As of today I am on 1/2 term break. No, it's not just us student teachers who get a break but in fact all of the teachers and students at our schools. The English school system is set up as 3 terms- Autumn, Spring and Summer. Since the kids, etc. don't get out for their summer holiday until the last week in July, they have week long breaks during the other terms. Basically, they go to school what seems like a good deal more then us Americans, yet I think it's only another 2 weeks when you work out the number of days students attend school here to the number at home. Anyhow, it doesn't really matter why I have a break, I just do and we can all work on accepting that fact.
I enjoyed my day off in Southern England today. Ashely, Skye (who is from Sweden, the town where IKEA was founded to be exact) and I all went to Chichester (where I teach) and shopped... I got a new dress of Italy on sale at H&M :) Then we saw High School Musical 3 where Ashely and I talked through a whole lot of it. That was until we were told by the British lady next to us to "Please not talk through the film." Ugh, that's the problem with kid movies, parents trying to control you. Okay, yes, I was seeing High School Musical, I guess I can't really make passing judgments on others.
I am almost all packed for my trip to Italy. I can't believe that almost 2 months have passed since I've seen U.S. currency or heard country music on the radio... the country music I don't miss so much though. I've found it really odd over here to think about U.S. currency. I know this may seem like a weird thing to think about, but when you've used one type of currency for 21 years and then all of a sudden start using another and get used to that it's hard to image the other. This is quite a confusing thought process. I think I'm just going to stop while I'm ahead!
I can't wait to update you all on Italy. Don't worry, I'll take lots of photos! Another piece of exciting news is that my brother is coming to visit at the end of the program for a week :) I am super excited and can't wait to start planning out adventures once I get back from my Italy adventure. Ciao. Hopefully I learn some more Italian over the next week and be able to wow you all once I get back.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The last Thursday to bring about the weekend
Today is the last day before mid term break. I can't believe mid term break is already here! Today I believe there will be a supply teacher in my classroom (a sub), but yet again my teacher is never provides me with too many details or lets say lesson plans so the teacher and I will just wing it I suppose. I'm actually hoping that I don't have to do too much. When my teacher is not in it can be extremely stressful because when you're not given the plans and there is specific lessons that need to be taught but I have no been informed how they are to be taught makes for poor presentation to the students. Poor presentation to the students means bad behavior. Bad behavior means lots of noise. Lots of noise means Miss Kendus has a headache!
Needless to say, I'm glad that tomorrow I won't have to go into the school. I plan on sleeping in (a bit), getting some work done for after 1/2 term since I'll be teach 75% of the time. Now, this is assuming that my teacher provides me with the topics/subjects that he wants me to teach today when we hopefully meet after school. Goodness, I can't wait to have my own classroom and do things on my own terms! The next unit we're doing is chocolate. How great is that? I'm going to start doing morning messages and surveys for the students when they come into the classroom as well as try to incorporate read alouds more often. My teacher supported these ideas, so I'm going to run with them. I'm also thinking of doing a tree of knowledge that looks like a cocoa tree where the students have to place an 'exit slip' on the tree at the end of the day saying something they learned. Now, that may be a bit difficult to work out, but I think I could have the students design and make the tree eventually. So it may not be a long shot after all. Dream big, right?
Tomorrow Ashely and I are going to see High School Musical 3. I forget that all the kids were going to be off because of an inset (in service day), so I will most likely see a lot of my students at the movie theater. I'm willing to do that in order to see the movie though :) I also need to start packing for Italy! We don't leave until 6:40pm on Saturday, but I've already figured out my laundry schedule (since things take forever to air dry here since it's so damp.) Let's just hope I can find a washer this afternoon once I get back from school, otherwise my whole plan is in the bin.
Here's to one more day in the schools and 12 days off :)
Needless to say, I'm glad that tomorrow I won't have to go into the school. I plan on sleeping in (a bit), getting some work done for after 1/2 term since I'll be teach 75% of the time. Now, this is assuming that my teacher provides me with the topics/subjects that he wants me to teach today when we hopefully meet after school. Goodness, I can't wait to have my own classroom and do things on my own terms! The next unit we're doing is chocolate. How great is that? I'm going to start doing morning messages and surveys for the students when they come into the classroom as well as try to incorporate read alouds more often. My teacher supported these ideas, so I'm going to run with them. I'm also thinking of doing a tree of knowledge that looks like a cocoa tree where the students have to place an 'exit slip' on the tree at the end of the day saying something they learned. Now, that may be a bit difficult to work out, but I think I could have the students design and make the tree eventually. So it may not be a long shot after all. Dream big, right?
