Happy Hogmanay!

Here we are – at the end of another year.  Standing on the divide reflecting on the last and wondering what joys and challenges the new will bring.  In some ways, it is a bit melancholy – feeling time slip away with things yet undone.  On the other hand, the feeling of moving towards the great, unknown future is exciting.  What’s in store for me?  Will I succeed?  Who knows?

I'm having a grand time over here in Scotland – it’s so nice to be able to spend the holidays with family.  We've having a nice, relaxing vacation... sleeping in till mid morning, puttering around the house before going off sight-seeing somewhere or visiting. 

It is so beautiful over here.  I can’t quite explain it, but the snow, the hills and the stone houses all work together to give the place a very traditional Christmas feeling.  The town itself even reminds me a little bit of home. As my photo albums can attest, I can hardly look outside without wanting to take pictures.  Every bend in the road shows another postcard-worthy vista. 

The weather is quite snowy and cold (gets between freezing and -17C most nights)... they're calling it the worst winter in two decades.  Although I mentioned how nice the snow was, the truth is that this country does not cope well with it (due to the infrequent winter weather conditions making it economically infeasible).  I think my favourite story that sums this up was in the parking lot of a cafe we stopped in for lunch.  The lot was covered in slippery snow and one of the cars after us got stuck.  Apparently the young man had heard that you’re supposed to “rock the car” in these circumstances, so he began rocking himself back and forth while spinning his front wheels....

Anyways, Happy Holidays to my friends and family!  I hope things are going well!

The Long Awaited Trip

... And I’m off!  Good afternoon everyone,  I’m currently blogging from the comfort of my train enroute to Scotland.  I just think it’s so cool that my standard ticket allows free Wifi and a plug for my computer.  My only complaint is that the window I'm sitting beside has no blinds and the sun is shining directly onto my computer screen making it a little difficult to see.  Gotta do this travel thing more often.  It started out auspiciously enough – running around at the last minute getting everything ready, then as I walk up the drive, I slip on a patch of ice and slid back down to the door.     Don’t worry, nothing was hurt save my pride...
 
Before you ask, yes I did do all my wrapping and packing the night before (actually finished early this morning lol).  Given my track record, what do you think are the chances that I left anything important behind or forgot to do something (I say “important” because I’m almost certain something is sitting in my room).  I am quite pleased that I got my things and my gifts into a backpack, suitcase and  computer bag (it was a bit of a struggle).

Speaking of home, my house is feeling kind of empty since my two roommates moved out yesterday.  Not only will I miss their company, I’ll also miss their stuff!  I didn’t realize how much of the cutlery and appliances were theirs – the most annoying is the lack of a kettle.  Oh well, I wish them luck with their new jobs and new flat – a new start for the new year.

In terms of work, I’ve worked this past week as a nursery nurse in a nearby school and have just gotten another 7 day booking in a Year 2 class in January!  I really love these long bookings... you really get a sense of continuity and relationship with the children and staff.  This upcoming booking is one of the schools that has been calling me back quite often and from whom I've been getting great reviews.  I think its a good sign and the bookings from them have been increasing in length... :)

Weather-wise, it was lucky that the school I worked at this was nearby, because we actually got a bit of snow Thursday evening.  It wasn’t that much by Canadian standards (a couple centimeters I believe), but this is London.  On Friday, I read in the paper about such things as massive school closures in the South-East (my area), London councils unprepared for more than 6 consecutive days of freezing, and cars being stuck overnight on the highway (8+ hours).  Since I’m on a weekly timesheet, if my school was closed I would’ve had to wait until January in order to get it signed and paid...  The snow is still on the ground, so it looks like London will have a white Christmas this year... the kids will be thrilled.

That’s all the news I have for now.  Stay tuned for pictures!

Let the Countdown Commence

Here I am at the final week of the term – one more week and I’ll be finished teaching for the year.  It’s a strange feeling – I’m happy to have a break and am looking forward to my two week trip to Scotland, but it’s tempered by the unknown.  I don’t know what this new year is going to bring as I haven’t gotten any bookings or interviews in January.  I’ve been working pretty consistently through the last two months though, so hopefully that continues.

