Open Evening
I think I had too much fun last night - or at least too much of something. The ladies came over and had some wine and bonding conversation before heading out to meet up with the PE and dance teachers. A word to the wise - it is hard to prove your own dance skills when there are dance teachers standing next to you! It was very entertaining watching them though - and nice to see people outside of school. I still haven't decided if I like cueing up for cabs or trying to hail one - the benches in line do help when you are having problems standing up! So today was a quiet day - it had to be anyway because I had to wait for the internet guy to come and fix whatever was wrong with our connection. He was very fast and efficient! Hopefully now there will be no more signal
problems and I'll be on-line when I want to.
You know something is wrong with your head when the X-factor is moving you to tears. The x-factor is the British, original version, of American Idol - not sure if the X-factor is a spin-off of the idol shows or if it has just morphed into something else. The three judges (the famous Simon, Sharon Osbourne and this Louie guy) each take a category after the auditions - Under 25s, Over 25s or Groups. I'm cheering for 16 year old Sean - the most nervous looking candidate, who even has completely won over Simon.
This week I got to learn the wonder of Open Evening. Every year the schools put on an open house for parents of year 6s in hopes that they will choose their school. It is not much of a competition in Borehamwood, for it is the closest school for most. In some places, such as St. Albins, open evenings are a huge deal. Students then apply to the school, there are even interviews - quite the process. The number of students in the school translates into the amount of money the school receives. All faculties set up rooms in the Upper Campus (which meant that the English department, who is only stationed in the lower campus, had to transport everything to the upper site). It was a crazy couple of hours. The students were let out of school after 3rd period and then the teachers spent from after a staff lunch (about 2pm) until 5:30 transforming the school and the rooms to impress potential students. Parents and children would wander into the room - the walls were covered with posters, students work, anything that would give them an idea of what we achieve. All the books we read and any anthologies were also available for them to browse through. Katie supplied us with chocolate, skittles, jelly kids and juice to keep us going. The most memorable part of the evening was actually when we got to go around the school looking at what we actually offer. There is a huge difference between the two sites. We mostly house the core subjects. The upper site has all the cool rooms! Did you know that we have a course on small animal care? Or a complete dt section, which graphics has been placed into. We also have a complete music studio - with mini sound studios. Katie was telling me about how many of the schools have become specialty schools - we are an arts school. Where you get millions of pounds to use in your field. This is why they are building a whole new dance studio. There is also a media studies room, and a photography course and black room. Who knew! Gives the school a whole new light. It really is an up and coming school - quickly improving (and even quicker when considering that some are being expelled. Side note, I heard on Friday that two of the three boys are being expelled.) Friday was a write off -- the kids were way too wound up, and those who had been helping with open evening were obviously very tired - along with all the teachers!
Miss you all so very much!
I have started a web album - picasaweb.google.com/hchaiton I'll put more pictures on soon!
Marking One Month
Yesterday marked my one month anniversary of being in England. Though I feel quite settled, and have felt as though I belong here - I still had a hard time believing it had been a month. Time flies. If this month went by that quickly, the others are sure to go even faster. There is so much to look forward to, so much that I am still excited about - but still completely overwhelming, especially with teaching.
This past week has been calmer than others - getting control of some classes, and no huge incidents. Friday night was the first night in a while that I stayed home with nothing that I needed to do for the next day. It was very nice! I had downloaded the season premier of Grey's Anatomy (they are just about to start season 2 here, so I need my fix of season 3 somehow!) and relaxed. It also meant that I was refreshed and ready to go on Saturday.
I met Dave down near Westminister - our plan was to go inside today. We ended up spending almost 3 hours looking around inside. It was a much different experience than when I was 16 (but I guess you can say that about most experiences) - I wasn't completely spell bound, well, maybe a little. I feel like I appreciated what was inside more than I did before. I remember being just in awe walking around - where as yesterday the history of the Abbey was what got me. It is a shrine to the past. A shrine to what has made England so unique. The royalty mixed with war vetrans, politicians and artists. We found one tomb that dated back to 1082. 900 years before I was born. There is also a memorial to General Woolfe - a little Canadian tribute. That was the turning point in Canadian history, it is what made Canada primarily English. And it is there, captured in time, at Westminster Abbey.
We ended up staying for the Evensong - it is a short service which is mostly sung by the Westminster boys choir. We sat in the pews just feet away from the choir. The voices and the acoustics in the Abbey are just incredible. Their voices echoed, filling the Abbey and taking over your senses.
