Teacher heartbreak

What a sad development.

Unexpectedly, my school has to make room for a new English teacher to fulfill contractual obligations. This fills the job I’ve been covering since January.

I’m not ready to say goodbye to these kids; I’ve poured so much into them to make them feel worthwhile again after being abandoned by two English teachers already this year. The new teacher will be great but I really hope I can make them understand that I didn’t want to go.

I wish I could have seen them until the end of this year. 4 more days and then on to the next thing.

General update

So it’s been busy since I got back from my holiday. I was definitely just going to let my blog fade into nothingness for lack of motivation. However, I am doing some fun things soon, and I’ve done a lot of fun stuff since I’ve been back so I suppose it would be worth trying to improve my discipline.

Since I’ve been back I started a new full time position that will probably take me until the end of the year. I’m working at another high school in kent but I really really like this one. The staff is very supportive and they treat me really well.

As far as things I’ve done and seen since I’ve been back… Let’s see if I can remember. I’ve been to the natural History museum and the V and A museum both with my housemate. I’ve been to Hyde park, regent park, and yesterday we went to Hamstead Heath park. We visited a graveyard yesterday that was very cool as well. The picture of the squirrel is from the park and all those graves crammed together is the graveyard. I’ve been to the Light show exhibit at Southbank which we nearly didn’t get into because it was sold out. It’s a pretty cool art exhibition focusing on art made with artificial light.

I’ve been to a few pubs, the cutty sark remaining my favorite because its beautiful, local, friendly, and the bar tenders are cute. We went to one club called Fabric that was really fun but expensive. I’ve also been to Gordon’s wine bar, as in Gordon Ramsay, and that was really nice.

What else? We’ve had a crazy snow storm that shut the transit down and stranded me in Kent. Though English people are really fun when it snows. They get so child like and fun. We’ve had a LOT of rain as well -.- though now it’s been warm and sunny for a few days.

I did have a bad fall… Well the fall really wasn’t all that bad, even ground, just a little slip. If you took a look at my legs now though you’d think I’d fallen down a flight of stairs. Rather embarrassing as it was in front of many of my students and I had to wash and dry my pants at school on the radiator while I stood there in my underwear. Sigh. I’m so clumsy.

Ok so, that’s the main update. My mom’s health is much better and I’m feeling pretty secure in my life right now so I think this is generally a positive update. I’ll try and update soon on my new job… I have a few stories already I could share and I definitely need to include a picture of my classroom – who paints a classroom lavender!?!? It’s half term now so I have a bit more time (between marking I need to catch up on and going to Paris). Hope this helps Trista 🙂 and anyone else keeping up 🙂

Teaching in England- First impressions

Ok so I’ve had three days of teaching and I thought I’d do a little first impressions post. Don’t take any of this as a well founded opinion because it clearly isn’t.

Day one- Orientation (year 5/6) tough school near Lambeth north tube station in central London

This was my orientation day so I didn’t get paid but it was a good learning experience and I definitely needed it because I hadn’t worked with younger kids yet. They were very chatty, and I will need to learn how to manage that a little better if I’m going to be successful. The class bully took to me right away which happens a lot when they are preteen girls for some reason. She was so naughty though and hard to manage. Worst moment- the same girl ending up with a bloody lip right before the end of class (i almost made it) which luckily no one made a big deal about (apparently that happens a lot). Highlight- two sweet girls drawing a picture of me for a gift. Also the class bully asking me how to stay out of fights.

Day two- first paid day, a tough school in ramsgate. Year 8,9,10

Yay a high school!!! But a really tough one and 3 hours away by transit! I saw the North Sea!!! Much too far to go everyday which is unfortunate because they wanted me to come back! Which is amazing right off the bat. I was working in the English department teaching students ages 13-15 and many of them had elementary school reading level. The year sevens had a reading level of year 3 (grade 2 in Canada). Unbelievable! But the staff was amazing!!!! I would have definitely stayed if it wasn’t so far away. Worst moment? A student bullying another so badly she cried and being late twice in the same day- I need a watch. Best moment? hanging out with the head of English and some students asking me to be their teacher for good.
I snapped this picture out the train window… Running though my head was, “Where AM I!”

Today, oh today… Day three, great school, great staff, great and close location… Year? Nursery!!! (Age 3!!!)

I feel so sorry for the nursery attendant who is like a Canadian ECE teacher because she did far more work than I did today as far as keeping the routines going for the kids. I basically babysat and was an extra set of hands. They need a qualified teacher in the room so that’s what I was. I had never even been in a nursery class. I had NO idea what to do or what the kids were capable of. I learned quickly though. Worst moment? Nothing really, just feeling useless. Best moment?
“You talk funny.”
“That’s because I’m from Canada, it’s very far away.”
“You should move into my house then.”

First impressions:
-schools are much more strict (no exceptions, harsher punishments)
-behaviour, so far, is worse than in Canada.
-they have adorable accents 🙂
-literacy has been a problem at all the schools I’ve visited.
-The buildings are very nice, modern with lots of technology.