My Christmas cards have all been sent out this past week, which means they’ll probably be arriving near the end of December (fingers crossed).  Don’t think that they’ll be late, but think instead of how I am extending the magic of the season for you... that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!  This isn’t the first Christmas where I’ve been away from home, but I still got a bit misty-eyed and sentimental while I was writing.  I really will miss everyone back in Canada!

I’ve taken a few walks around town in the interim – Oxford Street really does look beautiful at night with all the Christmas lights.  The best part is, partially due to the recession, all the stores are having fairly big sales.  The shopping over here is wonderful and the prices are comparable to Canada’s!  I know quite a few people who would be in heaven right now.  So far I’ve gotten a new winter coat, a few shirts and shoes... next time I’ll bring my camera.

Last week, I was on placement at one of my usual schools (oooh, how I love to say that, it makes me feel so “established”) when I had an interesting conversation with one of the EAs at lunch.  She had been to a Christmas party hosted by an American couple (and had a predominately North American guest list) at which they served chocolate covered pretzels and the bits ‘n bites.  Apparently, she had never heard about this kind of food before and asked if it was normal party food.  I just found this episode provided a humourous reminder of the differences between our two cultures – this is easy to forget since we have strong links and common language.

Late again...

Alright, I know this update is (again) very late... this past weekend has thrown my sleep schedule out of wack resulting in tiredness and a lack of motivation to do anything.  It kinda feels like jet lag.  Hopefully my body will readjust to my usual timetable in the next day or so.  I've also started drinking tea instead of coffee in the evenings which may help.

“Why am I tired?”, you may ask.  Well, Friday evening was my first Christmas party held by one of my agencies.  We went to The Opal Bar, an upper-scale club/bar in Central London.  There was actually a dress code (business casual)!  The upper floors were the restaurant and bar area where you could socialize (over the loud music) while the lower floor was a 70’s inspired dance club.  Much fun was had.  Saturday evening saw me stay up late to finish my novel (is anyone surprised by this?) and I met up with a couple friends at the market on Sunday.

As always, work is going well – I’m still working every day and being called back to nearby schools.  This week I’m booked until Thursday. 

One thing I am liking about schools over here (aside from the resources available) is the school dinners (or “lunch” in Canada-speak).  There’s been a “healthy meal” initiative in the schools which means the meals they serve are balanced and at a reasonable price (couldn’t pack a lunch much cheaper).  The only part I don’t like is that, because the meals are “healthy” and cooked for masses of children, the cooks do not use much salt or spices.  In other words, they’re bland.  Perhaps it’s my laziness talking, but I can stand a little blandness if it means getting a hot meal in the middle of my day that I don’t have to prepare lol.

Other exciting news:  I’ve started my Christmas shopping!  I’ve purchased cards and a present for myself... gotta love sales!  I’ve missed the Christmas deadline for Canada, so the cards I send will be late (I don’t know how late though).  Apologies.

Recently, I was asked to rate my experience here so far - I responded with “Good”.  Now that I’m getting work and meeting people (and having the money to meet people), things are settling into a comfortable routine.  There are two things that prevented me from answering "Excellent" - the temporariness of work and lack of travel.  There still is some stress in the back of my mind regarding not having a permanent job but for now, I’m getting plenty of work.  I think its this worry that’s holding me back from exploring outside London (well, that and finding someone to go with).  Well, I’ll be able to rectify that in 12 days if not sooner!  Scotland here I come!

Tonight I tried out some self-massage techniques and found my muscles extremely tense.  My calves, neck and shoulders were so tight I could hardly do anything to them.  Maybe I should start up a stretching regime again.  Someone also suggested taking baths. 

Another Update

Greetings to my loyal readers (all five of you lol), it’s time for another weekly update in the life of Bryan.

Unfortunately, I don’t have much news to report.  The weather has turned “stereotypical British” (i.e. cold and rainy) which has put a damper on my sight-seeing exhibitions (hence no new pictures in a while).  Also, work has picked up, keeping me busy every day of the week – good news for my bank account, bad news for my blog.  So, apologies for the sparseness of this blog...