We went back to Dave and Ariana's house to have some dinner and pick up Ariana. We probably should have left a little bit earlier - but who knew that the tube was going to stop running on the line we needed. After quite an adventure trying to get there in time - being told that someone's life was 'over' after we beat them to a cab, and the cab drivers manouvering through London Traffic, we did make it to the theatre. Had we been able to get into the doors where we were dropped off we would have even made it on time. Running around the block to get to the other side of the building made us a little late - the show had just started when we got in. It didn't take away from it at all though. 'Wicked' was incredible! It was a show - the costumes, the music, the dancing, the sets - though the story is weak at times (as Ariana said, there is no explanation of how Elpheba became the wicked witch of the west, and her sister the wicked witch of the east) it was fantastic! I had low expectations coming into it - since I put the book down halfway through (or as I found out, just before the 1st act ended). The main ideas of the book are there, but much has been cut out, making it a more simple story. It worked better this way. The friendship between Glinda and Elpheba, the love interest (played by Adam Garcia - the cute Australian lead from Coyote Ugly!), the links to the Wizard of Oz. I am glad I didn't know the ending - though now I am curious to read the end of the book.
There was so much excitement in the building. People clapped when characters came on for the first time (though it made more sense when we found out who everyone was. The wicked witch of the west/Elpheba is Indina Menzel - the orginal Elpheba on Broadway (she won a tony for her performance in NY)- the actress who orginated the role. It was like being able to see Sarah Brightman in Phantom - even though the character wasn't designed for her - it is her who will be known for the role for all time.) It was a spectacle. The show gave you goosebumps - It was a truly deserved standing ovation!
Some culture, some partying!
It's been quite the week. Survived my second week of school - getting quite the reputation. I have been involved in 5 people getting suspended, and it looks like 2 of them might go permanently. These are kids with big files - it is not the first time that they have been in trouble. The upper management talked about expelling another one of the students but they don't want to get rid of him just yet because "the next education he would receive would probably be in jail." I sat through a meeting with one student, his parents, the head of inclusion and the deputy head (aka the vice principal). It was an eye opener. Watching the mother cry and cry, and the father looking so ashamed. They have no idea what to do with him. But that is pretty rare - there are many other parents (such as the one they don't want to expel) who couldn't care less about their children. It is so hard to say, but without those key players in the classroom, I actually felt like I was getting through at times. One girl came to me after school to ask if there was anything she could do in the classroom - she had to wait until 4:30 to get picked up and she chose to use that time to come help me. It was really nice! There ended up being 5 of them, her younger siblings and a friend. So they decorated the classroom - I gave them chocolate as thanks.
So I have been doing more than just teaching. Not during the week, when I sometimes go to bed at 7pm. Last weekend was our staff party! We got there a little late, but made up quickly for that. There was a lot of dancing, a lot of drinking (especially by some - it was so funny to see the upper management team in a, uhm, whole new light.) It was nice to meet some new people, and confirm friendships. The next day I went into London. I managed to get in in time to go see 'The Boyfriend' (a musical) that was playing at the open air theatre in Regent's Park. The second photo is of the theatre. It is quite the social occasion. There is a bar, and bbq, where people flock to before and during the show. The show was spectacular! It was well performed, you could tell that the actors were having the time of their life. Even a fox came and watched it for a little while - lay down and everything!
It disrupted the performance a little(people started pointing and laughing, especially when it sat down to 'watch'), but in a way added to the outdoor feel. The sun was out, and a little in my eyes, but i would rather a sunny day to watch an outdoor performance then a rainy one.
That night I went to Dave and Ariana's house for some dinner and to see the new place! It is beautiful! Not the best of areas, but very near a tube stop, has a balconey and a private garden that they can look out on, but can't figure out how to get in.
It was also a pretty exciting week for planning. I don't know if I have already said, but Dave, Ariana and I are going to see 'Wicked' next weekend! And then when Nathan comes we have tickets to 'Spamalot' - and the same night I booked that I decided that I needed a weekend away sometime. So Nov. 18th (that weekend) I'm heading to Rome!!
Last night I found my club. I knew it was out there some place, a club that was made for me. From the first time I layed my eyes on the place, even from the outside I knew that it was going to change my life. We went out to Reflex last night - this is the first picture in the blog. It is an all 80's bar!! It is decorated 80's, they play 80's (there are rubric cubes as disco balls!), it isn't too dark, not even too loud, a revolving dance floor!! The list just goes on and on. I thought it would be an early night - until I actually stepped in and saw the greatness! I was out with Anita and her roommate and at Reflex a guy came up to Anita and asked if her friend (me) was a teacher? Turns out that a few of the global education staff hang out there on a regular basis! So we ended up hanging out with them, dancing up a storm! The wonderment of this place, and how I knew that it was created for me, is when the original 'Alice' song came on -- Alice, Alice who the *!#% is Alice? I don't think I have heard that version since Chile in 1996.
Heading into London today. So I should probably go and start getting ready! Oh, I should probably just mention Krispy Kremes - does any first year teacher good! Angharad, you rock!
Going to meet Dave to roam the streets of London, and maybe check out this Thames Festival!
Cheers!
It is almost Friday!
