I have well and truly broken the Beginning Teacher's golden rule...I smiled before Easter!!
The last 5 weeks I have been learning about behavior management, suddenly students falling asleep at their desks in China seems like bliss - at least they were quiet and the other students could hear what I was trying to say. It has been an exhausting 5 weeks, but an absolute ball.
The people I am working with at Ross Intermediate are all so supportive, have great advice, resources and ideas coming out their ears, and there is such a neat vibe happening in and around the school. I think everyone there loves being a teacher. Such an awesome environment to be learning in, for children and myself.
My tutor teacher Lorna Beauchamp is just amazing, the ideas she comes up with on the spot are always helpful, practical and really fun for the students.
I have had a few tests (although I am sure I am other beginning teachers have had much worse things to worry about), learning how to settle the students, working out how to get them excited about something without losing control of the class, learning how to plan effectively, managing strong personalities, positive and not so positive.
Every night I get home from school exhausted, thank goodness I don't have a house full of kids, crash out asleep, wake up for dinner then head to bed after a bit of planning to get up and start all over again.
Each week is an improvement on the last, Thursday just gone was such a great day. I felt like I actually taught the kids for the whole day and all of us enjoyed it.
I finally feel as though I have a bit more head space to use, the first few weeks were just so consuming. But now things are all good, I'm fired up. I can't believe we are half way through the first term already... next up Camp!!
Saturday 3 March 2012
Thursday 8 December 2011
We have jobs!!!
It has been an interesting month. It started with Jeremy calling me on a rare day off to tell me that he had been offered a job at Dannevirke High School. Although he wont be teaching his preferred subjects History, Social Studies and Classics, just yet, he is looking forward to teaching English and Science.
After Jeremy had secured work for next year we set about planning our future around Dannevirke.
I applied for teaching positions in and around the area. I felt like I had struck the jackpot when I got an email from the Principal at Norsewood and Districts School to say I had an interview, I had to read the email several times, as I was so used to receiving rejection letters I thought it was odd that this one started with: Congratulations!
Next followed a full on week of teaching, ending the week with two days at Wainuioru School when I received a phone call from Geovanna at Ross Intermediate in Palmerston North (a school I have had various enjoyable days relief teaching since returning from China) to find out if I was interested in a teaching position at Ross Intermediate.
This kind of put a spanner in the works as Jeremy and I had been out to Dannevirke to check out places to live, as with the Gorge Road shut the journey from Palmerston North to Dannevirke currently takes an hour (depending on how many trucks are on the road). And having an interview set for the following week at a nice wee country school 15 minutes drive from Dannevirke!
Jeremy and I weighed up the pros and cons, the opportunities and the opportunity costs, finances, options the fact that I am a Provisionally Registered Teacher needing to complete 2 years supervised teaching to complete my registration, my current teaching experience, and my interest in developing my ICT skills, Ross Intermediate seemed like the natural choice.
The following day with a couple of phone calls to the Principal, Wayne Codyre, I had been offered and accepted the fixed-term teaching position. After a quick trip into town for a celebratory wine with my future sister-in-law, and a run around the supermarket collecting bubbles and nibbles, I was off to Riversdale Beach to celebrate with Jeremy.
So the plan has been altered a little, instead of making a home in Dannevirke, we are moving to Ashhurst!!
After Jeremy had secured work for next year we set about planning our future around Dannevirke.
I applied for teaching positions in and around the area. I felt like I had struck the jackpot when I got an email from the Principal at Norsewood and Districts School to say I had an interview, I had to read the email several times, as I was so used to receiving rejection letters I thought it was odd that this one started with: Congratulations!
Next followed a full on week of teaching, ending the week with two days at Wainuioru School when I received a phone call from Geovanna at Ross Intermediate in Palmerston North (a school I have had various enjoyable days relief teaching since returning from China) to find out if I was interested in a teaching position at Ross Intermediate.
This kind of put a spanner in the works as Jeremy and I had been out to Dannevirke to check out places to live, as with the Gorge Road shut the journey from Palmerston North to Dannevirke currently takes an hour (depending on how many trucks are on the road). And having an interview set for the following week at a nice wee country school 15 minutes drive from Dannevirke!
Jeremy and I weighed up the pros and cons, the opportunities and the opportunity costs, finances, options the fact that I am a Provisionally Registered Teacher needing to complete 2 years supervised teaching to complete my registration, my current teaching experience, and my interest in developing my ICT skills, Ross Intermediate seemed like the natural choice.
The following day with a couple of phone calls to the Principal, Wayne Codyre, I had been offered and accepted the fixed-term teaching position. After a quick trip into town for a celebratory wine with my future sister-in-law, and a run around the supermarket collecting bubbles and nibbles, I was off to Riversdale Beach to celebrate with Jeremy.
So the plan has been altered a little, instead of making a home in Dannevirke, we are moving to Ashhurst!!
Sunday 13 November 2011
The job hunt continues....
Wow! It's been a while since I added to my blog. About 20 job applications and 2 more job interviews long. Plenty of jobs on-line with schools getting ready for next year, but sadly 2012 is still a little uncertain for me.
On a more positive note I am getting loads of NZ teaching experience through relief teaching. A visit to a handful of Horowhenua/Manawatu Schools on a rare day off last week had already proven fruitful. In the week ahead I will be starting the week at Tokomaru School, then over to Alfredton for Tuesday, Ross Intermediate on Wednesday then I will finish up the week at Wainuioru!
While I haven't been updating my blog, I have been updating my CV, making it more school friendly. Thank you once again to the parent and students at Alfredton School for allowing me to use their smiling faces on my CV.
