I had school again this morning. After yesterday's field trip, I found myself somewhat reluctant to go back to the classroom. While I realized that was what I signed up for, a part of me wished I was solely over here on vacation, instead of the "working vacation" I signed up for. Sigh. Guess I'll have to get over that wish pretty quickly!
The morning was fairly uneventful. Students worked on map coordinates, I read with a handful of individual students for their weekly oral check, and then they worked on posters for next week's charity fundraiser. After lunch, we returned to the classroom for the afternoon's PPS, which is two hours of weekly music, French, and spelling (and no, I have no idea what PPS stands for). Music began, and I could see there were two little girls who were making faces at each other and arguing a bit. I directed them back to their music teacher, and it stopped for a little while. After music, students went to another room for their French lesson. Again, the same two girls were having issues. When I went to ask them what the matter was, one of them started crying and telling me how mean the other was. I separated the two and they went on with French. Finally, spelling began as the last 40 minutes of the day, and it just so happened that the two girls were partnered up for that period. As you can imagine, it created quite a problem and they were separated again by their spelling teacher after I told her there had been issues with them all afternoon.
After spelling was over, it was time to go home. I ushered the class back to their room and as everyone was cleaning up and preparing to leave, I noticed several girls standing round a poster at the front of the room. All the girls were scratching out words on the poster, using a poster. I was curious as to what they were up to, so I went over and asked what they were doing. Apparently, one of the girls who had been having problems with the other had gotten all of her girl friends to remove themselves from a club the other girl was a leader of. The club leader got wind of it and got quite upset, causing a stir all over again. A few teachers got involved, there were more tears shed, and lots of shouting before one of the girls stormed off and the other left with her mother who had come to pick her up. What a mess! I suppose more time will be spent tomorrow trying to deal with that.
All I could think the entire time was how mean those girls were being to each other. I thought back to when I was in fourth grade and realized not much has changed. Girls are mean! They can be downright vicious, actually. As my hostess said to me this afternoon, it's funny, because boys just have a fistfight and then they are friends. Girls play mind-games and get others involved, and it can be quite the emotional breakdown of the one being bullied. It's really sad, actually, because those kind of hurt feelings can stick with you for quite a long time, years actually, depending on how brutal it is. I still remember a few instances that occurred in elementary school with me, and even now if I have lingering feelings of dislike for those girls (women now, I suppose). I can only hope that as a teacher I will be more aware of what is going on and create a sense of community in my classroom, so things like that don't get entirely out of hand like they did today.
On that note, I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday! Adieu!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A Surprise (or Two)
I got to school this morning, ready to take on my second day. I got to school early, had some tea, spoke to my cooperating teacher, and ran to the bathroom with about 5 minutes to spare. Just as I finished washing my hands, a woman I had never seen before opened the door and said "Are you Dawn?" That was when the day I had planned shot out the window, and a new day presented itself before my very eyes.
I told the woman that, yes, I was indeed Dawn. She then asked me if I would like to go on a field trip. "Ummmm....of course!?!" I replied. I followed her out into the hallway, and as I did, she introduced herself as a 4th year (3rd grade) teacher at the school. We ran into my cooperating teacher in the hallway, and they proceeded to tell me that one of the parents who was supposed to chaperone their field trip that day had just called a few moments ago and said they couldn't make it. When the 4th year teacher went to talk to the head teacher, my name was brought up as a possible replacement. Turns out, the 4th years were going to Cowdray, a set of ruins in Midhurst that was build in the late 1400s and was visited several times by royalty, including King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. A fire burned much of it to the ground in the late 1700s, but much still stands.
Well, it didn't take much twisting of my arm to get me to go! I was improperly dressed, having just found out about the excursion that morning. While everyone else wore jeans and trainers, I was in dress trousers and heels. I froze all day, but it was completely worth it. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of walking in the same footsteps as some of the most important figures in history. To walk in a building that is older than the United States itself was incredible, and while logically it has always made sense that things as old as this exist, I was unable to appreciate it until today. I was completely in awe.
We walked the grounds, went into the still-standing and functional kitchen, and climbed a turret to a room at the top where the kids learned about writing with quills (more of a time-waster than anything else). At the end of the day, we loaded up the buses and rode back to the school.
