Whoops

Yesterday I was reminded that I haven't been keeping up to date with my blog....so here goes.

Since September, I have been volunteering at two different Toronto District School Board schools. At one, I am there three days a week assisting in a JK/SK classroom. This experience has provided a lot of classroom experience and professional development. In the AM class, I work with a child with Down Syndrome and in the PM class, I am assisting a child with Aspergers. The learning opportunity is incredible. These students have so much to offer and teach me new things everyday.
The Kindergarten teacher is also a gem. He appreciates my teaching experience and values my opinion during our learning centres. I tend to do one learning centre every week that I am there.

One day a week I volunteer at a different school. This school has me floating between a couple of classrooms - more exposure. Consistently I am in a JK/SK class in the afternoon but the mornings I could be in a Grade 3 or 6 classroom. Last week I was placed in the Grade 6 class and was thrown into teaching a grammar lesson with 3 minutes notice. I rocked it but that's probably how supply teachers feel when entering a new classroom.
I also started private tutoring and coach basketball for Durham's Special Olympics.

I am also involved in an online course for Additional Qualification, (Professional Development) - Special Education Part 1. This course started in September and ends mid-December. I am debating on taking a second course in the new year but we'll see what happens. These courses aren't cheap!  I am considering taking my senior qualifications course (which will allow me to teach and supply high schools - allowing for more movement when I finally do get on the supply list).

Speaking of which, I am still applying everywhere to be on a teaching board. Toronto, Peel and York have my applications and now it's just a waiting game. If I hear anything, it'll be in the next two months. They will contact me and I will have to do a panel interview to see if I am qualified to be on their Board. If I'm not successful, after the New Year, the boards will open again and I will have to re-apply. I am hoping (and keep hearing) that all my hard work of volunteering and the experience I am gaining can only benefit me with these applications. So we'll see!


The holiday seasons is approaching so if anyone needs (paid) seasonal help with their business, please let me know!

Cheers!

Continue..

Thanks again for everyone who has subscribed to my blog!!

I will continue to write when I start teaching (in September).

Enjoy your summer :D

Home Sweet Home

Today marks my fourth day back in Canada... and my first day that I left my house (for longer than 1 hour).

It has been a long journey back.

My trip home started at 2AM when I woke up for an hour drive to Brisbane.
It was a little hectic as I was flying from Brisbane to Sydney (Domestic) on Qantas Airlines. However once we arrived in the domestic airport, we were told that this particular flight was flying out of the international airport.... off we went RUNNING to the car to make our way to the other airport. Time check 4:10am and the flight was supposed to take off at 5am.

We made it. I checked in my backs while Cait parked the car.
The farewell with Cait was bittersweet. She has been my roommate for 5 months and my friend for over 10 months. I have really bonded with her and she has seen me at my bests and my worsts (whale watching sickness, break down with my last teaching experience etc.).

I boarded that plane and off we went.

After arriving in Sydney I heard there was a delay (noooo!!).
Sydney was experiencing some fog (lots of it) and so the flight I was supposed to board, had to do a landing in Brisbane because it wasn't safe to come into Sydney.

So off we went.. waiting.

Basically I waited an extra 5 hours in the airport when finally we boarded and started our journey to Vancouver.

At this point, I knew I missed my connecting flight in Vancouver to Toronto so I just waited until I heard anything further to assess the situation. Apparently Air Canada was going to arrange my travels for me once I landed in Toronto.

The thing that sucked about traveling back to Canada - I was required to collect my luggage at every stop. So while I was in a race to collect my luggage in Toronto, I had to keep in mind that I was in a race against everyone else to get a seat on the earliest flight out of Vancouver - haha

Turns out that I was too late to get on the 1pm flight and so I boarded the 1:30 flight which was scheduled to touch down in Toronto at 9 PM.