I’ve continued to broaden my school experiences this week – in addition to teaching and nursery nursing, I worked a day in an all-girls secondary school as a cover supervisor.  Now, you may be asking yourselves “what is a cover supervisor”?   In a nutshell, it’s someone schools bring in to babysit their classes while the teacher is out.  Unlike supply teachers, cover supervisors do not need to hold any sort of qualifications (only a valid police check), as they are not there to teach.  The work (usually busy work in the form of worksheets) is left and they are merely there to maintain discipline and make sure the students complete the work.   As you may imagine, this is a bit controversial: it cuts down on the number of supply teaching jobs and puts people who may have no formal training in charge of children in order to save money (stupid budget crunch).

Anyways, I enjoyed my time at that school – it was the easiest work I’ve done so far over here.  I was in two Grade 7 math classes (algebra), a Grade 8 French class and a Grade 10 Music class.  Maybe it was because the classes were composed entirely of girls or maybe it was their age, but there was a lot less rowdiness compared to other classes I’ve taught.  The day also underscored the difference in teaching styles between primary and secondary – namely, an increase in independence and a higher level of talk and reasoning.
It’s been a bit quiet on the social scene, but I did manage to make it out to my Magic draft (got my first sack land!) and finally met some of my Facebook friends in person.

***EDIT: Oh wow, I can't believe I left out the most important part of the meet-up I went to on the weekend!  We went to this American-style diner for dinner where I found my new favorite beverage... Banana Bread Beer!  It was amazing - it tasted just like liquid banana bread with a slight beer aftertaste.  I was in heaven.***

Let’s hope this coming week will bring a bit more news.  I have three more days booked in my local nursery and a few more leads on permanent work for the New Year.  The schools should start interviewing for those positions soon (fingers crossed).

The Bestest Teacher

Well all, here we are at the end of one week and the beginning of another. 

First off, unfortunately I have to announce that my blog entry was not chosen.  It’s too bad ‘cause I really liked it – guess it may have been a little too artsy lol.  Oh well, I’m not upset about it... this just means I have more time to write on my blog.

In terms of work, this week has been a first for me – I’ve had full teaching work every day!  The majority of my work has been from schools calling me back.   As well, I’m booked for 3 days of work next week.  Teaching is good...

As you can imagine, I’ve had reason to reflect upon how lucky I’ve been thus far.  It’s true that the work was slow to come and that I’ve made some mistakes in the beginning (ok, that hasn’t changed – I still make mistakes lol), but overall things have been good.  I’ve got my health, friends, a roof over my head, my finances are stabilizing and I’m doing something I love to do in LONDON!  This week, I had one of those special moments that just gives you that warm feeling inside and makes teaching so worth it:

I was walking up to the staff room (at a school I’ve been called back to several times) for lunch when I       passed two Year 3 students.  One stops, turns to me and says, “Mr. Kearley, I think you’re my bestest teacher.  And my friend here thinks you’re his bestest teacher too.” 

At the end of the day, while I was watching my students being picked up, I met the boy’s aunt and was told that he had been “raving” about me back home.  Apparently, the online story site (Tumble Books) was so enjoyable that several of students looked it up and were reading stories at home from it.  It's days like that that make me glad I chose teaching as a profession.

Do I Have the Write Stuff?

Last week's gone fairly well.  Similarly to last week, the work is picking up and I've met some more people.

I've entered a writing contest held by Protocol Education to find two writer's for a paid bi-monthly blog spot on their website.  For supply teachers by supply teachers.  So I may be a paid writer soon! Wish me luck!

To enter I was required to write a 50-100 word piece entitled "A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher" to demonstrate by writing ability.  I decided to go with a flash fiction style of writing due to take advantage the low word cap.  I know, I know... most of you are thinking, "Bryan keeping his writing short?!  Get out of here!"  Well, here's my entry, I'll let you be the judge... 

A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher 
By: Bryan Kearney

6:30AM. You awake to a blaring alarm. Silencing it, rubbing sleep from tired eyes, you lay back feeling a familiar mix of nervousness, suspense and excitement wash over you. New challenges are in store

7:00AM. Sitting by your phone, waiting for the call. Thoughts running through your head.