I got picked up by my hostess shortly after, and told her all about my fabulous day. I didn't think it would be any more exciting or eventful than it already had been, but lo and behold I was wrong! When we arrived home, it turned out that she and her eldest son had spent the morning talking about me and my Harry Potter obsession (yes, I believe I told them within the first 24 hours of my being here that I was a huge fan). Marc had gathered information about the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London. They told me about what they had found and asked if I wanted to go. It took me about 1/10 of a second to say "YES!" and we booked tickets immediately. I can not WAIT to try butterbeer and see the Great Hall, Dumbledoor's Office, Diagon Alley, Harry's Nimbus 2000, and the Gryffendor Common Room! It's going to be even better than Paris, I know it! The only bad thing is that I have to wait until April 24, the very last week of my trip, to go. That is SOOOOOO far away!
Until the tour, I suppose I'll have to busy myself with other things. Saturday we are going shopping in Portsmouth, an old naval town. There are supposed to be some good shops there, so I'm excited. Sunday is Mothering Day (Mother's Day), and if the weather is nice we are going to an open-air museum. Next week the high school is having a fashion show that I'll be attending with my hostess, and the same evening is a retirement party for one of the ladies at the school I'm working at. Then, in 2 weeks, Easter holiday begins, so that's when I'll head into London and Paris. Breaking apart my stay like that makes it seem quite short, now that I look at it!
I told the woman that, yes, I was indeed Dawn. She then asked me if I would like to go on a field trip. "Ummmm....of course!?!" I replied. I followed her out into the hallway, and as I did, she introduced herself as a 4th year (3rd grade) teacher at the school. We ran into my cooperating teacher in the hallway, and they proceeded to tell me that one of the parents who was supposed to chaperone their field trip that day had just called a few moments ago and said they couldn't make it. When the 4th year teacher went to talk to the head teacher, my name was brought up as a possible replacement. Turns out, the 4th years were going to Cowdray, a set of ruins in Midhurst that was build in the late 1400s and was visited several times by royalty, including King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. A fire burned much of it to the ground in the late 1700s, but much still stands.
Well, it didn't take much twisting of my arm to get me to go! I was improperly dressed, having just found out about the excursion that morning. While everyone else wore jeans and trainers, I was in dress trousers and heels. I froze all day, but it was completely worth it. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of walking in the same footsteps as some of the most important figures in history. To walk in a building that is older than the United States itself was incredible, and while logically it has always made sense that things as old as this exist, I was unable to appreciate it until today. I was completely in awe.
We walked the grounds, went into the still-standing and functional kitchen, and climbed a turret to a room at the top where the kids learned about writing with quills (more of a time-waster than anything else). At the end of the day, we loaded up the buses and rode back to the school.
I got picked up by my hostess shortly after, and told her all about my fabulous day. I didn't think it would be any more exciting or eventful than it already had been, but lo and behold I was wrong! When we arrived home, it turned out that she and her eldest son had spent the morning talking about me and my Harry Potter obsession (yes, I believe I told them within the first 24 hours of my being here that I was a huge fan). Marc had gathered information about the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London. They told me about what they had found and asked if I wanted to go. It took me about 1/10 of a second to say "YES!" and we booked tickets immediately. I can not WAIT to try butterbeer and see the Great Hall, Dumbledoor's Office, Diagon Alley, Harry's Nimbus 2000, and the Gryffendor Common Room! It's going to be even better than Paris, I know it! The only bad thing is that I have to wait until April 24, the very last week of my trip, to go. That is SOOOOOO far away!
Until the tour, I suppose I'll have to busy myself with other things. Saturday we are going shopping in Portsmouth, an old naval town. There are supposed to be some good shops there, so I'm excited. Sunday is Mothering Day (Mother's Day), and if the weather is nice we are going to an open-air museum. Next week the high school is having a fashion show that I'll be attending with my hostess, and the same evening is a retirement party for one of the ladies at the school I'm working at. Then, in 2 weeks, Easter holiday begins, so that's when I'll head into London and Paris. Breaking apart my stay like that makes it seem quite short, now that I look at it!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
First Day of School
I was quite nervous this morning, as it was the first day at my new school. I am in a Year 5 classroom (4th graders, basically) which is an age group I'm used to, but I was still nervous about the kids and the people I'd be working with. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about! The kids are great (and their English accents make them absolutely adorable) and the staff is wonderful. It also doesn't hurt that we start an hour later, get a morning tea break, and have an hour for lunch every day. Sweet!
