French Gifted and Talented Club

Well, seeing as how I have been working with a wonderful group of 12 kids over the last few months, teaching them French, I thought I would write a little bit about them. Like I said, I have been working with 12 year 6 students, hand-picked just for me :), and we have been learning an array of French "stuff."

We have learned everything from greetings to numbers and colors, to the "head, shoulders, knees and toes" song. Last week, however, was our most exciting week as were celebrating the French festival of Mardi Gras. In celebration of this, we made Mardi Gras masks and dedicated a whole block to making and tasting our own delicious crepes. It was a lot of fun and the students loved it! It was a great way to top off our time togther.


Although making crepes was a lot of fun, I found out what it is like to manage students in the kitchen. And I only had 12! Imagine having 30. I found that it was hard to ensure every person had a job, hard to keep up with the cleaning so that I did not have to do it all myself at the end, and it was difficult to make sure things were being done "right." I think, in the end, I should have let them so more of the flipping..... but what I can do in 10 seconds, takes them over a minute! In the end, we just did not have enough time and cooking supplies and utensils were few and far between at school, making it harder with the bigger groups (I was not about to lug cooking supplies to school on the bus!) Overall though, it was a huge success and the kids really did love it. Next time I do cooking with students, I will have extra activities/jobs planned!!

Conduct-NG

My goodness, I have been meaning to write about this for ages and I have been having such problems with my computer and getting pictures from it, that I have neglected to write this post for a very important reason: it would simply not be doing it justice without the pictures.

So, about a week before term break, the three lovely Canadians were invited by, Chris, the only male Canadian, to attend Christchurch Girls' band concert. It did not take long for us ladies to decide that we were all in for seeing Chris Ng in action!

It wasn't long before we met up with Chris and saw just what kind of impact he was having on the school.... The students loved him! We quickly saw that he had an excellent relationship with them and that they all responded very well to him. In no time at all, he had over 100 female students' attention and they were ready to begin....

We were lucky enough to see Chris at his finest.... conduct-NG, of course (many jokes of the like were made by the students and liked by the audience!) He was a fantastic conductor with much enthusiasm and mre rapid hand movements then I could muster in any given day, let alone few minutes. Needless to say, I was very impressed and reakkt very proud of his performance.


Once the band was done, Chris was up next in the saxophone quartet. And what another great performance! He blew us all away with his many musical talents.

But it was in the end (or was it the middle?) that Chris really made us feel all quite special. He had all three of us stand up and introduced us to the audience as his fellow Canadian friends and told where each of us were teaching. He spoke of our experience in getting to Christchurch and how we happened to stumble upon New Zealand but how thankful we all were that we had.

It was truly an entertaining night and I felt so lucky to have seen Chris "in action," how he teaches, and the many talents that he has to offer!

Also, we even got to see a barbershop song (acapella) as well as the most wonderful violinists. Truly a memorable night. Thanks Chris!

PSIII Final Report

For my final teaching practicum, I travelled to Christchurch, New Zealand, to Paparoa Street School, to see what a different school system and culture would have to offer.

Upon arrival, I felt not only overwhelmed with being in a new country, but also being in a different school system, surrounded by people I had absolutely no connection with. I was quite nervous to start and was nervous that there would be terminology, rules, and programs that I would not be familiar with. This was in fact true, but the staff welcomed my questions and made me feel right at home from the very beginning. Everyone accepted me with open arms and after only a few short days, I felt very comfortable as a staff member and was excited to start learning about this new school and its system.

I was placed in a Year 3 and 4 composite class with senior teacher, Tanya Wells, as my mentor teacher. With twenty boys and nine girls, I knew I was up for a challenge. Settling into the routine was quite easy and I fell back into my role as teacher, but it was getting used to the students’ accents and understanding what they were saying that was the real challenge. Just a few short days in, I could tell that I was going to need to step up my focus on classroom management, as having twenty boys in one classroom can be quite a bit busy.

I struggled with this at first, and found that I had more trouble here with management, than in any of my other practicums. Having just come from a Grade 5 class, I was not used to giving such specific directions, down to exactly how students should be lining up. I was losing my ability to manage the class as a whole. So, I re-evaluated my management plan and decided to incorporate the “Marble Jar” which would be used as a reward system. This worked beautifully and the students responded well to being praised for playground behaviour, effort, and overall attitude. They loved the marble jar and counted the marbles everyday to tell me just how many were left until “treat day.”

On the curricular aspect of things, I taught and helped teach everything from daily fitness, to reading and writing, to Math, and Social Studies-based topic. One of the areas that I found most difficult to teach was math, as I do not have a lot of background in the proper teaching of number knowledge and strategies, and handwriting because my handwriting is atrocious! However, I can say that I have had a positive shift in attitude toward teaching Math. While I had always found it tedious and boring to teach in previous placements, I find that I have learned to like it. Tanya, my mentor teacher, has taught me so much about incorporating games and teaching strategies that really help with students’ learning. Another area that I have found myself drawn to in Social Studies. Our themes for topic in Term 1 and 2 (Life as an Early Settler and Incredible Journeys) have created such all-around learning that I now want to try and only do theme-based units where all areas of the curriculum are tied in for deep and meaningful learning.

In terms of planning, I have learned so much about new ways to plan and new ways to get the best out of students and their learning. I have always been very interested in portfolios and was able to see them in use and how valuable they truly are to students and their parents. I learned about theme-based units, how to create the “big picture” and mould subjects and learning around this in order to create deeper and more meaningful learning. I learned about a new way of testing and how to test students so that they are put into individual learning groups that deal with material appropriate for their age level of learning. I learned about portfolios and was able to see how they actually fit into the classroom setting. One of the biggest differences that I observed was the independence that schools have here. I see now that this is a great way to run a school as principals have much more control and freedom to run their school in a way that is best for the students and their needs. With the government delegating what funds go where and what schools deserve certain resources, equipment, and programs over others, it is hardly beneficial to the kids at those schools who are simply missing out. But as a student-teacher who is coming in from a different country, a different culture, a different perspective, and a different school system, I realise that there is so much to learn from other schools and other countries, that only an experience abroad could open one’s eyes to. This practicum has made me realise a new philosophy for myself: that to grow as a teacher means first to grow as a person, and this practicum has been all that for me: a four month term of professional and individual growth and development.