Where? Across town to teach Year 6 History? Around the corner to a Nursery school? No idea.

Who? It doesn’t matter – kids are kids.

Each day brings different details but the same journey.

A Busy Week

Finally I’ve had a busy week – 4 days of work (kind of)!  Let’s see the breakdown:

• Tuesday:  Teaching a Year 2 class at an Outstanding OFSTED school.
• Wednesday:  Called back to a local Nursery school to work as a TA.
• Thursday:  I went into London to invigilate an exam - it was a make-up for one student who finished in an hour.
• Friday:  Covering a Year 1 class in the morning and a Year 3 class in the afternoon at an open-concept school where each year group shared an area.  At first I was a little nervous at being “on display” (as I was told that the classrooms only had 3 walls), but really it was great to have the extra shared area for activity times.  There was a lot of opportunity for center-based, exploration learning.

So, aside from the slow start of supply work, I’m really glad I decided to do daily supply.  I’m learning a lot from all the different schools I work at and am finding out what I prefer doing.  It’s great being exposed to different teaching styles, ideas and environments.

Also, I was able to make it down to Clapham Common to see the Bonfire Night fireworks on Thursday.  Bonfire night is in memory of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot which Guy Fawkes and his Catholic conspirators planned to blow up the House of Parliament while it was in session.  Thus overthrowing the Protestant aristocracy and re-establishing Catholic power.  During this night, fireworks are set off and effigies of Fawkes are burned in bonfires (I haven't actually seen this, but its what I've been told).

I Have Friends!!

Whoops! Look at the day - time sure does fly. My apologies to my readers, I know this is supposed to be a weekly blog, but I've been getting busy and I missed Sunday's update.

So, "what have I been up to?" you ask... well, as many of you know, last week was half-term over here. The way the school year works over here is that students get a week off halfway through each of the three terms. You may think that sounds like a lot, but it balances out by shortening the summer holidays to 6 weeks. The holidays are more spread out, which is something I quite agree with - 6 weeks is long enough for most family vacations and the children have a shorter time to lazy around and forget what they've learned. One of the downsides is that it’s a shorter time for summer jobs...

During this half-term, I decided to stay in London and did a bunch of day trips (thank goodness the weather was beautiful). These included going to Westfield Mall, the National Theater, Nunhead Cemetery (see photos), playing Magic and visiting various other places. Also, as my title suggests, these have not all been solo activities – surprisingly I’ve been able to meet quite a few people (thanks in a large part to the handy Facebook groups and a few awesome organizers). I can really see some strong friendships forming (it’s like Korea all over again lol).

The Westfield mall is this massive collection of stores and beautifully built (fairly new I believe). About half of the shops were either clothes or shoes... June, you (and a fair few other ladies I can think of) would have been in heaven. The fashions I saw were a bit different than in Canada... the only way I can think to describe them is “trendy European” lol. I’ll definitely be back to purchase some of the shirts!

At the National Theater, I watched the play, “Mother Courage and All Her Children”. It was translated from Bertolt Brecht’s 1939 play “Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder” (oooh... I feel so cultural) and is quite bleak. It follows the life of a merchant woman and her three children as they profiteer from the Thirty Years’ war between the Germany and Poland. Mother Courage is enthusiastic about war and how much money they can make from selling merchandise to both sides. However, as the war drags on, supplies and money run low and, one by one, her children die leaving her to pull the cart alone. The music, performed by Duke Special, was perfect and I loved every minute of it. Click here to see what I mean.

Another week and all's well

Wow, I can't believe its been more than a week since I've last blogged.  The funny thing is, I'm not quite sure what I've done with all the time...

On the social front, I manged to meet up with Kyle and, along with his girlfriend, we went to the IMAX to see "Up".  Now this was a really cute movie and I enjoyed it far more than I expected.  Its the kind of movie you can take your family too and have everyone enjoy it - highly recommended.  After, they took me across the river to this really neat Belgium restaurant in Covert Gardens.  I can't believe I can't remember the name of the restaurant because it was excellent - the beer menu was as long as the food and other beverage menus combined!  I ended up ordering a Passion Fruit beer (was only 3.6% and tasted like juice) with a beef side in onions, dark beer, apples and cherries with a side of chips. MMMM....