Tomorrow Ashely and I are going to see High School Musical 3. I forget that all the kids were going to be off because of an inset (in service day), so I will most likely see a lot of my students at the movie theater. I'm willing to do that in order to see the movie though :) I also need to start packing for Italy! We don't leave until 6:40pm on Saturday, but I've already figured out my laundry schedule (since things take forever to air dry here since it's so damp.) Let's just hope I can find a washer this afternoon once I get back from school, otherwise my whole plan is in the bin.
Here's to one more day in the schools and 12 days off :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Morning looks like night
Good morning! I am looking forward to daylight savings because the sun has not been rising until about 7:30 which makes it feel like you're waking up in the middle of the night to begin your day. Although some people thought there was no daylight savings here, there is. It happens next Saturday I believe (while I'm traveling to Italy) and it changes at 12am, not 2am. Not that it makes a big difference when it happens.
I walked to the bus station in the rain for the FIRST time this term. I had stayed after for a staff meeting and it had started around 4. It was not pouring by any means, but it's so windy here when it rains, so I got wet from the rain blowing all over. Also, umbrellas really don't do well when it's windy... I actually thought my LLBean umbrella broke. At one point I needed to put the umbrella down and I couldn't close it completely, so I was walking under the umbrella while it was party open. I'm sure this was quite interesting to see. I ended up using the umbrella more as a shield. Resourceful, right?
Mom had asked about what I eat here... YES I know what I'm going to have every morning for breakfast Monday-Sunday. Brunch here is possibly worse then going to the cubard at home. You would think that brunch implies more food, but really there is less. Monday-Friday there is ALWAYS bacon (but it's not American bacon), I haven't actually tried it. Eggs that are runny and Megan has to drain them every morning. I'm painting a beautiful picture, right? Baked beans or something of that sort... possibly stewed tomatoes depending on the day. Fried toast... delicious but must clog the arteries. English muffins with butter already melted on them. Croissants (which I usually eat with strawberry jam, extremely sweet, just how I like it!), chocolate croissants, canned fruit (I like the madnrin oranges, they remind me of my childhood and the peaches are sometimes thrown in there to spice it up). There is yogurt, cereal (extremely bland looking thought). And there is always fruit... but one of the ugliest collection of fruit I've seen, haha. Also, you can eat as MUCH toast as you want. I've been opting for that a few times recently... not the all you can eat, just one or two pieces.
Speaking of breakfast, I must jet! Otherwise it takes so long to cross the street to get my bus that I could possibly miss it. Ciao!
I walked to the bus station in the rain for the FIRST time this term. I had stayed after for a staff meeting and it had started around 4. It was not pouring by any means, but it's so windy here when it rains, so I got wet from the rain blowing all over. Also, umbrellas really don't do well when it's windy... I actually thought my LLBean umbrella broke. At one point I needed to put the umbrella down and I couldn't close it completely, so I was walking under the umbrella while it was party open. I'm sure this was quite interesting to see. I ended up using the umbrella more as a shield. Resourceful, right?
Mom had asked about what I eat here... YES I know what I'm going to have every morning for breakfast Monday-Sunday. Brunch here is possibly worse then going to the cubard at home. You would think that brunch implies more food, but really there is less. Monday-Friday there is ALWAYS bacon (but it's not American bacon), I haven't actually tried it. Eggs that are runny and Megan has to drain them every morning. I'm painting a beautiful picture, right? Baked beans or something of that sort... possibly stewed tomatoes depending on the day. Fried toast... delicious but must clog the arteries. English muffins with butter already melted on them. Croissants (which I usually eat with strawberry jam, extremely sweet, just how I like it!), chocolate croissants, canned fruit (I like the madnrin oranges, they remind me of my childhood and the peaches are sometimes thrown in there to spice it up). There is yogurt, cereal (extremely bland looking thought). And there is always fruit... but one of the ugliest collection of fruit I've seen, haha. Also, you can eat as MUCH toast as you want. I've been opting for that a few times recently... not the all you can eat, just one or two pieces.