While there were many differences that I noted between Albertan schools and New Zealand schools, there is one major cultural difference. New Zealand seems to be much more united with their national roots. There is so much effort being put into the preservation of this culture, that it is appalling to think of how our native culture is treated at home. Here, there is not the racism, there is not the isolation, there is not only one school for every hundred miles that teaches First Nations culture. Here, students are exposed to Maori culture and language on a weekly basis. All students know words, phrases, songs, and numbers of the Maori language. They see the celebration of the culture, mostly through the Haka, at almost every assembly, sporting event, and festival. It is everywhere; it is a part of the community and the country. It is not separate and it is not saved for one day of the year; a day we call Cultural Day. It is not known by only people of that culture, it is known by all. Teachers are required by law to report to the government on how their Maori students are doing. They do not fall through the cracks here like our First Nations do at home. There is a nation-wide effort being put into bringing the culture back to life, to spread its roots to more than just its own people. The library carries an infinite number of Maori literature; authors, legends, fables, and fairy tales all line the shelves. Shop stores have their name in both English and Maori. No such thing exists with the Blackfoot or Iroquois language at home. It is truly unbelievable to think how we, as a country, are letting such an amazing, unique, and essential part of our history, fade away. Being here, has made me realise that we need more people at home like we have here in New Zealand; people who do not turn a blind eye to the loss of a culture.

Throughout my term at Paparoa Street school, I have been included in so many extra activities that I have not experienced before and that have shown me a new and different side to teaching. For example, in our class, we visited Ferrymead, a historical site that re-creates the life of the early settlers. With old movie theatres, household chores, baking, and a very strict classroom, it was a relevant and applicable field trip because it emphasised what was being learned in class and showed them another way of learning. We also walked the Bridle Path, a long and steep path that the early settlers walked to settle into Christchurch from Lyttleton Harbour. It gave perspective and a new outlook, one that allowed them to put themselves in the shoes of an early settler and showed the students where they come from and how lucky they were to be there. I believe that no other activity could have showed them this as well as it did. I also attended the Senior School camp at Camp Wainui and realised what an educational experience camp is for students. I have heard many teachers at home say that they no longer bother with camp but I now see that it is worth all the time and preparation. The students absolutely love it is such a great opportunity to get to know another side of your students and fellow teachers. I had an amazing time at camp and would not hesitate at any moment, with the help and support of other teachers and parents, to take my future senior classes to camp. The out-of classroom learning experiences that I have shared in, have shown me that there is not only a lot of learning to be done within the walls of the classroom, but much to learn outside of it as well.

I was also involved in some part-time cricket coaching of the Senior A girls team, just to learn one of New Zealand’s favourite games. I also did a Canadian piece for Cultural Day and coached nine students toward loving country music! We did a two-stepping line dance to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Cadillac Ranch” in front of the whole school but it was truly an amazing experience. After all the time that was put into practises, I felt so proud of those students after that dance and it felt so good to know I had been a part of it. I had been involved in extra-curricular activities before, but not one that had been my own, where I was wholly responsible for making sure they knew what they needed to know on time and to ensure all ran smoothly. It ended up being an absolute success and the students shone brighter than I had ever expected them to. My PD Project too, which was the French Gifted and Talented club, was a great opportunity to get to know students in other classes and at different levels. It was great to have just a small group of twelve students who wanted to be there and were excited and all that was done. I taught them many new French words, we played some games to reinforce their learning, and we even celebrated the French festival of Mardi Gras and made crepes. In doing the club, I realised that it is important to get to know other student sin the school and that we sometimes get to caught-up and focused on our own class that we do not make the effort to meet other students. This is one area that I believe I could have worked on and that was to spend more time outside with the students and get to know some other people from different classes.

While I have always loved teaching, I have never been one hundred percent sure, which age level I would prefer to teach. I absolutely love younger children but find myself more drawn to wanting to teach the older students. However, I am so happy and thankful that I have had this practicum, to point me in this direction. I have loved my time with this class and would not change it for the world. However, it has made me aware of my personality and qualities as a teacher. I find that with my sense of humour and way of doing things, that I am better suited for an older age group. Teaching with the younger students though, has taught me much about patience, compassion, consistency, and management. Without this practicum, I truly would not have realised my full potential as a teacher. I say this because without New Zealand and the knowledge, skill, and experience of Tanya, my mentor teacher, I would not have been able to experience the things that I have always wanted to learn about but have been unable to see in practise. And with every single wonderful individual in that class, I have become a stronger, more rounded, and balanced teacher and individual.

In conclusion, this practicum has not only helped guide me toward greater independence in life, but it has guided me along my path as a teacher and has lifted my confidence tremendously. I could not have asked for a better country than New Zealand and its culture was never anything but good to me. But without Paparoa Street school and everyone in it, Tanya and all of those children, I would have never realised the part of myself that is now returning home to Canada, a changed person and a better teacher.

Mixed Feelings Anyone?

When I logged on to blogger just now, I was planning on writing about the differences in teaching cursive handwriting in New Zealand vs. Alberta. However, I though that might be a bit boring for my family and friends who read this :) and honestly, I just feel like writing what I am thinking right now.

One week ago, upon my return to school from term break and a wonderful trip up North, I was feeling rather dull about having to get back into the real world. The first few days back at school were quite difficult and I was feeling, not that I didn't want to be there, but more simply that I just wanted to be home. As you can tell from the blog I posted last week, that is what was on my mind. My mom was going in for day surgery, not a big deal but something I would have liked to be there for, I had not talked to my Dad in over a month as we had been playing phone tag and the time difference was working against us, and I had not spoken to any of my friends back home in far too long. Every time I get a phone card, it seems to run out in just a matter of days. (Although I suppose that is not a bad thing :)

Anyways, after a few days of only wanting to sleep and feeling quite sad about home, more than ever before (first time since I left though is not so bad!) and a much needed attitude adjustment, I was feeling back at home and back in the groove. Now that I feel back to my normal self again, I cannot seem to wrap my head around the fact that I will be gone, from New Zealand, in just four weeks.

When I think about my time here, there are simply not words to describe how completelty amazing it has been and everyhting that I will miss when I am gone. Teaching here has been an experience like no other and I could not have anticipated that I would learn so much. And there is so mcuh that I will miss. I will miss my home here, a space that I have made my own over the last 4 months and one that I will be sad to leave. I will miss all of the people I have and have come to love so much, I will miss those 28 beautiful children in my class. I will miss wheels of cheese at every staff event, secretly laughing at people who do not take their shoes off in other peoples' houses, hanging my clothes out to dry outside on a windy day, foreign roomates and never knowing from what country they will be from, road trips with the girls, the scenery, my daily walk to school, and a thousand other things that I wouldn't even have time to name. I will miss it all.

I am no longer in a rush to go home because I want to cherish every moment that I have left here. I know that when the time comes for home, I will be ready then. But not now. I am not yet ready to leave the friendly and hospitable stangers who help me with directions on the street, nor the selfless and incredible people from my school.


Well, that is about all that was on my mind, but just for good measure, here is a chart of some cursive handwriting differences. Notice how the 'r' is different, a lot capital letetr are different, and as well as certain letters that link. Here, if the letter is written by starting with your pencil from the top then you must lift your pencil and start from the top.




VS.