On the job front, work has been coming in and I have hopes of an increase soon.  I've been talking to my recruiters and they've recieved some very positive responses from the schools I worked at this week.  Its exciting because these were local schools (one was a 20 min walk and the other was a 40 min bus ride) which is so much better than the 90min commutes of the week before.  The schools also frequently need supply teachers, whcih means I'm in a good position to be called in.  I think next month will be my busiest yet!

Right now, the schools are on a half-term break (one week), so I'm not anticipating work (though I've told the recruiters I'm available).   There's an outside chance of nursery work or private schools, but I don't know how likely.  This brings to mind a quote I recently found: "The only difference between an ordeal and an adventure is your attitude".  Now, I could bemoan the fact that I have a week with no work to look forward to, or I could treat this as an opportunity to see more of the city.  I believe this is the key to being a success - finding the positive in every experience.  Even if you have a bad day, look at what made it "bad" and figure out how to avoid that in the future - if you can pull something out of it, then you've turned it into a positive learning experience.

A Rainy Day

This morning is a chilly, drizzly morning, so its a perfect time to stay in bed and write a blog post :).

Let's see... this week I got another two days of work as a TA in a Nursery and Kindergarden class.  I really enjoy working with the little ones and those days have been lots of fun!  So, its not teaching, but there is work out there... I just need to be patient, stay positive and continue to keep abreast of things.  Flu season is beginning now which will hopefully bring more supply days (I know, I know - its bad to wish illness on people... tought ;).

As far as sight-seeing goes, I haven't done much.  The last week this month is the half-term break, so I figure I'll need things to do around that time.  Also, while I'm getting work, its still not as much as I'd like, so I really need to stick to a budget at the moment and limit my travel to day trips around London.  I plan on being here for awhile, so there's plenty of time to see other things and London is a huge city to explore. 

I did meet up with Greg at Camden Market last weekend, which was a lot of fun.  Its a large outdoor market area in central London, comprised of independent sellers and corporate stores, where you can find just about anything.  It was a treat just to walk around window shopping (they sure do like their shoe stores over here...)!  In one of the food areas, you had West African cuisine next to East Indian, Mexican next to English, which was across from Polish and... well, you get the idea :).  I decided on West African goat curry with a Belgium chocolate crepe for desert.  The only detractor from the day was my upset stomach caused by, I believe, a mayo and prawn sandwich I grabbed from a corner store on the way... I certainly will not be sampling that again, even though it was quite tasty.

Also on the weekend I went to East London for a local Diwali celebration (The Festival of Lights in India).  There was a parade down the street (which was lit up) and a cool fireworks and laser display in the evening.  The children marching in fire-motif costumes were especially cute :).  While there I had dinner in a really nice British pub - tried the chicken marsala, naan bread, mango chuney with a sticky pudding and custard for desert.  Oh my... that was absolutely delicious!!  Sticky pudding is now up there with chocolate lava cake :).

Overall, I must say that I'm really glad I took the opportunity to come here.  London truly is an international city and I believe that this will give me valuable experience.  As more work comes in, I'll be able to take more advantage of the opportunities which will help me grow as a person and a teacher.  I look forward to what next week will bring.

Pay Day!

Right, important news first – I have just received my first pay from England!  Gotta love pay day!  The bad news is that, due to a mix-up with my debit card ordering, I’m still unable to use ATM machines to access my account.  Let this be a lesson to people – when setting up a bank account, make sure the bank orders you a debit card!

Anyways, today I went on a horoscope website for kicks and found mine to be quite appropriate:

“The struggles of life make you strong. Without opposition, you would be weak and flavourless. Sometimes the struggle feels like it is overwhelming, but you need to get past that and embrace it. When you look back you may realize that getting there is the best part of the race.”

