Things That Remind Me I'm Foreign

Despite feeling really comfortable and excited to be back in London when I arrived just over a month ago, there are things that I notice every once in a while that remind me I'm a Canadian living in the U.K.

My favourite London 'rag' newspaper (free ones that get handed out on the street weekday evenings for your commute home) The London Paper has just recently gone bankrupt - tear! - and I really related to one of their columnists final articles. Here are some of my favourite parts of what she wrote:

You know you're a foreigner living in London when....

• Asked "Alright?", you answer "I'm fine, why?".
• You've learned never again to sit upstairs on the number 38 bus at night after breathing in the secondary crack smoke from the junkie behind you. ( *Personal Note* Night buses are an experience and a half over here)
• You're amused watching Londoners tell off tourists who stand on the left... after learning the hard way yourself.
• You find yourself prudish about Page 3 girls (*Personal Note* It's honestly unreal the pictures that are in daily papers, every day.)
• People think you are the local crazy lady when you fleetingly smile at them in the street. (*Personal Note* I AM that person in my neighbourhood. People are ok with it now that they know I'm Canadian)
• It takes you a while to learn what people are talking about when they refer to "the city".
• You discover that sanitizing hand gel exists and learn that you'll die without it.
• You keep falling for Ryanair's 'free flights' deal - even though they're not free - and then bitching about the 10 pound credit card fee
• You discover drugs are cheaper than at home - unless you're from Columbia
• You can't believe you have to bag your own groceries... and be the one offering the friendly greeting (*Personal Note* This means that you are at the mercy of the people in front of you in line. Cashiers won't start the next customer until the previous one has all their stuff bagged up and off the counter thing.)
• You find it fascinating that riding on the Tube turns your snot black (*Personal Note* Totally true!)

Written by Kirsty Ross (www.kirsty-ross.com).

This may have been more entertaining for me to read than people not in London, but it's a bit of an insight to what it's living somewhere new.

Things are going well at school. It's crazy busy, but the kids are great, and I'm enjoying it. I'm having a bit of trouble understanding what I did last year with all my free time, but I'm not sure I'll find an answer to that, ever.

Back to Blogging

Greetings!

It's been a while, and my apologies for that. I was back to my home and native land for 4 weeks this summer and it was a fantastic trip back. Did a lot of catching up, visiting, partying and relaxing. One of my best friends got married, which was a beautiful, thoughtful and fun celebration that I was lucky enough to be a part of. Another bestie back home and her hubby are expecting their first baby (any day now, right J?!), so it was great to see them and 'the bump' in action.

Now that I'm back in London, oddly enough, it doesn't feel like I even left. Coming back to my familiar flat, neighbour hood, school and most importantly local pubs felt strangely comfortable compared to all the anxiety and 'every thing is new, and I'm not sure I know what's going on' of last September. I'm really glad I gave myself a bit of time to adjust back to London life, and not worry about work straight away. Speaking of work.....

I've just completed my first 2 days teaching in my own classroom, and it's been fantastic! I love so much that I'm the person that gets to set things up they way I like, and that work for me instead of working within someone else's framework that works for them. Granted, I saw and learnt a lot of new things while doing PPA last year that I will definitely use, but there are just as many that didn't make the cut for my Year 4 class this year.

My class is full of really great kids, and I'm really excited to get to know them over the year. I'm sure it will result in a teary goodbye at school come July, but oh well. There are two new students in my class, one with CP and she's in a wheelchair, which made classroom set up quite a challenge. We are still working things out so she has enough room to get around, and it's a trial and error process. Basically, inclusion and team work and understanding have been my middle names and will continue to be for the next little while. I really want the classroom environment to be welcoming and positive for the two new ones, as well as everyone else.

It hasn't all been sunshine and lollipops however. I've always been a little bit nervous about planning, and now that it's actually time to plan, I've been stressed. It's difficult to get started, because I'm not sure about basic things, like what the documents I need look like, or are located. I'm not sure about obtaining resources. I have no idea how to set up ability groups, or if I even should. Assessment and leveling work is beyond me. What types of records should I be keeping? How do I plan lessons that are interesting and informative, yet still encourage independent thinking and problem solving? I also have 2 TA's in my class - which is fantastic, don't get me wrong for a second - but I'm in a position where I'm a 'superior' to women who have been TA's for many years, and am finding it awkward to 'manage' them, if those are even the right terms to use.