In Toronto, I was so excited to get off the plane. Frankly, I didn't want to be another plane for a very long time! haha I knew I had people waiting for me (expecting my mother, father and sister) but it turned out to be a whole cheering squad!  My mother, father, sister, her fiance, my best friend and my cousin. It was excellent. Truthfully, I always wanted to know how it would feel to be greeted at the airport (I've witnessed a lot of homecoming welcomes and always tear up seeing them). Well let me tell you, it feels great.

Now.. as I've said, I have been home for 4 full days.
Here has been my sleeping schedule:
Day 1: 4:30 am until 11 am then again at 2PM until 4PM
Day 2: 11 PM until 5 am (wooohooo)
Day 3: 7 PM until 10 PM and again 4 am until 11:30 am
Day 4: 2 AM and I am still awake...

This sucks!

Pictures

Noosa National Park

 Canada Day

Fraser Island day trip

Whale Watching

Two days ago I went on a whale watching cruise with two of my friends.

The cruise started at 8am and it was heading to the ocean for 5 hours.
After about 30 minutes on the boat, I started to feel a little uneasy.
The day before I got a little sick off a 6' sub from subway and it completely upset my stomach. Now I'm on a boat that is in the middle of the rough ocean.

We were sitting at the front of the boat and I had to leave.
I tried to walk around the boat and it made me feel (more) sick... so off I went running to the toilet.

I locked myself in that toilet for the next hour (or more).
I have NEVER felt seasickness before and I hope to never have that experience again. After an hour my roommate came looking for me. There was also an employee standing outside the toilet waiting for me (haha). The lady explained to Cait that I was 'violently ill'.
She had a sick bag and a glass of water. I was told that being in the basement of the boat was the worst place to be when you're feeling (or are) sick...that I needed to move upstairs to the fresh air.

But I couldn't move. I could barely lift my head up let alone walk up two flights of stairs.

I felt awful. So sick...constantly throwing up and my body was heating up-  I was dripping with sweat - it was awful. When I was this bad, I knew the rest of this trip was going to be insane. I was only 45 minutes into this boat ride :(

Eventually I heard more and more people getting sick and I knew I had to free up the bathroom for other people. So I walked out and let someone else in - to be sick. I couldn't make it up the stairs so I stayed on the ground floor. Eventually I was sick a couple more times and then made my way to find my roommate. I found Cait and was sick again. For the next 4 hours, I continued to be sick.

She eventually told me that when Cait came down to find me. After leaving the basement, she was also sick. But she was only sick once and then felt ok.
After walking through the first floor, I noticed EVERYONE was sick. If you weren't sick on the boat, you definitely felt like you were going to be.

Yes, I did see some whales but I could barely keep my head up. We went outside and I rested my head on the railing and every so often I'd tilt my head to see the whales.
Thankfully Cait took my camera and took some pictures for me.

Worst ever!

Pictures will be posted soon.

Check!

Helloooo!

I finally got my computer back - woohoo!
It looks beautiful - the shell is completely new :)

Updates:
Fraser Island - CHECK!

On Tuesday I boarded a shuttle heading to Fraser Island (5 am start time).
The island is massive (125 km) that I wasn't expecting. There is life on this island. Perhaps I was a little ignorant with what exactly this island was about.
Here are some facts I learned from our tour guide:

Fraser Island has been an island for about 10,000 years.
It started as a logging, timber site. The original Central station is still there.
Logging only stopped in 1992.
It's now a National Park (97% of it).
The other 3% is privately owned.
It is Aboriginal land.
Fraser is called Fraser Island because of a ship wreck that occurred and husband and wife that landed there, their last name was Fraser. He didn't survive but she did.

There are 2-3 holiday resorts on the island - with many tours that drive through it

The thing I kept having to remind myself was that I was on a island that was made completely out of SAND.
The agriculture that was growing there, it grew in sand.
As the logging company grew, and the market became larger, the people needed to have and plant trees that had a large turn over. There are American type trees on the island, too!

I also saw 2 dingoes. They are a relative of an Asian Wolf. This animal, that looks like a dog, is only found on Fraser.

