First Advent

Since my last update, I have my voice almost back...my high voice is still faltering and croaky, but I can talk fine. It's been another week of ups and downs--some good days, some bad days. Tuesday was a rotten day for my entire household--we commiserated with each other that night about how stressful it had been. It was particularly so for Melissa, who experienced an OFSTED visit in the last hour of the day. As I mentioned in a previous blog, OFSTED does the inspections of the schools every three years, or more often if they got poor grades on their previous inspection. It's like EQAO in that it gets publicized which schools got which grades, except that instead of simply relying on the grade scores that students achieve on standardized tests, inspectors come in and observe teachers teaching and go over all their lesson plans and assessment files with a fine-tooth comb, besides which administrators, teachers, parents and students are all polled in surveys about the school on issues from safety to community/cohesion to curriculum delivery/quality of lessons. So Melissa's kids behaved very badly (intentionally, she felt) for the inspector and ruined her lesson. she felt very much unsupported by her school, which made no attempt to give her extra help with her seven students on an IEP (that is, students needing specialized attention for learning difficulties or behavioural issues) on what they knew would be a stressful day. The guy came back the next morning for another hour of observation which fortunately went much better and she got a "good" rating in the end.

Most of the week was better than Tuesday, though Friday was another poor day because the seven kids who were there (5 away for Eid) were just really silly and not inclined to listen for even 30 seconds. Friday night was another poor night for sleeping after a week of reasonably good sleeps. I told Gina (my Kiwi housemate) on Saturday morning that I was feeling like I was developing general anxiety disorder, and she was really helpful by telling me that I need to think of it as a job, nothing more. Everyone else gets their weekends off, and I need to take my weekends off too, rather than poring over plans and making resources all day. She told me that she thinks it's insane how much curriculum they try to cram in here, and she basically takes it with a large grain of salt (my expression, not hers). I need to enjoy the kids and not be stressed out trying to meet all the curriculum demands. She told me to play more games with the kids and fit in the curriculum as I can, without burning myself out with worry about it. She asked me what is the worst thing that can happen if I go in unprepared on Monday.

So on her recommendation, I didn't spend any time on school work yesterday, but instead went out and had an accupuncture session, did some shopping around Barking, and then in the afternoon I went to IKEA and bought myself a bookshelf and lamp, as well as a few puppets for school and some scented candles. I spent an hour or so this morning organizing my room and filling my new bookshelf. I am very happy with the result.

After a good nights sleep, I've decided to putter around home this first Sunday of Advent morning, and go to my Mennonite church this afternoon. I'm looking forward to going back since I haven't seen them since I started this new job three-and-a-half weeks ago. I've committed to participating in music this afternoon, though whether I'm on piano or songleading, I'll find out when I arrive.

I am so glad Christmas is coming--at this point, I'm just looking down the road three weeks to vacation, and keeping my spirits up by playing lots of Christmas music as I'm planning in the evenings.

With regards to the weather, it's feeling chillier here now (5-10 C)...but we haven't seen any frost. The grass is still green, the pansies are beautiful, and there are a few brave roses still tenaciously hanging on yet on my street.

the new BILLY bookcase

New Lamp

Sick...

The week is over, and I've learned lots--much of it about what not to do. I've decided I want to go back to what I learned with the Tribes program at Williamsburg on placement last fall, and insert more energizers (e.g. interesting activities that change the pace for a few minutes) between lessons to help expend extra energy and focus kids who've been sitting too long. I've been learning the hard way that it is a waste of my energy to try to carry on a lesson when the kids are restless. Working on pacing my lessons for their attention spans and finding more fun introductions (called "hooks" at teacher's college) to get the kids primed for learning is my first priority now. I'm also convinced I need to yell less, after staying home today with laryngitis from overuse of my voice (primary cause) and a cold infection that's going around. Note to my mother: I have been drinking lots of hot lemon drinks and resting for most of the day--not to mention massaging my neck :^) I didn't bring home all of the materials I was planning to for the coming week, so have most of the materials I need for Monday, and will have to wing a bit of it. On the whole though (other than having a sore throat), I'm feeling good about where I'm at. Signs of Christmas have gone up everywhere here in the last week, and I decided tonight to reward myself by listening to Bach's Christmas Oratorio as I do a few light school-related tasks.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Settling In...

Hello again. It has been a week-and-a-half since I last updated this blog and much has happened in the intervening time. It's been a busy, stressful period of getting to know the kids, trying to figure out everything from what curriculum I'm teaching and how to pace it, to sorting out routines that work to help promote learning in the classroom. Last week was incredibly stressful, with a lot of sleepless or short and very much interrupted nights. This week has been somewhat better, as I am starting to find some strategies that help with management--like having a seating plan for the carpet, and a line order whenever we line up. It has also been helpful to hear other recently qualified teachers share their early struggles and feel less alone. I also had a visit from a friend from my Wilfrid Laurier days this past weekend who helped cheer me up and allowed me to vent my frustrations, as well as helping me brainstorm ideas for my weather unit and making a thermometer that moves up and down.