So even though things are a little choppy on the job front, there are always silver linings and I should be enjoying the journey, taking as much opportunity to learn all I can.  When I do get constant work, I’ll likely look back on this period of indolence with envy.  Right now, I have all the time I want to relax, settle in and see some sights – since the weather has improved the last can be outdoors again.

One of the things I like about London are all of the sights there are to see and plenty of walking trails.  At this time of year, these will be particularly nice as the leaves are changing colour and it’s not too warm or too cold.  The other day, I was down in Crystal Palace Park (quite lovely and large)... dating from the 1800s it was apparently the world’s first “theme park” (a collection of dinosaur statues and archaeological theme).  This weekend I may try parts of the Jubilee Walkway by the Tower and Bridge.

Speaking of this weekend, I know that Sunday will be Thanksgiving over in Canada.  Unfortunately, the English don’t celebrate it :( so I don’t really have any plans.  I’ll be sure to call back home!  On the other hand, there is a week break coming up at the end of October and "Guy Fawkes Day" early Novemeber...

Aside from sight-seeing, I’ve been busy shopping around for resources for my supply classes (whenever they come up)... seeing as I left nearly all my resources back in Canada.  Some examples are:
- “The Dot” by Peter Reynolds
- “The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch (Can't believe he's out of print in the UK)
- Primary Resources - good for all around lesson ideas
- Teaching Ideas- good for all around lesson ideas
- Teachers' TV - videos on a variety of topics

As well, I’ve been to my first CPD session (Continuing Professional Development) put on by one of my recruiters.  It was on how to use an Interactive Whiteboard in your lessons.  The session was quite informative, starting out at a very basic level before moving on to lesson tips and a good refresher from my B.Ed degree.  Best of all – it was free! :)

First Week Musings

Greetings to my loyal readers (whoever you may be :)!  Since I’ve finished my first week as a supply (and had fun), I’d thought I’d take the opportunity to reflect upon some of my experiences and advice that I’ve been given.

1. Resources and support:  Quite simply, I was impressed.   Each classroom had its own SMARTBoard (with Internet access), several computer, was bright and cheerful and had shelves of references.  As well, there was a general TA assigned to each class in addition to any EAs required by the students’ IEP, meaning there were between 2-3 adults in the classroom.  I love working on the SMARTBoard – you can just do so many more things than on a chalkboard (like those web-based educational games and video clips).  The staff was also very welcoming and happy to help or explain anything that I needed to know about.

2. Classroom Management:  Since I was in an older year, it gave me an opportunity to practice different styles of management (i.e. hand up, 3 tier punishment, achievement stickers).  As a supply, it's important find out from the classroom TA what the students are used to and work from there.  In general, I’ve found that I need to be more directive / assertive and to stay on top of the class. 

One of the most effective ways to manage behaviour is to keep the students busy and involved.  To do this, I break the work up into chunks (i.e. questions 1-5), give the students an appropriate amount of time to do it in (i.e. 10 min), then check in and take them up.  This is a useful way to assess whether the class really understood the lesson and to help them set achievable goals.  It also gives the students a structure and a goal to work towards – as one of my practicum teachers said, “Students do most of their work in the last 10 min of the time”.  During the work time, I circulate to answer questions and encourage the students (this is very important).

3. Preparedness and flexibility:  Sometimes difficult to judge how quickly students will work or what’s going to happen that day, so it’s necessary for me to have quick, adaptable lessons ready to go.  I’ve learned to keep a list of useful websites along with a few PowerPoint presentations and worksheets on my USB key as well as bringing along a rich story book that can be used for a variety of ages and activities (I have “The Dot” by Peter Reynolds).  I’m also trying to find “The Paper Bag Princess”, but apparently it was just reprinted and none of the bookstores over here have it in stock (one is ordering it for me). 

4. Ask Questions:  The idea is to ask the question before the administration tells you the answer.  By asking, I’m showing an interest and enthusiasm for my job as well as making sure I learn everything I need to know (i.e. behaviour management policies, special events, routines, etc).  It’s always better to ask upfront than to try to guess or make something up later.

