did you know she and I are also housemates as well as ex-colleagues? It's a consipracy I'm sure! :)

Democratus wrote:
Could you do me one favour when you are teaching the little scoundrels and try and disuade them from putting the word "like" in their sentences at inappropriate times please. It drives me nuts.

I shall do my very best, it is also a bugbear of mine although one of my text books assures me it is allowing them 'thinking' time. I'm not convinced, but I will keep an open mind!

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By The Innkeeper
18th Aug 2011 12:11

You are brave

Going into teaching . You will be missed . Keep in touch.

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By carnmores
18th Aug 2011 12:11

bon voyage

;-) your the lucky one, im stuck with all the old stiffs on here

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Replying to Rachael_Power:
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By User deleted
18th Aug 2011 19:08

Less of the old

carnmores wrote:

;-) your the lucky one, im stuck with all the old stiffs on here

I'm sure there's a smutty joke in their somewhere!

 

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By BOF
18th Aug 2011 12:15

THANK YOU

and very best wishes in your new career.

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By Democratus
18th Aug 2011 12:26

Ah Conspiracy. that i can believe

Good Luck from one of the "old stiffs" apparently - can i report that?  :-)

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Universe
By SteveOH
18th Aug 2011 12:43

Good luck Becky

I sincerely wish you all the best in the next step in your career. I have one teenage stepdaughter and the thought of having to teach another 20 or 30 of her would fill me with dread :)

Please come back and comment on AWeb from this side of the fence. Maybe you could start a blog on here and let us know how things are going.

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Stepurhan
By stepurhan
18th Aug 2011 13:38

Best wishes

Good luck with the new career. Hope everything works out well for you.

Any idea what poor fool..........I mean lucky person is going to be taking over from you?

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By Phil Rees
18th Aug 2011 13:54

So long

I made the switch the other way. From biology teacher to accountant.

Good luck with it all.

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By Becky Midgley
18th Aug 2011 14:07

"Poor fool"

We have interviewed a few and have a round of second interviews next week.  As soon as I know, I will let you know who will be taking over.  I am in the process of writing my handover document in case I don't get any time to train them up personally, so be nice to them, ok?

Hopefully it will be a smooth transition when it happens and you will barely notice the change.

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By JCresswellTax
18th Aug 2011 14:09

Shouldnt you............

have posted this in the time out discussion group :-)

Flouting the rules now you're leaving!

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By jennyhowell
18th Aug 2011 14:11

What wonderful comments

I know they mean a lot to Becky. We'll certainly be very sad to see her go. Her enthusiasm and commitment to her role as Community Manager is to be applauded and she has made a big impression on members and colleagues alike.

We are in the process of finding her lucky replacement who I'm sure you will all welcome to the site. Hopefully we can introduce them in the next couple of weeks.

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By Becky Midgley
18th Aug 2011 14:12

Surprised it took 18 comments...

But I knew someone would say that!

It's important that as many people as possible are aware of this change, it made more sense to put this administrative note in the public forum.  Sorry that I have bent the rules.  Nowt wrong with a little bit of trouble making on my out though, is there?

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Image is of a pin up style woman in a red dress with some of her skirt caught in the filing cabinet. She looks surprised.
By Monsoon
18th Aug 2011 14:43

Farewell, good luck, and enjoy!

Becky,

Sorry to hear you are leaving, but our loss is your future pupils' gain. Thank you for all your hard work, I know forums are a tricky place at the best of times but you have done a wonderful job here. I wish you all the very best of luck, success and enjoyment in your new role (and all kudos to you, I couldn't do it!). We will definitely miss you!

Best wishes for all that you do in the future :)

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By JCresswellTax
18th Aug 2011 14:44

Just kidding Becky

You didnt have to explain :-)

All the best.