Aside from all of the perks mentioned above, I am incredibly excited to take what I can from my experience here. I can tell already there are some new teaching methods and class management strategies that I will be able to take back with me to the States. I hope those will be assets when it comes time to look for a job when I return! I'm eager to learn about the English school system and to witness how it works, compare it to what we have, and see how I can use what I've seen to become a better teacher.
On another note, I've been asked what I want to do this weekend. That's such a difficult question to answer! I don't think I want to go into London just yet. There is a castle nearby and an open-air museum as well. I'd like to do some shopping, as it turns out I should have brought some different things to wear to school (not quite so formal). I did go to gap.eu and I think I'll order some things from there and have them shipped to the house. They have some good sales and I need to save my money for London and Paris! Aside from the usual, though, I'd like to see what some stores in the other towns have to offer in the way of clothing and souvenirs. Hmmm.... I guess I have a few days to decide.
Aside from all of the perks mentioned above, I am incredibly excited to take what I can from my experience here. I can tell already there are some new teaching methods and class management strategies that I will be able to take back with me to the States. I hope those will be assets when it comes time to look for a job when I return! I'm eager to learn about the English school system and to witness how it works, compare it to what we have, and see how I can use what I've seen to become a better teacher.
On another note, I've been asked what I want to do this weekend. That's such a difficult question to answer! I don't think I want to go into London just yet. There is a castle nearby and an open-air museum as well. I'd like to do some shopping, as it turns out I should have brought some different things to wear to school (not quite so formal). I did go to gap.eu and I think I'll order some things from there and have them shipped to the house. They have some good sales and I need to save my money for London and Paris! Aside from the usual, though, I'd like to see what some stores in the other towns have to offer in the way of clothing and souvenirs. Hmmm.... I guess I have a few days to decide.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Exploring Bognor Regis
Today was a fairly relaxing day. I spent the morning reading, and then made a trip to Tesco for some food to bring for lunches this week. Afterwards, we went to another pub just outside of town for my hostess's weekly Monday Lunch Club. I had a lovely meal of fish cakes over creamed leeks with...(you guessed it) a pint of Guinness. It was delicious! You may think that I've been drinking an awful lot of wine and beer since I arrived, and you would be right. Turns out, the English drink one or the other at just about every meal, which works out quite all right for me!
After lunch, I decided to walk to the town centre and check out some of the shops and restaurants. It's about a 30 minute walk at a leisurely pace, which takes you down to the pier. On the way are a few B and Bs before you get to the touristy part, where you'll find an arcade, a skateboard park, and a few other attractions open during the summer. In the centre is a fair amount of restaurants and pubs, as well as some shops. I managed to find a Body Shop, which made me quite happy since I haven't been to one in years. They have the best body washes! I also found a cute clothing store called Dorothy Perkins, where they had loads of cute summer dresses, shorts, tanks, and a ton of other things that made no sense for me to buy while I'm here. I may wait until I'm getting ready to leave before I go back to look at summery stuff. It's just not that warm here yet and I really don't have the proper shoes or accessories to wear with it.
I also found a Boot's drugstore, which I recognized right away. I remember Target sold their brand of makeup and skincare for a while back in the states, and I used to buy it then. I was looking for a few things I forgot to bring, as well as some band-aids (which are called plasters here) for my poor feet. Since my plane ride, my feet and ankles have been pretty swollen. I looked it up online and it's pretty common, however, it could be a problem if the swelling doesn't go down soon. Apparently, blood clots may be an issue but since I'm pretty active the chances of getting one are pretty slim. However, that didn't stop my poor, swollen feet from getting riddled with blisters.
You probably weren't expecting a picture of my feet...sorry about that; however, it was the only picture I managed to take today. Looks like it will be a little while before I walk to the town centre again, and it will probably be at least a few more days before I begin my morning runs.
After lunch, I decided to walk to the town centre and check out some of the shops and restaurants. It's about a 30 minute walk at a leisurely pace, which takes you down to the pier. On the way are a few B and Bs before you get to the touristy part, where you'll find an arcade, a skateboard park, and a few other attractions open during the summer. In the centre is a fair amount of restaurants and pubs, as well as some shops. I managed to find a Body Shop, which made me quite happy since I haven't been to one in years. They have the best body washes! I also found a cute clothing store called Dorothy Perkins, where they had loads of cute summer dresses, shorts, tanks, and a ton of other things that made no sense for me to buy while I'm here. I may wait until I'm getting ready to leave before I go back to look at summery stuff. It's just not that warm here yet and I really don't have the proper shoes or accessories to wear with it.
