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!