There are 42 fresh water lakes.
We also visited Lake McKenzie. It has low PH level - great for polishing jewelry.
The grains of the sand is sooooo tiny. I even cleaned my elbows (with only using dry sand). It was beautiful.

Random facts about the trees on Fraser.
There are strangler figs- they latch onto a tree that is already rooted and grow up it. Literally strangling the original tree.
You also see a lot of hallow trees which are usually from termites. Hallow trees are also from lightening. The lightening will hit the top of the tree and fry the inside(s) of the tree. The heat eventually dies down and that's why there is still a frame of the tree left.

I have limited internet but I will post pictures in the next couple of days.

Whale Watching and Fraser Island (9)

Hello!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

My lack of posts are a result in my computer having issues.
I bought a Macbook before I left and with 1 day left before my one-year warranty expired my computer went on the fritz.
If you have a new model of the Macbook you will probably experience this ..
The bottom is made of rubber but a fault is that it'll bubble away from the plastic on your computer. That was covered under warranty.

Then my Apple icon (top of the laptop) also fell through. Which was a scare for damaging my monitor.
That was also covered under warranty.

Finally (and most importantly), my keyboard stopped working. Well it was temperamental. The keys M, N, B, comma and period worked on and off.
Once I handed my computer over to get looked at, there was a scare that if the keyboard wasn't showing  defect then I would have to pay $85 'for their time'.

Thankfully the keys were acting up.
SO that is also covered under warranty.

Woohoo!
I should be getting my computer back early next week.

Yesterday I ticked off ' going to Noosa' off my Australian Bucket List.
I also stopped in at the Mooloolaba Surf Club (tick).

Next on the list: Whale watching ('tis the season) and a day trip to Fraser Island.

14 days left on the Coast

Time is ticking.

Today I went to my friend's place to help them pack - they move out of their apartment TOMORROW!

It's crazy how people are leaving the Coast.. and even more crazy is that I will be leaving the Coast in 14 days!

But what's funny (and my mother will appreciate this), is that I went to my friend's place to help them pack because they were having a hard time down-sizing their luggage.

I was the 'mean' friend who was brutally honest and said, "You haven't worn that in 12 months - get rid of it!" or "Really?!" haha

They were both able to eliminate (and accumulate) 2 garbage bags for the second-hand shop :D

Leaving the Coast....

Truthfully, I am ready.

The weather has been pretty crappy and it doesn't look to be clearing up this week.

Rain rain rain

Next week...

I hope the weather will clear up because I would love to squeeze in one last trip to Fraser Island.

We'll see!!!

Graduation

Today was the International Graduation ceremony at USC...

But first I had to go to my old practicum school to get my attendance form signed.
Then I took on the challenge of straightening my hair (first time in Oz). Finally, at 2PM we were off to the University for our ceremony.

The ceremony didn't actually start until 4:30 but this gave us some time to take photos and hop on over to the bottle shop for some celebratory beers.

Now.... during the ceremony, I don't know why but I became really nervous. I have a fear of being THAT person who falls when walking across the stage. BUT get this.... I was in line to be called and chills were going down my spine... I was next in line.  Then the caller says the person behind me... SKIPPING my name! I didn't know what to do, so I just let the person behind me go. The lady realized she made an error and then called my name haha - so I guess I was nervous for a reason ;)

Here are some photos of the day - more will be posted on facebook.

Roomies!

 All dressed up!

 After a quick run to the bottle shop - in our gowns :)

 Readddy, Set...throw! #fail haha

 Walking across the stage.... This one is for you mom!

The end!

I'm a teacher :D :D :D

Thank you to everyone who posted on my fb page and sent me message - so thoughtful :)

UnderWater World

Last night I volunteered with my first mentor teacher, her Year 2s and another Year 1 class.
It was an overnight camping trip at UnderWater World (an aquarium down the road from me). The kids arrived at 4:30 and then the party began ;)

The aquarium was closed, except for another tour - a group of Year 8 students from America. We were able to explore certain areas of the aquarium and then we watched the seal show. Shortly there after we had dinner (burgers and chips).