(Sorry, not the best example ever but the best one I could find.)

New Zealand is Seeing Dust...

My dust that is. I cannot believe that I only have 5 and a half weeks left already. Where has the time gone? I can still remember when I was on the 6 month countdown to come to New Zealand, didn't have a school to teach at yet, and definitely had no idea where I would be living. Then I was on the 16 day countdown to leave for Thailand, and now I cannot get over the fact that in two months, I will be home. Lately however, I have been feeling slightly homesick and am feeling more and more ready to see my family and tell them all about my trip in person and not over the phone. But I am not wishing my time away yet.... I still have a few more places I want to see (Dunedin, Queenstown, The Sounds) and I know that when I get home, I will only be wishing I was back in the infamous city of Christchurch, enjoying Yellow Rocket bagels and sauntering my way through the square. There is much that I will miss here and it saddens me to have to think about saying goodbye already. I know that the time will go by faster than I want it to and when it finally comes time, I will have a hard time saying goodbye to this wonderful country and everything it has to offer. I have much to look forward to when I go home though, including our annual four day quading trip, my grandma's 80th birthday party, my car :), and of course all my friends (maybe even a little Costco renuion!)

I am anxious to see the prairies again, to see that welcoming sign as I drive into Fort McMurray, to talk to friends on the phone for more than 20 minutes because I'm worried my phone card is going to run out, to have a mother-daughter day, and to see my brothers. I hear my little brother, Michael, who is almost 13, is experiencing puberty and getting some facial hair. Wouldn't want to miss that! haha. And I am looking forward to being back in the family loop and to know what's going on in my own country.


Although I am excited to go home, I am going to miss all of the absolutely awesome and precious kids that I teach. This week, we are doing a reading unit on Shel Silverstein which should be really fun. I am on full control for the week so I am in for a busy week! We are also starting our new topic which is "Incredible Journeys" and we will be learning a lot about animals, but especially penguins which I am very excited about.

Well, I am feeling better now that I have written about missing home and this had me realize how I don't even have time to miss Canada yet! I need to really treasure my last few weeks here, because before I know it, they will be gone...

The Ends of the Earth

Having just arrived home from a 16 day road trip around the north island of New Zealand, I am overwhelmed by all of the things I could write. First, the trip would have absolutely not been the same if it wasn't for the amazing company I had: Lindsay, Larissa, and Chris made the trip what it was. I cannot count the number of times we laughed until it hurt.......

For fear of dragging this out and wanting to include every detail, I will pinpoint the highlights. First, our main tour even started out in Abel Tasman National Park where we a) stayed in a tipi, b) did a full day trip of sea kayaking, c) saw the most beautiful look-out spots, d) Larissa and I went skydiving from 13,000 feet!!, e) went on a 24 km walk that absolutely killed my legs the next day.

Then it was off to Wellington where we felt odd being in the city again and wanted to be in the small country towns. But we finally received our little rental car and then there was just no stopping us. Next it was off to Taupo/Rotorua where I did the 143 foot pluge from the Swoop. Pretty crazy. Then we sadly lost Chris to a small fire at his apartment after which he flew home to assess the damage. We missed him though. Then Coramandel came which I was unable to see due to a 24 hour flu I caught somewhere along the way. Sad I know, but true. Finally, it was off to Apihara and Cape Reinga where we saw the very end of New Zealand and where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific. We then were shown one of the hugest sand dunes I have ever seen and we proceeded to toboggan down it which was unreal. We also crusied along 90 mile beach, an actual beach that is used as a highway as it is too far north to build a decent road. Our final destination was Auckland where we braved the Sky Tower and I was reunited with my two kiwi friends, Jeanne and Helen, that I had met in Thailand in January.

There you have it, 16 days crammed into two small paragraphs. I could go on and on about but I figured I would just include the major highlights. Of course, we saw many more things (National Museum) and many more places (Nelson, Picton, Whangarei) that I could have included. It was truly and sincerely one of the most amazing trips I have had and it actually felt like we were gone a month as we had done so much in such little time. My favorite was Cape Reinga because it looked like a paiting with all of the colors meshed into one: blues, greens, whites, aqua; all rolling onto the same shore.

Catch Phrase was a popular pastime and I successfully finished two books. I truly could not have asked for a better holiday. The roads in NZ as we soon found out, are among the windiest in the world, I am sure, and travelling over many mountains and hills and valleys was a daily routine. It honestly and whole heartedly feels like I have seen and experienced one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I feel nothing short of blessed.

Now for Monday, where it is back to the grind of PSIII......

Cultural Day

This past Friday was the most fun I have ever had in a placement. Friday was cultural day and believe me, this school went all out. First, students were to come dressed up in something that reflected their cultural background. It was amazing! Kids went far beyond what I ever expected and there were Traditional Korean costumes, Kimonos, Chinese style dresses, NZ rugby jerseys, and even a kid from Whales! Of course, I was dressed in jeans and a Calgary Flames shirt.

First thing in the morning, we had the school wide assembly and man, were there some amazing performances! I saw the Haka, a soman dance and song, professional Argentinian dancers, a "Hello" song performed by the junior, middle, and senior school where each little group of kids was dressed up from the country that their greeting came from. It was such an amazing show to watch.

But of course, the highlight of the assembly for me was that I got to perform a country line dance for the school to represent Alberta. I was lucky enough to get some cowboy hats and bandanas in and the students exchanged their school uniforms for a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt. And we all had mini Canadian flag stuck in our back pockets. I had 9 students and we danced our hearts out to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Cadillac Ranch." It was so much fun but took lots of time to get those little boys to all have the same timing. But it was so worth it and we we all had a ball!

Then in the afternoon, we had a food tasting time and we were able to go and sample food from all over the world! There was Samoa, the Cook Islands, Israel, Mexico, India, Phillipines, Korea, France, Germany, Argentina, NZ, Australia, Canada/US, Japan, and even Scotland. I pigged out on cookies, breads, rice, sausages, you name it, we had it!! It was so amazing and such a great experience for the kids.

What a great way to bring a school together! It was absolutely amazing and I am so lucky to have been ablt to share in it!

Waipara Wine Festival

This past Sunday, Larissa and I and two of my girlfriends from school, decided to test New Zealand's claim-to-fame; their own homegrown, freshly brewed wine. We arrived to the festival shortly after twelve and I was once again brought back to the sweet aromas and sights of Hokitika - yes you guessed it, the Wild Foods Festival. The waffle hut was there, the White Bait people were there, and live music - live country music! They had the bajo going and everything. It was the nice little piece of home that I needed.