I also found a Boot's drugstore, which I recognized right away. I remember Target sold their brand of makeup and skincare for a while back in the states, and I used to buy it then. I was looking for a few things I forgot to bring, as well as some band-aids (which are called plasters here) for my poor feet. Since my plane ride, my feet and ankles have been pretty swollen. I looked it up online and it's pretty common, however, it could be a problem if the swelling doesn't go down soon. Apparently, blood clots may be an issue but since I'm pretty active the chances of getting one are pretty slim. However, that didn't stop my poor, swollen feet from getting riddled with blisters.
You probably weren't expecting a picture of my feet...sorry about that; however, it was the only picture I managed to take today. Looks like it will be a little while before I walk to the town centre again, and it will probably be at least a few more days before I begin my morning runs.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The South Downs
Today was another lovely day in Bognor Regis. The sun was shining, the weather was warm...it was a day that warranted being outside. We started out late in the morning by driving through the South Downs to a lovely area in which to walk.
After our walk, we stopped at a nice little Pub called The Partridge Inn. The atmosphere was wonderful inside, but because it was so nice we decided to eat outside on the picnic tables. I had my first "real" pint of Guinness, along with some fish and chips and mushy peas. It was delicious! As we sat and ate, I watched two children playing croquet in the yard. It was very....British?!
After our lunch, we drove to Goodwood Motor Circuit, where they do motorsports, horse racing, and aviation. We watched my hosts' eldest son Marc fly for about an hour (takeoff and landing, anyway), and relaxed outside with tea and snacks. It was so neat to see all of the planes coming and going. Some of them were open roof, but most of them were small four-seater Cessnas.
It was a pretty wonderful day. I expect tomorrow will be enjoyable as well, because I plan to spend it wandering around in town. I want to check out some of the local shops and try to find a good curry takeaway. Then, I start school on Tuesday, so it's sure to be an exciting week!
After our walk, we stopped at a nice little Pub called The Partridge Inn. The atmosphere was wonderful inside, but because it was so nice we decided to eat outside on the picnic tables. I had my first "real" pint of Guinness, along with some fish and chips and mushy peas. It was delicious! As we sat and ate, I watched two children playing croquet in the yard. It was very....British?!
After our lunch, we drove to Goodwood Motor Circuit, where they do motorsports, horse racing, and aviation. We watched my hosts' eldest son Marc fly for about an hour (takeoff and landing, anyway), and relaxed outside with tea and snacks. It was so neat to see all of the planes coming and going. Some of them were open roof, but most of them were small four-seater Cessnas.
It was a pretty wonderful day. I expect tomorrow will be enjoyable as well, because I plan to spend it wandering around in town. I want to check out some of the local shops and try to find a good curry takeaway. Then, I start school on Tuesday, so it's sure to be an exciting week!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Welcome to Bognor Regis
After a few hiccups at the beginning of my trip, I arrived safe and sound to Merry Ole London. I got picked up by a driver sent by my host family, which felt odd because, frankly, I've never had a person standing at Arrivals holding up a poster with my name on it. I felt fancy. :) It took about an hour to get from London to Bognor Regis, and I must say that it was one of the most beautiful drives I've ever been on. The houses are all brick or stone, and look like they would fit right in on Privet Drive. The country side is luscious and green, and usually accompanied by grazing sheep or lazy cows. The villages we drove through were absolutely adorable, and filled with antique shops, old pubs, and tea houses. I did see the odd Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut now and then, which was strange, because they stick out like sore thumbs. I also saw a Starbucks...I can only imagine how badly they would rip me off over here, after paying $5 for a stupid latte back home.