Our kids were exhausted by 8 pm. We had 'lights out' around 8:30 but the last child to fall asleep wasn't until closer to midnight.
Then I 'slept' with one eye opened. Needless to say, I am exhausted today.

The whole experience was great for the kids. After a 6 am wake up call, breakfast and a quick chat, we explored one last place in the aquarium before parents picked up their children around 7:30am.

I feel bad for the teachers and the kids.... they have to be at school at 10am! haha


Graduation tomorrow :)

Final..

Today marked my last day at University.
Up at 7:30 and on the bus at 8. We had a lecture at 9-10:20. Then we went into smaller groups at 10:30.  By 1PM it was official, I am a teacher ;)

Tonight I am volunteering with my first placement teacher at Underwater World (an Aquarium 7 minutes from my house).
It's cute.. it's an overnight excursion for Year 2s and they sleep on the ground within the aquarium, under the fish tanks.

Should be fun :)

Graduation is on Friday.

And thank you to everyone who has contacted me regarding my last post!
Apparently we all have connections within school boards. :)

Thank you again!

Done and Dusted

.. I cannot believe it!

Last Thursday marked my last day of my second practicum!
After 6 weeks working in a prep class, it all wrapped up with a normal day in the classroom. The kids knew Thursday was my last day and some took the time to express how sad they were to hear that I was leaving and I even received some hand-crafted cards, gifts and letters - it was sweet.
The nicest thing was hearing from parents - and having them address how much I've impacted their child and their ability to learn!

I walked away with heaps of knowledge.
How I want my class to be; How I see myself teaching and especially what I wouldn't do in the classroom.

I cannot wait to get into my very own classroom!!

The sad part is is that I am coming back to Canada during the summer months and therefore each school is on summer holidays - so no work and I cannot even volunteer.

If anyone is reading this post, and has ANY sort of connection within Elementary school boards, schools or classrooms, please email me (ac_144@hotmail.com) because as of right now, I am a free agent and willing to volunteer anywhere until I can get my foot in a door.

Thank you and thanks for reading :)

1

Ever notice that there's always a count down happening in your life?!

Well one of mine, it ends TOMORROW!

One more day until I am done my second practicum and basically officially done my teaching practice!

That's insane.

Next Wednesday, the 20th I have to go back to the University for a day of presentations (about our practicums) and then school will officially be OVER!
The following Friday I will have my graduation.

The graduation is hosted for ONLY the internationals - this means that all the Canadians will have an opportunity to celebrate their schooling and time in Oz!  *The rest of the faculty will have their graduation/convocation the following year.

Another side note...
Another prep teacher in the school I am doing my placement at told me that she recommended me to the principal. :D
She does contract work with the school (3 days a week) and shares with another teacher (2 days) .. well the teacher who takes over 2 days is going on maternity leave and so they're looking for a replacement. It was super nice of the one teacher to suggest me... especially to the principal!

As it turns out, they hired someone else (how shocking)! haha

Have a great week !!

xx

3 more days!

Helloooo!

Firstly, I'd like to congratulate everyone who participated in The Ride to Conquer Cancer this weekend!
You participated in a fabulous event and worth while cause - congratulations :D

It's Sunday morning here and tomorrow we have a holiday - woohooo!

Yesterday was a fun (and random) day.
I woke up thinking I needed to go to the shops to find things for my kiddies. When you're a preservice teacher, (in the primary level) you usually buy something for your kids. So I needed to go and search for things that prep kids can use and like.

At 1 pm I went on the bus to the plaza (the mall). I ran into 4 friends having a pint.
Then it turned into an afternoon of pitchers.
Then an evening of hanging out and chatting at another friend's house.
Then gelato and then O'Malleys for a quick catch up with more friends.

By 9 PM I was home, and exhausted.

As much as I did, I managed to spend $10 - thank you pitcher specials!

And now it's Sunday and I still haven't stepped into a shop or found anything for my preps.

Dum dum dummmmm

I will be on a plane in exactly 1 month from today ... heading back to Canada!