And I have also been updating my curriculum knowledge, once again through Alfredton School I have been about to order Literacy and Numeracy curriculum documents, which I have had my nose stuck in for the last few weeks. By the time I have a job secured for 2012 I will be ready to put my book knowledge into action.
Books have been a major source of entertainment and education since the holidays started, TradeMe has proven helpful for finding books about Literacy. I now have at my fingertips 300 plus science experiments thanks to Jeremy finding a great book in Bruce McKenzie's Educational bookshop on George Street in Palmerston North. The Second-hand bookshop on Rangitikei Street - a great selection of kids books under $10. And I hope to get my hands on "Art in Action" by Maja Pitamic before too long also.
I'm not being sponsored by any of these places, it's just that I have such a love of books and am so excited to be able to find so many useful books at affordable prices.
With a busy week ahead I had better go and make sure my Relieving Emergency Kit is up to scratch so the kids of Manawatu/Horowhenua/Tararua/Wairarapa are kept busy learning this week.
On a more positive note I am getting loads of NZ teaching experience through relief teaching. A visit to a handful of Horowhenua/Manawatu Schools on a rare day off last week had already proven fruitful. In the week ahead I will be starting the week at Tokomaru School, then over to Alfredton for Tuesday, Ross Intermediate on Wednesday then I will finish up the week at Wainuioru!
While I haven't been updating my blog, I have been updating my CV, making it more school friendly. Thank you once again to the parent and students at Alfredton School for allowing me to use their smiling faces on my CV.
And I have also been updating my curriculum knowledge, once again through Alfredton School I have been about to order Literacy and Numeracy curriculum documents, which I have had my nose stuck in for the last few weeks. By the time I have a job secured for 2012 I will be ready to put my book knowledge into action.
Books have been a major source of entertainment and education since the holidays started, TradeMe has proven helpful for finding books about Literacy. I now have at my fingertips 300 plus science experiments thanks to Jeremy finding a great book in Bruce McKenzie's Educational bookshop on George Street in Palmerston North. The Second-hand bookshop on Rangitikei Street - a great selection of kids books under $10. And I hope to get my hands on "Art in Action" by Maja Pitamic before too long also.
I'm not being sponsored by any of these places, it's just that I have such a love of books and am so excited to be able to find so many useful books at affordable prices.
With a busy week ahead I had better go and make sure my Relieving Emergency Kit is up to scratch so the kids of Manawatu/Horowhenua/Tararua/Wairarapa are kept busy learning this week.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Volcanoes!!
The kids at Alfredton school had so much fun with the goop, they wanted to do more science experiments. So we headed back to the bus shed (science can be so messy) this time to make volcanoes!
During lunchtime the students organised their groups and made volcanoes from the sandpit, each with a plastic test-tube inside. The photos below will show you what happened next....
During lunchtime the students organised their groups and made volcanoes from the sandpit, each with a plastic test-tube inside. The photos below will show you what happened next....
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| Jerome, Ryan and Tom work out how much vinegar needs to go in the test tube inside their volcano |
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| Kate and Amanda determine how many millitres their volcano test tube will hold |
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| Ruby pours the vinegar into the volcano |
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| Great team work, Courtney and Jake...measuring just the right amount of baking soda |
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| Ryan and Tom have added just enough water to make the baking soda a solution |
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| Stand back everybody....Jake, Harry and Courtney's volcano is ready.... |
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| To erupt! |
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| Ryan's group is next, Ruby and Kate look on... |
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| There it goes! |
Country kids love playing sport....
well most of these kids do. And almost any sport will do, as long as the teams are fair! Over the course of the term I taught the kids at Alfredton School a couple new games and they adapted them as they saw fit. Here are some photos of the kids playing the end of term sport trend game....Longball.
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| Batter - Harry, hits a nice strategic shot, unfortunately Ruby just misses it. Fielders - Ashlee, Tom, Jake, Kate, Jerome and Josh are poised ready to tag him. |
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| But Harry is too quick for Josh, Jerome, Ryan, Kate and Tom! |
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Tangrams
Towards the end of the term all students in the senior class, from Year 4 to Year 8 measured, drew and cut out (some needed a little help) their own tangram from recycled card.
Then the students set about making a few different shapes using the a handful different sized triangles, a square and a rhombus.
Next one of the students asked if he could research some more shapes on the computer. Soon afterwards students such as Tom, Kate, and Gemma found a game where they could make different shapes using the tangram shapes, online.
Have a look at some of the shapes we made:
Then the students set about making a few different shapes using the a handful different sized triangles, a square and a rhombus.
Next one of the students asked if he could research some more shapes on the computer. Soon afterwards students such as Tom, Kate, and Gemma found a game where they could make different shapes using the tangram shapes, online.
Have a look at some of the shapes we made:
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| Harry cuts out his tangram |
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| Amanda puts together one of the designs |
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| Josh concentrates on making one of the designs |
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| Antony creates his own designs |
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| Ashlee starts with 2 triangles |
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| A Christmas Tree |
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| A turtle |
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| Kate's creation |
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| A cat |
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| Josh is proud of house shape |
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| Jake, Harry, Kate, Tom and Gemma look for new tangram designs online |
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| Tom has found some to work on |
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| Kate enjoys playing the online Tangram game |
Monday 3 October 2011
Lucky Loogie Goop
Today we had so much fun making and playing with goop!! The students recalled their skills in procedural writing, by writing up the procedure for making goop. Then we went out to the PE shed and mixed together cornflour, water and food colouring. Check out how we got on.
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| Ruby, Kate and Josh carefully measure the cornflour |
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| Gemma's group carefully add the cornflour to the water |
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| Courtney carefully stirs the mixture as Jake adds the cornflour |
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| Stirring continues |
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| Tom, Jerome and Ryan have made GOOP!! |
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| Jake, Courtney and Harry have created GOOP!! |
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