5. Attitude:  Positive attitude begets positive reactions.  “I’m the adult in charge. I’m here to guide these students and we will have fun learning something.”  It is so important to stay positive even when things aren’t going so great, but the students take their lead from me (even if it doesn’t always seem that way :).  If I seem to be having fun and in control, they’re more likely to be too.

I've been working at a prim'ry school...

I'm back!  Again, I know it hasn't been a week yet, but something else has happened.  You know, I sometimes wonder if there's a point having an "update day" if I'm not going to follow it lol.  But I digress...

As many of you may have predicted from the title, I have now officially worked my first day as a UK supply teacher!  Its quite something.  I got the call this morning when I checked in with my agencies at the normal 7am.  Luckily thing I called because I was actually considering taking the day off to do some running around (a combination of a late night and signing final rental papers the night before which means I can register with a doctor, get a library card, etc).  Since I wasn't expecting it, it was a little amusing as I frantically threw the things I needed into my bag (or would have been if I was watching someone else do it lol).

Anyways, after what happened yesterday, I was very pleased to be offered a job.  The job was for a day's coverage in a Year 6 homeroom class at a school about an hour's total travel time away (bus, train and walking).  Fortunately, my recruiter provided very specific directions and I got there no problem.  Wouldn't you know it though, the Head Teacher at the school was the same person that interviewed me in Toronto!  Small world, eh?

It was quite an experience... upper junior does take a different skill set than primary (which is where most of my experience comes from).  They were a bit chatty, but overall quite well behaved and bright compared to some classes I've seen.  I did find that I needed to be more assertive and speak up - the laid back, quite style I use with the younger students doesn't work as well with the older ones (surprise, surprise).  There were a few hiccups in the lessons but being a teacher is all about learning to be adaptable and taking changes in stride.  The majority of the class "got it" by the end and everyone seemed to be engaged so I'd rate it a successful day... apparently so would the school.  While I was marking books after the bell rang, I got a call from my recruiter saying the school wanted me back the next day too! :D  Yeah!!

One of my favorite parts of the day was the afternoon assembly where an African theatre group performed a story (its African history month).  I think there will be African druming tomorrow afternoon too!

I was having a good time over here, but its amazing how much better I feel being given work placements.  Not only do I feel more financially secure (and thus more willing to go out to more places), I'm told that I'm good at what I like to do.  Gotta love positive reinforcement.  Now all I have to do is figure out the system to submit my documents to get paid! The work doesn't end... :)

Speaking of work, I'd like to draw attention to one aspect of being a supply teacher that I am currently enjoying.  Namely the lack of required planning and marking.  I did stay late today to mark the literacy books, but I think that was a surprise to everyone.  Tonight I can relax, safe in the knowledge that the lessons and resources will be planned out for me when I get to the school.  As long as I give myself 30min to organize and familiarize with the materials, I'll be good.  Don't get me wrong though... I eventually want a permanent job and my own classroom (for various reasons which, after seeing how long this post is, I'll wait for another post to get into), but I do enjoy the down time :).

Apologies for the rambling, meadering diolgue - I'm quite tired.  I was up till late, woke up early this morning, missed my morning coffee and worked all day.  Tonight may be an early night. 

Getting Settled In

Alright, I know it hasn`t quite been a week yet but a lot has happened in a short time.  So in the interests of everyone knowing what`s going on, I`ve decided to do the next post a little early.

Let`s see... where to begin?  Well, I think the item that most people want to know about (and the one that was a source of concern for me for a time) is my living accommodation.  I'm happy to say that I have moved into a nice house in the South London area which I'm sharing with 3 friendly roommates (2 female primary teachers and an investment banker).  This gives me two people who can give me teaching tips to make it easier to earn money and another who can tell me what to do with it ;).  I'm also happy to say that it only took me two days of pavement pounding to find it - I was having problems using agency listings, so I decided to register with FlatShare.com.  Within an hour of registering I had gotten around 30 calls and emails from prospective landlords.  So anyone who is looking for a place to live in London, take a look at that site - its free and effective!