5 more days :D :D

5 more days of practicum...
and then I am fully qualified to be a teacher :D

Crazy.

This year has gone by so quickly!

On a side note:
I received my TD visa card after only 4 days of being told it was compromised in Texas. Fast service, Td!

37 more days...

It's bitter sweet. I leave in 37 days.

Like I've said before, the weather has been really crappy here. So leaving the rain is making it easier.
I think I am also very over the Sunshine Coast. Mostly because it's very small, and you can only do something five times before you are completely bored out of your mind. haha
I have 8 more days of teaching and I think once that is over, I might have a bigger smile on my face.

This weekend I treated myself to a hair cut - special, eh.
But then it poured for two days.
But it's awesome to have 'thin' hair again!!

I still have a $50 travel voucher through the cheap flight centre so who knows, I might add one another short trip to get some sunshine before I leave.
Otherwise, when I return, I think most people will be darker than me - haha

See you sooooooon!

review

Today I had the Deputy Principal (Vice Principal) come into my class and watch two of my lessons.

It went well!

There was some (major) behaviour management situations but after asking a student to leave the circle - it got better.

I had some suggestions but in the end I received a "well done!" and "you'll be an excellent teacher!"

Woohoo!

Done and done.

9 days left!

Tomorrow is June 1st and the first day of winter - insane!
I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. I cannot believe that I have been in Australia for 11 months!

41 more days...

41 more days and I am on my way back to Canada.

Crazy to think that I have been in Australia for 11 months....but I think my time is running out. Perhaps it's because I am slightly bored (with the weather - it's freeezing.

But whatever the case may be, I am excited to start a new journey.

10 more days of practicum!!

Another week down.... 14 days to go.

Woohooo - only 14 more days of practicum!

This week went by pretty quickly - which was nice.
Next week is going to be full-on with teacher. And after Wednesday, it's my class until I leave.
Booyah!

Next week involves lesson planning for English - Retell a story using Chicken Licken (also called Chicken Little, Henny Penny).
Maths is numeracy and arrangement. Science is water and waterproof objects.
On to lesson planning.....

And I still need to apply everywhere for teaching.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!

Yesterday was my last day up at the farm - worked my last 4 hours and made my last few bucks up there.

14 more days of placement and my flight home is booked for July 10th.

Time is ticking in every aspect of my life!

Dear Diary

The past week was very hard and extremely challenging - emotionally and physically.

I was told that I teach too loudly - "but a lot of Canadians are like that".
Then I was told I was dull and perhaps even boring.

Oh and that I'm too strict.

Rereading the above, perhaps it'll show you what the classroom is like (without my assistance).

Use your imagination.

Dear Diary....

I can probably say that yesterday was (and will be) the worst day of my teaching career.

The kids have been really bad this week.

Just really anxious and not listening - at all.

I guess I just felt really defeated by the whole thing.

So I'm struggling. Struggling to communicate with the children and to grasp their attention longer than 10 minutes.

Just when you thought you were doing well..... you have a day that everything goes wrong.

I almost cried about 4 times throughout the day.

And did cry when I got home.

Can't remember the last time that has happened.

4 more weeks.

Packing...

How does someone pack a years worth of living:
travelling, pictures, clothes, toiletries, purses, towels, papers, letters, books, bedding, textbooks, teaching folders, teaching resources etc.
into two suitcases?!

I can throw away clothes, books and some toiletries but everything I want to take back to Canada with me - everything teaching related, is just sooo heavy!

Packing sucks!

Farm work...

Friday after teaching I came home and did some work, and then went to bed at 9:30 - which was pretty late for me seeing how I've been going to bed between 7 and 8:30 all week.

Today Cait and I woke up at around 7:30 and headed to the farm.
We worked from 9 - 5PM picking custard apples.

And now at 6:30PM, I am ready for bed. True Story.