When you think of all the uncertainties, and things that need to be done, and things you don't know about at once, it's incredibly intimidating and daunting. I was in that frame of mind at the end of the school day. I had arrived early and stayed late and still felt like I had a million things to do. I probably gave myself 3 new wrinkles with my furrowed brow the whole tube ride home.

Good thing my mother had telpathic powers. When I arrived at my front door, I was greeted by a dozen pink roses, with a little card that said 'Congratulations and Good Luck. You will do an excellent job. Love Mom' How amazing is that?! How AMAZING is my MOM?!?! I think we'll need to visit the tea room at The SoHo Hotel when she's in town next....Needless to say, I've shifted my thinking into a more positive light, and am feeling like things are at least manageable now. Thanks again mom!

I need to wrap up this epic 'first post of the new school year' now, so I can get to bed. I'm going to make an effort to blog regularly about teaching and life here in London. We've also got wireless broadband at school, so hopefully I can get my act together and post some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Summer Hiatus

Well, I've made it.

I've moved to a new and strange country, travelled to new and exciting places, and taught in a new and different educational system. 

I don't want to come off as some kind of self doubter, but I'm a little surprised that I've been able to accomplish all this. I just never thought that I'd be 'that' person to have the guts to pick up and move to somewhere new, and make some kind of  life of it. It's also a bit of a surprise how quickly this year has flown by. It does not feel like 10 and a half months have passed since I've moved here; but at the same time, my life in Toronto feels like a lifetime ago.

Either way, I'm home tomorrow for a whirlwind summer visit. I'll be home for four weeks in total, and will spending some time in Vancouver/Victoria, attending one of my best friends weddings, and catching up with friends and family all over Ontario - Toronto, Kingston, London, Elora and Haliburton.

I won't be able to post regularly during this visit, so have decided to take an 'official' break from blogging for the summer. Look for regular posts once I'm back in London and am back to 'normal' life. Have a great summer :)

An Eye Opening Week

This past week was the first week that the Year 4 teacher had off for maternity leave. It was also the week that the teacher taking over the class for the rest of the year was away with the Year 6 class on a week long camping trip. This meant that I was covering Year 4 all week long. 

I wasn't really worried about covering the class for the week. They're a good group a kids, and there aren't any serious behaviour issues. The teacher they've had all year has some great systems and routines in place so it was easy to pick up where she left off.  The medium term plans were completed by the teacher who will be in there for the rest of the term, so I only had to worry about getting the weekly plan done, and sticking to what had been laid out.

It was great to be in the same place, every day for the week. As a PPA teacher, I'm all over the school, every day so it was a great change to be able to put my stuff down, and not have to lug it at lunchtime to the class I'd be covering in the afternoon. It was also really nice to be with the same group of kids for a week and getting to know them a bit better.  I also liked that when I came across an extra 15 mins here or there, I knew of some other, relevant work they could use the time to complete, instead of getting them to do quiet reading, or extend what they had been working on like I would do if I was in there for PPA coverage.

I did have a few panic attacks throughout the week though. One being that next year, I'm responsible for everything that happens in my class - behaviour management, displays, assessments, the topics we cover, how the room is set up, general class routines, planning, field trips, assemblies etc. Another reason I had a bit of panic attack was that I'm also responsible for my students learning what they need to know and progressing up through the levels. This may sound stupid, but right now when I'm in a class, my concern is that the behaviour is where it should be, and that I have gotten through what the class teacher has left. If I'm marking the books, and I see that a few kids aren't totally grasping changing percentages into decimals, I'll leave a note for the teacher and that's that. I'm not the one responsible for re-teaching, or differentiating the work or changing what ability grouping they're placed in. 

Yet another minor freak out surrounded whether I'd be physically/mentally able to take it. At the end of everyday this past week, I was exhausted. When looking at the plans on Wednesday morning for the day and then the rest of the week, I definitely thought - 'How the hell to people do this day after day, and week after week?' And it's not that I'm not tired after covering someone else's class, but there is a bit of a detachment there. Once the books are marked (if even necessary) I'm out the door. I'm not prepping the lessons for the next day, making sure that the reading books are changed, checking over the class list to make sure everyone has their permission letters in or looking for a good maths lesson started on 'espresso'.