I finally arrived at the house I'll be living in for the next 7 weeks and it was love at first sight. Beautiful brick, lovely English garden in the back, and the people who own it are simply wonderful. I had a lovely afternoon making conversation with my hosts, as well as two of their three sons, two of their three daughters-in-law, and four of their six grandchildren. I formed an especially tight bond with a precocious little girl named Cara. After all our talking, we went to the beach which is about a 15 minute walk from the house. It will make an excellent route for jogging in the mornings and a beautiful place to stroll at sunset. The kids got to wade in the water ( I declined, because my Hunter's were still somewhere at Heathrow). They splished, they splashed, and had a jolly time. When it was time to go, the littlest, Theo, kept crying "More sea. More sea!" I loved every second of it.
The evening consisted of good food and lots of good wine, which leads me to believe (in addition with what I experienced today) that I will get along with my hosts just fine. I think the next seven weeks are going to be amazing, and I can't wait to see what's in store.
Now, after 31 hours, it's time for a proper sleep. Good night!
I finally arrived at the house I'll be living in for the next 7 weeks and it was love at first sight. Beautiful brick, lovely English garden in the back, and the people who own it are simply wonderful. I had a lovely afternoon making conversation with my hosts, as well as two of their three sons, two of their three daughters-in-law, and four of their six grandchildren. I formed an especially tight bond with a precocious little girl named Cara. After all our talking, we went to the beach which is about a 15 minute walk from the house. It will make an excellent route for jogging in the mornings and a beautiful place to stroll at sunset. The kids got to wade in the water ( I declined, because my Hunter's were still somewhere at Heathrow). They splished, they splashed, and had a jolly time. When it was time to go, the littlest, Theo, kept crying "More sea. More sea!" I loved every second of it.
The evening consisted of good food and lots of good wine, which leads me to believe (in addition with what I experienced today) that I will get along with my hosts just fine. I think the next seven weeks are going to be amazing, and I can't wait to see what's in store.
Now, after 31 hours, it's time for a proper sleep. Good night!
Friday, March 9, 2012
On My Way!
Today got off to a rough start. My original itinerary looked something like this:
Leave Rapid City at 1:10pm.
Fly to Denver.
Change planes in Chicago.
Arrive at London Heathrow at 11:05am Saturday.
I arrived at the airport (after a lovely breakfast at my favorite morning haunt, Tally's Silver Spoon) only to find out that my flight to Denver had been cancelled. WHAT?!!!? After spending a lengthy amount of time at the ticket counter, I got put on another flight to Chicago (totally bypassing Denver) and was told I would arrive in London the next morning. As Aaron and I sat down to wait for my flight, say our goodbyes, etc. my Smartphone received an email from my airline saying that my new flight was delayed, as well. UGH. With the delay, there was no way I'd make my connection in Chicago. I was bummed. This is not how I envisioned my trip starting out.
We went back to the ticket counter and I managed to get a 9:00 flight out of Chicago. That means I get to spend a few hours in Chi-town's airport (at least it's not Midway!). Again, I was not prepared for this. I had planned to be somewhere over the Atlantic in a deep sleep, thanks to 5mg of melatonin. Oh, well. I still arrive to Heathrow at 11:05 tomorrow morning and at least I don't have to run from one flight to another in O'Hare. Now, I think I'll relax at the airport, have a nice meal and a glass (or two) of wine. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll actually be in England at this time tomorrow.
Leave Rapid City at 1:10pm.
Fly to Denver.
Change planes in Chicago.
Arrive at London Heathrow at 11:05am Saturday.
I arrived at the airport (after a lovely breakfast at my favorite morning haunt, Tally's Silver Spoon) only to find out that my flight to Denver had been cancelled. WHAT?!!!? After spending a lengthy amount of time at the ticket counter, I got put on another flight to Chicago (totally bypassing Denver) and was told I would arrive in London the next morning. As Aaron and I sat down to wait for my flight, say our goodbyes, etc. my Smartphone received an email from my airline saying that my new flight was delayed, as well. UGH. With the delay, there was no way I'd make my connection in Chicago. I was bummed. This is not how I envisioned my trip starting out.
We went back to the ticket counter and I managed to get a 9:00 flight out of Chicago. That means I get to spend a few hours in Chi-town's airport (at least it's not Midway!). Again, I was not prepared for this. I had planned to be somewhere over the Atlantic in a deep sleep, thanks to 5mg of melatonin. Oh, well. I still arrive to Heathrow at 11:05 tomorrow morning and at least I don't have to run from one flight to another in O'Hare. Now, I think I'll relax at the airport, have a nice meal and a glass (or two) of wine. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll actually be in England at this time tomorrow.
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