Side notes:
It's Autumn here so it has been cold. I am going to freeze when I come back to Canada. Cold for me, is anything under 25 degrees. Eks!
The air has changed so much. My skin is sooo dry. And so is my hair.
After 9 months in Oz, I finally broke down and bought an actual hair brush. True Story.
Swimming in the ocean and pool as often as I used to, I would brush my hair with a small pick comb but that isn't enough now that the weather is changing... and I'm not swimming as much.

Have a good weekend!

xx

Happy Days...

Today I received the biggest compliment..

My mentor teacher told me that I inspire her!

I did a lesson yesterday teaching the children how to write the number 6.
The children and I were sitting in a circle on the carpet..

My lesson consisted of a rhyme:
Put on a Hat then
Straight Long Back
Round Little Belly
The Number 6 looks so funny.

Then I made them practice their 6 in the air.
Then on their partners back.

Finally I handed out Wikki Sticks - amazing tools for fine motor skills. (http://www.wikkistix.com/)
They are basically a piece of yarn, dipped in beeswax.
It's great for children who are learning how to write letters and numbers - or anything!
I handed out a piece of cardboard for each child for their 'desk'. Then a wikki stick.
I made them form the number 6.

Then I handed out chips and they had to make a pattern using 6 chips (each had 10 chips to start with; and patterns are what they learned in their last Maths unit).

The teacher loooooved the Wikki Sticks and the way I taught this lesson - I have some pictures (but because I haven't received release forms yet, I cannot post them - but they're amazing).

The first thing I will purchase when I get home (and have money) a laminator! Best thing ever!

Happy Weekend Friends!

I am off to the farm for some hard hard labour :P

My nightmare...

I knew that a day like today would come.. but I was hoping I could avoid it.

Today a child went 'number 2' in their pants.

Thankfully I wasn't responsible for hosing him down.

5/31

Yesterday I finally got out of bed and wrote two assignments....before the deadline of midnight and today at 5pm.

Oh, I also had a lesson to write for today.

After doing the first lesson, my teacher asked if I wanted to go home - because I was losing my voice, flush etc.

I declined.

We took a poll and out of 23 students, only 3 didn't feel sick.

4 kids were even away today.

What's interesting is that after being asking if I wanted to go home, and being told how bad my voice is.... I was still teaching about 3-ish hours today.  

No sympathy for prep teachers...

haha

4/31 Follow up

Yesterday I posted that I have completed 4/31 days of my practicum.

Today, I woke up feeling like hell.

I have a sore throat, ear ache and chills.

Thank you class!

4/31

I have just accomplished 4 days of my 31 day placement with preps!

Woohooo!

In these four days, I have invented about 5 games, planted a vegetable garden and got a sore throat.

Woohooo!

Lazy Sunday

Today we did a little bit of running around; however, afterwards I made a little concoction for lunch.
I don't know what it is but since coming to Oz, I have become more experimental with the foods that I eat.
For example:
Before coming to Oz, I wouldn't eat onions unless they were sauteed.
Now I eat raw onions (red and white) on anything.

I also didn't eat shrimp (although they call them prawns here).
Now I eat them all the time.

I didn't eat chickpeas.
Now I throw them in everything I cook.

I never tried lamb before.
Now I've probably eaten it about 8 times. Thank you Greek food!

So now that my taste buds have changed, I tend to make a lot of concoctions (it might also be because I am broke, or don't have access to a car to buy groceries on the regular ;)

Today's concoction:

Sauteed onions with two pieces of bacon
1 chopped sweet potato
A quarter of a green cabbage
A handful of raisins
A handful of chickpeas

Done and done.

It was delicious!

Then I started to look up games to play with the kids (my prep class).
And then I came across a play dough recipe and went ahead and made some.
I rock.

Such a cheap way to entertain kids.

All you need is Salt, Flour and Water!
(Creme of Tartar if you have it).

I will post a picture soon!

Rain or Shine..

After placement on Friday, I headed to the farm with Cait.

I was completely exhausted and by 9 pm, I was heading to bed.

Saturday rolled around and it was pouring. I didn't know how picking was going to go. 