Although there are many things that I found myself to be really excited about for next year as well. How I'm going to re-arrange the classroom to make it an exciting and inviting place, the different displays that I'll be in charge of putting up, picking some amazing topics that my students are interested in, and taking pictures of my students throughout the year doing their best. Having behaviour management systems in place that will help my students be motivated to learn and respectful towards their classmates and other students. Helping them to become independent learners and problem solvers.

These are all fantastically lofty and 'dream world' type goals for next year, and I'm sure that not all of them will be achieved, but I don't think it hurts to be optimistic and excited for the opportunity to achieve some of these things. I'm also a realist, and know that when push comes to shove, there will be some days when my lessons are a total bust, and times when my Year 4 students are not motivated in the least to act in a respectful way towards others.

I'm just planning on taking it one day/task at a time, do my best, and hope for a good year.

Travel Addict

The UK school system is now in it's last term of the year. There are around five teaching weeks left until a fantastic six week break for the summer. I'm finding it hard to believe that I've been over here for nine months already, and have a full time classroom of my own awaiting me in September. It's fantastic, but definitely mind boggling when I sit down to think about it.

As I reflect on this past school year, I can't ignore the places that I've been lucky enough to see on school breaks. In October, my mom and I did a whirl wind tour of Milan, Venice, Lausanne, Geneva and Paris. In November, I took a long weekend and went to Berlin, and learned a lot on a free tour in a snow storm. February half term break saw a bunch of friends and I head to Amsterdam for four days of legal mayhem; in addition to a weekend in Glasgow with my flatmate.  At the end of March, I spent a fabulous long weekend in Paris with my cousin, taking in the sights and sounds of a city I definitely plan on visiting again next year, as I won't live 2.5 hours from Paris for my entire life! On the April Easter break, my cousin Jeff came over, and we spent 5 nights in Ireland, enjoying the accents and beer, but not the prices. And finally in May I took a relaxing three night trip to Ibiza to soak up some sun, sand and to generally unwind.

If someone this time last year would have told me that I'd be going to all of these places, I would not have believed one word of it. Not a single one.  Probably because in June of last year, I was busy preparing for coming over, and making sure that all loose ends were wrapped up. Things like deciding what to keep/bring with me/throw out were filling up my brain, in addition to saving money and making sure I had all the documents in order to move to a city I hadn't even visited before.  I also think it's a cultural thing as well. People at home generally have a different way of spending (usually very limited) vacation time. Often it will involve a trip somewhere south in the winter to get away from the snow and cold, and then spending summer holiday time at a cottage or at a beach not excessively far from home.  Whereas people over here will easily spend a week in Spain, or southern France or Greece without giving it a second thought. Not to mention taking 'city breaks' and visiting a new and foreign city for a long weekend.  This is most likely because all of these new places are so much more accessible, because the countries are so much smaller than Canada, and they are all closer in proximity. When at home, you can drive for 24 hours before you are out of Ontario. We Canadians have a much bigger task when it comes to being familiar with our 'entire' country. 

One thing I definitely want to take back with me is the idea of visiting the great places that are close to home. Living in Toronto, there are many cities that are much close to the places I've been this year, like Montreal, New York, Boston, Chicago etc. Hopefully when I'm back I'll be able to keep a bit of this travel bug and see some neat places closer to home.

Either way, now I find myself looking to the year ahead and thinking about the places that I want to see on the half term breaks next year. One thing I can tell you is that my weeks off are already filling up quickly. I want to spend more time in Italy and I would love to spend the February break next year skiing. Croatia is also on the top of my travel wish list.  As mentioned previously, more time will be spent in Paris, with Barcelona and Edinburgh being other cities I feel are 'must do's' before heading home. Portugal is also appealing, as is spending more time in Germany (I visited Frankfurt and Munich two summers ago), or possibly visiting distant relatives in the Czech Republic.

I'm not sure if one year will be enough!

