January 23/24 - Victorian International Teaching Fellowship Orientation Program

This welcome was held by the Victoria Department of Education. Australia is full of people who want to see the world. They all seem to have wanderlust...especially for America ( US and Canada). It was no surprise to see that their board of education values this exchange program. I met 8 other teachers form Alberta (4-Calgary), Ontario (King/the Beaches) and one teacher from Germany. They are all adventurous, resourceful, flexible and creative people. A few had husbands, who bravely made this journey with them and a two families brought their young children...like my inspiration for this journey, Alice did back in 2000.
We learned that -
- there will be a dip in our excitement...we are in the honeymoon stage....it will undulate throughout the course of the 11 months.  We're bracing ourselves.
- there are 2 1/2 hours a week of staff meetings. I will brace myself. Although, I ...kind of like staff meetings. They are sometimes very entertaining.
- there are bush fire warning and flood warnings and we should take them seriously.
- there are so many beautiful places to explore.
- the Victorian Board or Department is divided into 4 regions.
- the principal is still a member of the teacher union.
- that there was teacher action here last year too.
- they report twice a year
- there is a book I must read called 'Third Culture Kids'
- each teacher must do 2 hours of yard duty a week
- you have the right of way when you are in the circle part of the round about and you must give way to the right
- a hook turn is a frightening turn you do downtown when you turn from the furthest left lane to turn right-- yikes! almost got into a couple of accidents without a hook turn
- i should volunteer for school trips
- they have online interviews for 'foundation' or 'prep' 5/6 yr olds.
- sunsmart - no playing in the schoolyard without a hat
- they rate schools based on standardized testing too!
- I need to lease a computer to use at school
- there are two sets of interviews a year
- their federation members are wonderful ladies who have travelled to Canada for an exchange
- they follow the philosophy that many of my colleagues in Canada and I try to follow...
"guide on the side - not the sage on the stage"
- that Hunter spiders are not as dangerous as red backed spiders.
- that I love Eastern Blue Tongued lizards and need to get one as a pet because they make me feel calm
- that some schools...hope not ours, has to enter their weekly plans on the school website, the Friday before the next week
- the Melbourne Cup is a State holiday in November! Yay!

After our first day we went on a hunt for one of Anthony Bourdain's Melbourne restaurant finds.
It was down a lane....some of the lanes here are miniscule!(like 3' wide) We met a lovely young lady who showed us the way.
The food at Sichuan House was superb!!!
The next evening, we went to Federation Square, watched some tennis on a huge screen with Melbournians and used the free Wi-Fi while we waited for a table at Movida, a tapas Restaurant. We discovered it when we found some of the exceptional graffiti decorated lanes. Rick Mercer would be happy to rant in these alleys!...sorry lanes..