We had pancakes and then waited around to see if the weather was going to change. Eventually we went out, in the pouring rain. Oh and did I mention that Oz is in Autumn and thus, freeeeezing at 20 degrees?

(Judge all you want but my body has become climatized with the heat - anything under 29 is cool - I don't know how I'll be in Canada, thankfully I'll be returning in summer).

So, off we went to the orchard to pick custard apples 

(Here is a website explaining what custard apples are and what they look like: http://www.custardapple.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53)

Again, it was pouring.

But after 4 hours, we managed to collect 20 boxes of them.

Done and dusted.

The weather is still crappy so after dinner, Cait and I headed home.

I'm $74 richer.

There's a first for everything...

Today I went into my placement and what happened, a child peed her pants.

There's a first for everything.

This weekend I am going back to the farm. Hopefully there is a lot more work!

A True Aussie Experience

Today, I went into my old practicum school to sit in with a prep class... I needed to observe what a prep class looks, acts and feels like.
My old practicum school is amazing. They are so talented.

I learned a lot and feel better about my coming placement.

ANYWAY...

After school (I was exhausted) but we had to go to the mall for computer ink.
Of course, I developed a blister on my heel from my shoes.. so I took my shoes off and walked around the mall barefoot, aussie style.

I can check that off my list ;)

Preps and Farm Work

This week went by fairly quickly.

Friday I had my first day at my new placement.  It was only an orientation day - to know where the school is, how to get around it, and to fill out papers and to meet my mentor teacher.

Last semester I helped teaching a Year 5 class in a Private school. My mentor teacher is now my friend. She is an amazing teacher and a great mentor teacher. We e-mail each other all the time, and we're even friends on facebook :P

This time, I am teaching prep (basically senior kindergarten). I didn't know what to expect because I was used to something completely different with my Year 5s. The school is very large. There are about 4-5 classes of each grade (insane!). They have assembly in the pine (tree) forest because their auditorium cannot host them all - haha. But it's a State School (public school) so the rules are a little more relaxed but the students are still really well behaved.
The preppies.... so after the paper work I got introduced to Prep C - The C represent what class in prep - because there are so many of them! My mentor teacher is a lot older than my previous one (my old mentor teacher was a year younger than me).
Because this is my second placement, they expect a lot out of you.  They basically throw over their class to you on the first day you arrive.
Right now, my placement hasn't started. We're doing orientation and make-up days right now. Because when my placement starts, there are three public holidays and legally, Teaching placements have to be for 31 days so we have to make those days up.  We all figured it's better to make those days up now, than after placement because we'll have assignments for Uni and we'll be packing up our lives from Oz.

So next week, I'll be back in the classroom.

I have to find fun, exciting and engaging ways to teach prep. I feel like they need it.

Friday night I finished an assignment and then headed to the farm . Saturday morning I started my work on the farm. I woke up at 6 am but there was too much fog and mist that we couldn't start until 8:30. Then it was time to:
a) learn what a custard apple was
b) how to pick it
c) when it was a right time to pick it
d) how to pack them

And how to avoid massive cob webs.

After 1.5 hours, Cait's mom called it quits because the apples weren't fully ready to be picked....so she made the call that next weekend, or even the weekend after would be better.

So my job was done. I got paid for the work I did and we headed home.
On the way, we saw a farmers market and I stocked up on some awesomely fresh veggies - a huge box filled for $16. It was a great deal.

So my farm girl experience wasn't a 100% success but it still happened!

haha

xx

Teaching Position...

So it looks like I'll be helping with PREP.
Which is basically Canada's equivalent of senior kindergarten.

It should be interesting.. I dunno how I feel about it.

But we'll see what happens.

Oh man, all the germs!

haha Jokkkeeeee

From City Girl to Farm Girl

...this girl got a (casual) job on a farm!

Cait's parents (my roommate's parents) live on a farm. It's custard apple season and they asked Cait if she knew of anyone looking for a job - BINGO.
I will be helping on the weekends to pick or pack fruit.