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Locutus of Borg
By Locutus
18th Aug 2011 14:45

Unruly children

I'm curious how you answered the headmaster's interview question "what experience do you have of dealing with a group of unruly children?" :-)

Will be very sorry to see you go, but listening to how some of the youth of today speak, they desperately need a good English teacher!

Best of luck.

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By Chris Wise
18th Aug 2011 14:47

Good luck Becky

I'm surprised you haven't taken a few posters to task over spelling and punctuation before now :)

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By User deleted
18th Aug 2011 15:17

2nd interviews

For starters I think you should post their pictures on here so we can judge properly :) And I hope you're testing them by giving them some of our recent colourful (!) threads and asking for their views on how they'd handle them?! Or would that scare them off?? :)

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Quack
By Constantly Confused
18th Aug 2011 15:26

Good point

I hope they will live up to the current Mods high standards of attractivness...  Though a handsome bloke wouldn't go amiss.

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By Becky Midgley
18th Aug 2011 15:28

Actually...

I have refrained from correcting people about their spelling and punctuation, it's a bit mean spirited and I always have to allow for people making typos, I do it so often, typing faster than I can think sometimes.

Of course, I have just this second waded into one debate on grammar/style, I couldn't resist!

And Flash, I wouldn't want to scare them off, but I will be telling them what to expect.  In my handover I have written about keeping a perspective and not letting things get to you, I hope I can impart this to them.

And you all need to look after them, too.

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
18th Aug 2011 16:10

So long and good luck in your new career, I hope you dont have to fill in a report card for each of us when you hand over to the next [***], sorry I mean mod.

 

 

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By User deleted
18th Aug 2011 18:59

Best Wishes

I hope it all goes well Becky. Thanks for all your help.

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By User deleted
18th Aug 2011 21:17

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ...

... oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Nooooo

You go and see some clients and this is what happens, makes you want to howl at the moon.

You must come back and let us know how you got on with your poetry!

I wish I was a teenager again now (although come to remember my Geography teacher was enough of a distraction for a testosterone filled pubescent male) ;o)

Good luck for the future though.

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By occca
18th Aug 2011 19:45

Good luck Becky

We will seem like putty in your hands compared to the little darlings you will be looking after

Have an amazing time and enjoy yourself

x

 

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By ACDWebb
18th Aug 2011 19:51

All the best for the future

and here's a couple of vaguely relevant links to send you on your way

Goodbyeee - well someone had to post it ;)

and something to work out for your first lesson - HERE

Good luck

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By Ian Bee
19th Aug 2011 08:44

All the best

Thanks for all you have done, Becky and good luck in the new job.

(I only wish that teachers had looked like you in my time at a northern grammar school in the 1970's)

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By Steve Holloway
19th Aug 2011 09:05

What did I tell you on your birthday .....

30 is the watershed to decide what you are meant to be doing with your life ...  well done for being brave enough to follow your instinct.

My step brother was very bright as a kid but had no idea of how to apply his gift and 'trouble' seemed to hold the most likely outlet. Then he was inspired by his English teacher at sixth form to use his talents more wisely. He got his A levels, then his degree and then his doctorate. He taught English at Leeds Uni and this September takes the head of English role at Oxford University. All of this from one dedicated teacher 20 years ago.

Becky, go inspire another one like Matthew and you will make more difference than a 100 years on AWEB. Good luck.

 

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By Becky Midgley
19th Aug 2011 11:37

@ Steve

Stop! You nearly made me cry. Actually, the post you made on my birthday also took my breath away because as you now know, it struck a chord, and I remember feeling a little but spooked out by your insight.

Your story is beautiful, and makes me proud of my decision. I'm certain that this is what I was made for, and I can only hope to inspire someone some day, but that hope will inspire me every single day.

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts everyone, I am feeling a little bit emotional now!

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By Steve Holloway
19th Aug 2011 12:40

Heh ... you could buy his books ...

http://www.york.ac.uk/english/our-staff/matthew-bevis/

 

...and I could stitch him for commission at Christmas!!

 

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