The week that pulled on my emotions

This was the week that I have felt the most emotions. I am loving Australia and the things that we are able to to do and see, but this week was a big one for some reason of missing the things of home. You just miss them no matter how much fun you might be having is what I am discovering. Driving home from work after a long day I would find myself longing for that after school chat about school, my kids or even Matt.  The coffee shop after kid bedtime chats, the girls nights with mom group friends and school friends. Also the playdates with the "girls friends" that really was a chance for me to talk with my friends.  I didn't know how much I would miss home and the verdict this week was ALOT!

I am making friends here and school is making more sense. I have great colleagues at work that are the best thing about the work part of the exchange. My family is closer and we are stronger because of this experience already. Matt has been amazing in supporting my increased at the moment workload and different expectations that are being put on me.

Trip to the conference- very busy

This week I did a lot as well. Had meet the teacher, got training in a new program (both Tuesday) and got to attend the exchange teacher conference with at the other exchange teachers from around the world (Friday).  I am proud to say that I navigated the public transit to and from the conference by myself.

Made it to the conference

Trip home from conference

Exchange teachers eagerly learning

At the exchange conference we learned about alot again. Mostly though that each of us is having much of the same experience. Both the struggles and the successes.  Settling into a new house, community and work environment is both hard and exciting. All could agree that the students are still students, but the job is different and the expectations and routines are varying levels of different from home.

 My family pretty much continued on with their routine:
Monday- groceries and school
Tuesday- Library class and school
Wednesday- Gardening class, school and swim club
Thursday- gymnastics, school
Friday- ultimate frisbee  and school

We did have our first new friend over on Saturday this week for a playdate. Matt met the mom at one of the events in Parramatta before school started and the girl ended up going to the same school as Maëlle. 

Elsa's first trip to the beach

Elsa cleans her legs

Elsa gets buried in sand

Elsa needs to get the sand off!

Elsa gets a bath

Time to wash Elsa's hair

Elsa goes for a swim!

She found OLAF!!

Do I really not speak English? Just kidding, but I am still just as funny to my class now as I was to start.

Washroom.. Toilets

Bins.. Tubs

Markers or Felts.. Texters

Bootroom.. there just isn't one (but what they call the room with their jackets is just nothing

Sticky tape.. scotch tape

Crosswalks.. Zebra crossings

Candy... Lollies

Popsicles... Iceblocks

Math... Maths

Legal Paper.. A4 (bigger is A3, smaller A5)

They write the date as Friday 17th February,  2017 (everyday I start it wrong)

Scrapbook just gets a giggle when I say it and I am not sure why.

There is so much more that is different that I am working on changing how I teach constantly throughout the day. I am happy to say that this week I am felt more like me in the classroom. I am learning that asking for help all the time is okay (thank you to all that help me daily). I am also really taking in all the "new" to me ways of teaching. Next week I get to start training for the TENS math program and am looking forward to it. 

Lollipop lady? Who is that. From the kids I learned that it is a lady who gives out lollies when you cross the street properly. I am teaching Road Safety here right now and I took them to google maps and was so excited and so were they to look at Beaumont on Google Earth. I am sad to say that right now on Google Earth it is the middle of summer in Beaumont so no snow.  I did they venture to show them pictures of the ice castles my family went to last year and now they all want to move to Canada. I am also showed them pictures my class from Beaumont skating and building snowmen. I am going to teach them about Carnival next week as well. 

This week was Valentines. Wow very different at school. No party, not cards from each student. We did some fun GoNoodle dancing, made cards for home, talked about our unit on relationships and then completed a math valentine mystery. It was great!

 

 At home we made our traditional Valentine Heart Shaped Pizzas. Had some wine, and some delicious desserts. It was a great way to spend the night with the family.









All in all, this week I have started to feel more settled at work. I have even made a few friends that get my humour about teaching! Matts legs are sore from running everywhere, Maëlle is still loving school, making friends and even got a swimmer of the week award at swimming and Malia is just enjoying life and has been testing Matts patience as usual.

Wow! What a second week at work!

Week two is over in the classroom and what a week of learning and extremes it was.  Extremes in that one day it is over 40 degrees and the AC in the classroom isn't working or it is raining so hard that there is water running down the hills both of which result in indoor recesses here in Australia. 

This little friend was popping our from it's hiding spot at our lunch break today.

This collection of book orders comes in one package all ready to go for me! One booklet to send home, no tearing apart 4/5/ or 6 packages and stapling together. It is simply wonderful.

This week I had a a planning day out of the classroom where I got a better ( I think) understanding of the programs and what I am teaching in the classroom. For the most part it is really similar with different names/ layouts. I have a lot more to take in and learn, but I am feeling much better about it this week. I have really started to let go of some of my "ways" and embracing the new "ways" for this year. My students are fabulous and I am starting to get to know more about them every day. Kids are kids and I am enjoying being challenged everyday by my new surroundings. 

One really great thing that Girraween does is how they recognize success in their students. This week I got to give out 5 merit awards to my class in our weekly stage assembly. I think this is wonderful! It really motivates the students and I can see how proud the students are when they earn the award. 

On that note, Maëlle earned a similar award this week at her school. She was very excited to show me this week. I think she has settled in wonderfully to the full days and is happy to go to school and loves learning and even practices on her own. Blue one she got in class and the yellow one she got at the weekly assembly I believe. Very proud of her. Still shy and quiet but gaining confidence all the time.

 Matt and Malia have been busy too! Running every where Matt is taking them to gymnastics, library, gardening club and Matt is playing Ultimate Frisbee with a group at the Y while Malia goes into the playroom.

I would say we have found our routine. I am working a lot right now, but hopefully I can get some more stuff set up and be home earlier sometime soon.

It is a hot weekend coming up.

NSW teacher exchange picnic

We ventured the the NSW teachers exchange picnic on Saturday.  

It was so nice to meet the teachers who have been on exchanges and those who are currently in the same position as us. The good news was to hear that everyone was in the same mind set for the most part. Loving Australia and trying really hard to settle into the classroom after the first week and also figure out the programs and expectations of a new school system. I think I heard the statement "I feel like a new teacher" quite a few times. 

I am looking forward to catching up with everyone at the end of the month again.