In my planning meeting with the other year 1 teachers this afternoon, we talked a bit about reading, writing and math assessments--much of it a lot of edu-speak gobbledy-goop to me--in preparation for OFSTED visits in the new year, the much-feared agency (by teachers) charged with providing regular reports on how well schools are doing. Anytime they visit (never with more than a few days notice) the teachers are in a panic getting every t crossed and i dotted in order to earn a favourable report. After that, we moved on to Christmas...the Christmas concert is only two-and-a-half weeks away, so starting tomorrow, most of our curriculum (except literacy and maths) goes out the window in preference for learning Christmas songs and a version of the Nativity, OFSTED notwithstanding.

Well, I should get back to my planning for tomorrow. Cheerio.

What a Day!

How much can change in a few hours! I went into Gascoigne this morning as per usual, and instead of the receptionist telling me which classroom to go to, I was told the deputy head (VP) wanted to speak to me. She walked me down to the classroom where I was going to be teaching, whereupon she proceeded to ask me whether TimePlan had talked to me yet about doing a longer-term placement at the school. I said no, and then found out that Miss Aidoo is off now (on sick leave, I believe), and is supposed to be leaving in December for a mat leave. She asked me if I wanted to take over--starting today. She said it was a spillover Yr. 1 class, made up of 11 students from four other Year 1 classes plus a lower-achieving Year 2 boy. I said yes, with the proviso that I feel totally green and will need lots of help. She vouched her confidence in me, said I should just spend some time getting to know the children this morning first thing and ease into the day, and then left. I immediately started looking at all the materials on the walls, in binders, in bins etc. trying to absorb as much information as possible in a short time, my mind meanwhile racing a hundred miles an hour with all kinds of questions, primarily, Help! Where to begin?

After about ten minutes of me trying to work off nervous energy, the deputy head returned and told me that several teachers had gotten caught in a huge traffic jam, and could I please take over in a reception class until the teacher arrived (my class was going to stay with their "other" classes until I could take over)? So I ended up supervising reception until the teacher finally arrived an hour late. At that point, the VP told me to take some time to get organized and collect the children after playtime. Then I spent the next hour or so planning what to do for the rest of the day, and rehearsing the children's names to make it easier to attach names and faces when they arrived.

I collected the children from their rooms after playtime, and began with introductions (name and a favourite activity). Then I tried "Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?" but they become totally giddy on me and just kept laughing and laughing. I gave up on that and went into phonics and guided reading with them. While I was working with two students on guided reading, I asked the rest to copy a few of our phonics words on their whiteboards, but they were either a) just drawing rather than doing what I asked or b) coming up to me to tattle on each other. I lost too much time getting up to monitor students who should have been working independently. Starting Monday, I'm implementing a new strategy: put them on time-out if they get out of their seats, and keep them in at playtime if they don't do their work.

It didn't feel like a great first day. I put three kids on time-out and sent two kids to the VP throughout the course of the day, and did lots of yelling besides. There was one kid who kept making animal noises whenever he felt like it, and a girl who was constantly wanting to use the toilet. I think I'm going to have to go in there Monday and really sit on them...use time-outs, loss of playtime, and sending them to other teachers or the VP until they learn I mean what I say. I also had two kids lose their poppies (though admittedly, one girl had previously lost 6) and the same girl left her glasses behind in the room. I feel a much greater weight of responsibility suddenly to get up to speed with how to teach phonics, what guided reading resources are available and how to use them, and other curriculum-related materials, to say nothing of helping kids keep track of, or find lost articles of clothing and other paraphernalia.

That is not to say it was all bad. I spontaneously decided to do some nursery rhymes with the children at the end of the day (which they participated in more enthusiastically than with most of the other things we did). Then I found out after the bell rang, that they have been doing a unit this week on nursery rhymes, so when I gave them a chance to say their nursery rhymes, they gave me the ones that they have been learning all week. I also have a good Yr 1 teacher to work with. She and I talked several times today about today and Monday, and we're going to get together on Monday afternoon to do some planning. She invited me to ask her about anything and everything I might have a question about.

So I've brought home a binder of stuff to hopefully figure out where the kids are at before Monday, as well as some information about teaching phonics. I did not clarify with the VP today how long this placement will be, but I had the impression it might be from now until the end of this teacher's mat leave. I need to go back Monday and get some more details. This has certainly come up faster than I expected. I had been thinking this week I should talk to TimePlan about looking for longer-term work starting in January, but had not actually gotten around to calling them yet.