A few wine glasses later (one for me but a few for the girls), we were rockin it out on the 'dance floor' listening to some homegrown New Zealand bands. Ah, but the best was yet to come. Without the music though, we were having enough fun enjoying the middle-aged women who had had too much to drink and their versions of what they liked to call dancing. Priceless. But when the last band, the Bubblemen, came out, we were dancing up a storom to Johnny Cash and some of the oldies. The weather was fabulous and we couldn't have asked for a better day. Larissa even found herself a "costco" hotdog and we were all in our glory. It made a nice finish to the weekend!

Parent Teacher Interviews

Last week was parent-teacher interviews and I was able to sit in a on a few to see how this is all done. I have sat in on interviews before, but these ones were a little different.

I remember sitting in Nola Aitken's class for Ed on Assessment and watching a video on portfolios. I also remember thinking how great of an idea it was, a place to showcase students work and that it would be marvelous if we could all have that in our classrooms. Of course, we talked about it for a bit as a class and came to the conclusion, that yes, it is most definitely worth the time and the effort.

However, going into the schools was another story. Neither of my TA's that I had for PSI or PSII did portfolios so I did not have a chance to see them "in action." It is now that I realize, that it is only with the support of the entire school that my TA's could have used portfolios.

So, back to parent-teacher interviews. It was here that I saw how truly useful it is to show parents in a neatly and timely fashion, how their kids are doing. Right from day one, Paparoa spends the first few weeks gathering individual writing samples, reading levels, ability to understand blends in sounds, math skills, and much more. Once all of these results are accumulated, they are added to the portfolios, shown to the parents, and the parents can see straight from scores and Tanya's expalanation, where their child is sitting. It sounds simple, but it takes hours of work to get the sampling and testing done, then to grade it, put it on a scale so the parents can see and then gather everything into each individual portflio.

But this is only possible because students are started with their own portfolio as soon as they start school and they are passed from teacher to teacher after that. It is such an excellent way to show and view progress that it now seems useless to me to host the same type of interviews that I have seen at home; the ones that say 'oh, your child is doing well, needs some work on reading." With portfolios, parents can see for themselves that extra work needs to be done because the test scores are there to prove it. Although it may seem like a lot of testing, students understand that it is to go in their portfolios so that they can also see their own improvements. The tests are not seen as a big deal and students know that it is for their own benefit. And when portfolios are sent home, parents write a comment about their child's work and effort and the students get to write and say what they are most proud of themselves for doing.

I truly believe that this is such a great and unique way of assessing but also a wonderful teaching tool because it is a place where students can see for themselves how much they have improved and that their hard work has indeed paid off.

Kiwis just know what they're doing!

Camp Wainui and Ferrymead

Well, to say the least, the last few weeks have been quite eventful. I continue to find my place at school, learning new things about teaching and myself. I feel closer and closer witht he staff everyday and am truly oving all of the people I work with. I am so lucky to have made such close friends on staff!

The kids are great too, and continue to see how far they can push me on a daily basis. haha, they are so cute but succeed in sucking the energy out of me each and every day :)

Last week, I was lucky enough to go to Ferrymead with my class as part of our Settlers topic. Ferrymead is an education-based historical center in Christchurch where we learned a lot about the settlers of Canterbury and how the people of the olden days used to live. We got to see a classroom of 100 years ago, a movie theatre and picture, chores of the old days,a nd even an old bakery. It was so much fun!

Then just this last week I was lucky enough to have the opporunity to go to camp Wainui with the senior school because they needed some extra help. That too, was so much fun and I got to do some really cool stuff which included coaststeering and jumping off a 5 meter cliff as well as abseiling and free-falling with a rope out of a 14 meter high tree!!

But despite all of the fun and good times that I had (and believe me, there were many) it made me realize how much more I enjoy teaching the older kids. I found them much easier to joke around with, they could actually relate to me and ask me intelligent questions and I could have a decent conversation with them. Although I do love little kids, I think as a graduated teacher, when I am, that I will go for upper elmentary and maybe even junior high. Funny though, I never thought I'd say that!

Who said patience is a virtue?

What does it mean to have patience? I always thought I was very patient with kids and that I was a fun, energetic, and cool teacher but my Year 3's got me thinking yesterday.

So far, although I have loved teaching these amazingly cute and individual children, they are giving me the most run for my money that I've had since I started student teaching. I am not complaining though, because it really makes me take a good look at the things I need to improve on as a teacher.

Yesterday was a really bad day and I was going to title my blog post "Totally Discouraged" but I have such an awesome support system at Paparoa, that after ten minutes, I was feeling confident and like myself again.

With this class, I have been having a few management problems. Although I am firm, I feel like they have not been taking me seriously and after having tried all the routines Tanya uses, I was feeling hopeless.

I told them about the Marble Jar that we will be using starting Monday and how if they work well, listen well, follow school rules, and show respect, they will get to choose something that they can do as a class for the week. It seems to be the only thing I have right now, at least that's how I felt yesterday. Today was so much better though.... thank goodness

After yesterday, I just came home and thought about what I really need to do. I realized that although I was trying as hard as I could to be fun and do things that they like, I was spending so much time shouting over them that nothing was getting done. These two boys in particular, are really difficult and just require so much of my attention that I lose the rest of the class.

So, I came home last night and I thought about what I need to do to show them that I don't want to have to wait for them to quit socializing, I don't want to waste 10 minutes to give instructions because nobody listens to me. So, I used thinking fitness time today to go through synonyms of our school rules (not saying like that) and we learned the words 'benevolent' and 'venerate.' I added "continue practising to show respect' to our weekly goals and the day went ten times better! I didn''t freak out when they started talking nor did I feel like that meant I was losing control. Its just that there are some really chatty boys and where most times using silence would make a class listen, it only makes it worse for these guys. Failed tactic number sixty six.

Now, I have been trying to make them do things again if they can't do it right the first time and it seems to help.

But at the end of the day, I need to realize that losing a few seconds here and there, to remind them of rules instead of rushing to get something finished, is okay. At the end of the day, they only just children, little people who laugh over 400 times per day!, as Lindsay Forrest would say. They are just little kids who need more of my patience and less of my frustration. There are a few days that have been particulary hard and I was getting discouraged. And although there have been more good days than bad, I tend to remember the bad ones. I get lost in the potential for a teachable moment and I feel like I am spinning into the world of lost control. Dramatic I know, but basically true nonetheless.

So, despite my efforts to fight past the "student teacher" title with the kids, I am coming out more ahead than behind. Positive yes, but still a long way to go. I worked on patience and listening today and I feel it went a lot better. I want to keep working on management and understadning each one of them as nothing less than individuals.

Today, I felt a little more level-headed. I felt the sun was shining a little brighter, thought the leaves looked a little greener, and I felt that with just a little extra effort, I can have these kids seeing me for the real teacher that I am.

New news: Co-coaching senior girls cricket!

Teaching French to the Gifted and Talented group

And teaching 10 or so kids how to line dance to Cadillac Ranch by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for Cultural Day!!

