It has been another short week, even for a short week.... Short weeks usually seem longer but this week flew by. I'm starting to get the hang of teaching multiple classes every week . The first group i teach, at the beginning of the week, are guinea pigs and the last group I teach are stars because I iron out the kinks and I improve my instructions. I've developed a new way of assessing by having each class self reflect and give themselves a happy face or sad face depending on how they feel they have worked and what they've learned at the end of each class. That helps me keep track of each student because it is difficult to remember every student and I have 18 different classes per week . I am also trying to use the three focus student idea that Hillsmeade has implemented. I've learned 300 out of the 425 names. We only have three weeks left until the first holiday and the end of term one . There are four terms in the school year and two weeks of holidays in between three of the four terms; 2 semesters. By the time I learn all the students' names for the first semester, I will need to learn another 425 names for the second term semester, because my teaching partner, Lisa (music teacher), and I are switching classes....but it's a pleasure!
We left the elastic bracelet fad in Canada at Christmas and now elastic bracelets are becoming a huge fad now in Australia!
We had three aboriginal incursion days which are the opposite of excursions :-) the trip comes to you, in the school. I had the pleasure of watching one of the presentation and the misfortune of having them being presented right next door to my drama room. One draw back of having the drama room next to hall (the gym), is that the phys ed noise or whatever is happening in the gym is constant and loud enough to be heard through the thin sliding wall on the stage that separates the two. I think I've heard enough didgeridoo music to last me a few years.
At the end of every week Hillsmeade has an assembly, one Junior ( prep/1/2) Assembly, one Senior (3/4/5/6), one house assembly, and one whole school per month..Hillsmeade heroes from every class are chosen and recognized. Every specialist teacher chooses a class from their 18 classes to win their subject award. There are 3 visual arts awards, 2 sport awards and 2 performing arts awards, one for music and one for drama. That helps keep the classes motivated to do well and to work as a team while they compete with other classes. The assemblies are usually held during my APT (prep) time but I make the time to go watch classes receive their awards and share their performances or presentations. Over the years, we've held assemblies at the 3 schools i taught at in Canada. We should do them again.
I've really connected with all those sweet and adorable children...even the little monkeys, who make it challenging sometimes, and I enjoy being with the staff. I love seeing them in the staffroom having fun, interacting with kindness with their students, planning in grade teams, or visiting me to chat and giving me helpful hints....most do, most of the time.
I already know that I'll be crying the last day of school.
Love my job!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Love my job!!!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Facebook statuses I didn't want to bore you with.
Tv is the box
Arvo is afternoon
Since we didn't splurge for cable, there's not much on television. Norm and I are hooked on the Block and MkR, Australian reality TV.
They make fun of my 'duty' 'dootie' but they pronounce ' debut' - 'debouooo'.
Schedules - are set up horizontally rather than vertically.
Mackers is McDonald's.
Cost of living - is comparable except for dinner...some people don't even flinch when discussing dinners that are $70/80 a head.
Learning to love teaching little ones. ...they are very cute. I do brace myself every Thursday for my little 'preps'.
The banter between Djs on the radio and anchors on TV gives us a better sense the culture...
I look forward to my drive into work. I enjoy the music and their brutally honest and blunt humour.
Loving the weather-pinching ourselves.
Everyone has a doppelganger....the students and teachers look like students and teachers I've taught worked with in past.
Both Hayley and I stepped outside our comfort zone. Hayley coaches my chess club and I lead her choir!
I feel like Mario Andretti driving around the round abouts...i even love saying 'round about'':-)
Feels so comfortable driving on the left, that I think I'm on the right.
Everyone seems chill on the highway... noone exceeds 100 km per hour.
(Strict enforcement, high fines, breathalyzer tests anytime of day or night and cameras everywhere!)
Surfboard on cars instead of skis.
So happy we ended up in Melbourne and not Cairns- the climate is much better and there so much more explore.
Had a Tim Tams feast after pizza and wine on Friday night!
Kids change personalities on 'out of uniform day'...I prefer them in uniform.
A jumper, is a sweater.
In Australia, it's not how you do or how you are, it's how you go. "How you going?" "How did you go?"
New dress code for NSW teachers...no more ripped jeans, no midriff, no strapless dresses...tattoos and piercings still allowed.
(Victoria already has a respectable dress code...We keep our shoulders and toes covered, no matter how hot gets...We try to most of the time :-).
I'll post more as I think of them....
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Ballarat & Daylesford-March 15
This weekend we went to Ballarat to meet up with the other exchange teachers from Canada and Xenia and her family from Hamburg, Germany.
We met at Sovereign Hill a re-creation of a village of the goldrush era of Ballarat
and then met for dinner at our hosts Helen and Ian's home.
The wonderful Australian teachers who had travelled all over the world on these exchanges were our hosts at a bbq dinner. It was so nice to spend time with like-minded colleagues. They are all inspiring. We learned so much from both the Canadian teachers and the well travelled, adventurous and experienced Aussie educators and their spouses. Attention our Matthew; one couple did two exchanges in Alberta, one in Calgary and one in Grand Prairie!! Others exchanged with teachers in B.C. and Ontario. Many had been to Colorado, one went to Texas. They all said it was one of the best years of their lives, career wise and personally. They mentioned that we were the smallest group of international exchange teachers. We are nine in total...in past years, there were up to 36. We heard they had matched 6 teachers for 2015...I had a moment of jealousy of the next group coming to Australia.
We then went to Joan's beautiful home in the country for our night stay.
We got up early to look for wildlife. Joan told us that a koala had once peeked into her living room. I will post a photo with this entry. Our walk was fruitless in regards to wildlife except some beautiful parrots and we did enjoy a refreshing walk amongst the eucalyptus (gum trees) and wild grass bushes.
After a lovely chat with our well traveled hostess over toast, vegemite, cheese and coffee bag coffee, we drove towards Daylesford, in hopes of checking off some of the recommendations on our list of sites to see.
We loved Daylesford!! It's a trendy/hippyish/spa town. We also managed to visit the market and took a walk around the convent gallery grounds.
Eventhough it was a cooler day, it was still so beautiful!