Speaking of breakfast, I must jet! Otherwise it takes so long to cross the street to get my bus that I could possibly miss it. Ciao!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thursday is the new Friday... for now
I just got ready for school and it only took 15 minutes to make my bed, brush my teeth, wash my face, pick out my outfit and get dressed. Since it never takes me that long and I have no e-mail, etc. to deal with I thought I'd write.
This week felt longer then the last. It was not necessarily a bad thing, but after the school day ended on Monday I felt like it should really be the end of Tuesday. Luckily for me, I am only in the schools Monday-Thursday since seminars are on Friday. Tomorrow is our last seminar and next Friday we are on mid-term break. In our student books it says that we should be going into the schools full time next week, but many people's mentors have told them to take the day off. I had planned on going in next Friday to plan lessons, etc. for after half term because the teachers have an in-service. It may be beneficial to do my planning in the school since I am expected to teach 75% of the time once I get back from break on November 3rd.
It's hard to believe that I have almost been here for 7 weeks I believe it is this coming Monday! It feels so natural to wake up in the pitch black, eat breakfast and get on a bus under a sky that looks like it is going to pour on you any second. Funny thing is that it doesn't rain often here. Yesterday morning was the first time I walked to school while it was raining and actually, it was only drizzling a bit. There was no need for an umbrella BUT my hair did look awful once I got into my classroom!!
I was talking to a few England natives about the weather, asking them why everyone thinks it rains so much here. I had told them that since I've been here the rain has not been an issue. One of the men said that England, or maybe it's more particularly Southern England, has droughts often. Another... or maybe this was the same man said that the British just like to talk about weather. I can believe that, but I think everyone likes to talk about the weather because it's a topic that people can talk about safely. I have decided that whenever Americans come to England on holiday that it must always rain when they're here for only a week or two. These Americans then come home and tell everyone in the U.S. that England has horrible weather, that it rains all of the time and that they better pack appropriately before traveling there. Obviously, it's all propaganda.
I'm off to breakfast with Dara and Megan. I wonder what we'll have today? Oh wait, I forgot, I can tell you the menu and what everyone had without even going to breakfast!
Cheers!
This week felt longer then the last. It was not necessarily a bad thing, but after the school day ended on Monday I felt like it should really be the end of Tuesday. Luckily for me, I am only in the schools Monday-Thursday since seminars are on Friday. Tomorrow is our last seminar and next Friday we are on mid-term break. In our student books it says that we should be going into the schools full time next week, but many people's mentors have told them to take the day off. I had planned on going in next Friday to plan lessons, etc. for after half term because the teachers have an in-service. It may be beneficial to do my planning in the school since I am expected to teach 75% of the time once I get back from break on November 3rd.
It's hard to believe that I have almost been here for 7 weeks I believe it is this coming Monday! It feels so natural to wake up in the pitch black, eat breakfast and get on a bus under a sky that looks like it is going to pour on you any second. Funny thing is that it doesn't rain often here. Yesterday morning was the first time I walked to school while it was raining and actually, it was only drizzling a bit. There was no need for an umbrella BUT my hair did look awful once I got into my classroom!!
I was talking to a few England natives about the weather, asking them why everyone thinks it rains so much here. I had told them that since I've been here the rain has not been an issue. One of the men said that England, or maybe it's more particularly Southern England, has droughts often. Another... or maybe this was the same man said that the British just like to talk about weather. I can believe that, but I think everyone likes to talk about the weather because it's a topic that people can talk about safely. I have decided that whenever Americans come to England on holiday that it must always rain when they're here for only a week or two. These Americans then come home and tell everyone in the U.S. that England has horrible weather, that it rains all of the time and that they better pack appropriately before traveling there. Obviously, it's all propaganda.
I'm off to breakfast with Dara and Megan. I wonder what we'll have today? Oh wait, I forgot, I can tell you the menu and what everyone had without even going to breakfast!
Cheers!
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