New Insights into a New Culture

While some may argue that New Zealand is not all that different from Canada, I can now say that I beg to differ.

Before I came to New Zealand, I did a presentation on the education system and since this has held my interest since arriving, I would like to talk about it for a minute. First, the school system here is dramatically different in so far as I have noticed, two ways. First, there are parent-run boards that essentially run the schools. The budget is decided on by the "finance people" but the board gets to decide where the funds are going. The position is elected and volunter. Basically, the principal runs the school and the board oversees all of the major decisions. But the principle is much more independent here then at home and has much more say in what goes on in the school. For example, since New Zealand does not have a national assessment program like we do with PAT's, they create their own system of evaluating students skill levels and work from that as to how they can improve their students' learning. Although test scores are compared with other schools like at home, it is not the worry of the province to ensure that these scores are going up. As a country, there is only one national test done every four years where students are selected at random. Very interesting...

paparoa Street is a 10 out of 10 on the DCILE scale. This means, that through census, the community that surrounds the school is surveyed to see the level of education of parents and their income. We have a very affluent community and therefore, receive a 10 out of 10 which means much less funding is given to us than other schools. Parents are expected to pay more fees and funraise many of their own events if they wish to buy extras for the school. Unlike in Canada, money is determined by how many students attend the school, which is much different than here.

Finally, one last thing that has not only peaked my interest but has made me think more ciritcally about our schiool system and culture, is the treatment of the Maori language, people, and culture. There is so much effort being put into the preservation of this culture, that it is appalling to think of how our native culture is treated at home. Here, there is not the racism, there are not isloated reserves, there is not only one school for every hundred miles that teaches First nations culture. Here, students are exposed daily to Maori culture and language. They all know words and phrases in the language. They see the celebraton of the culture at every assembly, sporting event, and festival. It is everywhere, it is a part of the coomunity and the country. It is not separate, it is not saved for one day of the year; a day we call Cultural Day. It is not known by only people of that culture, it is known by all.

Teachers are required by law to report to the government on how their Maori students are doing. They do not fall through the cracks here like our First Nations do at home. There is a nation-wide effort being put into bringing the culture back to life, to spread its roots to more than just its own people. The library carries an iffinite number of Maori literature; authors legends, fables, and fairy tales all line the shelves. It is an mazing way to get the younger generations interested in something different, something other than their own culture. Shop stores have their name in both English and Maori. No such things exists with the Blackfoot or Iroquois language at home. It is truly unbelievable to think how we are letting such an amazing, unique, and essential part of our history, fade away. Although there are many who are trying to save the langauge and its culture, I do not think that there are not enough people to do the job; not when I see how many people are contributing here compared to the number who are doing so at home. Being here, has made me realize the reality of losing a culture and part of our history and makes me want to do somethig about it. What? I do not yet know. But we need more people at home like we have here in New Zealand; people who do not turn a blind eye to the loss of a culture.

What makes home home?

As a kid with divorced parents, I have always had more than one home. I have always had two different beds, two dinner tables, and two different places to eat my bedtime snack. As I got older and began moving around, I have always wondered what really makes home your home. And can you only have one true home? The answer, I think, is no.

I was born and raised in Fort McMurray, AB and my step-mom and dad still live in the house that we moved into when I was in grade 3. Whenever I go for a visit, I feel like I am going home. And I never get tired of the feeling when I roll into Fort Mac and come down the Beacon Hill road, and see the whole city from the top of that hill. I absolutely love the view.

Then I moved with my mother, and after two relatively quick moves, we settled into Drumheller. I graduated here and made many new friends upon entering into high school. This too, I call home. When I go visit my step-dad and mom from university, I am going home.

Then there's university, a place I felt very uncomfortable calling home when I first started school there. I would always say I was just "going back to Lethbridge." But as I got more and more settled, and well into school, I started to feel like Lethbridge was really becoming a part of me, growing on me with each and every day. My friends were there, school, and work, all made it start to feel like I had started and sustained my own life there. I moved around many times, too, in university, but always only needed a few days to adjust to the minor change before I was back into the groove and the rountine of living in Lethbridge.

Now, I am in New Zealand, and although it often amazes me that I am this far from 'home,' I can honestly say that this is now starting to feel like home. I love my house, the thought of coming home to it and after a long day at school and twenty nine 7 and 8 year olds demanding all of me at once, puts a little grin on my face. I feel comfortable here, I feel settled, I feel safe, I feel busy, I feel occupied, I feel content. I feel like the next 4 months will be the fastest 4 months of my life. And in a way, it is too bad because I know now already, just how quickly it will go.

It is funny to think of home and speak of it to other people, as if it is so far away; of the snow, the cold, country music, baseball, football, provincial achievement tests, 'garbage cans,' 'sidewalks,' 'renting,' and an ozone layer.. Yet, I feel like it is so close to me at the same time, so embedded within me and my thoughts and my values and my beliefs, that it really is not that far away. It does not feel 16,000 km away, but merely a delayed phone call or 'yesterday's' e-mail away.

So what makes a home? Is it the people who surround you? The luxury of having your own space or sharing it with 6 other people? Is it that the place is just great and everything just seems to be going your way? Or is it what you make of it, always trying to see the best in everything that happens?

All I know, is that home is where the heart is, and home is where my car is.

I am really not that far away because although I may be gone from home, home is nowhere nearly gone from me.

In Room 24, we....

Room 24, so far, has brought so many good ideas to my teacher bank. Here are a few that I would like to share:
Every morning, Tanya puts the daily menu on the board that tells the students what they can expect for the day. I love the structure and they never ask what they are doing next because all they have to do is look on the board.

Each week, students are given different responsibilities that they need to do for that week. Gives them ownership of things done and accomplished in the classroom. There is also the "start of the week" which I think is great for making each child feel special in the classroom.

There is a W.A.L.T. scrapbook that Tanya uses to write global learning intentions for the week. It stands for 'we are learning to..." and every morning, it is posted on the board where students are reminded to practise school rules, to keep getting to know each other,etc (3-4 small goals)

Her "everything else" scrapbook is developed as needed and contains things like a Y chart, used to discuss what a good listener sounds like, looks like, and feels like.

My favorite thing about Tanya's class and teaching though, is that she has students create the physical environement of the classroom. Right from day one, she called the class "the thinking and learning classroom" and created thinking and learning teams where students can get together and work and brainstorm ideas and projects as a team. The first few days are spent creating personal artwork that will decorate the room (self-portrait) and posters that define what kind of classroom students want to create (To feel safe here we...., to show repsect here...., to learn well here we....) For this, each student was given 3 post-it notes and asked to write two ideas for each on the things they feel they need to do personally to create this type of classroom. I loved this because it really put ownership on the students and again, helps them to be a part of creating the type of environment the classroom has.