Anyhow, the area is quite nice - near plenty of greenery and parks, nearby 4 train stations and close to several bus routes.  I can get to Central London in about 30 min on the train and within 15 min on the bus to most shops and amenities.  The house itself has everything I would need (except a desk in my room).  However, the main reason I decided on this one was because it felt like a home, not just a place to live.

Today, I took a bus downtown and found a little farmers market.  I had a blast shopping there... basically, you get a large bowl of produce (i.e. 12 pears or 10 yellow peppers)  for 1 pound.  I also found a street vendor selling really good sausages buns and an excellent latte place.  If this is the kind of coffee my former European roomates were used to drinking, I can now understand their comments regarding Tim Horton's :) - excellent stuff!  But, I made it back safely and I now have the necessary ingredients to make a proper meal... hurrah!

UPDATE:  I've added a link on the right to view my pictures.  So far I've put up two albums - my house and the walking tour  I went on.  The tour started at Hyde Park and down to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.  A big shout out to Nicola, our tour guide, who made the tour incredibly fun and memorable - there are too many stories to relate here (including amusing annectdotes of Buckingham garden break-ins and various amusing facts about famous people), but if you're looking for an inexpensive (free) way to see London (and other European cities), check out New Europe Tours.

Cheers From Across the Pond

Welcome all to my new blog site.  Even though its early, I must say that I prefer this to my last one - it just seems nicer.

Now for some news... (I apologise for the length)

My flight over here was alright - pretty uneventful.  I flew with Icelandair (with a change-over in Reykjavik) and it was very punctual (on-time to Reykjavik and 30 min early to London).  More importantly, I was given a window seat which meant that I was treated to three very memorable views which I really wish I had captured on camera.  This was the first time I flew out of Toronto at night and the city lights were a sight to behold - they reminded me of a grand scale Christmas light show... beautiful ribbons of light and sparkling stars.

The second came as we entered Icelandic airspace: it was a cloudy, grey morning just before dawn.  I was just waking up from one of my numerous naps and I beheld white shapes below us.  At first I couldn't tell if they were clouds or ice flows, but as the light increased I realized they were clouds.  They looked surreal - mounds of fluff and wisps hanging in the grey light.  As we decended, the view became lost in a thick fog until dark shapes appeared below before resolving into a stark vista (hmmm... do I sense an educational metaphor here? :).  Bare rocks covered in lichen, white capped waves pounding on the coast, dark ribbons of highways with a few car lights moving along.

The third view was of London.  It was, in a word, overwhelming.  It was so busy, yet neat and orderly - houses and buildings crammed together interspaced with large parks and greenery.

Overall, it was an incredible journey.  Really, the only two complaints I have are: the additional security check in the Icelandic airport (which is due to EU regulations) and the lack of meals served during the flight.  For the second, I know I probably should have read the ticket more closely when I booked it, but I just assumed that in-flight meals were included.  This meant that I was quite hungry when I arrived in London 9 hours later.

I've checked into St. Christopher's Village (London Bridge) for the next few days as I get oriented and find a flat.  Its a nice little place - kind of reminds me of university residence.  The rooms are dormitory style (8 bunk beds in mine), but there's a nice little "chill out" common area, movie viewing room and attached bar (decent prices).  The living areas are accessible with a key card and each bed has a lockable "cage" underneath as well as additional lockers in the rooms and several other areas in the hostels - you do have to provide your own lock though.  Breakfast is provided (toast, coffee, juice and cereal) and the staff are very friendly.  There's a lot of tourist info at the front desk and they even have free walking tours leaving every day at 10:15am (I'll have to catch one of those).  I'd recommend this to any travelers who are passing through and looking for budget accommodations - its only 12 pounds / night.

On the subject of money - I believe yesterday was the first time I've seen English pence.  I was quite excited when I purchased my weekly travel card and got back my change.  The one pound coin is double the thickness of the others, while the 20 p and 50 p pieces have sides.  Yes, I'm quite fascinated by 1different currencies and I must make sure to get a full set of coins before I leave.  The bills are cool, but it may be a bit expensive to get a set of those :).

Today, I have my first recruiter meeting and I hope to find a mobile as well as set up my bank account.  Wish me luck!