I'm both excited and stressed out about this opportunity. I am eager to learn, but know I need to be realistic in my expectations too. Nina (my mentor teacher) and the VP (Namsa, I believe) both told me to ease into it next week. I would appreciate your prayers that I would be able to do that, and that God would fill me with courage and wisdom and grace for this (what feels like a massive) undertaking.

Visit with Sue

Hello again. I spent the last two days on the south coast of England with my former youth pastor and friend, Sue. I arrived in Chichester on Thursday just before lunch, and we dropped in at her work nearby and then had jacket potatoes for lunch. The restaurant provided us with baked potatoes plus a buffet of potato toppings for 4.95 each. After lunch, we walked around Chichester Cathedral, which had an interesting Anne Frank exhibit on display. From the Cathedral, we walked around town for a bit, and then drove to Bosham, where Sue lives, about a 10 or 15-minute drive away.

Seeing Sue's home was a neat experience. I saw a side of Sue that I largely missed when I was a youth and she was my youth pastor. It was immediately obvious that she loves giraffes as soon as I walked in the door. Her travels throughout Africa were also apparent from the photos on the wall, the print hanging over her dining room table, the elephants carved out of wood lining the window sill, and other figurines and decorations...even the leopard print fleece blankets on the couch and the warm brown paint seemed to evoke the Savannah or a safari. The guest room where I stayed, was a mixture of African and Canadian momentoes. We had fun playing various games like Dutch Blitz, and a new dice game that Howie and Myrna taught her on a recent trip back to Canada. I also found out that Sue actually spent 19 years in Canada, so when she came back to Britain four years ago, she had many of the same questions/confusion as I about British culture and vocabulary.

The baseball glove chair in the furniture exhibition at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Standing in front of a palm tree in Brighton.
Looking back at the coast from Brighton pier.
Sue, with the Brighton Pier in the background.On Friday morning, we took the train from Bosham into Brighton for the day, where we walked along the beach, ate a delicious take away Chinese meal (two boxes jammed full for only 4 quid) along the water, and meandered around the Brighton Pier, which contains an arcade, amusement park, and shops selling candy, ice cream, and Belgian waffles, all on the pier. From the carousel, you could look down into the water below. Neat. Then we climbed back up into the centre of town again (Brighton really slopes down to the water) where we visited the Royal Pavilion, which was the temporary residence of the Royals during the Victorian period when it was considered beneficial to get out of London and take in the sea air for one's health. The Pavilion had several exhibits on display, including one of old and contemporary furniture ( see baseball glove chair above), and a very interesting one about the Women's Land Army, which operated during WWII, and which apparently was about getting women to take over the farming jobs. Besides that, we did a bit of shopping, including a 2 for 1 water bottle deal. We got identical 1L bottles for just 9.99 altogether. After a long day in Brighton, we came back home and ordered take away fish and chips--my first of this traditional dish since arriving, though I've snacked on other people's chips here and there a few times.

I had a super trip, and a fun time with Sue. Back to Barking again today so I can get to a farewell at the Mennonite church for a fellow Canadian tomorrow. JKN

Day Trip Number Two

Warwick Castle
The house where William Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Cotswolds: Cots=sheep, wold=pen. English cottage country.
One of the 31 colleges that form Oxford University.
The main library at Oxford University.
Now for the trip to Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Oxford. Again, we (my Evan Evans tour group) left London at 9 am, this time heading northwest to Warwick Castle. To orient ourselves, the first trip was mostly west, and a bit south. The second trip was directly northwest of London. We arrived at Warwick Castle about 11 am and our guide took us on a tour for about half an hour, after which we had 45 minutes to explore on our own. The original castle was a wooden motte-and-bailey structure built in the 11th century by the Normans, while the stone castle was built in the 13th century. I enjoyed seeing the wax figures in each room depicting the activities and dress of people living in the castle in the 18th (I think) century. There were lots of suits of armour ( including armour for the horses) on display, all gauded up with "cobwebs" and green lights for Hallowe'en. I took lots of pictures at this attraction, keeping in mind that I will be teaching Medieval Times units in the future, and it will be so much easier and more interesting for the kids if I have pictures of a real castle and authentic costumes in hand. Speaking of children, there were lots of those (and their parents too) there since it was the half-term break for all schools across England this week.

From Warwick, it was about a 20-minute drive southwest to Stratford-upon-Avon, the original home of William Shakespeare. I enjoyed seeing his home, with the limewashed timber walls (to keep the bugs out) and a beautiful garden out back. I loved the Tudor architecture visible in most of the houses in Stratford, and I zipped into a little tea shop for an afternoon snack 20 minutes before our bus was scheduled to depart. From this trip, Stratford was the highlight.