Max, a stuffed orangutan and the class mascot, is used as a way to encourage inquiry and discovery learning. She tells them things about Max and then they are encouraged to go home and find out more. Or, she asks them questions about him, and for those who are curious, they can go home and find out the answers on their own. Great way to develop research skills and a desie to learn more in their own time.

I also love that our class has "the mat" because it is a place where Tanya has really created a community. We have community time every morning and if there are any issues or topics that need to be discussed, it is all done together as a group. Also, classroom rules and values are consistently being emphasized in terms of expected behaviour on the mat.

Thinking Fitness time is also done every morning and students are given a word to ponder its meaning, a picture to say what they think it could mean, etc. All this is done in pairs so that they can brainstorm and students are expected to use some "silly thinking" to help them look outside of the box.

Finally, there is SQUIRT time and Skyte time. SQUIRT is silent uninterrupted reading time, which students do every day for 10 minutes and skyte time is done every Monday for about 10 minutes. For this, students get into their thinking and learning teams and are allowed to talk about themselves and their weekend while they have the talking card. When they are done, they pass it on. Tanya gives them this time because she wants them to talk about something other than just themselves for the rest of the day, once they have had the chance to talk about their own thing.

So far, I have learned so much but am still acting as a sponge and trying to soak everything up. I have never started in my practicum at the beginning of the school year, so I am really trying to take notes on how to build the classroom environment.

Who would I be if I hadn't met you?

Lately, I find that being away from home makes me reflect so much more about who I am and how I got here. After more than 2 weeks, I still have moments where I have to stop, look around, and tell myself that I am in New Zealand, half way across the world from home. It makes me wonder how I ever got here.

I suppose I could go back to the days of my childhood and piece together all of the moments, decisions, and other things that got me to where I am today, but right now, I want to think more about the people who made me the person I am today; this person who would be brave enough to move and teach in a country so far away from home, friends, family, comfort, and familiarity.

As I've gotten older, I have always tried to see reasons for why certain people are put in my life. Some, I'm sure I have let pass by without a second thought, while others seem to linger on in my mind. Family, of course, has made me more of who I am than anything else. Friends, have given me feelings of love, laughter, joy, sadness, and have donated a million different experiences into my life. But there are three people in particular that I htink have greatly contributed to the deep self-reflection of who I am today.

One has made me more perceptive, able to see the things in myself that I do not like in others. Has made me realize what it is I do and do not want for myself. I have realized that I was taught more about loving everyone around me, not to judge others by anything other than who they are. I was taught to not be so caught up in the moment, not to take my anger and frustration out on something other than what caused it. This person taught me to communicate, to see the other's side of the story, to want true happiness for someone despite what you want from them.

Another has made me look at how I want to be different and how I choose to be viewed by other people. I learned that above all, it is important to get to know a person and that even when you think you know someone, you may not truly know them at all. I learned how to be so content with my life that nothing could destroy it, how to live and cherish little moments, how to be more for myself than I wanted to be before. I learned to be selfless and cooperative, how to make compromises and sacrifices. I learned to be more for someone else than always for myself. I learned to expect someone to put in exaclty or more of what I am putting in.

From the last, I learned about not being scared to say what you are thinking. I learned to talk about things instead of holding it in and pretending it will go away. I learned to be more carefree and I learned that I deserve exactly what it is that I want and nothing less. I learned how to sit around a campfire and sing. I learned how to talk about death, that it is not an awkward thing to discuss, but a beautiful life to remember. I learned to love different music, and to let that music take me into a world full of seemingly meaningless memories.

I learned to make little memories into big ones that help me to look back and see how I wouldn't be me if I hadn't met you.

Can you count from zero to ten in Maori?

I can!
Kero, Tahi, Rua, Toru, Whaa, Rima, Ona, Whitu, Waru, Iwa, Tekau

Not bad for my first day eh?

The Kiwi way of Doing Things

Today was a great day! I learned so many ideas about how to set up a classroom: name games, reinforcing school rules, constantly reinforcing responsibility, trust, honesty, kindness, and teamwork through positive reinforcement. I learned how to create an environment where kids are encouraged to do "silly thinking," a place where they can feel safe thinking outside of the box, and not constantly forced to say what everyone thinks they should. I learned how to make all kids feel special with the Star of the Week, and how to reinforce that we are all different, yet all the same.

I have already started to notice some differences between countries. First, students seem much better behaved here. They are quieter and walk to assembly with hands behind their backs. They are much more disciplined!

Assembly was another thing I was really impressed with because they did not badger the kids with school rules and guidelines, but instead, sang a whole lot of songs! It was great! But I did learn the main school rules: Be Safe, Be Fair, Be Kind, Be Cooperative, Be team Player with Attitude.

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Well, just like my other three fellow teacher friends, today was my first day of school. I feel in love with absolutely every single one of those kids, with their cute little accents and adorable uniforms. Thinking of them right now brings a smile to my face. I can honestly say that I cannot wait to get to know every single one of those kids.

It is funny, being away from teaching for awhile. You almost forget how much you love being surrounded by kids; their honesty, humor, smiles, laughter, questions, talking, whispering, how they create the most amazing things. Once you've been away from teaching, you get caught up in class and homework and your own assignments. You forget how amazing it is to teach little minds new things, to have some effect in shaping who they are, to make them think in other ways than they are used to. I forgot how much I love learning new things about teaching, how I can make a classroom my own and different ways that I can try and connect with a student. I forgot about the excitement in their eyes on the first day of school, forgot about the embarassed look they get on their faces when their parents try to kiss them goodbye. I forgot what it means to get up early every morning and know that you are going somewhere where you are responsible for the well-being, safety, attitudes, and learning of 29 other little people.

But now, I remember the sound of the bell. I remember the sounds of backpacks rustling, of kids asking a thousand different questions before you've given any instructions, of the silence they make while you read them a story. I remember how good it feels to read to children and to see their minds working to create a whole world full of new ideas. I remember that I love school spirit, team work, and comraderie. I remember curiosity, as they all sat and stared at me today and wondered who I was. I remember being shy and I remember being confident. I remember how to be a teacher.

Waitangi Days

A few updates from Christchurch, New Zealand....

So far, i am loving where I live! It is so great being surrounded by many other foreigners who sure like to party and have a good time. Also, our house is only a five minute walk from downtown. In the downtown square, which is one of Christchurch's main attractions, there is a beautiful cathedral, a huge memorial chalice, and a giant game of chess that people play throughout the day. And it is so great cause there is always stuff going on there like singers and performers.

This weekend was Waitangi days, which is their national holiday like Canada is for us. Last night we went to Spark in the park which we thought would be a little concert in the park but there were like 20,000 people there. It was huge! We also thought that since there were a lot of young people there, that they would have a rock singer or something, but oh no, there was a symphony and an opera singer. Are you kidding me Christchurch? This is how you entertain your youth? Oh, and then at the beginning there was this random group of teenagers who sang a song about recycling and were apparently trying to indoctrinate us into recycling throughout the night. With whistles and choreography and everything! Um ok?