Almost Friday! Almost been a teacher for a whole week - and I am exausted! I think the reason it is harder to teach in England is well, a couple reasons. First, the standarized manner of the circulum makes it harder to use marks in your benefit. Kids in Canada get so stressed about doing well, and getting any marks, and since you make up the year, you get to mark as you please. There isn't that much that I can do here - pop quizzes are completely unknown - as are tests that are not national exams. Second - they are so used to breaking teachers that they test new teachers (and I'm learning that first hand!) Third - they are completely seperated by skill level once they get to year 9 -- and it almost seems like teachers just label the lower level group, thinking that they just cannot do anything that requires thinking. Or anything that requires writing. I asked my bottom set of year 10s (the second lowest skill level - they are very, uhm, challenging) to write down any sentence or just words in response to a poem. I was told that that may have been too challenging for them - maybe they could draw a picture instead. I'm all for multiple intelligence - but I didn't even ask them to write a paragraph, just words... they could have written: Violent, mad, crazy, wierd, insane, screwed up... but no, that's too difficult...
The school is fantastic though! There is so much support - I have 3 classes that, uh, give me headaches everyday. They are testing me - and there are some key players that are known around the school. After my first day I was so upset with how it went - the head of learning (basically she deals with all the challenging students) - asked who I had and then sighed, 'Ah, so you have the Matthew and Marcus syndrome.' I hadn't even met my year 10s yet. Last year the head of the English department had them and she can't even give me advice of what to do with them. I've been talking to the behaviourist specialist - so far his strategies allow me to work with those who are willing to do the work. The others are still screaming, jumping out windows, and today, trying to burn the activity I'd given them on the overhead projector. They are lovely!
Tomorrow I have a full day - no breaks besides from lunch and morning break. I'm going to be so tired! But we have a staff party tomorrow night - should be a good time!
Even with the exaustion and frustration - it is still wonderful! It can only make me stronger, and I am learning new skills, new tricks, everyday. And meeting wonderful people. The department is so friendly - I really get along with a couple of they especially!
Back to lesson planning! I'm heading into London again this weekend - I wonder what adventures await me!
All growing Up!
Tomorrow is the first day of school. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous! It makes me wonder how much of the confidence that my teachers exerted was a massive cover up for wanting to throw up in the bathroom. But I guess not all of them moved across the atlantic, to an entirely new education system, with 'difficult' students and only 2 days to prepare. The inset days (or pd days as we would call them) were overwhelming. There was not enough information the first day - a guest speaker, very motivating though - and the second day there was just so much information thrown at me that I hardly knew what to do with it all. I think I covered up my weak knewws quite well (practice for Monday). I really have no idea what to expect. But I figure if this year is a complete disaster then my career can only get better! Hopefully not all the students will be lighting fires and stabbing each other with razors.
My Internet has been really shotty the past couple of days. Only coming on for 10 mins at a time, or just not working for hours at a time. It is especially hard on the weekends when there is a point where the time difference doesn't mean staying up really late or waking up really early. Soon I'll be able to see your face again.
Yesterday I went into London and met up with Dave and Ariana. We had our usual London adventures - it seems to be becoming a tradition to just jump on the first double decker we see. This time it initially led us to the greatest store of all - Selfridges. We had to run out of the clothing department after I dipped into money I shouldn't be using to buy the most wonderful coat of all time. I felt very British (or very Mary Tyler Mooe) walking down the streets of London. I am now going to be on a mission for scarves - they are my new obsession. I am actually getting into the styles here - for some reason in Lodong I rather enjoy the skirt/pant look. It is different for some reason. The articles seem to belong together - instead of just wearing both a skirt and pants. Maybe I will come back all stylish. We then visited the outside of Canada House - tried to see if we knew all the provincial flags. Dave won the game hands down.
We crossed the Thames and found this Philharmonic Orchestra display were you could sit on these boxees and hear what it would sound like to be playing that instrument. Back packer, children, adults of all kinds sit around and play musical chairs. It is cooler than it sounds, especially once you actually start moving around and hear the differences.
The night was spent, for a while, at the Generator. It is what I imagine Portugal's hostels are like. There are some teachers staying at this hostel and we were invited to come join the festivities. There was an 'Old School' theme - so there were togas and marshmallows (you don't want to know what they did with the marshmellows - no chubby bunny that is for sure!), they tied balls to -uhm- body parts and threw them. And there was even an appearance by Blue and some Jello wrestling. It was quite something - what? I'm not so sure! But it was nice to see some of the other teachers again. I think they may make getting together a regular thing!
Time to get back to seating plans! I miss you all and I'm thinking about you all the time!
Wish me luck!
Oh - Favourite new British word of the day: Bullocks!
Favourite new way of saying 'sounds good': Rover (dave and ariana - I'm going to make that stick!
I think I had too much fun last night - or at least too much of something. The ladies came over and had some wine and bonding conversation before heading out to meet up with the PE and dance teachers. A word to the wise - it is hard to prove your own dance skills when there are dance teachers standing next to you! It was very entertaining watching them though - and nice to see people outside of school. I still haven't decided if I like cueing up for cabs or trying to hail one - the benches in line do help when you are having problems standing up! So today was a quiet day - it had to be anyway because I had to wait for the internet guy to come and fix whatever was wrong with our connection. He was very fast and efficient! Hopefully now there will be no more signal