After Stratford, we travelled south again to Oxford, where our guide took us on a 30-minute

guided tour around campus. We saw about a dozen of the 31 colleges associated with Oxford University. Due to time crunch, we did not get down to Christchurch College at the end of town (the "Harry Potter" college). Oxford started with a few students studying informally with monks in Oxford just before the turn of the 11th century, which became formalized in the mid-11th century. The first students would have studied theology, astrology, and philosophy. Today, it offers programs in the sciences and humanities (including medicine) and law in addition to theology. From Oxford, we travelled most of two hours southeast back to London.

So all in all, I'm glad I went. There was a lot to take in in a short period of time, and I've forgotten a lot of what the tour guides said, but I have pictures to remember the things I saw, and I picked up brochures in the places I want to return to. As well, I also picked up a children's encyclopedia of British history, and spent much of our travelling time on the bus (when we were travelling 401-equivalent roads, and not through interesting towns or other vistas) reading that to put together some of the bits and pieces of knowledge that I've acquired through bits and pieces and never really put together). It's quite interesting, though I get confused between all the different Edwards and Henrys and James' that were once kings. 'Til next post...

Julie

First Day Trip around England

Outside the Roman Baths.

The Great Bath, inside the Roman Baths.Stonehenge.

I love all these arches! Salisbury Cathedral.
Workings of the oldest functioning mechanical clock in the world at Salisbury Cathedral.
Well, hello. It's been a busy couple of days since I last wrote. I write about Saturday first. We left London at 9 am, and drove about an hour-and-a-half southwest of London to Salisbury Cathedral. Unfortunately, it rained pretty hard through the morning, so I didn't get many outdoor pictures there, but I enjoyed the visit nevertheless. I've said it before, but I'll say it again...coming from a country where 200 years is very old for a building, it is just amazing to walk into buildings that have stood for 1000 years or more. the clock pictured above has no face, and it only strikes the hours--around since 1396. I'm gaining an appreciation for the sense of majesty and transendence of God that one felss when looking up at these high, arched stone ceilings in very old cathedrals. Salisbury Cathedral is also the home of the best one of four original copies of the Magna Carta, a document that the barons forced King John to sign in 1215. It essentially levelled the playing field between the monarch and his subjects, by laying out laws that the king had to follow (he could no longer act with impunity however he saw fit) and guaranteeing the rights of the people (well, at least the men). It was to serve as the foundation and model for hundreds of years later, shaping the American Declaration of Independence; as well, nine of its chapters remain on the British statute book to this day.

From Salisbury, we travelled almost due north to Stonehenge. I always thought Stonehenge was constructed at one time, but it was actually constructed in three phases. In 3050 BC(E), a circular ditch and bank were dug--this is what a henge is. Around 2600 BC(E), a wooden structure was constructed at the centre. Then around 2500-1500 BC(E), the stone monument which is famous today was constructed, arranged and re-arranged over almost 1000 years. It seems to have been a significant worship/burial site, as well as having a calendar-keeping function. There were at one time 12 complete trilithons (two upright stones with one laid across the top create one trilithon), and depending on which trilithon the sun through, one could determine which month of the year you were in. There were a variety of burial mounds there too, known as barrows (single occupancy) or long barrows (entire families buried). The smaller Bluestones arranged in the middle of the circle were brought from the Preseli Mountains in Wales (385 km away), while the larger Sarsen (also called slaughter stones because of the red hue they turned from the iron's exposure to rain) stones (up to 15 tons in weight), were used to build the trilithons and were brought 30 km from the Marlborough Downs. Makes you wonder how they managed all that moving and chiseling of rocks without trucks or cranes or any of the modern tools we have.

From Stonehenge, we travelled northwest to Bath. Bath is the site of the UK's only natural hot springs, which the Romans first exploited when they arrived in the first century AD (CE). I spent about an hour wandering about the old Roman Baths seeing the caldarium (sauna) and frigidarium (cold plunge) as well as the Great Bath (which in Roman times did not have algae growing in it :) and the elaborate network of tunnels which carried the water around the baths. Then I checked out Bath Abbey too, and enjoyed the lovely dyptichs (two paired pieces of art, one showing a scripture verse in ornate text, some with neumes (Medieval music notation) and then its pair, showing a picture/design illustrating the text using textile materials. Bath itself was constructed almost entirely in limestone, and they've gone to a lot of work to clean the limestone recently. I also saw some examples of windows being bricked over. In 1696, William of Orange decided to tax people if they had more than 6 windows in their house, so many people chose to cover up their windows rather than pay the tax. All in all, I enjoyed Bath, and would certainly like to return. The downside to such tours is that they don't provide much time to see places (we didn't stay at any one place longer than 90 minutes). On the plus side, they give you an overview and help you decide what's worth coming back to see again. I picked up information about Bath at the local tourism office, and would like to come back and take in the spa sometime. I'll tackle trip number 2 after supper.