But the beginning of the show was sweet because I witnessed my first 'haka'. This is a traditional Maori dance that is done at festivals and all that but also at the beginning of all their rugby games as it is meant to intimidate the opponent. It was very cool, lots of yelling and dancing and such. So after the opera and symphony, this older guy sang for a bit but he played pretty good music so that was good. Then at the end, came probably the best firework show I've ever seen! With the orchestra and haka going on in the background, it was fabulous!

Larissa has made a weekly rule that we all have dinner together which is excellent and gives us time to brainstorm and talk about new teaching ideas!

Alright, new words I have learned/have started incporporating into my own vocabulary:Mozzie's - Mosquitos, rubbish, Muesli - my new favorite breakfast which is oats and yogurt. Probably had this at home but never knew about it.

Oh, and I have never seen so many traffic circles in all my life. I can't figure these out when I am in a car, let alone when I am on a bike. And running a yellow light? I don't think so. I tried at and got honked at profusely.
Oh my favorite souvenir so far: I found a sweater with kiwi birds and sheep on it! Talk about New Zealand in a nutshell.

Paparoa Street School & Urban Sunshine

Alright, well here are the two residences where I will be spending the majority of my time: One of the classrooms at Paparoa Street School and Urban Sunshine, my new home.

This past Thursday and Friday, I went to two teacher only days at the school and met a lot of the staff and tried to familiarize myself with all of the buildings and all that fun stuff. I found out that the school has about 600 students and the school is rated a 10 out of 10 for affluence within the community. Depending on how much income most families make in the surrounding community, will determine how much money then government gives the school. If parents can afford to pay for most things, then the government gives them less money. That is how I understood it anyway. It is funny too, because the school is separated into little corridors or buildings, having to run from one building to another to get pages from the printer, go to bathrooms, and make a phonecall. Its very different from schools at home but I like it. I also found out that instead of 'recess,' the school has morning tea for twenty minutes which I thought was really cute too!

My TA is Tanya and we are in Room 24. There are 29 kids in the class with 20 boys and 9 girls I believe. I am really looking forward to seeing a new way of teaching, as I've heard that New Zealand is at the top in terms of classroom strategies and assessment. It has been a little different trying to get all of the new terminology and al that though. So far I have learned that jandals are flip flops, jovies are pencil crayons, and Twink is white-out. Who knew! But everyone is very friendly and now I am just looking forward to meeting the kids and maybe learning how to play cricket!

Now, to update on Urban Sunshine. I am living in a 4 bedrrom house, with two additional people who live in "The Nook" attached to the house. So there are 7 people sharing one bathroom, kitchen, and washing machine. So far so good though, no complaints. So I live with three Americans, a guy from Chile, a girl from Australia, and soon, a girl from France. Our house backs into two other urban rooms houses so there are also people from Germany, Holland, Ireland, Taiwan, and of course, the other three Canadians from Lethbridge. It has been so great to get to know different people from around the world! I am truly so lucky to be here!

Last night was our first night out together on the town and we all had a lot of fun together! We went to Shooters and danced the night away!

Life on my new bicycle has also been interesting. My legs hurt all the time now and getting groceries is the most interesting thing yet! I love hanging out in the square downtown, it is so busy and there are always people around. I still hope to try surfing this weekend.

Here are a list of things that screw me up in New Zealand: Driving on the wrong side of the road, cheddar cheese tastes like parmesan cheese, no central heating in any of the houses, no dryers so you can only hang your clothes to dry, meat is ordered in kilo's so when I saw that ham was $22.95 per kilo, I thought would be paying $30 for sadwich meat. But luckily, I figured it out sooner than later and my ham was only $1.50. Apparently, there is no ozone layer here. What's up with that? But I must give them props for their milk and yogurt! Completetly and utterly delectable. A lot of the food is different yet the same but there is a lot of stuff from home that you can't find here (ichiban). Its all good though.

So....As I go through this unbelievable experience, I try to constantly reflect on how it is changing me and I have realized, that if anything, it has made me appreciate home, friends, and family much more. I realize I eat too much when I am bored, and that i am so hooked on country music that I can't dance ot anything at the pub because I don't know any of it! I also realize that 4 months seems like a long time to be away but that it is not nearly enough time to learn all of the NZ vocabulary I want to learn! I am a little proud of myself for getting a bike and transitioning relativley smoothly into NZ culture :) Now all I have to do is start eating a lot of lamb.

First days

As of now, I am still surviving in Christchurch and getting lost less and less with each day. I am also getting along better on my bike and remembering to stay on the left side of the road which is a good thing. I have met lots of foreigners which has been great and I am hoping to try surfing this weekend.

I visisted my school for the first time yesterday and all went very well. I met a lot of the staff and saw my new classroom and everything! It is all a little overwhelming though, just with some of the different terminology and assessment strategies. But I have been asking lots of questions and I'm sure I will slowly but surely figure it all out!

Today, I attended a workshop with all of the staff called "Creating the Thinking Classroom" and it was absolutely fabulous! I learned lots of new student-orientated strategies to use that all integrate and differentiate as well. I am very excited to use some of these in my own lessons. The speaker, Eric, was so thorough that I was really able to grasp the concepts and how to really apply them in the classroom. I have often tried to use student-centered learning but it is hard to do alone so I am hoping to really get a grasp of it here because New Zealand teachers seem to already be very geared towards it.

I start on Wednesday and am looking very forward to meeting the students and starting to get to know them a little. Other than that, I am just ready to dive in and get back into the teaching routine.

What? I'm in New Zealand?

I can hardly believe that I am sitting at a laptop computer right now, in New Zealand. I keep telling myself and reminding myself that I am here, six billion miles away from home I am sure, yet it is not real. I am sure once I become a little more familiar with the city and witness a little surfing, that I will feel right at home.

First impressions - I think I love Kiwis! They are so friendly and so nice and I love their cute little accents. The city seems old yet so new all at the same time. It seems accessible and easy. It seems warm and friendly, sincerely nice people surround us. It seems familiar and comfortable, being with my four fellow Canadian friends. It seems foreign and strange. What can I say? I am feeling a lot of things right now that I know are natural yet I still wish that I had everything all figured out. Today will be a day of exploration and from there, I will see where I end up.

Being here though, makes me ralize my true independence. Although I miss home and family, it is not so much that it is intolerable or that I feel the need to go home. It is just enough that I can appreciate all that I have temporarily left behind and realize that in a way, I am kind of on my own. Being here makes me realize that I can do anything and that I am okay alone, in a foreign airport where I am stuck in one country and not allowed into the next. Being here makes me realize that I could travel alone, that I can make all of my own travel arrangements and get from one place to another with elatively no problems. Being here makes me realize that if I choose to go to Korea to teach English for a year, I will be okay.