Techie Teacher

First of all, apologies for such a delay between blog posts. It's been a crazy fews weeks. My cousin (who's living in Paris) came for an extended long weekend visit and my sister (from Vancouver) came for a super long visit. Luckily, their holiday times overlapped, and we were able to have a mini cousins reunion in London. In amongst there, the last half term break of the school year came and went. I was able to spend 3 nights in Ibiza, which was relaxing and beautiful.

I thought I'd do a blog post on how technology is used in the classroom here in the UK. I've been preparing for having my own class next year, and am realizing how integral technology will be in my planning, lessons and general classroom life.

First of all, all classrooms have a SmartBoard/ Interactive White Board (IWB) as standard equipment. This is a projector that displays the computer desktop on a screen that can be manipulated using the IWB pens. You can show your class articles/videos from the internet, power point presentations, teach lessons using EasyTeach  (like power point, but made for classroom lessons) and anything else you want your class to see. There's also a program with the IWB that's a blank screen, that you can write on using the IWB pens and save for later use.

My school just recently purchased a class set of laptops to be used to further ICT lessons. The school has also just been fitted with WiFi, so that they can use the internet on the laptops.

Schools may use a 'scheme of work', which is like a set program for a particular subject, complete with teachers guide, student textbooks and sample lesson plans. My school uses the Abacus maths scheme and recently we had a staff inset on using their software program. With this program, you're able to differentiate your lessons between high, middle and lower ability; see what activities require TA support and track your students attendance, to ensure that they are taught the concept when back at school.

We also had an inset recently on using the 'espresso' software, which is a cross curricular program for Foundation, KS1 and KS2 students/teachers. There are videos and activities on here that students can do on their own, as well as news reports geared at children,  handwriting practice and differentiated news articles that can be used on the IWB for the whole class.  They also have a 'Staff room' icon, that contains ideas for topic planning, field trips and assessment. This program is totally geared to teaching, and is very user friendly. They don't have anything on there that takes more than one minute to download.

Lots to know for next year!

Dressing the Part

I have a mission to accomplish here in London before I'm home in Ontario in July. I need to find an awesome dress to wear to my friend's wedding. I'm well aware that all eyes will be on the couple exchanging vows and on the wedding party, so it's absolutely not essential or appropriate that I am the centre of attention with whatever I'm wearing. However, I do want to take advantage of the shopping opportunities that I have here in London. And if I'm making an appearance at the wedding, I might as well look good while being there, right?

Londoners definitely have a fashion sense that isn't really seen at home.  It's hard to describe, but I remember noticing the way people dress when I first arrived in September and feeling quite inadequate with the items that I had carefully chosen to bring with me. It is much more eclectic than home, with people combining all kinds of prints, colours and styles in one outfit.  I personally don't feel like I can pull that type of look off with any kind of confidence, but that could be my boring, standard, no frills Canadian fashion sense rearing it's un-trendy head.

Accessories are a much bigger deal here. Men and women frequently wear hats and scarves (not the scarves that protect your face from frostbite, but trendy ones with patterns and fun colours) much more than people at home. Women wear necklaces, ear rings, bracelets with more frequency, and they are often a bit bolder and brighter. There's a fantastic store here called 'Accessorize' that sells only accessories. Bags, necklaces, rings, scarves and headbands - with and without feathers attached. It's a great place, and I'm definitely going to stock up before I'm home permanently.

It's great though, because there are definitely the trends that people follow, but if you're confident in what you're wearing, whether it's 'in' or not, it's not a big deal.  That might have to do with the fact that London is so big, that you see all types of people wearing all kinds of things on any given day.

There are areas in London that have a definite 'look' to them.  In The City and Canary Wharf, which are the two big financial centres of the city, 99% of the people you see on a weekday will be in a suit. Around Camden, it's a definite alternative/punk look, with pink spiked mohawks, leather jackets, facial piercings and ripped jeans as the norm. In East London, the chav look is predominate - think velour track suits, baseball hats with straight beaks tilted to the side, and big sneakers with the tongues sticking out.

I've been looking around for the past little bit to find a dress that is flattering, trendy, in my price range, and not too casual. I've had no luck yet, but will continue to search through the 'shops' of London in hopes of finding something appropriate. Wish me luck!