Lets see how this goes.

My first shift - Saturday.

14 days... Sorry!!

It was brought to my attention that I haven't 'blogged' in 14 days -Whoops! Sorry

There really hasn't been anything too exciting to post.

Let me back track....

Easter Weekend:
My roommate is from Ireland. A lot of people have since left Ireland and have gone travelling - a lot of them end up in Oz. Neve started travelling 3 years ago when she backpacked Oz for a year. A lot of Irish people end up living in Brisbane or Sydney.  Anyway, she invited a couple up for Easter weekend. It was brilliant. They are awesome. Neve travelled with the girl and the girl met an Irish boy in Sydney and they've been dating for the past two years. They did a lot of sight seeing things but they were just so awesome to have around.
Easter was Sunday. Neve also had a friend from NZ coming to visit on Sunday-Sunday. And then she invited 3 other Irish people from Brisbane for dinner..... actually she went to school with two of them back in Ireland.

We made two roasted chickens and threw in 4 drum sticks as well. Then we roasted a bunch of veggies too. It worked out perfectly...  Irish-Aussie-Canadian-New Zealander Easter dinner. After the gang ate, most went down to the beach - it was perfect haha
Oh - I also made a loaf of banana bread - and nailed it!! It was a hit!!

Sunday night we all started to have some beers and then went to the bar. We danced the night away! It was a great day/night!!

This past week I have been off school.  It was mid-semester break.
But the weather wasn't that great (and I cannot afford to travel anymore) so I didn't do much. Oh, I got into a book.
When I was travelling, I went into a used book store and bought "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult and never got around to reading it. It was too big to take travelling... so I found it in my closet and got addicted to it. It's a decent sized book and I couldn't put it down.  If you haven't read it - do!

The only thing I didn't like, was the very end. There are two paragraphs where I literally had to read them twice, and then out loud to understand correctly. Even then, I had to clarify with my roommate to make sure I was understanding it correctly. Poorly written - or something.

Anyway, that is basically what my week consisted of.  How exciting!

Next week we're back into the classroom to learn and I'm in two different schools to help teach - volunteering.
Three more weeks of University - then practicum starts!

Tonight my roommate and I are watching Home Alone! haha It's on TV - in the middle of April!! How weird!

xx

65 Hours.. Done and Dusted

In the Graduate Diploma program, you have to complete 65 hours of volunteer work.
I have been bustin' my ass getting these hours completed and I can finally say,

I'm DONE!!!

I was volunteering at my old placement school - helping with a Year 2 class (last week I even taught a lesson).
I was also volunteering at a school near me, Mooloolaba State School - also a year 2 class but I was helping with Reading Support. I was conducting reading assessments to see what reading level the children are at and then I helped them read.
The third school was at Chancellor State School. Here I helped with two different Year 2 classes. One class I did Reading Support and conducted those reading tests. The second class I was helping with Poetry class - nothing too exciting.

But, it's over. I won't be going back to my old placement because it's really far and without a car, really hard to get to.
The other two schools are on summer holidays for the next two weeks. I will continue to help them for the following weeks until I start placement but then I will have to stop.

Ta Da!

Finally, Apartment Pictures

As promised, here are some pictures of my apartment.

Remember, we just re-moved in this past weekend so things might be a little messy. AND as I took these photos, I was working on an assignment - which consisted of a homemade video!

View from the balcony.... Yes, that's the ocean in the distance :)

 Now you can really see the ocean...
The pool is also amazing. Then there's one indoors too.

 Our living room. The door that's closed is Cait's masterbedroom with bathroom.

 Living and dinning space. The hallway you can see, leads to bathroom, toilet room & two bedrooms.

 The kitchen.

 The bathroom Niamh and I share - it's located in the back hall

 My bed room.

 My closet space.

 The hall. I am standing in my room - looking into Niamh's room.

 The living room - with the new TV (we busted the other one with a power surge )

 The landing with a BBQ area

This is the other side of the kitchen - where the laundry is. 

Ta DA!