A few more things about Christchurch. It truly is a beautiful city. It is hard though, to come from Thailand where you can eat an entire meal for $2 and now have to pay $2.50 for a small bottle of water. I just need to forget about the Baht! But Lindsay and I went around yesterday. She showed me the square, the grocery store and a store called Farmer's where I got cheap teacher clothes and am somewhat mad at her for showing it to me :) We went to the Warehouse which is a crappy version of Wal Mart minues all the good deals. I got a New Zealand bank account and I met all of my new "flatmates."

So all around, so far so good. I am in New Zealand!

Lost: A piece of my heart in Thailand

Well, where do I begin? Do I talk first about the amazing sights I've seen? The Troubles I had travelling? Or all of the amazing people I've met along the way? Seeing as how I sent e-mail after e-mail out to friends and family and wish not to torture them with it all again, I will talk about my own journey through the lands of Thailand.

Being the first big trip I've ever taken, I was naturally very nervous for the whole thing to come together. All went off mostly without ta hitch (other than a few minor travel problems) and I found myself safely in Thailand.

As I look back, I can't say that this trip has changed my life or that I am a completely new person because of it. Instead, I find myself a little more content with life, overjoyed at the thought that I have been to Thailand and am now lucky ebough to be living in New Zealand. Lookng back too, I tried to always be thankful for where I was and for what I was doing. There are very few of us who are lucky enough to get to go to university and get a degree, let alone travel the world while doing it.

I have also never been so proud to be Canadian. I loved when people asked me where I was from because I would look then in the eye and say "Canada." Pretty much everyone loved Canada and thought it was great that they had met another Canadian (guess there are a bunch of us out there). It is funny to think of myself before I left, probably really only able to identify myself with other Albertans, differing myself from Saskatchewaners and Newfies. Meeting Canadians in Thailand, however, was such an exciting thing for me, the familiarity and commoness of it all, feeling like we had much more in common than things different between us. Identity has become much more apparent in my life.

I also realized how much home meant to me. I always knew how much I loved family and how much I loved home, but the simple things became so much more obvious to me. I missed the quiet and comfortable simplicity of Lethbridge, I missed my parents being just a phone call away, I missed winter (I was surprised at this myself), I missed ceasar salad, I missed driving, I missed working at Costco, I missed having a hot shower, I missed sleeping in a place where there were no bugs. But most of all, I missed my friends. These are all things that I know I took for granted at home but now realize how lucky I am to have had them. And its funny, because I am the type of person who often tries to look at my life and be thankful for what I have and try to see how I can use my experiences to make myself better inside and for those around me. I realize this even more so now. But you know what, I wouldn't trade the gross sheets, the cockroaches, the cold showers, the noisy hotel rooms, and the lack of personal space, for anything in the world, I have been to Thailand and am darn proud of it!

However, I am not going to lie. A part of me was more than anxious to leave the busy streets of Bangkok, the Tuk-Tuk drivers, the markets, the street vendors, the people selling stuff on the street who never cease to leave you alone. I looked forward to a rountine, to not living out of a bag, to have a consistent place to sleep, and to not to pack and unpack my huge traveelling backpack every three days. I am ready for the holiday to end and I am ready to start the last leg of my university career. I am ready to start teaching, as nervous as I still am. I am ready for the challenge and I am ready to meet new people. I am ready to see how I can and will grow as a person, and I am ready to see what New Zealand has to offer.

All About Me

I am doing this post as an introduction of myself to either my school or just my class. So here it goes...

I am Canadian and proud of it! I was born in Fort McMurray, AB, home of the largest oil sands producer in the world. My step-mom drives a 400 ton truck out in the mine. I actually got to drive one of these trucks for about six hours before I decided it was just too big for me.

When I was fourteen, I moved to Drumheller, which is home of one of the world's largest dinosaur museums.

I have two younger brothers, 21 and 12 and they as well as the rest of my family, mean the absolute world to me. Interesting fact: I have never had a pet in my entire life, not even a fish. I love golfing, baseball, and waterslides as well.

Once I was done high school, I moved to Lethbridge and began my studies as a teacher at the University of Lethbridge. Since then, I have taught in a 1,2,3 split class and in a grade 5 class all of which I have loved.

More stuff about me: I love snowmobling, quading, and walking in the summer. My Dad is a firefighter and was raised to be a hunter and a fisher and therefore, as a family it is a delicasy to eat raw moose hamburger. My mom and step-dad own a bed and breakfast in Drumheller.

Well, that is about all I can think of for now. I will add more when I think of it.

The nerves are beginning (oh And Happy New Year!)

So there are only three more days until I leave. Wow! I never imagined that time could go by so incredibly fast. Christmas, too, has already come and gone and I am happy to say that my travelling funds are now a little larger. Christmas was amazing, so much time spent with family, and too much time spent on eating. It has just been an all-around amazing little break before I depart. And I even made it to the tube park which was the most thrilling fun I've had in a while.

Over the holidays, I find that everyone I see or meet asks me about my trip. I won't be surprised if tomorrow, some guy I don't even know asks me about New Zealand. Seriously, that is how much I have had to talk about this trip. And as I tell everyone that I am really excited but also nervous they're like "oh you'll have such a wonderful time and you have nothing to worry about." Oh yeah? Nothing ot be nervous about? What about the freaking bomb that just went off in Bangkok? Or the 24 hours that I have to spend alone in LAX airport? Oh I'm nervous all right even though I know this trip will be amazing.

Ok, so that was kind of joking. I'm not that stressed out although I do find myself waking up every morning to a somewhat quicker heart rate. Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine and dad says its good to be nervous because then I'll be more careful. Oh Dad :)

And I've already gotten the lecture from so many people (especially my brother and father) : "Shannon, you can't be so friendly when you're over there. You need to be more cautious of the people you meet and guard your things." Hello! I know! Don't worry people, the nice factor will be toned down a few notches at least until I get to New Zealand.

Alright yes, let's talk New Zealand a little. I am very excited to start teaching and just to see what it is like there. I fly in on the 28th and it was bloody expensive to get there. Not complaining of course. I am really looking forward to meeting new people, doing new things, and unravelling more of who I am to myself. I know that sounds cheezy, but this experience will change me so much as a person and how I see the world that I can't wait until the process begins! And although I was scared of teaching in a different country with a different curriculum and a different accent of which I know I can barely understand cause I met a New Zealander a few days ago, I am ready! I am ready for the challenge and the experience and meeting the kids, which we all know I love so much!

But I will miss my family and friends and already do. Wish me luck and the only thing I hope for so far in the New Year is for safe travels (and the possibility of meeting my future husband- ha just kidding Dad) :)